That song and a few others by the iconic British band were played regularly in a dance club that I frequented back in the day in St. Louis. Whenever that song comes on the radio, even today, I turn it up and sing along.

But Modern English had and has a whole body of work in addition to that iconic single, and it was thrilling last night to enjoy their performance here, which was produced by MusicFile Productions, the parent company of Savannah Stopover and Revival Fest.

And it wasn’t just thrilling because of the nostalgia. Modern English played a tight set, seemed to enjoy their classics, threw in a few strong originals, and generally just tore it up for well over an hour in the hot and humid old warehouse space.

All that, and lead singer Robbie Grey wore a Tom of Finland t-shirt. (Bobby Zarem was even in the house.)

I took some pics:

Lots of good news from MusicFile Productions earlier today about additional acts coming through Savannah. From the press release:

Chicago based quartet Filligar, a Savannah Stopover Music Festival alum, will headline The Jinx on Saturday, August 3rd. The bandâ€s new album, Hexagon, will be released on July 23rd and is already garnering advance critical praise from Paste, Spin, Indie Music Filter and others. Acclaimed indie harpist Mikaela Davis will open. Tickets for the concert are $8 and will be available at The Jinx and on Showclix.com.

Saturday, August 17th will feature Roadkill Ghost Choir and T. Hardy Morris at The Jinx. RKGC has continued to gain both press attention and fans since their Savannah appearance at Stopover in March. T Hardy Morris, best known for his role as the frontman of Dead Confederate and founder of collaborative group Diamond Rugs, will release his debut solo album Audition Tapes on Dangerbird Records July 30th. The album includes appearances by members of Delta Spirit, Black Lips and The Whigs. Videos for the albumâ€s tracks have been shot around Georgia focusing on “Places In Peril” and 10% of the album proceeds will benefit the Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation. MusicFile Productions and The Jinx will match that donation from net proceeds of the show. Tickets are $10 and will be available at The Jinx and on Showclix.com.

SCAD alum Helado Negro will return to Savannah on Wednesday night, September 4th for an artistic night of sultry, latin tinged, electronic music. Roberto Carlos Lange, aka Helado Negro, is Ecuadorian but grew up in Miami and first starting creating music when he lived and studied in Savannah. The concert will take place at Dollhouse Studios with additional details to be announced. Tickets will go on sale the week of July 22nd.

MusicFile Productions — the parent company of both Savannah Stopover and Revival Fest — had previously announced that classic rockers Modern English are playing on August 28 at Dollhouse Productions at 980 Industry Drive in West Savannah.

Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the day of the show, space permitting. Tickets are currently on sale via Showclix.

I’ll post some clips of the bands in advance of these shows.

It’s hard to overstate the importance of gigs like these for the Savannah music scene.

From at least the time The Rolling Stones stayed in Savannah but didn’t play here in 1965, we have been getting passed over by touring acts who hit cities all around us in the Southeast.

But through the work of the MusicFile and Savannah Stopover, we’re increasingly on the circuit. Consider Filligar’s stops in the nights leading up to a Saturday show here: Knoxville, Raleigh, Charlotte, Charleston. And after Savannah, they’re off to Atlanta, Birmingham, New Orleans, Houston, Austin.

Here’s a great publicity photo of Helado Negro:

For those of us of a certain age, that merits a wow.

Modern English’s “I Melt with You” was a nightclub staple when I started venturing to dance clubs in the Midwest in nineteen something-something. I loved a couple of the band’s early albums.

From today’s press release:

Legendary English rockers Modern English will play a one night only concert in Savannah on Wednesday, August 28th at Dollhouse Productions event space at 980 Industry Drive. One of the defining post-punk/new wave bands of the 1980â€s, the band will tour the U.S. behind the release of a new album, the first to be recorded with the original members of the group in 25 years. In addition to newer material, their hit songs “I Melt With You”, “Hands Across the Sea” and “Ink and Paper” remain some of the most recognizable and beloved tracks of the last 40 years.

An 80â€s themed dance party will follow the 10pm show. Tickets are $15 in advance and $18 the day of the show, space permitting. Tickets will go on sale at 5pm today on Showclix.

MusicFile Productions is the same LLC, headed by Kayne Lanahan, that’s behind Savannah Stopover, the indie music festival that began in 2011.

The MusicFile’s summer series starts with a free show by Widowspeak at The Sparetime on July 8:

The series kicks off on Monday, July 8th with a free show at The Sparetime featuring Brooklynâ€s critically acclaimed Widowspeak. The Captured Tracks recording artist will give a rare, stripped down performance at 9pm.

Widowspeak is comprised of Molly Hamilton and Robert Earl Thomas, renowned for their dreamy, western-tinged take on rock and roll. Their atmospheric, hazy sound has drawn comparisons to 90â€s standout Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. Widowspeakâ€s second album, Almanac, released in January of 2013, was recorded by Kevin McMahon (Swans, Real Estate) in a hundred year old barn in the Hudson River Valley of New York State during the transition from summer to fall. The album has received critical praise from NPR, Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Spin and many others.

Ponderosa and Yip Deceiver will play a show on July 12th at The Jinx:

Ponderosa and Yip Deceiver (featuring members of Of Montreal) will perform on Friday, July 12th at The Jinx. Both bands are Stopover veterans. Local band Hallucinex will open.

Atlanta based Ponderosa has gained both critical success and momentum behind the release of their 2nd album Pool Party last summer. Stomp and Stammer magazine praised the band for “soaring, interstellar harmonies, booming drums, spatial textures, offbeat tangents and reverb aplenty” stating that the new LP “brings them closer in approach to that of groups like Band of Horses, My Morning Jacket and Athens†Futurebirds.”

The of Montreal spin-off project of Davey Pierce and Nicolas Dobbratz know as Yip Deceiver offers playful, high energy dance pop with a buzzing funk vibe.

Tickets for the event are available at The Jinx and are $8 in advance and $10 at the door.

And here you go: