Doug  and the Slugs provided a toe tapping good time at Coyote Joes, Jan. 29 for a good sized crowd eager to relive the fun filled, hedonistic ’80s.

 Doug and the Slugs featuring all original members (Simon Kendall, Richard Baker, Steve Bosley, Wally Watson, John Burton) backing new lead singer Ted Okos who has been admirably filling original lead singer Doug Bennett’s big shoes since he passed away in October 2004.

A trimmed down Okos, who looked like a dead ringer for magician Penn Jillette, grinned mischievously and danced while sounding little like  Trooper frontman Ra Maguire while simultaneously channeling the spirit of Doug Bennett himself.
He and the band tore through a repertoire of their ’80s hits and a few obscurities.

“Chinatown Recalculation” was the first big hit they played early in the set. They got the crowd jumping on the dance floor to old hits and obscurities drawing influences from ’80s pop and a touch of ska.
“Cool Operator” was an obscure highlight.

 Bigger hits like “ Day by Day” had the audience singing along as expected and, of course, dancing.
Okos  told a few stories and dedicated a couple songs including “Drift Away” to Doug Bennett, noting he was the own who wrote all of them.
 they wound down with arguable the band’s biggest hit “Too Bad,” by beginning it as an a cappella doo wop number, before crashing into the familiar reggae influenced verses.

Lethbridge musician Daylan Delaney opened the set by playing a couple of new songs from his upcoming album in addition to playing an assortment of impassioned covers ranging from country music and old southern rock like Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man,” to more modern fare like Nathaniel  Rateliff and the Night Sweats ”SOB” and Mumford and Sons.

He ended with a taouch of country music and a solid cover of the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “Fishing in the Dark.”