Colin Hay led the newest generation of Men at Work through a 19 song set
Eighties pop-rock hitmaker Colin Hay brought the latest iteration of his band Men at Work to Capital One Hall in Tysons, VA on Wednesday night (Aug 17th).
The Grammy-winner, clad in all white and a rhinestone jacket, took the stage just after 7:30 to an adoring and vocal audience. His set included hits “Underground,” “Overkill,” and of course, “Down Under.” When an excited fan shouted out, “Blue for You,” the acerbically funny Hay retorted, “We’ll do it. We’ve got to play them all because we haven’t got that many.”
That may have been piercingly funny because it’s true in a sense. Men at Work’s too-few hits are of such quality that they are still ubiquitous today. A fact Hay makes fun of in his shows. Can you even go to the grocery store without hearing the piercing sax lick of “Who Can it Be Now?”
A standout of the night was “Children on Parade” from Men at Work’s third album. The lengthy jam on “No Sign of Yesterday” earned a mid-set standing ovation. Colin Hay’s own songs were present. The show closed with fan-favorite Hay track, “Waiting for my Real Life to Begin,” and Men at Work earworm “Be Good Johnny.” The pairing showcased that stylistically, Hay has not strayed far from the 80’s pop-rock sound that has defined his biggest successes.
The band is full of younger members who were not around (or maybe even born) when Men at Work were in their Grammy and ARIA-winning prime. But they young folks — all immigrants hailing from Spanish-speaking countries — are no less talented. Still a five piece, the roles of each member remain the same: Yosmel Montejo on bass, San Miguel Perez on guitar, Jimmy Branly on drums, Cecelia Noel handles percussion, while Scheila Gonzalez showcases endless talent handling flute, sax, synth, and keyboard duties. Hay is as crisp as ever on vocals.
