The Tubes

The Tubes were arch satirists of popular culture whose outrageous performance-art concepts — which swung wildly from soft-core pornography to suit-and-tie conservatism — frequently eclipsed their elusive musical identity.

Over the course of the next few years, the Tubes earned a devoted cult following on the strength of the group’s surreal live shows, which featured Waybill adopting a variety of personas including the “crippled Nazi” Dr. Strangekiss, country singer Hugh Heifer and Quay Lewd, a drug-addled British pop star. The single “White Punks on Dope” became a minor hit and a radio staple.

In the ’80s, “Talk to You Later” and “Don’t Want to Wait Anymore” earned significant radio play. Thanks to its provocative video, the single “She’s a Beauty” reached the Top Ten, and pushed the 1983 LP Outside/Inside into the Top 20 Albums chart.