Vegas '99
By Katrina Pfefferle
HLN Today Reporter
Las Vegas, NV; Caesar's Palace; May 13-16, 1999 - That's right, the time had come again for Huey Lewis and the News to make a stop in Las Vegas and pound out four more terrific shows. This grand mini-series of concerts which has become a fan favorite commenced on the 13th of May and ended on the 16th. The songlist still contains a lot of the old favorites such as: "(She's) Some Kind of Wonderful," "Heart and Soul," "Power of Love," "Doin' It All for My Baby," "Heart of Rock and Roll," "He Don't Know," "If This Is It," and "I Want a New Drug," but it is gaining its share of new material as well. A total of 6 new songs can be heard on tour now, the newest ones being "When I Write the Book," and "Little Bit of Soap," which features a solo from Sean Hopper. The other new songs included the humorous "My Other Woman's Got Another Man," "We're Not Here for a Long Time, We're Here for a Good Time," and "Plan B." "'Till the Day After" made an unexpected appearance during Saturday’s show, adding variety to the mix.
Of course what HLN show would be complete without the a capella introductions and numbers? Huey stopped mid-concert to recognize his esteemed colleagues of 20 years, pointing out Johnny Colla's love for blackjack, Bill Gibson's impressive golf scores, and Chris Hayes as a proud new daddy! Then they pitched into "But It's Alright," and the ladies' favorite "60 Minute Man."
Soon came the enthusiastically requested encore, and the band returned
to perform "Plan B," "I Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do," and finally
"Workin' for a Livin'." "Stuck With You" was also added, specially dedicated
to the 'Newsliners.'
In fashion news Huey is still a big fan of the suit, this time choosing between mustard and blue. The award goes to John Pierce however, as he displayed debonair style in a full black and white pinstriped suit complete with top hat. Très chic!
In other news the band's energy was rocking high every night, and the audience responded with strong and wild feedback. Huey entertained the crowd as he extended the stage onto select front row tables, and one night a woman ran onto the stage to talk to Huey himself! He was very cordial as he stood there listening to her with a polite smile, and he made the comment, "don't be so easy," as she chatted away. Finally, she exited the stage on her own free will, but Manu (who is in the band's monitor engineer) and crew were ready to escort her off if she wouldn't have left herself.
In short, it was another success as great as the Roman Empire at Caesar's Palace for Huey Lewis and the News, you can bet no one left that casino disappointed!
