Early on in the '80s, just as MTV was starting to take off, Apple Computer mogul Steve Wozniak sought to put together a concert festival that combined the biggest bands with the latest technology.
The result were the Us Festivals. So named to encourage community in the dawning decade of the '80s, in contrast to the "Me Generation" of the '70s.
The first Us Festival was held over the course of three days, during the Labor Day weekend of 1982. This first festival included such cutting edge musicians as Pat Benatar, the Talking Heads, Oingo Boingo, and the B-52s, along with classic acts such as the Grateful Dead and Jimmy Buffet. Above is Pat Benatar rocking the Us Festival with her very '80s style.
A second Us Festival was held the following year, during Memorial Day holiday of 1983. This time, the festival was a total of four nights, with each night devoted to a particular category of music: New Wave, Heavy Metal, Rock, and Country. Here's some footage from the Us '83, including Missing Persons performing the very, very new wave '80s song "Walking In L.A."
