Red hot 4th of July
By Gina Howard
HLN Today reporter
Salt Lake City, Utah -- Whew! The Fourth of July doesn't get any hotter than this. It was already a record-breaking 104 degrees here, and with Huey Lewis and the News' enthusiastic rockin' and rollin' and a fantastic fireworks show, this city was sizzling!
The crowd of 24,000 at Rice-Eccles Stadium at the University of Utah was dancing, singing and clapping along as the band cranked out their classic tunes. Thousands more scattered around the campus waiting to see one of the country's largest fireworks displays.
Huey started out his show pumping up the cheering crowd with "The Heart Of Rock & Roll," while dozens of local dancers performed on the football field. He immediately followed with favorites "Doing It All For My Baby" and "The Power Of Love." Then it was "Stuck With You." "This one," Huey explained, "is for the married folks," he said. "True story."
It was a rip-roaring goodtime for all ages! Although Huey only played a dozen songs -- all classics -- apparently because of the time constraints of the fireworks show.
But if fans were disappointed about not hearing any new material, especially with the upcoming album Plan B, they didn't show it. And fans familiar with the band were treated to seeing former lead guitarist Chris Hayes -- who left the band last year to spend more time with family -- back playing with the group, skillfully picking out guitar solo after guitar solo.
The fact that it was the Fourth of July was not lost on Huey Lewis & the News, who patriotically celebrated the 225 anniversary of this Nation's birth with a long rendition of "Walking On A Thin Line." Huey announced, "This one's for the Vets (American Veterans)."
And the fact that Huey himself was celebrating a birthday was not lost on two local radio personalities hosting the show. Although they mistakenly said his birthday is today (July 4), when it really is July 5. Fans who knew that screamed out "It's tomorrow!" Nevertheless, the crowd sang "Happy Birthday" to Huey before he came on stage.
Huey, too, acknowledged his birthday. And in his crowd-pleasing manner commented, "As you know, tomorrow's my birthday, and I can think of no better place to wake up in than Salt Lake City!" There was much screaming and cheering.
He also told the crowd there are a lot of fans in Salt Lake and that it wasn't the first time and certainly won't be the last time the group performs here. In fact, it was just three years ago when Huey and the boys came to town. On July 4, 1998, they played to 50,000 people at the "Stadium of Fire" show at Brigham Young University in Provo, about 45 miles south of Salt Lake.
This time, it was the "Red Hot Fourth Extravaganza" -- held in the same stadium that will host the opening and closing ceremonies for the 2002 Winter Olympics. Huey, in a neat purple suit and black shirt, headlined the celebration, which also featured Salt Lake's home-grown country sensation SheDaisy, along with a local high school marching band, dancers, a local children's choir, Native American dancers and more. "Thanks for inviting us to your party," Huey said.
Huey's hour and fifteen minute performance also included "Hip To Be Square" (although the first couple times he sang the chorus the line was "too hip to be square," and then at the end of the song it was back to the original "it's hip to be square"), "If This Is It" (after which he asked the audience his usual "Are you still with me?!" ), and "Heart And Soul."
As the group started in on "But It's Alright" from the album Four Chords and Several Years Ago, Huey told the crowd, "Everybody get up and dance!" And everybody did. Everyone was on their feet swinging, swaying, dancing to the music and singing along just as many had been at the beginning.
The band finished up with "I Want A New Drug," which had a harmonica and saxophone duet by Huey and Johnny Colla. Then the band left the stage and were quickly called back by the crowd chanting "Huey, Huey,Huey, Huey."
For an encore, they played a different, seemingly updated version of "Do You Believe In Love," to which Huey also had the audience sing along. Then they ended with "Working For A Living" with Huey playing a long intro harmonica solo.
Many fans still wanted more. After the band took their bows, the hosts returned to the stage to introduce the fireworks show. They asked the audience what they had come for and many fans yelled out "Huey" instead of the expected "fireworks" response. Two women in the stands yelled, "Hey, bring back the guy in the blue suit!!" When another fan corrected them that Huey was wearing a purple suit, the women said, "we don't care what he's wearing!" and then yelled, "just bring back the guy in the suit!!!"
For Salt Lake fans, hopefully it won't be too long before that guy in the suit and his band are rockin' the town again.
