Old-school Huey Lewis enchants regular folks with regular tunes
Published: June 12, 2009, 12:30 am
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NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. — If there were a Grammy category called “Artist That Speaks the Language of Regular Folks,” Bruce Springsteen’s mantle would be sagging under the collective weight of those awards. But if there were any justice in this hypothetical world, Huey Lewis would have a few of those puppies as well. Because while The Boss was at his popular peak in the mid-1980s, Huey Lewis & The News was doing a better job making everyday people feel good.
Now before all you Bruceaders get on my case, I’m not saying that Huey’s more talented. I’m just pointing out that while Springsteen was posing in blue jeans that flattered his fabulous buns, Lewis looked like he could be the produce manager at Bells. And while “Born in the USA” was about a disaffected Vietnam veteran, “The Power of Love” was about the power of love.
It’s been almost 25 years since that tune topped the charts, and Huey Lewis & The News still isn’t interested in metaphors. The band’s show Thursday night at the Niagara Fallsview Casino’s Avalon Theatre — the first of a two-night stand — was bereft of lyrical depth and musical ambition. It was also unpretentious and completely entertaining.
The 58-year-old Lewis isn’t as light on his feet as he used to be, but he still threw himself into every note of the light, R&B-inflected rock songs that made him such an unlikely star in a decade defined by excess. And he had more than a few pals backing him up — The News is an eight-piece ensemble now, complete with a horn section and some standout players (especially guitarist Stef Burns). So when they took the stage and got the seemingly sold-out crowd on their feet with “The Heart of Rock & Roll,” the sound was loose, confident and unchanged from its original form.
The song is a perfect example of the band’s odd appeal. Full of cheesy, “let’s tour the country” lyrics and hopelessly dated synths, it’s proof that Huey Lewis & The News has no business telling us anything about rock and roll’s anatomy. But in this silliness lies its charm.
Maybe being raised in Buffalo has made me hard-wired to like underdogs, because this group of seemingly regular guys performed hopelessly uncool songs like “Heart and Soul,” “Perfect World” and “If This Is It,” and had me pretty much glued to my seat. After a pseudo a capella version of a tossed-off new song, the band gave an unexpected glimpse into its influences, starting with a nice, stripped-down version of The Drifters’ classic “Under the Boardwalk” (which would have been even nicer if they would’ve lost the drum machine), and full-band covers of Wilson Pickett’s “Don’t Fight It,” J. J. Jackson’s “But It’s Alright” and another tune The Drifters made famous, “Some Kind of Wonderful.”
The News wasn’t suited for these hard-driving soul tunes, and it goes without saying that Lewis is no Pickett. But once again, the fact that they would even attempt such a medley was charming in and of itself — kind of like it’s your dad up there on-stage, and you’re just happy to see him having fun.
As the crowd left the venue with ’80s pop flashbacks fresh in their brains, the mood was celebratory. And rightfully so, because if Springsteen is The Boss, then Huey Lewis is The Administrative Assistant. Who would you rather root for?
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REVIEW
WHO: Huey Lewis and The News
WHEN: Thursday night; another performance at 9 tonight
WHERE: Avalon Theatre of Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
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