Fans Enjoy New England Shows
By Catherine A. Carr
HLN Today reporter
20 August 2004, Mashantucket, CT - The marquee at Foxwoods Casino and Resort read: "9pm Aug. 20 Huey Lewis & The News and GB Leighton".
Fans lined up as early as 4:30pm to get good seats. With only acoustic guitars and strong, solid voices the two members of GB Leighton warmed up the audience with four songs. After their set, they also signed copies of their CD's that were being sold at the merchandise table.
In preparation for Huey Lewis and the News, the curtain in the Fox Theater was lowered. A familiar beat echoed from the stage. The audience's enthusiasm grew with each beat as the curtain was finally raised revealing the members of the band. Huey strolled onto the stage to the opening chords of "The Heart of Rock and Roll". Proceeded by "So Little Kindness" and "Thank You #19", "I Want a New Drug" was played next which segued into "Small World". The crowd could be heard singing along to "If This Is It".
Those who weren't already standing rose to their feet when "Power of Love" was performed. Cheers erupted when the stage hands brought the microphones to center stage. "It's Alright" was sung a capella. Another song called "Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh" had assistance from the rest of the band. Still a work in progress, the horn section came prepared with sheet music. Huey invited the audience to participate.
"Heart and Soul" was the next song in the set. Followed by "(But) It's Alright", "(Too) Hip To Be Square" and "We're Not Here For A Long Time (But We're Here For a Good Time)". Before playing "Back In Time", Huey thanked GB Leighton for performing and also commented on their good looks and ability.
Realizing he played so hard for the crowd, Huey acknowledged he almost overlooked the bands' introductions. To help out, Chris Berman, from ESPN, walked onto the stage and in sportscaster fashion introduced the band with nicknames. From Ron "traffic" Stallings to Johnny "diet" Colla. Then Huey invited "Boomer" to sing with the band. Encouraged by the audience, he sang the chorus to "Walking On A Thin Line". The show ended with "Doin' It All For My Baby" and "Workin' For a Livin". Once the band left the stage, the curtain was lowered.
21 August 2004, Boston, MA - For the August 21 performance at FleetBoston Pavilion, which began at 8pm, GB Leighton again opened the show. This time they included some harmonica to one of the two additional songs in their set. Huey and company had the same set list, plus the reworked "Do You Believe In Love" and "Jacob's Ladder". No one left either show disappointed.
