Picture a Friday evening in downtown Bessemer City when the synth bass drops and the crowd launches into the opening bars of “Livin’ on a Prayer.” Kids In America brings the sound of MTV’s golden era to Centennial Park on May 8, 2026, as part of the city’s Down Home Festival. This is the night when neon-era singalongs meet open-air festival energy, and the setlist pulls straight from the decade that gave us arena rock, new wave hooks, and dance floors that never stopped moving.
Whether you grew up with these songs or discovered them later, the band delivers them live and loud—no backing tracks, just six musicians who’ve spent over a decade perfecting every guitar solo, synth line, and vocal harmony that made the 80s unforgettable on the radio and impossible to ignore in a live room.
Show Details
Kids In America performs Friday, May 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM at Centennial Park in Bessemer City. The show is part of the three-day Down Home Festival, running May 7–9, 2026, with entertainment, vendors, food, and rides throughout the downtown area. The park is located at 114 W Virginia Ave, Bessemer City, NC 28016, in Gaston County just west of Charlotte.
About Kids In America
Kids In America is a six-piece 80s cover band built on years of live experience and a shared commitment to recreating the decade exactly as it sounded. Shannon Remley and Ray Hartsfield handle female and male lead vocals. Shannon’s powerhouse vocals and energy along with Ray’s charisma and showmanship make for the ultimate male-female lead vocal combo upfront. Roey Haviv plays bass guitar and bass synth, GK Via covers lead guitar and lead and background vocals, Rob Bowser on keyboards and synths, and Mike Graci handles drums and electronic percussion. This 6 piece very talented band plays everything live with no tracks, covering pop, hair metal, new wave, hip hop and dance with the kind of precision and accuracy that comes from over a thousand shows for just over a decade.
What You Will Hear
Expect the kind of night where you might hear “Don’t Stop Believin'” and “Sweet Child o’ Mine” back to back, or “Billie Jean” sliding into “Push It” without missing a beat. The setlist pulls from the full 80s spectrum: power ballads like “Alone” and “Home Sweet Home,” party anthems like “Girls Just Want to Have Fun” and “Walking on Sunshine,” hair metal staples like “Pour Some Sugar on Me” and “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” and the new wave hooks of “Take On Me” and “Don’t You Want Me.” If it defined the decade on radio, MTV, or movie soundtracks, it’s in rotation.
About the Venue
Centennial Park serves as Bessemer City’s downtown hub for concerts and community events. Originally established in 1993 to mark the city’s 100-year centennial, the park was expanded in 2015 with added shelter space, greenspace, and public art. The open-air festival lawn provides a relaxed setting for live music, and the Down Home Festival transforms the surrounding downtown area into a full weekend of entertainment, food, and vendors.
Plan Your Night
Bring lawn chairs or blankets for the outdoor show, and plan to explore the festival before or after the performance. For the latest details on parking, additional festival programming, and any weather-related updates, check the city’s official Down Home Festival page or the venue listing for Centennial Park. The band goes on at 6:00 PM, so arrive early to claim your spot on the lawn and settle in for a night of live 80s music under the spring sky.