20 July 2024 (gig)
23 July 2024
Dance clubs and Top 40 radio in the later 1980s would have not been the same without some amazing female artists. There were a bevy of singers and girl groups who invaded the airwaves and charts so dominantly that they left a permanent mark of the musical landscape on the decade. Two of the most successful acts of that era are Taylor Dayne and The Cover Girls. Both racked up a myriad of top-notch quality hits that have transcended the decades.
Taylor Dayne and The Cover Girls played a double bill on July 20, 2024 at the iconic Kowloon Restaurant in Saugus, Massachusetts.
One of the staples of the Freestyle music scene, and along with another all-female trio Expose, The Cover Girls were the best of the '80s/'90s girl groups. The Cover Girls are led by original vocalist Louise "Angel" Sabater, alongside Margo Urban and Michelle Viana.
The trio opened with "Because of You", "Spring Love" and the club banger "Inside Outside". Looking extremely elegant, The Cover Girls exhibited infectious energy that transformed the sold-out crowd back to the days when the sounds of Freestyle music were everywhere.
Sabater is a charismatic frontwoman and easily got the Kowloon crowd to their feet and dancing. Churning out more classics from The Cover Girls catalog as "All That Glitters Isn't Gold", "My Heart Skips a Beat", "We Can't Go Wrong" and their stunning debut smash, "Show Me".
Taylor Dayne has had both an interesting and longstanding music and acting career. She fiercely began with "Prove Your Love", "Every Beat of My Heart" and "Don't Rush Me" (while musically very different, "Don't Rush Me" evokes the same lyrical message as Janet Jackson's "Let's Wait Awhile").
Her 1989 hit, "Heart of Stone" is a slow jam powerhouse. Dayne's emotional delivery was so strong, it nearly obscures the underlying pain of a heartless partner.
During the sing-a-long vibes of "I'll Be Your Shelter", Dayne brought a young fan from the front of the stage (who was decked out in a Taylor Dayne shirt) and danced together, evoking one of the most heartwarming moments of the night.
Dayne delivered a pair of ballads with "I'll Always Love You" and "Love Will Lead You Back", before revisiting her 1993 cover of Barry White's
"Can't Get Enough of Your Love, Babe".
An encore of "Tell it to My Heart" turned the Kowloon into a feverish dance floor. Dayne then exited the stage after reminding everyone that there is another "Taylor" who was a musical force.
The concert series at the Kowloon is far from over. Amongst some of the upcoming events are an amazing double bill of Stevie B and Brenda K. Starr on August 16th, Wildfire on August 17th and The Complaints on August 30th.
