Kansas Citians see top notch act
By JC Ashley
HLN Today reporter
Kansas City has seen its share of music. It has it's own brand of most every genre, from blues and jazz, to rap and techno. Heck, the Jazz Museum and Hall of Fame are at 18th and Vine ("Goin' To Kansas City"). So, it is no surprise that Kansas Citians took advantage of cheap tickets to see a top notch act, still churning out some of the best in rock and roll.
Huey Lewis and the News probably surprised a crowd, estimated at 100,000 to 150,000. They were expecting some good background music for a beautiful midwestern night, full of food, carnival rides, and vendors of eclectic merchandise. What they got was a boisterously disorderly collection of 50's soul, 80's pop and rock, and new R&B. And it was served up to them like a plate of Kansas City barbeque, spicy and smokin'.
The mood was set early on, before the band even took the stage. The opening act was an up-and-coming blues group called Brody & The Groove Busters. They're led by 17-year old Brody Buster, a young prodigy in the techniques of digging down deep and ripping a mature funky sound out of his soul. Legend has it that B.B. King, while performing with Buster in LA, stopped to recognize Brody as "...one of the greatest harmonica players of our time, despite his age." They played a full set of rowdy blues creations and unwonted stylings on old standards. The highlight was an extended harmonica solo leading into a dirty, soulful version of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition." To sum up, a quote from the MC after the Groove Busters wrapped: "Brody, we just got a call from the fire department. Your cheeks are burning."
It had to be blind luck, to have such a talented, worthy opener for Huey and the new and improved News. If Huey was listening at all, he may have been a little nervous, to play his hand at the harp. He tried, and succeeded. In a mix of the pounding faves and the spanking new, they satiated the old guard and changed the minds of every one who dismisses them as "a lucky bar band."
The moniker "nostalgia band" does not apply to this group. To qualify as a has-been bunch of old-timers, the group has to have given up musically, giving in to the few of a thinning troop of die-hards. They have to change the key in which they play the aged stand-bys because the instruments don't play as fast, and the voices don't stretch as far. This could not be farther from the state of things for the News.
The set began with "We're Not Here For A Long Time," a song that sounds so familiar, no one knew it was off the weeks-old Plan B. A few audience members were observed mouthing the words, hinting that sales may be pretty decent in the heartland. The guys followed that up by smacking up "My Other Woman."
Then came the first set of hits, beginning with the "Heart Of Rock And Roll." Up to this point, none of the new News had stood out to prove his worth. But it was during this fourth song that fresh lead guitarist Stef Burns decided to whip it out. He blazed his way through his solos like they were his all along. Stef continued to please through the next 14 songs. The crowd was then treated to "Doin' It All For My Baby" and "The Power Of Love."
"Plan B" evidently means to relieve the band of any ties to commercial demands and pop influence. This freedom allows the men, as musicians, to flex their muscles. This began with Rob Sudduth's bari solo. It takes skill to play an instrument that sounds so deep, and have people take you seriously. Rob was taken seriously, then he handed off to his fellow sax-man Ron Stallings. He presented his tenor horn to the audience, packed with flash. Their antithesis was Marvin McFadden's trumpet, which turned the piece to pleasant, smooth jazz. Bill Gibson finished things off with a dazzling focus on the percussive arts.
Huey continued, with the ad-lib "We've been drinking," in a verse of "If This Is It." The crowd roared in agreement. And, Stef persisted with dexterous guitar work in "I Ain't Perfect" and "Jacob's Ladder." Beginning the latter, Huey seemingly took his bandmates by surprise with an extended harmonica solo.
Some frequent News Travelers who've seen these guys in concert lately, may have been disappointed by the one-song-short a cappella set. It contained only the News's animated adaptation of "60 Minute Man." Hey, the girls seemed to like it. As if to light up a cigarette after an hour of blowing his top, Huey unwound with "Let Her Go And Start Over."
Now, the fuscha suit jacket that Huey had been wearing all night came off, leaving a black t-shirt and matching fuscha pants to cover the front man for "Heart And Soul." And the band's lone nod to the Four Chords album came from "But It's Alright," complete with Huey's xylophone solo.
The set came to a rambunctious halt, with the need for an artificial high. And the crowd wanted Huey's "New Drug" named Stef Burns. He again owned one of the News old hits, laying claim to every measure of the medication.
The crowd was beat. It was late, and they were coming off the News drug high. That may explain why it took an eternity for them to coax the group back on stage. Luckily, the News understood, and treated their audience kindly with the bluesy new version of "Do You Believe In Love." Then they took a "Couple Days Off."
It's too bad the crowd didn't pick up on Huey's suggestion, pointing to his wrist asking what time it is. Instead of getting an obvious shot "Back In Time," they were "Stuck With You." And rent went up to $2000, so everyone is "Workin' For A Livin'," especially the 51-year old man seen jumping off the drum stand at the beginning of the song.
Mother Nature was kind to Kansas City on Saturday night. Weather in the 70's, low humidity, and the raw, natural talent of veteran rockers practicing their craft. Their new stuff may not hit you like a hammer, but it still draws you in. When Huey Lewis is singing, and the News is playing, any news is good news.
