Hit me with your best shot: No ’80s playlist is complete without songs by Madonna, Elton John, Sinead O’Connor, Bruce Springsteen, Janet Jackson, and The Pet Shop Boys. Yet while their sing-along hits were dominating the airwaves, each of these artists recorded lesser-known tracks to bring attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic that was largely ignored at the time. At Vax to the Future, musician Shawn Decker (diagnosed with HIV in 1987 at age 11) uses his own experience—and an’80s dance party!—to shine a spotlight on the coronavirus vaccine. “I’ve dedicated my entire adult life to educating about the stigma that comes with HIV, and many of those battles are fighting misinformation,” says Decker. “Certainly some parallels can be drawn to the current situation we are all facing with COVID-19.”
Saturday 7/24, $12-15, 8pm. The Jefferson Theater, 110 E. Main St., Downtown Mall. jeffersontheater.com.
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