Huey Lewis and the News rocked the crowd at St. George Theater Sunday, February 26th. It was their first concert on Staten Island.
Taking the stage around 7:40ย pm, the band played for roughly 90 minutes. The evening was jam-packed evening with hits. Opening with โThe Heart of Rock and Rollโ, Lewis rarely stopped to address the crowd. The first time he did so, he teased; โWe will play the hits until you beg for a new song.โ
And while he may have been playing on the crowdโs hunger to hear their very favorite songs, Lewis and his eight-piece band did play three newer songs this evening. But, they were well earned after a slew of classic hits that included โIf This Is Itโ, โDoing It All For My Babyโ and โHip To Be Squareโ.
Throughout the evening, Lewis paced the stage. He let the music move him as he worked the crowd with his microphone stand gymnastics and virtuosic harmonica playing. Bopping around the stage in a manner not unlike a jovial Muppet (and yes thatโs a compliment), Lewis proved the music is till as much fun for him and the band as it is for his fans-38 years into their career.
“Weโd have to play every damn night of our lives.”
The eveningโs slowest moment came when Huey and Co. decided to strip it down to a semi-acoustic set for a few songs. This is a tradition for the band, and showcased why they are considered some of the finest musicians in the world. One song, โUm Um Um Um Um Um Umโ, faired particularly well in this setting.
Huey Lewis and the News performed as part of the St. George Theatreโs 87th Annual Gala, a fundraiser for the historic venue. While the show itself was open to the public, the Gala was a formal event for donors and friends of the theatre. This meant that about a third of the crowd was in their Sunday best for the concert-a rarity for a Huey Lewis show, and something the rock icon noted during his encore.
This final round in the main set came like a one-two punch in the musical gut. It was an assault of classics after the acoustic set and some newer material. Lewis kicked it off with โBack In Timeโ, the Newsโ contribution to the Back to the Future soundtrack. Appropriately, the main set was closed out by โWeโre Not Here For A Long Time (Weโre Here For A Good Time)โ
After a short break, Huey Lewis returned, band in tow, for the song he joked he never imagined โWeโd have to play every damn night of our lives.โ The Academy Award-nominated โPower of Loveโ moved people to their feet. The concert closed with seminal hit โWorkinโ for A Livinโโ. Indeed, 38 years in and their fans are glad they are still doing just that.