Huey Lewis was one of the darlings of the MTV generation – back when the “M” in the station’s name actually stood for music!

Lewis released hit after hit in the 1980’s, landing back-to-back # 1 albums on the Billboard Charts in Sports and Fore! Dubbed as the “Everyman’s Rock Star,” Lewis connected with his audience and was viewed as being a normal guy who just happened to be one hell of a singer. He was good looking, personable and had a smoky voice that drove hordes of woman crazy.

When Huey and band rolled into Newkirk, Oklahoma, on December 1^st, most of the crowd were geared up for a blast from the past type of greatest hits show, they received much, much more. In 2010, Lewis released the album Soulsville, which featured Motown/Stax music. The white boy from California delivered big, on this night, performing seven soulful tunes from the latest album.

The crowd were on their feet during the opening number, “Heart of Rock & Roll,” but then sat down a bit confused, as Lewis played the following songs, back-to-back, “Don’t Fight It,” “Got to Get You Off My Mind,” “Respect Yourself,” “Soulsville” and “Little Sally Walker.”

Before playing the title track to his latest album, Lewis addressed the crowd about the new material he was performing. “Please buy our new CD. They are selling it right over there [points to merchandise booth]. For one thing, we need the money!” The crowd laughed and Lewis smiled that wide-toothed grin for which he is famous.

As is customary at a Huey Lewis concert, the band performed two songs a cappella, the first being a song dedicated to all the women in the audience, with a strong caution from Huey for the men to pay attention to the words. With that, “60 Minute Man” was sung. Next, the boys in the band sang the classic number “Um Um Um Um Um Um” as Lewis egged the crowd to join in on the chorus. Finally, a few more hits were trotted out including “Jacob’s Ladder,” “Hip to Be Square” and the rockin’ “Heart and Soul,” which was one of the best tunes played the entire evening.

The songs were not always true to their original form, as there were lots of instrumental passages added, mainly elongated guitar solos, or danceable horn passages. When Lewis grabbed his harmonica and joined sax playing guitarist Johnny Colla on the famous riff to “I Want a New Drug,” the crowd went wild. The band jammed it out and the guitar solos got the crowd off their collective asses and onto their feet. At the end of the tune, the guitarist bent a note and held it before going directly into “Small World.”

After two more numbers from Soulsville, the band took a bow and left the stage. The break didn’t last long; however, as Lewis returned and introduced the next song by saying, “We had no idea when we wrote this song, twenty-five years ago, that we would be playing it for the rest of our lives.” The opening guitar chords to “Power of Love” kept the party going. Next up, Lewis introduced a song that was his first hit single, written by the legendary producer John “Mutt” Lange. True to the spirit of the night’s performance, “Do You Believe in Love” didn’t rock out with the same pop bliss that the album version is famous for. Instead, the tune was turned into a swaggering, soulful, jazzy number. While it was odd to totally change the flavor of the song, one had to admit it worked. Last up, Lewis dedicated a song to the working man. He brandished his harmonica and the band kicked into one of his most beloved classics, “Workin’ for a Livin’.”

At one point during the show, Lewis entertained the crowd by having the crew bring up the house lights. He goofed on his audience and interacted with people. The evening was filled with good feelings, good music and laughter. He sang, played harmonica, and even occasionally shrieked at the top of his lungs, just for the fun it, or simply snapped his fingers, getting into the groove.

An artist like Huey Lewis, at this stage of his career, could rest on past laurels, play his hits, go through the motions and collect paychecks. Huey Lewis and the News, however, want no part of that. It’s refreshing to see him push himself as an artist and play music that is truly special to him.

Lewis’ voice, while sound, has lost a bit of range, yet that smoky gruffness is still there. While he may rely on the background singers to fill up the sound, from time to time, suffice it to say he can still produce all of his trademark vocals acceptably. Lewis has grown older but has done so gracefully and, for all visual purposes, on this night, happily.

Huey Lewis and the News provided an evening of music and fun that had this writer leave with a smile on his face. While tempted to complain that Lewis didn’t play “Bad is Bad” or “If This is It,” I couldn’t get the infectious groove of “Little Sally Walker” out of my mind.

Classic Rock Revisited highly recommends spending an evening with Huey Lewis, as he is an artist who understands where he came from, what inspires him and where he wants to go in the future. He does all of this with a huge smile on his face, even promising to come to your house and wash your car, if you just buy the bands’ new CD.

www.hueylewis.com