One of Apple’s less-remembered contributions to pop culture were the US Festivals, two multi-act musical and culture festivals sponsored by Steve Wozniak, Apple’s other co-founder. You probably last heard it mentioned in the “Homerpalooza” episode of The Simpsons, aired in 1996, when Apple was a struggling company:
The 1983 edition of the US festival had 4 days of music, each devoted to a particular category:
- New Wave Day
- Heavy Metal Day
- Rock Day
- Country Day
A video about 90 minutes long from New Wave Day has recently been posted to YouTube:
It features performances by the following bands:
Here’s a look at early INXS, in the Shaboo Shoobah era, when their best-known tune was The One Thing.
Remember, this is a pre-“I Touch Myself” Divinyls. The announcer mispronounced their name, calling them the “Die-Vinyls”.
This was Stan Ridgway’s last performance with Wall of Voodoo before going solo.
This is a pre-“Weird Science” Oingo Boingo, and their leader Danny Elfman would go on to score the Batman movie and create the Simpsons theme.
The English Beat disbanded later that year.
Here’s the hair that led to the joke in The Wedding Singer.
In the ’80s, Rockabilly got classified under New Wave.
Men at Work introduced the world outside Australia to vegemite.
This was Mick Jones’ last appearance with The Clash.