The B-52's: With the Wild Crowd! Live in Athens, GA

Although the lady singers stopped wearing beehive hairdos decades ago, the B-52's have never significantly altered their modern-rock sound. In this PBS-aired performance from their hometown of Athens, GA, the band combines new material with old favorites in a 20-song set that celebrates their Valentine's Day debut 34 years ago. Original members Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson, Cindy Wilson, and Keith Strickland are backed by a professional (if rather unadventurous) band featuring Tracy Wormworth (bass), Paul Gordon (keyboards), and Sterling Campbell (drums). In addition, Schneider contributes xylophone to "Give Me Back My Man," while Pierson adds keys to "Wig," part of the four-song encore. Pierson and Wilson dress up for the occasion in form-fitting dresses, while frontman Schneider dresses down in a striped jacket and jeans, although he briefly dons a wig for the crowd-pleaser "Party Out of Bounds." Standbys from the 1980s, including "Private Idaho" and "Rock Lobster," sound good, but more recent numbers, such as "Funplex" and "Love in the Year 3000," are forgettable. For a different kind of band this might be a problem, but the B-52's primarily make dance music, and their energy never flags, so it's unlikely that fans will be disappointed. Presented in DTS 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1, Dolby Digital 5.1, and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include an interview with the band. Recommended. (K. Fennessy)