Billy Idol Turns Star Lake Into an 1980s Time Machine With Devo Opening and a 90 Minute Set Packed With Hits, Stories and Rock Hall Buzz
PITTSBURGH, PA — The Pavilion at Star Lake felt built for nostalgia Thursday night, with Billy Idol using a 90-minute set to revisit the sneer, swagger and hooks that made him a defining voice of the 1980s. At 70, the newly named 2026 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee still arrived with the platinum hair, black-clad look and stage attitude fans expect.
He opened with “Still Dancing” and quickly moved into the hits, including “Cradle of Love” and “Flesh for Fantasty.” Idol’s voice did not always hit with the same bite it once did, but the performance leaned into style, band chemistry and an easy command of the room. Steve Stephens, his longtime guitarist, backed him throughout the night, while Jessica Childress and Kitten Kuroi added strong harmony support.
Idol mixed old bruisers with newer material
The set was not only a victory lap. Idol also made room for “77,” a song from his 2025 album Dream Into It that he recorded with Avril Lavigne. Before singing it, he dedicated the track to outsiders everywhere, and the song’s more modern pop-punk edge fit comfortably beside the older material.
Elsewhere, he eased into “Eyes Without a Face” after a longer pause, letting the song’s softer atmosphere match his current vocal approach. “Rebel Yell” closed the main set on a high point, with Idol recalling how the song took shape in 1983 after a birthday party at Ronnie Wood’s New York City apartment. He said he could not remember whose birthday it was, but remembered the bourbon-fueled scene that inspired the song.
“Mony Mony,” his only No. 1 hit, brought the crowd fully to life, and the rainbow-lit stage turned the singalong into a communal moment. Even when the show briefly loosened its pace, the biggest songs kept the energy pointed in the right direction.
Steve Stephens and Devo kept the nostalgia machine moving
Stephens also earned one of the night’s biggest bursts of attention with a guitar spotlight that folded in Spanish-flavored lines and flashes of Led Zeppelin’s “Over the Hills and Far Away” and “Stairway to Heaven.” He also took a moment to salute Pittsburgh, saying his brother once attended school in the city and that he remembered sledding in Schenley Park.
Idol’s encore doubled down on memory lane with “Dancing With Myself” and “Hot in the City,” the latter tied to his recollection of surviving a sweaty 1981 summer in New York while dressed in the era’s edgy fashion. He capped the night with “White Wedding,” which sent the crowd into its final frenzy even as he joked that he was losing track of the set list. The band’s chemistry helped carry the finish.
Devo made the opener feel like a headliner
Devo gave the evening a sharp, kinetic start before Idol ever stepped onstage. The Ohio new wave pioneers played 14 songs in an hour, switching from crimson-red hats to bright yellow suits and attacking the set with the same oddball precision that made them cultural outliers.
From the opening synth bursts of “Don’t Shoot (I’m A Man)” to the closing rush of “Freedom of Choice,” the band treated the crowd to a nonstop sprint. “Girl U Want,” “Whip It” and “Uncontrollable Urge” landed as expected highlights, mixing pop gloss, punk urgency and the kind of offbeat energy that still feels singular. In a night built around legacy acts, Devo made the case that their own brand of weird remains as compelling as ever.
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