Turn Me Loose!

Music | April 6th, 2016

‘80s supergroup Loverboy can attribute their successes to not only to just working on the weekends. It’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to come such a long way. It’s hard to believe that at the beginning of their career, they were rejected by all of the major American record companies until Columbia Records Canada picked them up. “We had a lot of disappointments in the beginning” says lead singer and founder Mike Reno.

They eventually went on to become one of the top five grossing touring acts in the world. Not only did they have a signature sound fusing multiple genres, but they appealed to guys and gals alike. To say these lads from Canada have done really well for themselves would be quite the understatement.

Known for such songs as “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” “Turn Me Loose,” and maybe most notably “Working for the Weekend,” Loverboy has a tendency of popping up in pop culture. Most recently, “Working for the Weekend” was featured in a Radio Shack commercial during the Super Bowl, the tagline being: “The ‘80s called they want their store back.” In which multiple ‘80s icons such as Hulk Hogan, Dee Snyder, and the California Raisins to name a few--ransack the store.

Though the most notorious soundtrack may be the infamous Saturday Night Live Chippendales skit featuring the late great Patrick Swayze and Chris Farley. “We had no idea they were going to do anything with the song, I mean they didn’t have to ask for permission,” Reno laughs, “When I first saw it, I had my back to the TV because I was packing and getting ready to go on tour. I normally pack the night before so I can just walk out the door in the morning, but once I looked up, I nearly lost it--I thought it was great!”

Loverboy isn’t just known for their hits--they had a signature style, with Reno’s red leather pants and ever present bandana. According to Reno, the bandana evolved from the practice of tearing off his t-shirt sleeves and using them as a headband in order to keep the sweat out of his eyes while on stage. Although they no longer don the iconic leather pants, they do keep a similar look. When asked if he still wears the red pants, Reno chuckled, “It would be like me asking if you wore your prom dress every time you went out.”

Loverboy will be playing with Foreigner this Sunday at the Scheels Arena, and it was recently announced that they will also be playing Moondance Jam and Sturgis this summer.

Fans can anticipate their old favorites. “People don’t react as well to the new material, they want to hear the 14 songs they grew up with and they love it!” Reno says.

IF YOU GO:

Foreigner with Loverboy

Sunday, April 10, 6:30 p.m.

Scheels Arena, 5225 31st ave S, Fargo

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