Little River Band, Firefall to play Ruth Eckerd Hall
Little River Band, Firefall to play Ruth Eckerd Hall
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CLEARWATER – Ruth Eckerd Hall presents rock legends Little River Band with Rock Symphony and special guest Firefall Saturday, April 8 at 7:30 p.m.
Little River Band was originally a blend of musicians who had enjoyed success in other Australian acts. With their good songwriting, powerful vocals and guitar harmonies, they immediately claimed their place as one of the great vocal bands of the ‘70s and ‘80s. Some of their chart-topping hits include It’s A Long Way There, Help Is On Its Way, Happy Anniversary, Reminiscing, Lady and Cool Change. With worldwide album and CD sales of more than 30 million copies, they were also the first band to set a record for having Top 10 hits for six consecutive years.
Firefall is a group of exceptional musicians and singers, with a repertoire of radio recognizable chart topping songs few bands can match. For more than 30 years, they have saturated the national radio waves with hits such as You Are The Woman, Just Remember I Love You, Strange Way and Livin’ Ain’t Livin’. Firefall is as vital and valid as ever, standing out as one of the few remaining torchbearers for harmony-laden rock; a welcome blast from the past focused firmly on the future.
Tickets priced $70, $55 and $35 are available at the Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office, by calling 727-791-7400 or visiting www.RuthEckerdHall.com. Pre-show dining is also available. The Ruth Eckerd Hall Ticket Office is open Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and one hour prior to show time.
Little River Band
Little River Band was formed in Melbourne, Australia, in 1975.
According to the band’s biography, provided by Artists International Management, the lineup initially featured talented musicians who had enjoyed success in other Australian acts. Together, their new focus was expanding their reach: They set their sites on getting airplay on American radio.
Success came quickly.
Little River Band achieved their objective with solid songwriting, powerful vocals and guitar harmonies. Between 1976 and 1983, the band recorded and released a string of chart-topping singles such as “It’s a Long Way There,” “Help Is on Its Way,” “Happy Anniversary,” “Reminiscing,” “Lady,” “Cool Change,” “Lonesome Loser,” “The Night Owls,” “Take It Easy On Me,” “Man On Your Mind,” “We Two” and “The Other Guy.”
With their continued success, over time they claimed their place as one of the great vocal bands of the 1970s and 1980s.
The band’s discography includes “Little River Band” (1975), “After Hours” (1976), “Diamantina Cocktail” (1977), “Sleeper Catcher” (1978), “First Under The Wire” (1979), “Backstage Pass” (1980), “Time Exposure” (1981), “The Net” (1983), “Playing to Win” (1984), “No Reins” (1986), “Too Late to Load” (1986), “Monsoon” (1988), “Get Lucky” (1990), “Worldwide Love” (1991), “Live Classics” (1992), “Where We Started From” (2000), “One Night in Mississippi” (2002), “Test of Time” (2003), “Rearranged” (2006), “Standing Room Only – LRB Live” (2006), “We Call It Christmas” (2007), “Outback” (2009), “A Little River Band Christmas” (2011) and “Cuts Like a Diamond” (2013).
Little River Band is considered to be one of Australia’s most significant bands. Worldwide album and CD sales now top 30 million. They also set a record for having Top 10 hits for six consecutive years. According to BMI, “Reminiscing” has garnered rare status with more than 5 million airplays on America radio – and “Lady” is close behind with over 4 million airplays.
Little River Band was inducted into the Australian Recording Industry Association Hall of Fame at the 18th annual ARIA Music Awards of 2004.
The band’s current lineup brings new energy and arrangements to the classic hits, making new memories for the audience out of each live performance.
According to the band’s Facebook page, LRB performs between 80 and 100 shows annually in the United States and Canada.
From Portland to Clearwater and New York to Los Angeles, fans of the band are treated to an entertaining mix of classic songs and new material, delivered as always with that trademark LRB blend of impeccable vocals, soaring harmonies and virtuoso playing.
Firefall
For co-founder Jock Bartley, Firefall has not only represented an opportunity to make quality music over the course of almost 40 years, but also represents a personal, heartfelt commitment to maintaining the tradition of a contemporary musical genre he and his peers helped create. Current members of the band along with Bartley (lead guitar and vocals) are original members David Muse (keyboard, flute, sax) and Mark Andes (bass and vocals), as well as Sandy Ficca (drums) and Gary Jones (vocals, guitar). This commitment has successfully carried Firefall through three decades of distinctive music.
According to a biography of the band provided by Michael J. Media, from 1976 through the early 1980s, Firefall saturated the national radio waves and toured the world over, selling millions of records and earning two platinum and three gold albums for their efforts.
The Boulder, Colorado, based rock band shared stages with the top bands of the day – Fleetwood Mac, The Doobie Brothers, The Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Marshall Tucker Band, Chicago, The Beach Boys, Loggins & Messina, America, Bob Seger, Heart and many many others. The band dazzled audiences with their exuberant and rocking performances – this was no “light rock” band. Firefall is a group of exceptional musicians and singers, with a repertoire of radio recognizable songs few bands can match. Their many hits include “You Are The Woman,” “Just Remember I Love You,” “Strange Way,” “Cinderella,” “Mexico,” “Livin Aint Livin,” “So Long,” “Goodbye, I Love You,” “Sweet and Sour” and others.
Audiences can expect to hear these songs faithfully recreated with a freshness rare in live performances of such classics.
In the 1990s, Rhino Records began releasing their original albums on CD, including the compilation, “Firefall’s Greatest Hits.” With lead guitarist, singer and songwriter Jock Bartley as a constant, these classic albums boast such musical stand-outs as band members: Rick Roberts, Mark Andes, Michael Clarke, Larry Burnett, David Muse and John Sambataro; with guest appearances on Firefall records by greats like Stephen Stills, Richie Furay, David Sanborn, Timothy B. Schmidt (Eagles) and Bill Payne.
Firefall is one of the few surviving bands of their genre, remaining true to its founding vision and roots despite personnel changes over its 30-year history. The band transcends and embraces many industry labels – rock, soft rock, country rock, easy listening, unplugged, Americana and contemporary country.
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Article published on Monday, April 3, 2017
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