Little River Band Has Suwanee Reminiscing

Updated 3:20 p.m., Tuesday, April 19, 2011.

There was a lot of nostalgia in the air Saturday at Suwanee's . There also was some social media and thinning hair.

That was mostly on stage, of course, as the Little River Band ran through its collection of hits and many other songs in a well-received and well-executed performance.

The audience? They were singing, dancing and generally not remembering that they now have children, mortgages and smartphones.

"Remember 1978?" lead singer Wayne Nelson said before introducing "Reminiscing," the band's biggest hit. "There were no cell phones, so nobody knew when you got to work. There were no computers, so nobody knew when you got home. You just got a bottle of Southern Comfort, and you were done."

Nelson, the holdover from the band's signature era, and the four newer LRB musicians did the band's legacy well. The vocals had an authentic touch, and the music was technologically modern. The sound system was right for a park of Town Center's size, not too loud even for those close to the stage.

The crowd was believed to be Suwanee's second-biggest ever for a concert, behind America's 2005 performance. Officials said Tuesday that 7,500 was the estimated attendance.

Nelson kept the crowd involved with dialogue and humor. "If you haven't heard the next song, you haven't been in a grocery store for the last 10 years," he said when introducing "Happy Anniversary," a hit in 1977.

During the encore "Lonesome Loser," Nelson said during the sing-along, "That was Thursday night good," and gave the crowd another chance to sing. And leading into the same song from the music intro, he playfully threw in a line from Three Dog Night's "Mama Told Me Not To Come."

The other band members got in on the fun, too. "We'd like to introduce you to our latest single, from 1983," guitarist Greg Hind said early in the show.

The 14-song set lasted about 90 minutes. "Man On Your Mind," also a memorable song, was second, and "Happy Anniversary" was the first sing-along at No. 3 on the set list.

Nelson dedicated "Help Is On Its Way" to people serving in the U.S. armed forces "who put their lives on the line so that we have the right to do this ... some of them are from Georgia."

"Cool Change" had a slow keyboard intro that slowly tickled memories in the audience, some of whom were born when the U.S. had only 48 states.

"Grab your babes," Nelson said when introducing "Lady," the last song of the regular set.

The two-song encore began with Nelson prompting everyone to pose for the band's Facebook page, and ended with "Lonesome Loser."

After the show, band members signed merchandise and posed for pictures with fans. "We were just in (New) Jersey a couple of days ago," Nelson told one fan.

"See you next time."