Concert Review
Rick Springfield
The Hooters
Paul Young
Tommy Tutone
Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre
Youngstown, OH
Friday August 4, 2023
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
The I Want My 80s Summer Tour kicked off at the Youngstown Foundation Amphitheatre Friday evening. The tour headlined by Rick Springfield also featured The Hooters, Paul Young and Tommy Tutone. The tour marked the Hooters first U.S. tour in 30 years. The long line at the merch booth was proof enough at how much a tour like this means to the fans. It was a great venue to kick the tour off on a fantastic summer night. Youngstown certainly did a great job with this venue which opened in 2019, creating a fantastic concert atmosphere.
Tommy Tutone was up first and played a 20 minute set that opened with their top-40 hit “Angel Say No” and concluded with the smash “867-5309/Jenny”. Vocalist/guitarist Tommy Heath warmed the crowd up in fine style. The lone downside was how short of a set the band played for.
Up next was English vocalist Paul Young. Young has had five top-40 hits over the years in the U.S. He used. Rick Springfield’s band as did Tommy Tutone which enabled Young to start his set the second Heath walked off at the conclusion of his set. Young also played an abbreviated 4-song, 20 minute set. The boisterous “I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down” and chart-topper “Every Time You Go Away” were the standout tracks. Ditto on wishing we got a longer set from Young as well.
Then came The Hooters. For the first time in 30 years, Philadelphia’s own, The Hooters have embarked on a full scale U.S. tour. Singer/guitarist Eric Bazilian made mention and wanted to take it all in as he stood centerstage. It was good to finally get to see this band live. I had seen them once prior at Grand Slam 85′, a stadium show in Rochester, NY which was about a month following their historic performance at Live Aid. Time may have passed but these guys still sound great. As the band launched into some of their forgotten gems like “All You Zombies” and “Karla with A K” it was plainly evident that many in the crowd came to see these guys.
While the nostalgia part is all fine and dandy, the band had other ideas and came up with the great idea of releasing a new album Rocking & Swing. “Why Won’t You Call Me Back” was the track played to the crowd. The album has a ska, reggae and rock feel to it tracing back to the band’s early roots.
The band closed out their brief 45-minute set with a cover of Joan Osborne’s “One Of Us” which was written by guitarist Bazilian and also a cover of Cyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time” which vocalist/keyboardist Rob Hyman co wrote with Lauper. Was there any doubt which song the band would end on? “And We Danced” was clearly the song everyone was waiting for and the band ended with a stellar version.
Seeing the band now as veterans as opposed to the seeing them in 85′ as youths, shows these guys still have a passion and desire to give everyone their all. So many band’s go through the motions. Bazilian and Hyman may have been the primary writers but equally important is drummer David Uosikkinen, who also has been there from the beginning. Rounding out the band were guitarist John Lilley, bassist Fran Smith Jr. and guitarist Tommy Williams. Let’s just hope this is not a one off thing and we see more touring down the road.
Headlining the whole affair was Rick Springfield. Hard to believe by month’s end that he will be 74 years old. He does not look like it or act like. His performance was the calibre of someone have his age. Simply amazing. He tore through an hour set featuring many of his hits.
Springfield appears to be a workaholic as he also released his latest album Automatic which coincidentally came out this same day as the opening night of the tour. Automatic features 20 brand new songs as it appears Springfield doesn’t know when to stop as he put it.
The big highlights of the night were the Sammy Hagar penned “I’ve Done Everything For You”, “Love Is Alright Tonight” and what Springfield concert is complete without the number one smash “Jessie’s Girl”. Springfield has had a marvelous career whether it be in music or acting. It seems everything he touches turns to gold. He shows no signs of slowing down in the near future. Hopefully we get I Want My 80s tour for 2024 as well and make it a yearly kind of thing.
Rick Springfield
The Hooters
Paul Young
Tommy Tutone
Rick Springfield
Affair of the Heart
I Get Excited
Living In Oz
I’ve Done Everything For You
Automatic
World Start Turning
Medley:
Bop Til You Drop / Bruce / 867-5309/Jenny / Jessie’s Girl / Don’t Walk Away
Rock of Life
What Kind Of Fool Am I
Love Is Alright Tonite
Don’t Talk To Strangers
Human Touch
Love Somebody
Jessie’s Girl
Hooters
I’m Alive
Day By Day
Why Won’t You Call Me Back
All You Zo
mies
Karla With A K
Drum Solo
Satellite
One of Us
Time After Time
And We Danced
Paul Young
Some People
I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down
Come Back and Stay
Every time You Go Away
Tommy Tutone
Angel Say No
Operator (That’s Not The Way It Feels)
Sylvia
867-5309/Jenny
