Almost 40 Years and Still Making Memories: Little River Band Headlines Concert Under the Stars

You may find yourself “Reminiscing” about some “Lady” and finding “It’s a Long Way There,” or that you weren’t quite the “Lonesome Loser” in high school, you may have imagined. If these titles ring a bell or you find yourself humming the songs, Concert Under the Stars, A Benefit for The Greenhouse Project is where you will want to be Wednesday, July 9, as Little River Band headlines the sixth annual event at Cafe at Adele’s in Carson City.

For nearly 40 years, the band has produced song after song that not only has done well commercially, but has been woven into a generation’s memories.

“There are two things about LRB songs that give them staying power and neither thing is more or less important than the other,” said Wayne Nelson, who joined LRB 35 years ago.

“First, they are relate-able and about life; they are not songs about a haircut or a toy and while (trends) change, life is life and songs get passed on because they still apply,” Nelson said. “The other part is that people can relate to the musicality of what we do. The band has always taking touring very seriously ... we start with our voices, then add the sound and every time we perform we have got to be able to step up to the mic and nail it.”

While many bands have made significant contributions to music and others were one-hit wonders, Nelson said it was all part of the rock ’n roll as rebellion mentality of the times.

“Bands thought they should stay together a couple years and break up and there was a lot of that,” he said. “We wanted to see commercial and lasting success and while we saw a lot of people come and go, for me it became a career and once you’ve chosen to leave you don’t get to come back in through the back door with a different key ... It’s about being accountable for the choices you make.”

The band has consistently released a new project every year or two, the latest of which is “Cuts Like a Diamond,” which rolls nicely into the upcoming 40th anniversary in 2015 and the touring leading up to that milestone.

“We play 80 to 90 dates a year and are on track to play 85 this year; the suitcase stays packed,” Nelson said. “I am in Florida and the rest of the band is in Tennessee, so I have an additional day on the front and backside of whatever we’re doing, so I’m gone about 120 days a year, but that 90 minutes on stage is what does it for me.

“There is nothing glamorous about truck stops and airports, but to be blessed to stand on stage and share the creativity and connection with the audience is what it is all about,” he said. “Without that, we may as well be playing alone in a room somewhere, and whether we are playing for 200 or 20,000 people, we spend a lot of money to get our own equipment, as much as we can possibly carry, to our shows (in order to ensure tops-quality sound).”

The new material is already receiving standing ovations from audiences, which is the best endorsement Nelson could hope for.

“We have some people who have seen the band 10, 12 or more times and that is amazing to me,” he said. “When we first started adding some of the latest material to the line-up, we were just 20 minutes into the show and there was a standing ovation.
“I didn’t know what to do with that and was thinking ‘holy &*$!, you’re standing up already? That was very humbling and you know, you can fail at what you hate or go out there and be happy doing what you love.”

For the latest release, LRB looked beyond its members to see what was out there musically.

“There is still a lot in the well, but we also looked outside to see what was there musically and you would be surprised at what we’ve done in hotel bathrooms with shower curtains to make a sound booth for recording,” Nelson said, laughing. “Technology has changed how we record and now I can do some of my vocals at home in the closet and send the file to the engineer, who lays that track into whatever everyone else has done.
“Technology has empowered people to independently record at home and there is a whole trend of home tours, where people come to a private residence to have an intimate show and that is so cool.”

As far as what is coming down the pipe, Nelson can’t really say.
“I have a five-year plan and I also know my last plan didn’t wind up looking anything like I thought it would,” he said. “I know the clock’s ticking and we lose contemporaries all the time, and part of that perspective is in every show.

“We are very blessed to be doing what we’re doing, which is transferring our gift to others, it is that connection that makes it happen, and we will do it with a commitment to excellence as long as we can.”

For all the latest on Little River Band or to purchase music, visit www.littleriverband.com .

Lentine’s, LA Bakery, Burger Me and Alpen Sierra Coffee will be serving food and beverages. Come prepared to bid at the Chair-ity Silent Auction to support Capitol FFA and the live auction to benefit The Greenhouse Project.

Gates open at 5 p.m., seating entry is at 5:30 p.m. And the show starts at 6:30 p.m.

Tickets For Concert Under that Stars cost $65, $45 and $30, available at www.carsoncitygreenhouse.org or at Cafe at Adele’s, 112 N. Carson St., Carson City; 775-882-3353.