The Enterprising STARSHIP BEAM 'EM UP, BINKY
MTV’s annual New Year’s Eve party has got this reputation as being the place to unveil next year’s big breakthrough artists. After all, it was here that Cyndi Lauper first told us what girls really wanted, and Duran Duran performed at the ball before there was money for videos in Rio and their lead singer got rich enough to almost drown in his own yacht.
The Enterprising STARSHIP BEAM 'EM UP, BINKY
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Barbara Pepe
MTV’s annual New Year’s Eve party has got this reputation as being the place to unveil next year’s big breakthrough artists. After all, it was here that Cyndi Lauper first told us what girls really wanted, and Duran Duran performed at the ball before there was money for videos in Rio and their lead singer got rich enough to almost drown in his own yacht. True to form, the bill at Manhattan Center last December 31 also featured the Hooters, Charlie Sexton and the Divynls. But here it is raining ping pong balls at 11:30 pm and who’re these five geezers onstage? The Starship?!? Yes, indeedy, 20-odd years, three name changes and none of the original members later, the Jefferson Airplane’s grandchild is touted as brand new talent. You know something? If you look at it through the weird, cockeyed grid that colors anything these guys do, it makes perfect sense.