Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Two of Germany’s most famous pop exports, Thomas Anders & Modern Talking Band, along with Sandra, converged on a sold out Copernicus Center to open a rare American tour, filled with faithful from not only several surrounding states, but many from Europe and Asia.

Despite numerous pandemic-related delays, it was finally brought together by the always ambitious LA Concert Group, who previously mounted the inaugural Chicago performance of “Forever Young” synth pop stars Alphaville, alongside ex-Information Society singer Christopher Anton.

It was once again a match made in 1980s and ‘90s heaven with the headlining Anders and his backers (minus Dieter Bohlen, following their 2003 farewell) going through the duo’s sugar rush of singles that sold more than 120 million copies, along with some solo sections that ranked right up there on an international level.

Though they’ve flown somewhat under the radar on these shores, fans were nonetheless hungry to hear hits such as “You Can Win If You Want,” “Jet Airliner” and “You Are Not Alone,” up through samples from 2021’s “Cosmic,” which were finally fulfilled when Anders displayed his ultra-clean vocals and the demeanor of a true gentlemen.

The dance floor filled up further during a double-decker tribute to the like-minded Pet Shop Boys with “Losing My Mind” and “Suburbia,” plus Modern Talking’s mega memorable “Geronimo’s Cadillac” and “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul,” served as a clever mash-up with Elton John and Dua Lipa’s “Cold Heart.”

Along with the thumping encores “Brother Louie” and “Cheri, Cheri Lady,” they all held up remarkably well, especially now that electronic music has made such a rousing comeback, much of which is probably indebted to the headliner, whether newer artists realize it or not.

Sandra and her band brought just as much star power throughout an hour-long retrospective, including “(I’ll Never Be) Maria Magdalena,” “Heaven Can Wait” and “In The Heat Of The Night,” coming across quite similar to those early days of working with former husband Michael Cretu (of Enigma fame).

She’s of course made a massive body of work since then and weaved through decades of pop, R&B, anything danceable and an all-around upbeat demeanor that complimented her longtime friend, while indicating there’s a lot to anticipate for the select cities ahead.

For additional information on Thomas Anders and Sandra, visit Thomas-Anders.com and Sandra-Music.com.

For a list of upcoming LA Concert Group shows, visit LAConcertGroup.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the Copernicus Center include Zucchero (Sept. 21); André Reyes, formerly of the Gipsy Kings (Oct. 13) and Steve Vai (Nov. 16). For additional details, visit CopernicusCenter.org.

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