Jun 43 min read

Is 80s Pop Star Icon Still as Loved by Fans Today?

Sheena Easton performing live at Fallsview Casino in Niagara Falls, Canada. Photo Credit: Dan Duffin

By: Dan Duffin

Niagara Falls, Canada - Sheena Easton was huge in the 1980’s when I was growing up. Her debut single “Morning Train” topped the charts and was followed by the James Bond theme song “For Your Eyes Only” in 1981. During her time at the top she earned multiple Grammy nominations and a huge loyal fan base.

Due to her popularity I was only able to catch the artist's first 3 songs of her set while photographing the event at the Avalon Theatre, Fallsview Casino Niagara on June 1st. Unfortunately, all the media tickets were taken, and the house was totally full. For an 80’s pop star icon, I have to say she is still extremely loved by her fans.

Sheena Easton performing live in Niagara Falls. Photo Credit: Dan Duffin

Opening the night with “All Around the World”, a Lisa Stansfield cover, Sheena at 65 years old still looks and sounds amazing. She was wearing a short, fitted sparkling teal dress and had long red hair.

I had only seen some poorly recorded cell phone YouTube videos of her concerts in recent years and her live voice still impresses. She strutted left and right across the stage waving to people in the audience as if they were her best friends. The crowd clearly loved her.

Between songs she made a few jokes about the crowd being too young to remember her 80s hits, and that they had most likely heard them in the car on the way to school as kids. Amazingly enough for me, that's probably the truth. She also talked about the complications of love and having a love life, probably referring to her 4 reasonably short marriages over the years.

Her second song was “Days Like This” which I do remember from 1988 but haven't heard in quite a while. As she sang, I suddenly remembered the video for the track. Amazing how music can really take you back to a moment when you first or last heard it, and shocking that so much time had come and gone.

The band features Drums, Saxophone, Guitar and a backing singer providing some additional harmony. Everyone just quietly gets on with their individual contributions while Sheena remains the absolute star of the stage.

Sheena Easton performing live at Fallsview Casino. Photo Credit: Dan Duffin

I did notice that the drummer sits behind a plexiglass cage, and it's the same on all of her live YouTube videos. Apparently this helps control audio problems when louder instruments can overwhelm quieter instruments and vocals on stage. It also stops other instruments from entering the drummer's microphones.

For her third song, she sang “Almost Over You” which I don’t personally remember, but was a hit in 1983.

As the photographers left the arena we could hear Sheena covering ”It Must Have Been Love” - by Swedish band Roxette from December of 1987. From my brief experience on this night, Easton is clearly still adored by her fans. It was easy to see, and hear why.

Set List

All Around the World - (Lisa Stansfield cover)

Days Like This

Almost Over You

It Must Have Been Love - (Roxette cover)

Strut

The Lover in Me

The Arms of Orion / Nothing Compares 2 U- (Prince cover)

U Got the Look / Sugar Walls / The Glamorous Life / Rapper's Delight

We've Got Tonight- (Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band cover)

So Much in Love

Fooled Around and Fell in Love - (Elvin Bishop cover)