A concert with a cause will once again turn to nostalgia to generate excitement in Lexington.

The annual Rock 4 Recovery concert, which moved to Lexington’s Icehouse Amphitheater after one year in Columbia in 2021, is set to return Sept. 29, with ‘80s and ‘90s pop star Taylor Dayne headlining.

Dayne emerged in 1987 with the striding, synth-stoked anthem “Tell It to My Heart” and topped the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in 1990 with the softly sweeping ballad “Love Will Lead You Back.” Her fifth and most recent studio album, “Satisfied,” was released in 2008, but she has released multiple singles since 2010, including the 2020 offering “Please,” a jittery, strutting number very much in line with the vibe of “Tell It to My Heart” and a fine showcase for her still powerful singing voice.

Though her mainstream chart dominance lasted from 1987 to 1993, a stretch during which she notched nine Top 20 singles on the Hot 100, her success continued on the Billboard Dance Club Songs chart, which she has topped twice this century in 2000 and 2008. Her most recent single to chart on the Dance Club list was 2011’s “Floor on Fire” (which peaked at No. 7).

But while grabbing a good headliner is important, the Rock 4 Recovery concert is as notable for its environment and intent as it is for the talent it brings to downtown Lexington.

Put on by LRADAC, one of 33 county alcohol and drug abuse authorities recognized by the state (and formerly known as the Lexington/Richland Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council), the concert is substance-free — which means no alcohol will be sold. It’s an effort to “raise awareness about the power and healing of recovery from substance misuse and help support persons in financial distress to fully participate in recovery services for themselves and their families,” a release explains.

“With the generous support of our presenting sponsor Dominion Energy, we are thrilled to bring Taylor Dayne to Rock 4 Recovery,” Leslie Maley, LRADAC Foundation Chair, is quoted. “With such a high-profile act like Taylor, Rock 4 Recovery has grown into one of the Midlands’ most anticipated concerts—and one of the only events around that offer a substance-free and safe environment for live music lovers of all ages. 

“In addition, because of the continued success of past concerts and other fundraising events, the LRADAC Foundation helps families and individuals enter recovery who could not do so on their own because of a lack of insurance or inability to pay. Each year, approximately 1,000 families receive the treatment they need in part because of the money raised at our concert.”

Hearkening back to the ‘90s is par for the concert’s course. Sister Hazel headlined the first Columbia concert in 2019. After a one-year COVID pause, South Carolina’s own Edwin McCain was the headliner in 2021. The event directed its nostalgia a little further back last year, grabbing the Creedence Clearwater Revival tribute act Revisiting Creedence.

LRADAC continues to bolster its efforts to curtail substance abuse in the two counties it serves amid rising overdose deaths. Earlier this year, the organization helped install a Narcan vending machine at the Lexington County Detention Center, offering free doses of the opioid reversal drug to recently released inmates, who are often susceptible to overdoses after going long stretches without using.

Tickets for the Rock 4 Recovery concert are $30 and go on sale June 6 at rock4recovery23.eventbrite.com.