Cleveland, Detroit, and D.C. All Agree: Huey Lewis and the news Rock!
By "Razor" Rob Cole
HLN Today reporter
One of America's great rock and roll bands rolled into all three towns fired up and ready to hit the stage with an assortment of songs to play for their eager fans. All three cities were sold out and the crowds were very excited to say the least.
The bulk of the set list was the same for all three stops with a few surprises. At all three shows, fans heard:
- The Heart of Rock and Roll
- Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do
- Perfect World
- Jacob's Ladder
- Plan B
- If This Is It
- The Power Of Love
- Under The Boardwalk
- Doing It All For My Baby
- Heart & Soul
- But It's Alright
- I Want A New Drug
- We're Not Here For Long Time (We're Here For A Good Time)
- Do You Believe In Love
- Workin For A Livin
In Cleveland, fans were surprised with the a cappella "So In Love," while Detroit and D.C. attendees both heard "Naturally." Also in Washington, fans requested the classic R & B tune "60 Minute Man," and Huey and his News delivered. (The nation's capital also had the distinction of hearing three a cappella songs.)
Cleveland and Detroit also heard "I Never Think About You," which features the horn section, plus Johnny, walking from all angles backstage to the front after the last chorus supporting Stef while he solos. Both cities were also entertained with "The Boys Are Back In Town" and "Stuck With You." D.C. and The Motor City also heard "Thank You #19." Probably the highlight of the Detroit show was hearing the up-tempo version of "Bad Is Bad." The band nailed it with blistering horn solos from Rob Sudduth, Ron Stallings and Marvin McFadden.
The highlight of all three concerts was watching lead guitarist Stef Burns come into his own with this band. Every night Burns would "burn-up" his fretboard improvising on many solos. For example, "I Want A New Drug" and many of the other songs in all three cities, featured different solos each night. It's like Huey says, "This guy plays as good as he wants."
Another distinctive moment from these shows were the impeccable arrangements The News have come up with. "Perfect World" sounded a little slower than the original recording but had a bouncy R & B feel that made it groove. "Jacob's Ladder," "Heart & Soul" and "I Want A New Drug" each featured extended instrumental breaks that allowed the songs to sound like a breath of fresh air.
All three nights featured great music from fantastic musicians and one great band. They say wine gets better with age, if so Huey Lewis and The News can be compared to a '57 brand of Chardonnay.
