Still, and maybe it's my inner fifth grader, I've always liked him -- a lot. So when I saw that he was coming to Summerfest this year, I marked my calendar early. This was one show I actually wanted to review.
Apparently, I wasn't the only one looking forward to his 10 p.m. show at the M&I Classic Rock Stage. Plenty, and I mean plenty of people made it out, opting for the blued-eyed soul of Lewis over fireworks and backyard barbecues. Do keep in mind that Huey Lewis and the News charted 19 "Top Ten" singles across the Billboard Hot 100, Adult Contemporary and Mainstream Rock Charts. For pretty much the entire decade of the '80s, they cranked out hit after hit, with major singles like "The Heart of Rock & Roll,""If This Is It," and my personal favorite, ""The Power of Love."
Not surprisingly, the band -- which still consists of a handful of original members -- played most of what one would expect. They're obviously very tight, and not just because they've been playing the same material forever; the band plays upwards of 70 shows a year.
If you could make any criticism, it's that Lewis seemed like he was mailing it in a little. His music was good, but it felt like an oldies show. Lewis looked as good I expected him to be, but his music felt like Streetlife at a Bucks' game.
But nothing against Lewis, who nailed it with "New Drug," "Hip To Be Square," "Power of Love" and so much more. With about 10 guys on stage, it was everything the crowd wanted and more.
In a 90 minute show, Lewis played all of his hits, and considering I don't own any of his material, I was surprised that I knew just about every song. He played "Heart of Rock and Roll" during his encore, and it was easily the most enthusiastic tune of the night.
I'm happy I finally saw Huey, but once was enough. Lewis was a classic rock show, with a capella songs, horns and soul. His time has passed, but since I wasn't there in '85 to appreciate the first time around, this was as good as it was going to get -- and that was plenty fun, indeed.
Make no mistake about it, Huey Lewis and the News is now old news. They haven't released an album since 2001, though they are reportedly working on new material since they recorded the theme song to 2008's "Pineapple Express."
But that takes nothing off the nostalgia of a great performer and a voice from my childhood. And if liking Huey Lewis is a crime, consider me guilty as charged.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
