LIMA — Little River Band has gone through a number of changes in its history.
And all of those changes will bring them to a nostalgic Lima crowd at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Veterans Memorial Civic Center.
“It’s great, timeless music,” said lead singer and bassist Wayne Nelson. “We’ve been around forever. We’re in our 47th year. So somewhere along the line, somebody you know is listening to the music and has great memories attached. And that’s what we’re about. We come to town and it’s a great show. The whole band sings. It’s a great vocal experience to hear the band play live.”
Performing chart-topping hits like “Reminiscing,” “Lonesome Loser” and “Help is on its Way” provoke a wide variety of emotions for people as they hear songs they may not have associated with Little River Band.
“You know, some of the memories make people cry, and some make them laugh,” Nelson said. “But there’s a whole lot of singing along going on with it. Most people don’t realize how many songs the band had in its heyday. Chances are, somehow or other, especially with the advent of yacht rock radio on Sirius, people are going to know the music and if they weren’t paying attention, they’ll be kind of impressed with it and say, ‘I forgot they did that. I didn’t know that was their song.’ But if they do know that music, the memories are important and fun to relive. And it’s just, it’s just a great night of music. If for nothing else on a Friday night, it’s a great time and a great show, whether they know the history of the band or not.”
And the Little River Band, which began in 1975 in Australia, has an extensive history that is carrying through to today thanks to a heavy workload.
“We do 80 to 90 shows a year from corner to corner of the country, so there’s a lot of travel,” said Nelson. “In the midst of that, we’re trying to put together some new material and stay current and get some music ready which will be in the show. It’s hard with a touring schedule to find time to get in the studio and get together. We don’t all live in the same town. So it’s a bit of a challenge, but we’d like to do it as much as possible. Doing new music keeps us on our toes and that spills over into the music that we’ve been doing for years and years. It just keeps everybody fresh.”
Nelson, though, just hopes everyone at the show has a good time.
“Well, if they’re coming with memories of the music, they’re gonna go away going, ‘That was fantastic,’” he said. “Because that music takes you back to many different places in your life. If you’re just going for a good time, it will be a good time. It always turns into a party and towards the end of the show, the songs get people up off their feet down in front. If you’re into live music, it’s a great night. Whether you came in knowing the songs or not, you’ll go out at least knowing you had a good time.”
Tickets start at $40 and are available at https://bit.ly/3CMYOtA.
IF YOU GO
What: Little River Band in concert
When: 7:30 p.m. Friday
Where: Veterans Memorial Civic Center, 7 Town Square, Lima
Tickets start at $40 and can be purchased online at https://bit.ly/3CMYOtA.
Reach Jacob Espinosa at 567-242-0399.
