Crowd at SPAC enjoys Daryl Hall and John Oates performance
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. >> Pop rock duo Daryl Hall and John Oates brought the sounds of the ‘70s and ‘80s to Saratoga Springs Sunday night on their rescheduled tour with Squeeze.
The two acts, originally set to play in the Spa City last summer, finally made their way to the SPAC stage over the weekend.
Fans gave a warm welcome to Squeeze, the opener, and were especially excited to hear the many hits of Hall and Oates.
The British rockers in Squeeze got the crowd moving with a fun set featuring their top numbers “Tempted,” “Pulling Mussels” and “Black Coffee in Bed” before it was time for headliners Daryl Hall and John Oates.
The pair from Philadelphia, backed by a band of six musicians, started off with their most successful single “Maneater” from 1982’s H2O, followed by “Out of Touch” and “Method of Modern Love” off of 1984 album Big Bam Boom.
Early in the set, Hall took a moment to give a bad review of a Capital Region hotel, but ended the comments noting that Saratoga is a beautiful place.
The Rock and Roll Hall of Famers then played some older tunes from the 1970s such as “She’s Gone” and “Sara Smile,” along with a cover of 1964’s “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”
The duo also dusted off “Back Together Again,” which was fitting for this tour, then left the audience with “I Can’t Go for That (No Can Do).”
The set’s encore included major hits like “Rich Girl,” “Kiss on My List” and a final send-off of “You Make My Dreams.”
For many in the SPAC amphitheater or on the lawn Sunday night, this concert marked their first time returning to the venue since the summer of 2019. During the encore, Hall seemingly echoed their thoughts. “So glad to be here,” he said. “So glad to be anywhere these days, right?”
As large-scale entertainment events slowly make their comeback amid the COVID-19 pandemic, spending a summer evening at SPAC with Hall & Oates felt like a homecoming for some local live music-lovers.
The 2021 Live Nation concert series SPAC is scheduled to continue through early October. Upcoming concerts include a sold out Dead & Company show, Alanis Morissette, the Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson, Maroon 5, Dave Matthews Band, Jonas Brothers and Zac Brown Band.
Other tours with stops at SPAC — such as The Doobie Brothers, Rod Stewart, Backstreet Boys, Matchbox Twenty and Goo Goo Dolls — have been rescheduled to 2022.
More information is available online at spac.org.