Remembering the night Huey Lewis played the Petaluma fair

For many locals, it was their first-ever rock ‘n roll show|

Let’s go back in time.

Exactly 30 years ago this week, for nearly 12,000 Huey Lewis fans, it was the power of love - love of Lewis and his chart-topping band, the News - that drew them to the Petaluma fairgrounds for a Thursday night concert that, for many, still rates as the best rock ’n’ roll show they ever saw.

It was June 25, 1987, and to date, Huey’s appearance still ranks as one of the fair’s most well-attended single events. For locals young and old who were in attendance that evening (see sidebar excerpt of that week’s Argus-Courier story), it was definitely a night to remember, whether they were with a group of friends or all alone.

“I was there with my children, and 17 neighbors, and their children,” recalls Patricia Kloekner. “Huey was great!”

By all accounts, Lewis gave heart and soul to his performance.

“I was 12, and it was my first concert,” says Mistie Ann Lema, who says she’d made plans to attend the fair with a friend, but ended up solo for the actual concert. “Not knowing how concerts worked, I made my way down through the crowd and ended up almost front and center. I was surrounded by strangers, and honestly had the best time. I remember all the adults were very nice to me, and were impressed that I made it to the front by myself.”

As it turns out, a bit of independence and resourcefulness wasn’t all Lema learned that night.

“I also learned about being so close to the speakers,” she says, adding, “I had ringing in my ears for days.”

Huey’s visit to Petaluma was Shannon Alexander Trayle’s first official rock concert as well.

“I have two strong memories,” she reports. “They played Madonna before the concert, and my friends and I booed. We were not fans. Also, I had a crush on (lead guitarist) Chris Hayes and kept yelling. ‘I love you, Chris!’ So. Silly. But I was in the front, and he winked at me. Nice first concert experience.”

Hayes eventually left the band, and he now resides in Santa Rosa.

As for Huey - who’s performing with the band this week in Red Bank, New Jersey and Webster, Massachusetts - the years since Petaluma have been better than for a lot of other popular ’80s acts. The band still tours regularly, though their last CD of original tunes - 2001’s ‘Plan B’ - was over a decade-and-a-half ago. Since then, Huey’s released a live album (2005’s “Live at 25”), a greatest hits album (2007), and the critically acclaimed tribute album “Soulsville” (2010), performing their own versions of songs produced by the legendary Memphis-based Stax Records in the 1960s. The closest thing to a hit the band has had in the last ten years was the theme song to the 2008 movie “Pineapple Express.”

Lewis dabbles in television acting now, too, and even had a major role - as Gwyneth Paltrow’s dad - in the 2000 feature film “Duets.”

But for many Petalumans, the best thing Lewis ever did was bring the heart of rock ‘n role to Petaluma for one summer night that plenty of locals will never forget.

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