Rose and I hopped in the truck and headed north on “Nostalgia Highway” for the second time in 5 days. We had just been blown back in time witnessing the current ‘Dukes of September’ Tour featuring Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald, and Donald Fagen. This night the 60’s and thee 80’s were represented by the likes of Huey Lewis and the News opening for Joe Cocker.

Huey at 62 looked really good and the man has a showmanship side of him that is contagious. His vocals were suspect due to soundboard issues, but his pipes overall were strong and sharp.

Huey these days seems to be trying to hide his big success and tell the music biz he’s a “Soulsville” kinda cat. Well I see no reason at all to apologize for one of thee baddest albums in 1983’s ‘Sports’. MTV grabbed that baby and made a big star out of him and the hits were so strong all the way thru thee encore of “Power of Love” and super age- appropriate “Workin’ for a Livin'” !

Big props to HL for intro dedicating “Walking on a Thin Line” to all the vets in the crowd and around the globe. His harp work sent waves of oohs and ahhhs thru the Baby Boomer crowd often on their feet dancin’ the night away.

Old bandmates makin’ the NEWS pump were drummer Bill Gibson, Sean Hopper on keys, duo jobs of killer sax and guitar done by Johnny Colla, John Pierce on bass, and superb lead solos by Stef Burns. Flashbacks ruled the night as hits like “I Want a New Drug”, “Heart and Soul”, “The Heart of Rock & Roll”, and very inspiring and embracing “Small World”.

I understand Lewis not wanting to be taken as a nostalgia act and believe me these guys are way more than an ’80’s pop band as they’ve been unjustly cast. His soul side stuff is genuine and rootsy which plays well live. But the main reason people packed in the Woodlands this night was to hear the hits. What’s wrong with that? Nothing in my book. It had been since the early ’80’s at ‘Fool’s Gold’ on Westheimer and Highway 6 since I’d caught HL &N and it was fun going “back” there again!

Next up was thee one and only Joe Cocker. Dude just strolled up like a businessman to the mike and started workin’ like only JC can. He may not be as antimated as the Woodstock and Mad Dogs & Englishmen days, but the voice was as identifiable and bad ass as ever! There was still plenty of air guitar, air piano, and plenty of sweat to prove JC was giving it his all all night.

I’d never caught his act live unless you count sitting on the back of a station wagon back in Ohio at the local drive-inn staying to catch the movie Woodstock twice in one night back in the ’70’s! His sound was much better than Lewis’ and the background singers complimented his style quite well.

Huge chestnuts that rocked were “Feelin’ Alright, and a screamin’ good “The Letter” which had the joint hopping boundlessly. His gritty soulful voice never sounded better than when he did “You Are So Beautiful” you could hear a pin drop!

The packed house rose to their feet in a thunderous ovation after that one and it was goosebumpy for sure. The trilogy of Beatles classics really stole the show to this reviewer. “Come Together” was a psychedelic masterpiece where we could all FEEL his ‘disease’. “Little Help From My Friends” ruled especially when the WHAAAA wail part came around that the whole Woodlands crowd wailed along with him on. And of course George Harrison’s “She Came in Thru the Bathroom Window” was an epic cherry on top of the Beatle sundae. Hell, on “Unchain My Heart” Cocker even did multiple leaps in the air! Not bad for a 68 year old rocker! “Cry Me a River” ended the evening and this somewhat odd pairing of acts was complete.

I really don’t know what the music biz is going to do when the baby boomer generations acts cannot tour anymore. THIS is when the real music was created and this night proved it is full of timeless memories for damn sure…………God Bless and get off your duff and see something will ya?!