Live Review: America, Sharon Corr

Soft rock gods America set their sights on Thebarton Theatre on Monday night. Joined by Irish pop luminary Sharon Corr, America impressed a significant quota of Dadelaide, who arrived by the score for the early door time of 7pm. What followed shortly after was an evening of joyful folk pop fun featuring a slew of memorable hits, a couple of familiar covers and a few newies to mix it up a bit. 

Despite the confession of jetlag, Sharon Corr strode on stage bang on 7.30pm, aluminium travel mug filled with unidentified beverage in hand. Her brand of safe but competent pop songs eased the crowd into tonight’s proceedings, Corr buttering up punters with banter, fiddle solos and a well-placed Fleetwood Mac cover (Dreams, for those playing at home). Famous for her songwriting contribution to Celtic family band The Corrs, she performed two of their hits, Radio and So Young, to much applause. Smooth as a menthol cigarette without any of the health risks, Corr delivered adept, adult, middle-of-the-road rock-pop before setting up shop in the foyer for autographs and selfies.

After interval, America got the crowd into cruise control with renditions of hit singles Tin Man and You Can Do Magic – a fine double-header with which to kick off their 45th anniversary show. Founding members and multi-instrumentalists Gerry Beckley and Dewey Bunnell were in the driver’s seat (and shotgun) for a road trip through ‘70s Hitsville, which took in Riverside and Ventura Highway, before crossing The Border for some California Dreamin’.

New addition, musician Bill Worrell on guitar and guitar-face, as well as ex-Reel Big Fish drummer Ryland Steen, clearly enjoyed making their mark on tracks like Sandman and crowd-pleaser, Sister Golden Hair, with both players pulling out extended solos. Following a cursory curtain call, the band rounded out the night with Dream Come True and, of course, Horse With No Name.

New and old gelled well all night, but it was a true delight to see Beckley and Bunnell still making magic together, almost 50 years deep into their creative partnership.