New Wave: Dare to be Different (2017): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2017, New Wave: Dare to be Different is a music and documentary film directed by Ellen Goldfarb, running about 95 minutes. “The story of the most influential radio station in America” — that tagline sets the tone.

What it’s about. U2, Talking Heads, Depeche Mode, Blondie, Duran Duran, Tears for Fears, The Clash, The Cure: Over half a billion records sold but you may never have heard of them if not for a small suburban radio station on Long Island, NY: WLIR. In August, 1982, a small group of radio visionaries knew they couldn't compete with the mega-stations in New York City. With one brave decision, they changed the sound of radio forever. Program Director Denis McNamara, the 'LIR crew and the biggest artists of the era tell the story of how they battled the FCC, the record labels, mega-radio and all the conventional rules to create a musical movement that brought the New Wave to America.

Who’s in it. New Wave: Dare to be Different stars Debbie Harry as Herself - Blondie - Singer / Songwriter, Joan Jett as Herself - The Runaways, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - Singer / Songwriter, Billy Idol as Himself - Singer / Songwriter and Nick Rhodes as Himself - Duran Duran - singer / songwriter / keyboards, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.5/10, New Wave: Dare to be Different has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. In US you can stream it on Qello Concerts by Stingray Amazon Channel and rent or buy it from Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch New Wave: Dare to be Different page.

If you liked it. Fans of New Wave: Dare to be Different tend to enjoy Whiplash, Coco, Green Book and The Legend of 1900.