A totally radical Christmas

December 20, 2025

Gigawatt to play An ’80s Christmas at The Hive

By Ben Olson
Reader Staff

“Great Scott!” The 1980s was a wild decade for music. The hair was big, the costumes were over the top, colors were bright, and music was full of confidence, spirit and fun.

Gigawatt, the Inland Northwest’s only ’80s show band, brings the sights, sounds and style of that decade — with a dash of Christmas spirit — to The Hive for its Saturday, Dec. 20 concert, An ’80s Christmas.

With Steven Santiago on vocals, John Watson on bass/vocals, Larry Koffel on guitar and vocals, and Rick Wakefield on drums/vocals, Gigawatt throws a heck of a party. The band members are known for wearing costumes from popular ’80s film, television and music, and often change outfits multiple times throughout a single show.

*Gigawatt, clockwise from top left: Steven Santiago, Larry Koeffel, John Watson and Rick Wadefield. Courtesy photo*

They play an exciting mix of songs from bands that made that era what it was, including The Cars, Billy Idol, Bryan Adams, The Cult, Van Halen, Genesis, Bon Jovi, The Police, R.E.M. and many more.

On top of their dedication to costumery and high-quality stage performance, Gigawatt also uses lighting and stage effects to ensure each of their shows is an experience.

Unpack all the DayGlo relics from your past, squeeze into those leather pants and get the curling iron hot, it’s going to be a wild night.

Saturday, Dec. 20; 8 p.m.; $10. The Hive, 207 N. First Ave., 208-920-9039, tickets at livefromthehive.com. Listen at gigawatt80sband.com.