Wednesday, October 15, 1997

Corey is all Hart

 True to his 1984 smash hit, Surrender, Corey Hart isn't ready to give up just yet.

And why should he?

Certainly, the 1,000 people who attended his show last night at the Jack Singer Concert Hall can attest that the one-time Canadian pop icon is still sporting the qualities that lit their fuse in the mid-'80s.

After selling 10 million records, it's fair to say the man who wears sunglasses at night has experienced a rebirth of sorts.

With his 1996 self-titled album pushing Canadian platinum (100,000 copies sold), Hart proved his brand of songwork to still be valid -- a validity that has been further entrenched by positive reaction to his live shows, like the one last night.

After an 11-year absence, Hart isn't exactly the poster boy pop idol he once was, although time has been good to the Quebec-based artist.

Hart launched into what would be a feel-good set, thick with new material like Tell Me, which was received well.

But it was the retrospective element, culled from his nine-album career, that truly pleased an audience comprised of mostly hardcore fans now in their 30s -- fans who hung on every note, every glance and every gesture, as if nothing in their lives mattered more than Corey.

And that's OK. That's what rock and roll is all about. And in terms of performance, Hart -- backed by a five-piece band under unique lighting -- was as slick as they come.

Set List