Arts & Entertainment
VIDEO: Tommy Tutone Jazzes Crowd at Morso
From power-pop to "soul twang," Tommy Tutone energized the audience and got folks dancing at Morso Saturday night.
From power-pop rock to something he called "soul twang," Tommy Tutone, aka Tommy Heath, performed at Morso Saturday night, in a Memorial Day weekend concert that got people up and dancing before the night was out.
Arriving with his drummer and black Labrador retriever, the musician best known for the 1980s hit "867-5309/Jenny" took to the stage about 8:30 p.m. and played for more than two hours. It was the latest in the Americana Music Series of intimate concerts being presented jointly by and Michael ONeill Productions.
Tutone struck an immediate and easy rapport with the audience, drawing on a repertoire of songs created over the past three decades. They offered a blend of New Wave, classic rock and country rhythms, paired with lyrics that were at times world-weary and cynical-leaning.
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One of the most memorable of the evening was a song called "Rotate," which Tutone said was written for Barack Obama's presidential campaign. With its pulsing beat and identifiable refrain, it was the kind of song that continues to play in your head long after you first hear it.
Tutone agreed to the Gig Harbor gig at the personal request of longtime friend ONeill, whom the musician has known since 1979. The two performed several numbers together during the evening.
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But it was "867-5309/Jenny", which is still considered one of the signature songs of the 1980s, that got people to their feet, dancing and singing along. They continued to dance as Tutone performed his final songs of the evening.
"Tommy, you're the best," shouted one man from the back as the concert was nearing its end. From the high energy in the room, it appeared everyone else felt the same way too.
