Merry In Merrillville
By John Brooks
HLN Today Reporter
Merrillville, IN; Star Plaza; September 12, 1999 - Huey Lewis and the News were in a playful mood in Merrillville this weekend and their spirit was contagious. With beach balls bouncing through the crowd before the show, the nearly packed Star Plaza was ready for a good time. Huey and the boys were up to the challenge, cracking jokes, smiling, and cutting loose with many of their classics and a good deal of fresh music.
The band opened with "So Little Kindness," building the momentum of the song to a powerful climax well beyond the recorded version found on "Time Flies." They then kicked into the first of the new tunes, the solid "My Other Woman Has Another Man." Almost without exception, the band seemed to relish in the new material, knowing that they have come up with some quality tunes. Highlights of the evening included "Power of Love," which really got the audience into the show, "Sixty Minute Man," one of two a capella numbers, and "Not Here For a Long Time," a new one that already has the feel of a Huey standard. Other new songs were "When I Write The Book," "Rhythm Ranch," "Plan B," and "Let Her Go and Start Over," a surefire keeper with a killer hook. To make room for the new stuff, Huey bumped a few familiar songs, including "Some Kind of Wonderful" and "Heart and Soul."
Huey mentioned that they have nine new songs completed for a new CD that will be out "around daylight savings time" next Spring. They have one more track to record and will complete it by the end of September. He announced that no title has been chosen but they are considering "Plan B" or "Old School" among others. He made jokes about how long it has been between albums several times and promised it would be out "before you are dead." Although we have waited seven years for a new disc, it sounds like the wait will be worth it.
