Walking on a Thin Line in Walker, MN
By Louis Ross
HLN Today reporter
The Moondance Jam headliners walked the line in Walker, MN this last Saturday night. Huey Lewis and the News did not disappoint in playing for almost two hours and 17 songs. With bands such as ZZ Top, Pat Benatar, John Fogerty, and the Allman Brothers, The News were called upon to close the four day suds and sunblock festival and they did it in style. Opening with the party anthem "Long Time, Good Time," the band had the crowd in their palms and didn’t let them go until after 1am. (A complete set list follows this article.)
Once played, Bad is Bad. If twice played, Bad is Badder? In over 18 years of attending News’ concerts, this reporter has never seen the band play the same song twice in a concert. But that's what they did with track three from the Sports album. They played "Bad is Bad" in the album version immediately after the a cappella "It's All Right," then played it again in the encore in the up tempo, bluesy version. It was an unexpected treat that the band threw at the crowd as Huey was calling audibles before and during the encore.
Other joys included the little three step back and forth choreography that Huey, Johnny, and Steph included in "Perfect World." Concert goers haven’t seen such fancy footwork since the likes of "I Never Walk Alone" in the mid eighties. Steph was playing lead guitar after a little tour hiatus and he was stellar in ripping the riffs on songs like "Walking on A Thin Line" and "Jacob’s Ladder."
The band seemed to have a blast and was in great form. Huey’s chops were impeccable; his vocals were very strong, hitting all the notes. Huey worked the crowed in between songs and chided the attendees in his best Scandinavian accent about the woeful Vikings. He said he admired the Minnesoootans for their perseverance and of course received boos when he said he was a Niners fan.
The News closed the concert with their mantra "Working for a Livin'" to the delight of all. It would not surprise if the band returned to Moondance in future years, as the band closed the festival in style. With many of the band’s counterparts releasing concert DVDs, one has to wonder if and when Huey Lewis and the News will release their own. A live DVD in 5.1 sound would be a great way to commemorate the 25 years the band has worked for a living, rocking the world.
Set List: Long Time/Good Time, Heart of Rock and Roll, Power of Love, Doing it All for my Baby, Walkin' on a Thin Line, If This Is It, Jacob's Ladder, It's All Right, Bad Is Bad, Perfect World, Heart and Soul, But It's All Right, I Want a New Drug, Do you Believe In Love, Stuck With You, Bad is Bad, Workin for a Livin.
