The News Rock With Lazy Susan in Westbury
By Robert Shapiro
HLN Today Reporter
Westbury Music Fair; Westbury, NY - On Monday, July 27th, Huey Lewis and the News returned to Westbury Music Fair, one of the more intimate settings to see a concert anywhere in the country. Featuring a circular, revolving stage and seating for less than 3,000 people, Westbury Music Fair can truly brag that there is not a bad seat in the house.
The anxious crowd chanted Huey's name before, during, and after the opening act. Finally, the News took the stage, with Huey following them down the ramp once the opening bars of "(She's) Some Kind of Wonderful" filled the theater. The crowd responded immediately, rising to their feet and clapping their hands.Testing a new song on the crowd early, the News kept the set going with "My Other Woman's Got Another Man," followed by "Doin' It All For My Baby," "Heart and Soul," and "Power of Love." It was then time to slow things down. After welcoming the crowd to Garden City, (he was quickly corrected by the crowd, reminding him that they were in Westbury!), Huey remarked that throughout the entire tour, "This is the only gig that we get to play on a lazy susan!" (A reference to Westbury's revolving stage). The band's only a capella song of the evening, "60 Minute Man" certainly was a favorite among the female members of the audience. It was then followed by "Bad is Bad", and the crowd was having a ball. As the heartbeats sounded for "The Heart of Rock & Roll", everyone rose to their feet again. "If This Is It" and "(Too) Hip to be Square" finished out that part of the show, then it was time for something new. "Let Her Go and Start Over" was well received by the crowd, and featured vintage News harmonies reminiscent of the Sports album. "He Don't Know" was next, and featured Chris Hayes in an extended solo that quietly stunned the crowd. They recovered quickly as the familiar guitar riffs for "But It's Alright" filled the air. "I Want a New Drug" was next, and Huey Lewis and the News had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands. "We're Not Here For a Long Time, but We're Here For a Good Time" wrapped up the show, leaving everyone begging for more.
The band quickly returned for an encore, starting off with "Plan B." The horn section did not disappoint anyone as they each took a solo. Huey then told the crowd how the Newsliners kept track of which songs the fans liked to hear in concert. The next selection, voted number one, was "Stuck with You," during which Huey got the whole crowd singing along. Dedicating the last song of the night to all those working class folks, Huey Lewis and the News wrapped up the evening with "Workin' For a Livin'."
If the true measure of a band is how well they play live, then Huey Lewis and the News are certainly in the upper echelon of rock 'n' roll bands, and they will continue to keep The Heart of Rock 'n' Roll beating for a long time.
