Listen: Smoke Season release cover of Don Henley’s classic ‘The Boys of Summer’

Don Henley’s ‘The Boys of Summer’ is one of the most enduring songs of the 80s.  There’s something in the narrative that seems to resonate with so many people.  Maybe it’s the thoughts of summers past; maybe it conjures memories of lost friendships.  Whatever it is, so many people love it and over the years it’s been covered in a variety of styles.

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KOLARS + Smoke Season: Jam In The Van 2017

In July 2017, Los Angeles retro rock duo KOLARS visited Ramsgate Music Hall for the second time.  Expected to be a good night, the sweaty and intimate atmosphere resulted in a night that the audience would never forget.  The night was made even better by the presence of Smoke Season in support.

Although Smoke Season don’t have much in common with KOLARS, their brand of electronic pop proved particularly enthralling.  Backed with the kind of sophisticated pop made by Alice & The Glass Lake with flourishes of electronica and dream pop, Gabby Bianco showed real star quality and – much like the KOLARS set, it was hard to imagine such a performance translating quite as well in a bigger venue.

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REAL GONE GOES OUT: KOLARS – Ramsgate Music Hall, Ramsgate, Kent 16/7/2018

In April 2018, Ramsgate Music Hall played host to Japanese indie/punk legends Shonen Knife. It was one of the greatest nights the venue had seen to date. Making what had already promised to be a fun night even better, the night’s support received a rapturous response. That band, KOLARS – a garage rock/retro duo from the US – impressed almost everyone with their display of sweat, sparkle and a tap dancing drummer. Within two weeks, the band had been confirmed to return for their own headline show and on July 16th, they took the stage at Music Hall once more.

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