Sat, Jan 9 The English Beat

The English Beat is a very John Hughes-friendly group. In fact, their song “Rotating Head” appeared on the soundtrack for 1986’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. Yet, the Caribbean reggae,’80s pop-rock-influenced ska group has a timeless sound, which continues to be featured in numerous soundtracks—and maintains a presence in a few of my iPod playlists. It’s the kind of ska one would listen to while sipping on a rum and coke in Jamaica. They’ve been at this since 1979 and they’re still going strong, so it’s pretty much guaranteed to be an awesome show. Also performing are the Storytellers, the Kinetics and Punch the Clock. 9426 Greenback Lane in Orangevale; www.thebeatuk.com.