SLCene Suggests: The English Beat at The State Room

THE ENGLISH BEST, THE STATE ROOM, Thursday, March 14, 8 p.m., $40

Dave Wakeling has become one of those artists I’m sure to go see every chance I get. Whether touring under the English Beat moniker, which he is this time around, or General Public (the short-lived sequel band to the Beat), Wakeling always delivers a stellar show of high-energy dance-rock rooted in the two-tone ska scene of the Beat’s 1979 British beginnings. Songs like “Mirror in the Bathroom,” “Best Friend,” his cover of “Tears of a Clown” and General Public’s biggest hit, “Tenderness,” still resound decades after Wakeling and Co. released them into the world, a fact proven by the fact Wakeling can continue to tour the world playing English Beat songs, packing venues large and small. This week’s show in Salt Lake City should be a particular treat, thanks to it happening in the cozy confines of The State Room, just three short months after the band destroyed at The Depot. 2 1/2 White Guys open the show.