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Huey Lewis |
Josh Holmes |
Huey Lewis |
Story and Photos By Andy Argyrakis While Huey Lewis & The News will never go down in the history books as rock n' roll pioneers, there's no denying the group's pop sensibility and staying power, plus the ability to draw upon past influences to create a signature sound. Currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, the blue collar boys bring a party whenever they take the stage, tossing up some fists in the air for Sports sake and tipping their tunes in some blue-eyed soul or beer-soaked blues.Such was the case in this split between greatest hits and old school soul covers, which was packed with radio staples and sing-a-longs from the 1950s through the Ô90s, kicking off with horn smacked Wilson Pickett track "Don't Fight It" and showcasing the group's well-oiled chemistry across the next 90 minutes. Of course, longtime leader Lewis is the group's biggest asset, and not only does he sound exactly the same, but looks pretty much like did during the band's MTV conquest during decade of decadence. Plenty of those tunes were represented, from the fluttering "I Want a New Drug" to the thumping "The Heart of Rock N' Roll" to the era's ultimate commercial anthem "Heart and Soul" and doo-wop inspired "Do You Believe In Love." The guys also proved they didn't take themselves too seriously, teasing they never expected to perform "The Power of Love" every single night for the rest of their lives after becoming a smash single from "Back To the Future," though there was still plenty of artistic prowess on the docket, as demonstrated during a soulful a cappella set and the harmonica centered jam "Workin' For a Livin.'" And as the lyrics of the last track indicated, Huey and company are still earning every penny of fans' hard-earned ticket money and sending them home having their expectations exceeded. Though opener act Josh Holmes is a relative newcomer in comparison, he's still amassed a sizeable Midwest following throughout the past decade on the singer/songwriter circuit. Along the way, he's also scored opening act slots alongside Rusted Root, Sister Hazel, the Crickets, the BoDeans and the Doobie Brothers, making him more than ready and raring to go for this particular full house performance. Combining today's acoustic guitar tones with an obvious interest in modern day acoustic rock crossed with the Motown era, Holmes was a force to be reckoned with, blazing through his six string with fervor, but also bringing an immediate intimacy to the sizeable room given his soulful vocals. Originals such as "On the Inside" and "Stuck" evoked sophisticated porch pop stylings, while a cover of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" brought down the house with impressive accuracy (a truly incredible feat without the assistance of a backing band). Given his charismatic stage presence and the enthusiastic reaction received as a result, chances are this fresher face will be headlining venues of this stature in the not too distant future. |
Josh Holmes |
Huey Lewis |
Josh Holmes |
Josh Holmes |
Huey Lewis |
Huey Lewis & The News |