Top 10 Favorite Opening Acts #2 - Simple Minds

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#2 in my Top 10 Favorite Opening Acts series takes us to Scotland, home of alt-pop band Simple Minds. Fronted by vocalist Jim Kerr, Simple Minds has been at it since the late 1970's. Despite an extremely strong catalog, the band is best-known for their 1985 #1 hit "Don't You (Forget About Me,)" from the soundtrack to the movie The Breakfast Club. I saw Simple Minds open for Pretenders at Red Rocks in 1984. The highlight, for me, was the performance of my favorite Simple Minds song, the 1983 UK hit (#13) "Waterfront." Simple Minds set was so good, they are the only opening act I've ever seen get called out for two encores. At the time, Kerr was married to Chrissie Hynde. The first thing she said during the Pretenders set? "He never gives me two encores at home." Hilarious.