Perhaps the old boy really IS barely breathing. Which is why he only plays to the 40+ set in Performing Arts Centers, Casinos, soft-ticket college gigs and county fairs.

He comes through Lancaster to the American Music Theater probably every twenty-four months, but how’s THAT spreading the power of love when tickets are over seventy five bucks a pop?

At the pinnacle of his career (1986) tickets were less than twenty bucks.

New York, New York really IS everything they say. Especially when you’re charging $106 BEFORE fees for a Gramercy show. With fees and travel and hotels, that’s a $500 trip for a couple. Because who goes to see Huey with his guy-friends?

Seems like a couples-heavy kind of show.

Wasn’t there a settlement about the Ghostbusters debacle with Ray Parker Jr? That surely must have been seven digits.

And when Spielberg came knocking for a tune for Back to The Future, didn’t Hugo opt to do it so he wouldn’t have to go through the Ghostbusters bullshit again?

And Sports is heralded as one of the best-selling pop albums of all time.

So why the hell is The News so damn expensive?

Every act is doing it these days. Especially the old-heads. $100+ dollar tickets, $40+ dollar tee shirts. $10 beers at the gig. And they’re missing the target that got them where they are today…the kids in the clubs.

I know, I know. By no means am I saying that Huey Lewis should go back to playing only clubs. That would be crazy. But two or three surprise gigs a year in a tiny, 500-or-less capacity venue in a non-major market could be good for the same guy who played harmonica on Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous AND with Umphrey’s McGee in 2005.

You see, it’s not that I can’t afford to see Huey Lewis and The News at the Gramercy or American Music Theater or some other casino for a triple-digit-ticket. I can. That’s not the point.

It’s the principle.

Jane’s Addiction just did two nights at Belly Up! in Aspen. (Capacity 400). Springsteen plays the Stone Pony and the Count Basie Theater once a year. (Both with capacities of under 1,000). Shit, the Rolling Fucking Stones played a surprise club date in Toronto for a five dollar cover!

Again – he doesn’t have to do a club TOUR. Just a show or two. One of them preferably at my club.

It’s cool, Huey. We’re all working for a living. And it IS hip to be square. But if you REALLY THINK that it don’t take money or a credit card to ride this train, you’ll push those boxes onto a tiny little stage and rock the shit out of four hundred people on seventy two hours notice.

THAT would be the heart of rock and roll. And something I’d pay a hundred bucks to see.

The J Roddy and The Business residency continues this week with support from Adamo Drive and concludes on Wednesday July 1st with support duties going to Perkasie.

The shows are ‘no cover’ and start at 9.

As Mr T. would say, I pity da fool who misses this series.

Therefore, it contains the third Wednesday in June.

And on the Third Wednesday of every month, us new-media types gather (on the deck) at The Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company for a little party we call “Tweetup“. They begin at 7PM and go until whenever the last blogger leaves the building.

“What happens at these Tweetups?” you ask.

In a nutshell, it’s sex, drugs and rock and roll. This weeks Tweetup shall have the emphasis on the “Rock and Roll” portion of that combo.

Twitterati, Facebookers, Bloggers…essentially anyone who participates in social media in some fashion is welcome to join us. (We’re easy to spot. Look for the group that is wearing the most black tee shirts with some sort of code-joke that commoners won’t understand, iPhones and Blackberrys scattered all over the table, pasty white skin and yours truly chain smoking at the end of the table).

Not only is this week Tweetup week, but it’s also week-two of the off-to-a-rockin-start J Roddy and The Business residency at ABC. Things kicked off to a warmly receptive and enthusiastic crowd last week…and things look to get better as the weeks go on.

Joining J Roddy this week will be Lancaster piano-rock band The Sketties. They’ll start around 9 with J Roddy following at 10.

Double whammy?

You betcha.

Wango bango!

And sometimes, opportunities affect decisions which have already been made.

In this case, the opportunity for J Roddy Walston and The Business to open for the rolling-steam-train that is the Drive By Truckers in Baltimore on Wednesday June 3 has affected the decision to do a residency at The Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Company.

But fret not- the series is still a go…and will rock every ounce of a ton for four weeks…but the series is now starting a week later…on Wed June 10th.

Bullet Point- J Roddy Walston and The Business Harrisburg residency IS still happening…but it is now beginning on June 10. June 3 (the original launch date) has J Roddy supporting Drive By Truckers at the Bourbon Street Ballroom in Baltimore. (Baa baa booey.) Tickets are free for this show. And it’s definitely worth the drive.

Please help spread the word…

Support slots are still the same- the only change will be Perkasie wrapping things up on Wed July 1.

June 10- Pariah Piranha
June 17- The Sketties
June 24- Adamo Drive
July 1- Perkasie

This Saturday, May 30 2009 is Appalachian Brewing Company’s 12th Anniversary Bash.

And if you’ve been paying attention over the past five years, you should know that ABC’s Anniversary Fest is one of the biggest parties of the year- right up there with BeerFest and New Years.

Last year, we did a free show with Mike Doughty; 2007 saw The Hold Steady wrap a line around the building and up the ante for EVERY show that we do; before that was Lake Trout and 2005 was a free show with Lotus.

This year, friends, we bring you 90′s icons Cracker performing what’s all-but-guaranteed to be another capacity show- so be sure to get there early!

The day begins at 4PM on Walnut Street (adjacent to the building) where the Brew Crew cooks up a fantastic, All-American barbecue and the soon-to-be-infamous Outhouse Races commence. Dynamic DJ Duo The Thing With Two Heads rocks the ones-and-twos for the outdoor, afternoon portion of the day.

At 7:30, doors to The Abbey Bar open with more rock from TTWTH, and support sets from Chicago’s Backyard Tire Fire and a quickie acoustic jaunt by our new favorite-songstress Casse Langford.

And finally, at around 9:45, Cracker brings the hits-

It’s a free show.

It goes all day.

And it’s all rock.