It’s Christmas Eve, so I’m going to keep this one short.

Let’s face it, if you’re reading this, you should be with your family right now. But maybe you’re like Mayor Cass and you find yourself spending the holiday in prison with a different kind of family.

Whatever your situation is, I’d like to wish you the happiest of holidays from everyone here in Bootleg City. This year’s Christmas cheer comes in the form of two vintage shows from Huey Lewis & the News, proving once and for all that no matter what Mayor Cass says, the ’80s are alive and well and will live on in our hearts forever!

The first show, recorded on March 19, 1985, at San Francisco’s Kabuki Theatre, might be one of my all-time favorites. The tracks available below were transferred directly from my own personal laserdisc of The Heart of Rock ‘n’ Roll — it’s a concert recording that, sadly, remains unreleased on either DVD or Blu-ray. The liner notes describe this performance from the band’s Sports tour as containing “no glitter, no studded wristbands, no heavy-handed special effects … just everything that rock and roll really is.”

Testify!

Enjoy the power of love this show, plus a bonus concert from December 18, 1986, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon.

Happy holidays!

San Francisco, 3/19/85
[intro]
The Heart of Rock & Roll
Trouble in Paradise
Heart and Soul
If This Is It
Walking on a Thin Line
It’s All Right
Workin’ for a Livin’
Buzz Buzz Buzz
Hope You Love Me Like You Say You Do
I Want a New Drug

Portland, 12/18/86
Jacob’s Ladder
I Never Walk Alone
Walking on a Thin Line
Bad Is Bad
The Heart of Rock & Roll
If This Is It
The Power of Love
Buzz Buzz Buzz
Hip to Be Square
Stuck With You
Back in Time
I Know What I Like
I Want a New Drug

About the Author

Matt Wardlaw

Matt Wardlaw is a music lifer with nearly 20 years of experience in the industry. Of course you all have shoes older than that, but that's okay, Matt realizes that he's still a rookie. His byline has appeared in the Riverfront Times (St. Louis), Cleveland Scene, Blogcritics, Music's Bottom Line and Ultimate Classic Rock, among others. In addition to writing for Popdose, Matt also has his own music blog called Addicted to Vinyl where he writes about a variety of subjects including but not limited to vinyl. In his spare time, Matt enjoys long walks in the park, Cherone-era Van Halen and driving long distances to Night Ranger concerts.

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