Little River Band Heads for Suwanee

When the Eagles reunited in the mid-1990s, one member quipped that "we didn't break up, we just took a 14-year vacation."

Not so with the Little River Band, which has kept touring and recording since posting several top hits in the 1970s and '80s. Seems that there was enough success and enough musicians involved to keep the fire burning, lead singer Wayne Nelson noted in a recent interview.

"We had a collection of guys who did not want to let go of the Little River Band and its music," Nelson said. "Had that been the case, 70 percent of what we did never would have happened."

The band is to perform Saturday at 7 p.m. at in Suwanee, as part of Atlanta's Greatest Hits Birthday Bash.

Before MTV, iTunes and YouTube, there were such hits as "Cool Change," "Lady, "Help Is On The Way," and the biggest, "Reminiscing." The original lineup and the band's name had Australian roots. The current members -- Nelson is the only one left from the earlier years -- all live in the U.S. The five member lineup has been together since 2005.

The LRB is all about touring now. Nelson said there are 60 dates on the current tour, with contracts regularly coming in. He acknowledges that the travel is tiring, and that is what breaks a lot of bands up.

"We don't get tired of the music," Nelson said. "It's a joyous thing. People can pass it on to their kids."

Like many musicians from that era, the LRB has generations of fans. Two years ago in Richmond, Va., an LRB fan attended that had originally brought his children as preschoolers to an LRB show. Those same children came on their own as teenagers.

There is still some recording. The LRB has no active contract, but it did join musicians such as Jackson Browne on "Abbey Road: A Tribute To The Beatles." LRB recorded "In My Life." It was done "like Al Green, R&B style," Nelson said.

When it does compose and perform new music, the LRB keeps its core sound and does not buy in to other styles.

"Respect for the band is huge," Nelson said. "We're not competing for airplay, so we are going to have a melody and harmonized chorus."

Suwanee has a familiar ring. Nelson and his wife once ran an inn in North Carolina, and some guests were from the Atlanta area. Also, he has driven through the city en route to other areas.

He likes the idea of Town Center Park's amphitheater. "Playing outside is always a treat. You're not hampered by bad acoustics."

The concert is expected to last 80-90 minutes. The hits are on the set list, as well as some others.

"It won't be like '77 or '78," Nelson said. "We've grown with the times and with technology. If we did it like '77 or '78, it would be very boring."

A live concert is not like making a CD, Nelson noted. He will vary the set list in mid-show, depending on whether the audience is listening intently, or in a party mood. "Sometimes if you lose the audience, you never get them back," he said.

So if Wayne Nelson himself went to a Little River Band show, and could request one song as an encore, what would it be?

After thinking, he said " 'It Was The Night.' It's all about the right people meeting. It's danceable, and it's a great way to send people away.

"We've never done that live. I may have to put it into the list."