It was a cold, snowy Saturday night at Flagstar Westbury Music Fair, but that didn’t stop the crowd from gathering to celebrate Little River Band’s 50th anniversary in the music business with their current “Happy Anniversary Tour.”
The band hit the stage like they were shot out of a cannon with the driving rhythm of “It’s A Long Way There” and those killer harmonies that earned them the moniker “the best singing band in the world.”
Lead singer and bass guitarist Wayne Nelson, who has been part of the band since 1980, presided over the festivities. With his personable and enthusiastic ways, he seemed to be having a great time as were the rest of the current members of the band, made up of accomplished musicians: Chris Marion (keyboard/vocals), Ryan Ricks (drums/percussion/vocals), Colin Whinnery (guitar/vocals), and Bruce Wallace (guitar/vocals).
Early in the evening, Nelson humbly said, “This is your party, we’re just the band,” causing cheers of appreciation from the audience. Later in the set, Nelson was met with rousing applause when he introduced “Hang On,” dedicating it to “every soldier you know.” He injected references to New York and Westbury throughout the night, making New Yorkers feel right at home. Nelson’s overall performance was mesmerizing as he took on three major roles during the concert with his stellar lead vocals, fiery bass guitar and the quintessential host, keeping the party hopping from start to finish.
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The high voltage performance never quit as the band treated fans to multiplatinum hits, including “Help is on Its Way,” “Reminiscing,” “Lady,” “The Night Owls,” “Take It Easy On Me,” and so many more favorites from their extensive playlist. “Man On Your Mind” had the audience fairly ejected from their seats and dancing to the infectious beat. A Little River Band favorite, “Cool Change,” was met with the audience swaying while holding up lit cell phones that produced a stunning image like fireflies flickering against the dark skies of the theater.
At one point, the musicians joined together around a microphone and sang an impressive acappella, once again proving their legacy of being “the best singing band in the world,” a title originally attributed to them by the late Glenn Frey of The Eagles.
But the Little River Band doesn’t rest on its iconic catalogue of hits. Last year they dropped some new singles with the upbeat “Window to the World” and “First Time” a spectacular song with vintage Little River Band sound that crashes right into your heart.
The audience is an integral part of the Little River Band show, with participation happening throughout the night, like during their song “Happy Anniversary,” where the crowd was split into left, right and center sections competing to out-sing each other.
The finale was one of their greatest anthems, “Lonesome Loser,” which started as a fierce jam session with each extraordinary musician getting a solo, then joining together to make the theatre reverberate with rhythm and explosive sound.
Little River Band continues their “Happy Anniversary Tour” with a packed schedule of coast-to-coast stops through 2025, so catch them when they rock into your town.
Barbara Anne Kirshner is a freelance journalist who covers celebrity interviews, concert, theatre and book reviews, feature stories, major events, and human interest stories, and is author of the chapter book Madison Weatherbee The Different Dachshund and Madison Weatherbee The Musical.
