September 3, 1986: Huey Lewis In Edmonton

30 years ago today, I began my first day of Grade 8.

But more importantly, 30 years ago tonight I saw Huey  Lewis and the News at the then Northlands Coliseum.

In the mid-80s they were huge, basically a horn-based blues band with tight drums and keyboards, which at the time was the golden ticket to maximum radio airplay.

And I have to laugh at that drum machine that shows up for the third song. Because while I fully remember and appreciate Huey's assertion that 80 percent of that era's music was produced by some form of drum machine, it is a wheezing oldster compared to the app or algorithm that produces the autotune that infects 105 percent of today's musical output.

But Huey and the boys used their highly trained musicianship to put on a very memorable show almost identical to the one pictured above, right down to the Tower of Power. A fun night out with my uncle Remi and aunt Wendy to be sure! (As fun as a school night can be, in any case).

MTMG