Summer Tour Wraps Up
By Patti Mroczek
HLN Today reporter
Hot Fun in the City
Westbury, NY, August 13, 2002 - "New York, New York is everything they say, no place I'd rather be" sang Huey as he and the guys opened the show at Westbury Music Fair. The heart of rock and roll kept on beating strongly with 20 more songs.
After a warm welcome from the crowd, Huey lamented his fate that his "Other Woman Has Another Man." We then climbed "Jacob's Ladder" with stupendous guitar solos by Stef Burns. At the top of the ladder Huey shouted to the world, "Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do" while knowing that it is not a "Perfect World."
To show off the members of the oh so perfect group, they went to "Plan B." What can one really say about the exceptional musicianship of the horn section, Rob, Ron and Marvin; Huey's wonderful harp solo and the utterly fantastic drum solo by Bill.
The band then took us over to the "Rhythm Ranch" where they ask if it is really "Too Hip To Be Square." A cappella numbers were next to proclaim how "So in Love" we are when we slip out "Under the Boardwalk." The new calypso arrangement of, to quote Huey, "this chestnut of a song" was simply superb.
The guys probably "Aren't Perfect" but they sure were perfect as far as the audience was concerned as they performed with all their "Heart and Soul." The audience then danced their way through "But It's Alright" finding at the end a "New Drug" called love. As we all know "We're Not Here for A long Time" but what a good time we all had watching Huey Lewis and the News performing at their best.An encore taught the audience the "Power of Love" while asking to a new beat "Do You Believe in Love?" "Bad is Bad" but you'll never find that with these guys because they are always "Doing It All" for their fans. They may be "Workin' for a Living" but they are definitely having fun entertaining their audience. Great show! Great bunch of guys!
Berman Bestows Nicknames at Connecticut show
Wallingford, CT, August 15, 2002 - It was a beautiful warm summer night in the Connecticut countryside. But the temperature inside the venue began to rise as the group played the introductory bars to "So Little Kindness" and the crowd roared as the new "king" of rock and roll walked onto the stage. Huey Lewis, wearing a chocolate brown suit with a black tee shirt, and the News began to entertain the crowd for 90 plus minutes. The opening song was followed by "My Other Woman," "Heart of Rock and Roll," "Hope You Love Me," "Perfect World," and a slightly different version of "Jacob's Ladder" with Stef Burns performing some incredible solos. He is definitely a very talented musician.
With audience participation, the horn section stretched out with "Plan B." Great solos were done by Rob, Ron and Marvin as well as Huey demonstrating his talents on the harp. A fabulous finish to the song was done by Bill on the drums.
Quickly following were "If This Is It," "Power of Love," and two a cappella songs - "So in Love" and a calypso version of "Under the Boardwalk." "Heart and Soul," "But It's Alright," "I Want a New Drug" and the confirmation of night song, "Not Here for a Long Time, But Here for a Good Time" closed the show.
The encore started with the introductory bars to "Walkin on a Thin Line" as Chris Berman (sportscaster for ESPN) snuck on the stage to accompany Huey on the song. Huey and Chris had a great time performing this classic song. Convinced to do a second song the "Boomer" joined Huey for "Finally Found a Home." Chris then gave special introductions to Sean at the Hopper, John Pierced Naval, Stef 3rd Degree Burns, Bill Gibson Guitar, Johnny Diet Colla and Huey King Lewis.
"Do You Believe in Love?" was dedicated to those seeing the band more than once and then as custom, the band closed the show with "Workin' for A Living."
We will all keep on rockin' with Huey Lewis and the News.
On the Boardwalk
Atlantic City, NJ, August 16-18 - Sun, Sand and Rock and Roll! It was the typical dog days of summer on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. But the action at Caesar's was more than the gambling. Huey Lewis and the News had the Circus Maximus showroom rocking with good old rock and roll. The band seems to get better and better with every performance - if that is possible. The guys are in tune with one another to near perfection. Stef Burns was able to stretch out more with wonderful solos in many songs. His great work in "I Want a New Drug" was surpassed with his exceptional solos in "Jacob's Ladder."
Over the three nights the band mixed up the set lists which included, in addition to those previously mentioned, "Heart of Rock and Roll," "Trouble in Paradie," "Perfect World," "Doing It All for my Baby," "Power of Love," "Plan B," "If This is It," "Surely," "But Its Alright," "Long Time/Good Time," "Some Kind of Wonderful," "Too Hip to Be Square," and "Hope You Love Me."
Each night Huey introduced the core members of the group before the a cappella numbers - "60 Minute Man" (a favorite of the female audience) and the new calypso version of "Under the Boardwalk."
The encore each night included the terrific newer version of "Do You Believe in Love?" and the back to reality song, "Workin' for a Living."
One can never grow tired of hearing the good old rock and roll superbly performed by this top notch band.
