Last Updated: 5/29/2026
The 1980s produced some of the most singalong-ready music ever recorded, and New York has no shortage of live acts built to prove it. But not every band that claims the decade actually delivers it. The acts on this list were chosen on real criteria: lineup depth, setlist range, verified venues, and a track record across the kinds of events where the music actually has to land.
Whether you’re booking or just looking for a night out, these are the New York 80s cover bands worth knowing about.
Rubix Kube
Rubix Kube has been running “The EIGHTIES STRIKE BACK Show” out of New York City since 2007, and nearly two decades in, it plays less like a cover band and more like an 80s-themed theatrical production that happens to have a live band inside it.
The band runs dual frontpersons: Cherie Martorana Neve, the co-founder and show creator who also designs the costumes and has session credits on Moby’s “We Are All Made of Stars,” and Scott Lovelady, whose stage background spans puppeteering, animatronics, and rock fronting – both able to shift in and out of 80s character impressions across nearly 30 costume changes per show. The core backing band includes guitarist Steve Brown and bassist P.J. Farley, founding members of Paramus, New Jersey’s Trixter, which holds an RIAA Gold album, three #1 Dial MTV videos, and arena credits opening for KISS and the Scorpions; Mike Pex on keys, keytar, and sax; and Mike Hunter, who has played Broadway productions including The Band’s Visit and Tootsie. Choreographer Micki Lovelady (CalArts BFA) handles stage movement throughout.
The setlist reaches across every corner of the decade: “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Jump,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Sweet Dreams,” “Pour Some Sugar On Me,” “Jessie’s Girl,” “Livin’ On A Prayer,” “Billie Jean,” “Take On Me,” “Love Is A Battlefield,” “We’re Not Gonna Take It” – more than 200 songs catalogued across pop, rock, new wave, Hair Metal, and 80s hip-hop from MC Hammer, Grandmaster Flash, and Salt-N-Pepa.
Onstage, the show adds confetti, bubbles, an eight-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, a Bill and Ted’s phone booth prop, a dancing R2-D2, and a full video backdrop – all driven by crowd interaction and a drummer who plays every track without loops or backing tracks. Ticketmaster reviewers at the Gramercy Theatre in NYC consistently noted the energy, the costume work, and the sound fidelity to the originals; one wrote that Rubix Kube “blew me away with their energy, setlist, costumes, and incredible sound.”
The Gramercy Theatre (a Live Nation venue) served as their NYC home base starting in 2012 after years of sold-out weekly runs at the Canal Room. They’ve since headlined Irving Plaza and opened for Chicago, Bret Michaels, Warrant, and TLC, while also playing for U.S. Armed Forces overseas. A rotating cast of actual 80s artists has joined them onstage over the years – Rick Springfield, Bret Michaels, Dee Snider, Debbie Gibson, Richard Marx, Ace Frehley, Dennis DeYoung, Colin Hay, Bonnie Tyler, and MC Hammer among them.
LINK: https://rubixkube.com
Jessie’s Girl NYC
Jessie’s Girl is an eight-piece NYC cover act built entirely around the 1980s, running the decade end-to-end as a full theatrical production. Four rotating lead vocalists, a keytar, and a setlist that moves from “Billie Jean” to “Livin’ on a Prayer” to “Pour Some Sugar on Me” without losing momentum.
The current lineup is Destinee Monroe, Mark Rinzel, Jerome Bell-Bastien, and Jenna O’Gara on lead vocals, with Eric Presti on guitar, Karlee Bloom on keys and keytar, Drew Mortali on bass, and Mike Maenza on drums.
Their catalog covers the full spread of what made the decade stick: “1999,” “Jessie’s Girl,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “Video Killed The Radio Star,” “Footloose,” “Like a Prayer,” “Under Pressure,” “Working for the Weekend,” and “Don’t Stop Believin’,” among others. The band accommodates song requests for private events with enough advance notice.
Jessie’s Girl served as the house band for the “I Want My ’80s Concert” at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, backing a lineup that included Bret Michaels, MC Hammer, Debbie Gibson, Taylor Dayne, and Tiffany. They’ve also worked the ABC/New York Magazine launch party for The Goldbergs, a Neil Patrick Harris private birthday, and a Jamie Foxx Halloween event, alongside recurring dates at The Capitol Theatre, The Paramount, and the Count Basie Center for the Arts. They’ve sailed the ’80s Cruise annually through at least 2024.
On Ticketmaster they hold a 4.6 out of 5 across 169 reviews, with reviewers specifically noting the costume changes, rotating vocalists, and repeat-attendance pull. A 2024 Parklife DC review flagged Karlee Bloom’s keytar presence and the vocal rotation as the show’s live engine.
Private and corporate bookings go through ML Presents via the official site; the band is also bookable through Contemporary Productions. Pricing isn’t listed publicly; PartySlate directs to a custom quote.
Best suited for 80s-themed fundraisers, corporate holiday parties, performing arts center concert series, milestone birthday events, and themed club nights built around singalong nostalgia.Discover more at https://www.jessiesgirlnyc.com
The Ronald Reagans
The Ronald Reagans are a New York City five-piece built for events where the dance floor is the whole point. With male and female lead vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, and drums, they cover the decade’s full range: synth-pop, arena rock, new wave, and soul, all in one set.
The setlist hits the decade’s biggest cross-genre moments. “Billie Jean,” “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun,” “Take On Me,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” “Africa,” and “Walk Like an Egyptian” are all confirmed in rotation, with enough range to keep a mixed crowd moving through the whole night.
Band members bring Broadway and national touring backgrounds to the act, and the group has played everywhere from Boston to the Bahamas. Corporate event credits include the NY Auto Show and Guy Fieri’s NYC Wine and Food Festival. A 2017 live review at Mulcahy’s Concert Hall in Wantagh put them in front of a real concert-room crowd and documented the response. The Bash shows a 5.0 average from eight verified bookings across weddings, club nights, and community events.
The show runs in full 80s costume with changes between sets, and the pacing is built for dance floors rather than listening rooms. Reviewers note custom song requests, emcee work, and the ability to shift from a cocktail-hour setup into full 80s mode mid-reception, though those should be confirmed directly before booking. The band travels up to 150 miles from NYC, brings sound equipment for medium-to-large venues, and lists a starting price of $2,500.
Best fit for 80s-themed fundraisers, class reunions, weddings where the couple wants a live show with a visual element, and corporate events that need a polished dance set.
Inquire at theronaldreagans.com.
Lyxx
New York City’s 80s hard rock scene has no shortage of cover acts, but Lyxx has been working the Tri-State circuit since 2003, building over two decades of hair-metal and arena-rock experience across bars, clubs, and private events.
The band is built around dual guitar/vocal roles shared by Adam Tempkin and Andrew David, with bass and vocals from Russ Zweig, drums from Sean Canada, and Paul Schwartz handling lead vocals. (GigSalad describes the configuration as six pieces; the band’s own backline page lists five. Confirm current lineup at booking.)
The setlist covers the obvious pillars: “Thunderstruck,” “Back in Black,” and “Highway to Hell” anchor the AC/DC catalog, while “Kick Start My Heart,” “Round and Round,” “Photograph,” “Hysteria,” “Rock You Like a Hurricane,” and “18 and Life” cover the Sunset Strip side of the decade. The band also notes openness to learning requests.
Their public venue history is local and club-focused: Parkside Pub, Bantry Bay, YerMan’s Irish Pub, and Connolly’s Corner. No major festival, casino, or corporate stage credits surfaced in public sources, so this is a proven live-room act rather than a polished event-circuit band.
Lyxx books sets from 45 minutes to four hours, travels up to 60 miles, and can bring a full PA or work with an existing backline. GigSalad lists rates starting at $500, though other platforms show higher figures; confirm directly. The band has also performed in costume (wigs, themed looks), which can be a useful detail for 80s-themed events.
A practical fit for bar nights, club rock events, 80s-themed parties, class reunions, and informal private or corporate gatherings where the crowd wants hair metal played close to the original.
The Gilfords
The Gilfords are a Long Island/New York City-based 80s rock cover band with more than two decades of bar, club, corporate, and wedding work behind them. They cover the decade’s biggest guitar-and-chorus moments – Bon Jovi, Journey, Def Leppard, Guns N’ Roses, Pat Benatar, Van Halen – and lean hard into the arena-rock end of the 80s rather than the new-wave fringe.
Their setlist pulls from the crowd-proven end of the catalog: “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “She Sells Sanctuary,” “Video Killed the Radio Star,” “Don’t You,” “Purple Rain,” and “Power of Love” all appear in documented performances, with Guns N’ Roses, A-Ha, AC/DC, and U2 filling out a set built for singalongs.
Established in fall 2003, the band has worked bars and private events throughout the New York area for over twenty years, with corporate and wedding bookings extending across the country. Their most consistent stage has been The Gramercy Theatre, where they’ve served as the house band for the Marc S. Zeplin Foundation’s annual benefit since 2019, including documented sell-out nights. A 2014 Irving Plaza benefit drew over 1,000 people.
They play it straight: no shtick, just a party, which is how Rocktoberfest describes them, and the approach holds up across concert rooms, outdoor festivals, alumni events, and seated benefit nights. Additional appearances at Irving Plaza, Le Poisson Rouge, Prohibition NYC, and Princeton Reunions 2026 confirm a band that travels and adapts.
Best suited for 80s-themed fundraisers, benefit concerts, college and class reunions, corporate parties, and weddings where the couple wants a guitar-heavy set the room already knows by heart.Book through their Facebook page.
The Arcade
The Arcade is a six-piece 1980s tribute act out of Syracuse, covering MTV-era pop, new wave, arena rock, and Top 40 with a production setup that sets the show apart from a standard decade cover night. Running synchronized video of classic arcade games, original music videos, and TV clips behind the live performance, the band creates an experience that works for both the dance-floor crowd and anyone who just wants to hear “Take On Me” played right.
The lineup pairs dual vocalists Keith Calveric and Tommy Connors with Kevin Cotrupe on guitar, Elliot Jarvis on bass, Jack Jarvis on drums, and Drew on keys. Calveric spent nearly a decade fronting the national touring act Johny Vegas, and the band’s collective live history runs into the thousands of performances.
The setlist covers a wide stretch of the decade: “Rebel Yell,” “Tainted Love,” “Everybody Wants to Rule the World,” “Rio,” “Jesse’s Girl,” “Centerfold,” and “Sledgehammer” have all appeared in documented performances, alongside Cyndi Lauper and a-ha. The range skews toward recognizable singalongs without camping in the obvious greatest-hits lane.
Festival credits include the Erie Stage at the 2025 Taste of Syracuse, a multi-stage event drawing over 30 bands, and a documented date at Town Ballroom in Buffalo. Smaller bookings at Iron Smoke Distillery and In Tune Supper Club in Victor, NY round out a track record that spans public concerts, venue residencies, and supper-club shows.
Through their EVA booking profile, the band is listed as available in full band, duo, and trio configurations for corporate events, weddings, festivals, private parties, and college events, with noted availability for US and Canada bookings.
Best fits: 80s-themed festivals and public concerts, corporate events that need a polished visual production, class reunions, brewery and supper-club bookings, and weddings where the couple wants a live band that actually knows the records.
Book or inquire: thearcadeband.com
Touch The 80s
If your event needs the specific 80s, the synth-heavy, WLIR-era New Wave sound that defined Long Island’s underground before it hit the mainstream, Touch the 80s is built exactly for that. This isn’t a broad “80s hits” act. It’s a focused New Wave outfit rooted in the Depeche Mode / New Order / Cure / Erasure corner of the decade, the songs that hold up best when the room is dark and the volume is right.
The band grew out of The Touch, one of Long Island’s long-running cover acts, and the lineup reflects that pedigree: Jeff Herbst on lead vocals, Chris Jusino on guitar and vocals, Joey Sidito on bass and bass synth, and Bob Z on keys, with multiple members sharing vocal duties.
The setlist reads like a WLIR highlight reel: “Blue Monday,” “Everything Counts,” “West End Girls,” “Melt With You,” “A Little Respect,” “Electric Dreams,” “Space Age Love Song,” “Don’t You (Forget About Me).” It’s material built for crowd singalongs, and live clips confirm the audiences know it cold.
Their regular circuit includes Plattduetsche Park’s Biergarten in Franklin Square, Salt Shack in Babylon, The Boat Yard in Amityville, and The Nutty Irishman in Farmingdale. The Facebook page shows over 8,100 likes and a 100% recommendation rate across 16 reviews. Booking runs through Omnipop Talent Group, which places them for clubs, colleges, corporate, and private events.
Best fit: 80s New Wave theme nights, class reunions, biergarten and waterfront summer shows, and corporate or private events where the client wants WLIR-era nostalgia rather than a generic 80s party band. Private-event and wedding inquiries should go through Omnipop directly, as the deeper private-event catalog sits with the parent act, The Touch.
The M80s
Based out of Brewster, NY, The M80s cover the full spectrum of 1980s rock and pop, from synth-pop hooks and hair-metal riffs to arena choruses built for group singalongs. The six-piece features Allison Giacchetto on lead vocals, Eddie Fiscella on keys, Mike Samuelson and Jimmy B on guitars, Rob Mendola on bass and vocals, and Rick Elliott on drums. Their setlist draws from the decade’s most recognizable catalog: “Take on Me,” “Jump,” “Livin’ on a Prayer,” “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Jessie’s Girl,” “Voices Carry,” and “Working for the Weekend” among them.
Their 2026 calendar includes a slot at Wollman Rink’s Concerts on the Overlook in Central Park, appearances at Resorts World Hudson Valley and Resorts World Catskills, a vineyard show at Aquila’s Nest, and a community stage at Stony Point’s America 250 celebration. Aquila’s Nest notes the band arrives in full 80s costume and engages the room up close, which tracks with the themed-show feel the official site projects. Client testimonials reference compliments throughout a 60th birthday party and call out the band’s energy, though formal review counts aren’t publicly available.
Listed on The Bash and bookable through their official site, the band travels up to 50 miles from Brewster, with sets running two to four hours and a starting rate of $1,700 per event. Production riders and wedding package details aren’t publicly listed; direct inquiry is the right move for those specifics.
The M80s are a practical fit for 80s theme nights, class reunions, adult birthday parties, winery events, casino nights, and community concerts. For couples who want a setlist full of decade-defining songs without booking a generic variety band, they’re worth a conversation.
Decadia
Long Island’s Decadia has been running a full-production 80s show since 2011, and the eight-piece, three-vocalist setup makes clear this isn’t a weekend cover band squeezing into a corner of the bar. The lineup brings the firepower you need to pull off “Under Pressure,” “Total Eclipse of the Heart,” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” back-to-back without losing the room.
The setlist pulls from a wide lane: “Take On Me,” “Hit Me With Your Best Shot,” “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” “Don’t Stop Believin'” – with enough arena-rock and dance-floor range to keep a mixed crowd moving. They fold in 70s and 90s material and a movie-soundtrack segment built around Grease, Dirty Dancing, and Footloose, which gives the show more depth than a strict 80s act.
With roughly 100 shows a year across clubs, theaters, corporate rooms, and private events, the band has the reps to read a room. They’ve played the Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun and Mulcahy’s Pub & Concert Hall in Wantagh, and a Digital Journal live review gave their Mulcahy’s set an “A,” citing strong crowd interaction and stage presence.
For private and corporate bookings, they offer a DJ add-on to cover hip-hop and current requests between sets, will build a personalized setlist, and can scale from cocktail-hour background music to a full center-stage concert format.
Best fit: corporate parties, 80s-themed fundraisers and class reunions, casino entertainment, and weddings where the couple wants a production show rather than a traditional variety band.
Kids In America
Kids In America is a Charlotte-based six-piece that has the kind of stage miles that make distance a non-issue. Over a thousand shows played, a catalog that runs from new wave to hair metal, and a live setup with no backing tracks holding anything together.
Shannon Remley and Ray Hartsfield split lead vocals across a set that can go from “Take On Me” to “Sweet Child o’ Mine” without losing the room. GK Via handles lead guitar, Rob Bowser covers keys and synths, and Mike Graci drives it on drums and electronic percussion. The whole thing runs on what’s actually on the stage.
They carry a perfect 5.0 on The Bash, with reviewers pointing to floor response and crowd energy as the consistent differentiators. A 2023 repeat booking on GigSalad backs that up. Sets run 60 to 180 minutes, full period costumes come standard, and sound and lighting are available. Bookings start around $2,000.
For corporate events, private parties, or any New York venue that wants a packed floor and songs everyone already knows every word to, they’re worth the call.