Tag: Huey Lewis and the News

No Group for You!

I’ve been posting a lot of music-centric stuff lately-either because I’ve been garnering inspiration from certain tunes or just because it makes me happy. Regardless of how downright gritty or lonely our lives might be right now, music always has the power to lift us up and take us away for awhile.

When I post something about a group or performer, inevitably I’ll get a comment from someone who was fortunate enough to see that act in person. I’m always so jealous.

Growing up in the Texas panhandle without much money, I didn’t always have opportunities to see artists perform live. I’m grateful for the ones I did see: Huey Lewis and the News, Three Dog Night, the Cowsills, Foghat, Marshall Tucker Band, Garth Brooks, and The Chicks among others, but I’ll always wish I could’ve seen The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Eagles, Chicago, and Justin Bieber. (Okay, I threw Justin in just to see if you were paying attention. I have no interest in seeing him; although, having once been a teen-aged girl, I get it his appeal.)

What group or artist have you dreamed of seeing live but never had the opportunity or the means to do so? What’s the best act you ever saw perform live? Did you ever do anything crazy to get tickets? I mowed lawns for two months to save up for Huey Lewis—and I was a grown woman.

Most importantly, do you think we’ll ever get to go to concerts again?

Peace, people.

Huey Lewis, I’d be a Fool for You (Again)

I once spent about half a minute conversing with myself in a mirror. Yes, I was rather inebriated, and yes, it was quite late, but I suppose neither of those are good excuses.

Studly Doright had taken me to see Huey Lewis and the News in concert at the Amarillo Civic Center. At that time in our lives we weren’t able to go out often. We had two small children and almost no disposable income, but we’d scrimped and saved enough for the concert because Studly knew that I needed to see Huey in person.

After the concert we met friends at a club in Amarillo where I had a drink, maybe two. In those days, I was literally and figuratively a lightweight when it came to drinking and it didn’t take much to get my skinny self drunk.

The DJ, ensconced in his booth high above the crowd, wasn’t playing anything I liked, so I wrote a request for a Huey Lewis song on a slip of paper and then navigated around and through an energetic knot of dancers on the floor to offer up my request. But I couldn’t figure out how to deliver my piece of paper to the guy in the booth.

Looking around I spied a friendly, albeit concerned looking woman and asked, “Where do I put this?” indicating my request.

Oddly enough, she asked me something at the same time, and when I bent forward to try to hear her better I bonked my forehead on a mirror and only then realized I’d been talking to myself. I compounded my error by apologizing.

“Ha! I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were me!”

“No problem,” I replied, giggling.

Of course a couple dancing by caught the gist of this whole exchange and gave me a wide berth as they navigated around the dance floor. I can’t say that I blame them. I finally located the proper request slot and enjoyed the rest of my evening, basking in the memory of Huey.

Huey Lewis is still one of my favorites, and I’ve gotten to see him and the News in concert a few times through the years. Huey has recently contracted an illness that’s caused partial deafness and resulted in a cancellation of his tour for the foreseeable future. For a musician this has to be devastating. I’d go talk to myself in a mirror again in front of a crowded dance floor if I thought it would help. Maybe he just needs a new drug.

https://youtu.be/N6uEMOeDZsA

Peace, people.