Wednesday, August 10, 2011

It’s the power of Huey Lewis and The News

Danny Thompson Memorial presents top ’80s band


By SABINA DANA PLASSE
Express Staff Writer

Huey Lewis and The News will play the Sun Valley Pavilion on Wednesday, Aug. 17, at 8 p.m. to kick off the Danny Thompson Memorial golf tournament. Courtesy photo

Huey Lewis and The News has been a rock 'n' roll band of note way before the 1980s, but it was not until then that Lewis and his band catapulted into stardom.

"The '80s were interesting," Lewis said. "Musically the '80s were dismissed."

Lewis said his music world was rocked by punk music in the '70s.

"[The way I sing,] I sound like a black guy," he said. "I played harmonica, and it was liberating not to care and to do what you want...I realized I could sing because of the punkers."

Huey Lewis and The News are an R&B-based band who listened to James Brown—a lot. The group is very excited and proud of their new release "Soulsville," because it's about the music they love to listen to and what made them musicians.

"We recorded it in Memphis," he said. "It's new stuff, and we sound better than ever."

After 33 years of playing and recording, Lewis could not express enough how excited he is to perform on the stage in Sun Valley.

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"We do not use any tapes, sampling or prerecorded tracks," he said. "We are old-fashioned. It's what I have been doing—always."

Lewis said he started late in the music game at age 30 with 30 bucks to his name, and he's always had the desire to stake out his own ground. The music business has changed since his start because it's harder and the market has all but disappeared for selling albums as people buy online singles.

"The future and the kind of stuff I like is a band who plays together and has a synergy, and that only happens on stage," he said.

Expect to hear all those '80s favorites: "Heart of Rock & Roll," "Stuck With You," "I Want a New Drug," "If This Is It," "Hip To Be Square" and "Workin' For a Livin'" as well as some new songs.

"We were a beer-and-hot-dog band, and now we're a wine-and-cheese band," he said. "But we really don't mind hanging with the wine-and-cheese crowd."

Huey Lewis and The News will kick off the four-day Danny Thompson Memorial annual event, which includes the Danny Thompson Memorial Golf Tournament and Auction Gala.

  There are still plenty of great pavilion seats available, which include viewing on the "Jumbo Screen." The show will begin at 8 p.m. For details, visit www.seats.sunvalley.com or call the Sun Valley Recreation Center at 622-2135. Premium ticket seats include a VIP cocktail party prior to the concert and are limited in number. Most tickets are partially tax-deductible. For details on the Danny Thompson Memorial, visit www.dannythompsonmemorial.com.

Sabina Dana Plasse: splasse@mtexpress.com




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