So, I'll let you all in on a little secret:
Huey Lewis & The News is my favorite band of all time.
So there you have it, you now know 2 people who admit to that fact (Marty McFly was the other).
When I flipped the radio from country to Top 40 Pop/Rock around 1982/1983, it was just before the debut of Sports.
Needless to say, over the next few years, I wore that cassette out listening to the entire album, not a bad track to be found. A few years later, Fore! came out, and same thing, amazing album from first song to last, and that cassette too was eventually destroyed by constant use.
:)
And much like all musical acts of the 80s, the 90s came, introduced the world to Grunge music, and all of my favorite artists disappeared and became relics of a bygone era.
Thankfully, people realize there was some pretty good music put out in that decade and most of those songs are standard issue on Adult Contemporary stations.
Many of those musical acts reunite now as a nostalgia acts to the amazement of the crowds.
Yet Huey Lewis & The News never stopped working during that time.
They continued to put out material, and while it never really caught on with the changing musical taste of each new generation, their longtime fans bought it, loved it, and continued to sell out his concert tours every summer.
So, about the time I watched Live Aid, little me vowed to someday see Huey Lewis & The News in concert.
Little did I know that journey would take about 30 more years than I expected!
: /
I always wanted to see Huey when I was in Maryland. He came to Wolftrap across the river in Virginia every year, but the timing never worked out right.
Then for the decade plus that I was stuck in South Carolina, I never found him any closer than 4 hours from home, and that just wasn't going to work.
I was amused that seemingly every year he did play a venue or two in Oregon...
Which brings us back to now.
His summer tour was announced, and he was playing two sites: the amphitheater in Bend or a Casino on the way to the Coast.
While I wanted to take everyone to Bend, because I raised a whole family of Huey Lewis & The News fans, that was going to be pricey.
So instead, I bought two tickets to the show at the casino, 21 and older only, and watched as the show quickly sold out.
I won't mention how horrible the website was for purchasing tickets as I saw the 2 front row center seats in my cart vanish...and by the time I was able to get the cart to function correctly, I was now about 20 rows back...
Or maybe I will mention it! :)
Then we were hushed about it.
Because whenever we make plans in the future or for something remotely fun, life or annoying people always seem to arrive unannounced at the last minute and ruin it.
Thankfully, not this time.
So as we sit in our seats waiting, the show is about to begin...
And a very familiar heartbeat begins...
The Heart of Rock & Roll starts playing and we jumped to our feet, as did several people throughout the sold out concert as we clapped, sang and danced along.
That was followed by She's Some Kind of Wonderful, and then went into I Want A New Drug.
Now, you know those songs...
Played live, are those quiet, slow tempo songs you should sit on your hands and listen to?
No.
But apparently for the crowd of old fogeys behind us, they kept poking my wife and me and telling us to sit down.
They even pushed our chairs into the back of our legs.
I turned around mid-song and one lady asked me "How's the show? I wouldn't know because I can't see it."
Apparently she didn't notice the two jumbo screens in front, or two big screens to the side that she could have looked at.
Or, horror of all horrors...actually stood up and enjoyed the show herself.
I shrugged my shoulders, smiled, and went back to clapping and standing, soaking in the moment.
This was a bucket list item for me.
And they did not disappoint.
It was an amazing set full of hit after hit after hit!
Huey has an easy rapport with the crowd, telling us he knows we want to hear something new, but too bad, he's in charge, and he's in a hit-singing mood.
Eventually he did indeed give us 2 new songs that night, and they seamlessly fit in with the rest of his catalog.
Slowly, as the concert wore on, others finally unable to ignore the infectious energy of the band and those of us in the crowd who know a good thing when they see it, rose to their feet and really seemed to bring the entire energy level up in the place.
Aside from some sticks that never get out of the mud, by the time it came to cheer for an encore, that place was rocking.
And gracious Huey came back to the stage and played us 3 more songs.
When it was all over, you know there were some hits that just don't make it out due to time limits, but you feel like you've had the best night of your life.
Would I do it again?
In a heartbeat.
I got to see Huey Lewis & The News in concert, and I was able to take my beautiful bride with me!
The only downside, all of the kids at home who wanted to go, but were age restricted.
So if we do it again next year, I'm probably going for the venue that doesn't restrict by age.
And we'll be there.
And we'll be standing.
Cheering.
Singing.
Clapping.
Dancing.
You've been warned.
Buy your tickets accordingly.
:)
Final Grade: A+
