Don’t You Forget About MixTape FM: The ’80s Came Alive at Crazy Uncle Mike’s

By Joanie Cox Henry

If MTV still played music videos, MixTape FM would deserve heavy rotation.

On Aug. 6, the South Florida five-piece took over Crazy Uncle Mike’s in Boca Raton and transformed the room into something between an ’80s arena-rock blowout and the world’s greatest mixtape in the best possible way.

MixTape FM has built its reputation as one of South Florida’s premier ’80s rock and pop cover bands, but calling these five seasoned musicians simply a “cover band” undersells what happens onstage.

From the opening moments, MixTape FM played these songs like they owned stock in 1985.

Lindsay Giova wasted absolutely no time establishing the night’s mission statement, opening with Prince’s “Let's Go Crazy” And they did.

Giova is a wonderfully versatile frontwoman, moving effortlessly from keyboard solos to percussion to vocals while bringing the right combination of powerhouse delivery and playful theatricality to the material. She served up a deliciously sassy “Material Girl,” tore into “99 Red Balloons,” brought infectious energy to “Cruel to Be Kind” and gave “Flashdance… What a Feeling” the kind of vocal lift that makes you understand why nobody in an ’80s movie ever walked anywhere when they could dramatically dance instead.

"Crazy Uncle Mike's is a great venue to play because Mike takes great care of the bands," Giova says. "The green room is always set up with delicious food and space to chill and get ready. The stage is spacious and the sound in phenomenal, so we enjoy the experience as much as the audience."

One of Giova’s coolest moments came during Bryan Adams’ “Run to You,” when she slipped a piece of an original song into the arrangement. It was a small creative detour that said something important about MixTape FM: They may specialize in nostalgia, but they aren’t afraid to put their own fingerprints on it.

That was especially evident when Mike Elmore injected Elvis Presley’s “Burning Love” into a mashup of “Proud Mary.” Elmore brought muscular guitar work, strong vocals and genuine rock-and-roll swagger throughout the evening. His performance of “I Alone” by Live gave the set a welcome blast of ’90s grit, while his duet with Giova on Tina Turner and Bryan Adams’ “It’s Only Love” showcased the chemistry between the band’s vocalists. Their voices bounced off one another with the kind of natural ease that makes a duet feel less rehearsed and more like a conversation.

Then there was Steve Kaminer, the band’s Swiss Army knife of guitars, keyboards and vocals.

Kaminer got his own ZZ Top moment with “Cheap Sunglasses,” but it was during Guns N’ Roses’ “Sweet Child O’ Mine” that he really got to unleash. Those guitar solos are sacred territory for rock fans, and Kaminer attacked them with precision, tone and just enough abandon. Rather than merely tracing familiar notes, he brought the fire required to make one of rock’s most recognizable guitar showcases land in a packed club.

Behind all the fireworks was Fernando Santomaggio, who spent the night demnstrating that bass players should be allowed to steal the spotlight more often.

Santomaggio handled an impressively eclectic run of lead vocals, including “Greased Lightnin’,” Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” Information Society’s “What’s on Your Mind (Pure Energy),” Hot Chocolate’s “You Sexy Thing” and Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer.” Jumping between those songs requires range, personality and a willingness to fully commit to the moment, and Santomaggio delivered all three.

But his pièce de résistance came during Duran Duran’s “Rio.”

John Taylor’s bass work on “Rio” remains one of the great reminders that ’80s pop bass lines could be every bit as thrilling as a guitar solo, and Santomaggio absolutely devoured it. His take on Taylor’s bass solo was fast, funky, melodic and frankly the sort of moment that makes musicians in the audience lean forward and everyone else simply yell. Calling it epic barely covers it. Clem Fandango himself would hear it and approve! Santomaggio also enjoys performing at Crazy Uncle Mike's.

“It’s an honor to be the same stage as players like Eric Gales and Richie Scarlet,” Fernando Santomaggio says. “You feel that musical history when you step up there, and it makes you want to bring your best every time.”

And holding this whole neon locomotive on the tracks was Paco Camara. His work throughout the night gave the band its pulse, but The Knack’s “My Sharona” provided an especially tasty showcase. That song lives or dies by its rhythmic tension, and Camara made it snap, crackle and thunder, bringing an explosive physicality to the kit without sacrificing the pocket. This band is a joy ride. 

Giova brings charisma and vocal fire. Elmore supplies guitar muscle and rock-star attitude. Kaminer delivers delight on keys and serious six-string dynamics. Santomaggio gives the low end personality, groove and a dose of literal Pure Energy. Camara adds to the rhythmic horsepower that keeps the entire engine running smooth.

Together, they understand something fundamental about playing music people have known for decades like shows are about making the audience feel something and this band achieves that flawlessly. 

At Crazy Uncle Mike’s, every chorus to these beloved tunes most of us had on a mitxtapes back in the day became communal property. The audience danced, shouted lyrics and reacted to opening riffs like old friends had just walked through the door. For a few hours, nobody cared what year was printed on their driver’s license. That’s the real power of MixTape FM. They grab the decade of excess by its teased hair, crank up the amplifiers and invite everybody along for the ride.

You can catch MixTape FM next Saturday Aug. 22, 2026 at the Hollywood Beach Bandshell in Margaritaville.