Rewind Con gathers '80s, '90s stars, bands for nostalgia-filled weekend
Growing up, Jaymie Lashaway has fond memories of rushing home after school with her cousin to watch MTV's “Total Request Live,” calling in to vote on their favorite artists and learning the dances from the most popular music videos.
The memories bring her back to a time when life was simpler - no internet, no fast-paced job, no adult burdens or demands. Just innocent excitement, adolescent crushes and friendships cemented by bonding over the cutest boy band members.
It's a nostalgic feeling she hopes to re-create this weekend for legions of fans who grew up in the 1980s, 1990s and early 2000s, with Rewind Con, a pop-culture convention dedicated to reveling in the entertainment from that time.
The inaugural event, which takes places Friday through Sunday, Nov. 11-13, at Hilton Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, brings together former teen stars, boy bands, soap opera stars and other actors for fan meet-and-greets, pop-culture panels and more.
Stars scheduled to appear include cast mates from “Beverly Hills, 90210” such as Jason Priestly, Jennie Garth, Tori Spelling, Luke Perry and Gabrielle Carteris; members of boy bands *NSYNC, 98 Degrees and the Backstreet Boys; Alan Thicke and Tracey Gold from “Growing Pains”; Doug Savant from “Melrose Place”; soap star Patrick Muldoon; Michael Gross from “Family Ties”; Jeremy London from “Party of Five” and more.
About 60 entertainers will make appearances throughout the weekend for photo and autograph sessions, a VIP party and a throwback concert.
“We want people to turn back the clock and relive some of those awesome moments from childhood,” says Lashaway, the event's co-founder and President/CEO. “The movies, TV shows, celebrities and games of the early '80s and '90s will always have a special place in all our hearts, and we want to experience that again.”
The event planning expert - who is a friend of one of the “90210” actors - came up with the idea after being home sick one day and indulging in a marathon session of “Growing Pains.” She had noticed other conventions honoring shows like “The Walking Dead” and “Star Trek,” but no event that specifically did pop culture from her childhood.
Days later, she realized she couldn't shake the idea. “I brought it up to a couple of friends, thinking they'd either say: 'You're nuts' or 'Yeah!' They loved the idea, and it just took off like wildfire. It all started because I'm a self-proclaimed nerd.”
Event organizers chose the Chicago area for the site of their first gathering, an area not too far from Lashaway's home state of Ohio, because of the region's diverse audience and solid fan base.
And they had no trouble securing stars, many of whom jumped at the chance to meet with fans, relive the glory days and talk about their careers now.
When planning began a year and a half ago, organizers had originally hoped for about 2,000 fans. They're now expecting more than 3,500 guests, who are coming from all over the United States, as well as places like London, Tokyo and the Netherlands.
Lashaway says she wants fans to leave feeling nostalgic and immersed in positive memories.
“I couldn't wait to grow and up and be in charge of my life, and then we all learn that being an adult sometimes isn't exactly what it's cracked up to be,” she says. “If you grew up in the '80s and could see that one day you would have a phone that could search the internet, that's awesome, but at the same time, life was a lot simpler. You'd come home from school and hang out with the family.”
The event is also a way to honor how progressive some of the shows at the time were, by covering topics like breast cancer, date rape, teen pregnancy and sexuality.
“Nowadays, you don't think twice about those things, but at the time, it was so groundbreaking,” she says. “Shows like '90210' and 'Saved By the Bell' really helped pave the way for the shows today.”
Also, organizers will be honoring the late actor Paul Walker by donating raffle proceeds to the disaster relief organization that Walker helped found, Reach Out Worldwide.
Based on early positive response, Lashaway and her event team are already planning similar conventions in other cities, including Dallas in March, Atlanta in May, and New York and St. Louis next summer.
Rewind Con
Where: Hilton Indian Lakes Resort, 250 W. Schick Road, Bloomingdale
Hours: Noon to 9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 11; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 12; and 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 13
Tickets: $57-$640. For tickets and a complete weekend schedule, see