Flashing back with America

CHARLOTTESVILLE — The summer evening emerged mildly as America took the stage at the downtown Pavilion last weekend, softening an already mellow vibe.

But for a band that’s played more than 100 shows a year since the early ’70s, America dug deep for its Piedmont gig, energetically performing more than a dozen songs from its impressive repertoire of 30 or so albums.

The Grammy-award winning duo Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley started America as American teenagers growing up in London on a military base.

And they’re still at it.

“Next year is the 40th anniversary of America,” Beckley, incredulously, told the multigenerational crowd of more than 1,000 at the Charlottesville Pavilion. “We started out as 17,18-year-old kids and have been all over the planet.”

Beckley, who has a place in Fork Union, south down U.S. 15, considered Saturday’s show “a home-town gig,” and he did all of the talking.

“These are not oldies — it’s classic rock,” he said, laughing. “There’s a difference, though I don’t know what it is.”

America the band, like the country, has evolved since its beginnings; what started as a trio now includes Michael Woods on guitar, Rich Campbell on bass and drummer Willie Leacox from California, who’s played with America for 37 years, almost since the beginning.

The folk rock band put out its first album, self-titled, in 1971, which included America’s most well known song, “A Horse With No Name.” It hit No. 1 on the charts the following year.

In Charlottesville, they saved their most successful single for a brief encore at the very end.

The night’s songs also included other early favorites like “Ventura Highway,” “Tin Man” and America’s cover of “California Dreamin’” by The Mamas & the Papas. The songs of America were short and sweet, heavy on strings a la Beckley and Bunnell, and rich with lyrics reminiscent of time on the road.

Beckley was also quite the proficient keyboard player, switching back and forth between the two instruments during the hour-and-a-half long show while squeezing in some pretty wicked harmonica.

The group’s occasional Spanish-sounding strings were easy to listen to, bordering on easy listening, but more rock and roll.

Their cover of “Eleanor Rigsby” — the 1966 hit by The Beatles — proved especially lively and agreeable to the ear, introducing songs from their early years working with Beatles’ producer George Martin.
“Holiday” from 1974 was the first record Martin produced for America, Beckley said, and it included “Lonely People,” one of the night’s selections.

The Beatles were among America’s influences, of course, he said, along with The Byrds and Simon & Garfunkel.

Those were the days, Beckley added, saying upon realizing it so many years ago, “It hit me like a bolt of lightning. I don’t remember them, but I feel certain those were the days.”

America ended its set at the always-enjoyable Charlottesville Pavilion with some newer stuff from its “Here and Now” album, including “Ride On.” 1998’s “From A Moving Train” got the mostly placid crowd moving a bit and its lyrics sort of summed up the journey that is America.

“If my lifeline is these million miles of track one thing I know by now there is no turning back.”

“I saw a firefly out there,” Beckley said at one point. “Or was that a flashback?”