Take a trip back to the ’80s with this Tucson hair metal cover band concert

Saenz said the band has been rehearsing for the past couple months, preparing for a big show in El Paso, Texas, on May 2. He said they decided to add the Marana show as a warmup.

Expect to hear Def Leppard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” Ratt’s “Round and Round” and Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark.”

“We sing all the No. 1, biggest, sing-along hits,” said Saenz, who with The Dirt guitarist Gage Schmidt is also a member of the Tucson country cover band Backroads.

Saturday’s concert is being presented by Tierra Antigua Realty, where Andy Saenz works as a Realtor. Saenz said they are bringing in a big stage and lighting effects that will create a 1980s arena show ambience. The band also is encouraging people to deck out in their favorite 1980s big hair, heavy metal finery to match the band.

“We’ll be in full makeup with wigs and leather,” Saenz said. “The show is over the top like in the ‘80s.”

As more COVID-19 restrictions are lifted around the country, The Dirt, which took its name from the 2019 Netflix Mötley Crüe biopic of the same name, is starting to book more shows. Saenz said they have been in talks with a couple of festivals and casinos and hope to be more than a weekender band.

“We are definitely taking more bookings,” he said, adding that the band’s performances include a “crazy light show” and stage production. “It’s pretty intense. It’s not just five guys jamming out. It’s a full production.”