Little River Band Got Cozy With Fans at The Factory Saturday

Sean Derrick October 24, 2023 0 Comments Little River Band, LRB, Saint Louis concert review and photos, The Factory

–by Laura Tucker

Little River Band is a staple in American music, though it might surprise you discover that they were actually an Australian band. Well, originally at least. The harmonies created by the five-member band is a key factor to their success and loyal fan base. And St. Louis fans showed up for them on Saturday night at The Factory in Chesterfield, selling out the venue.

The crowd was predominantly of a certain age and chairs were brought to the floor, usually reserved for general admission standing. Doors opened at 7:00 giving everyone an hour to arrive and get settled before Little River Band came out. There was no opening band and fans were delighted to get right to it.

Wasting no time working up to the hits, the night started with “It’s A Long Way There” and was followed by “Take It Easy On Me.” In fact, the thirteen-song set only included two songs that were new; “Lost and Lonely” and “You Dream.” Lead singer Wayne Nelson said “new music makes people have to pee”. They know what people want and kept the bathroom break tunes to a minimum. They followed them up with “Reminiscing” so if you were in the bathroom, you were likely scrambling to get back to the show. After all, that’s what this audience came for, to reminisce.

Wayne Nelson is also their bassist and joined the band in 1980 when Glenn Shorrock was still the lead singer. He has stayed on for the past 40 past years keeping a watchful ear on the group’s unique sound. Fast forward to now and you’ll find the line up of guitarist Colin Whinnery, from Nashville, on rhythm and lead guitar while sharing lead vocal duties with Wayne.

Also from Nashville, Guitarist Bruce Wallace on rhythm guitar shared a few moments in the spotlight on lead guitar, keyboardist Chris Marion, who adds producer and conductor to his resume and Ryan Ricks on drums and vocals. Each of them is not only a great instrumentalist, they are equally blessed with lead-singer vocal abilities. Everyone played a solo and got their moment to shine.

You could feel the nostalgia in the air and as they ran through the hits of yesteryear with songs like “Help Is on Its Way,” “The Night Owls,” and of course the unforgettable ballad, “Cool Change.”

As the evening was winding down, the energy was gearing up. As the piano struck the first notes of “Lady”, Wayne invited all of the ladies to come down front. And they didn’t waste any time taking him up on his offer. The well-mannered crowd was suddenly on their feet and rushing the stage, ladies and gentlemen alike. The band was thrilled by response and came to the edge of the stage to greet them. They started throwing guitar picks and taking videos with the phones of fans while playing the last hit of the night, “Lonesome Loser.” Some of them even stayed after the show to sign autographs. This was more than just a performance; it was an up-close and personal experience.