Pop Music Review : Energetic Juice Newton: The Right Pace at the Right Time

“We’re smokin’ now,” Juice Newton noted.

The last time she played the Crazy Horse Steak House, in November of ‘92, she’d been rendered all but tuneless by a bad cold. But Tuesday night she was back in gear with music that was sparking palpable excitement among the crowd. Her string of pop and country hits may have trickled out in the late ‘80s, but she still can pack this place every time she comes to town.

This 14-song, one-hour, 10-minute show found her covering all her bases, from energetic country rock (“Queen of Hearts”) to melodramatic ballads (“Angel of the Morning”). Her pacing was brilliant: She opened with the lively “When Love Comes Around the Bend” from her 1989 album, “Ain’t Gonna Cry,” and built steadily, ending with her biggest hit, “The Sweetest Thing (I’ve Ever Known).”

As she rounded the home stretch, her dramatic reading of “Break It to Me Gently” (a hit for Brenda Lee in 1962 and for Newton 20 years later) earned her a standing ovation.

Her five-piece band gave her plenty of firepower for the rockers and was equally adept at slowing down to provide sympathetic accompaniment to the love songs. More than just fine pickers, the musicians also enhanced the show’s visual appeal, synchronizing their moves with the star’s. You should have seen them all bouncing back and forth together during “Love’s Been a Little Bit Hard on Me.”

Lead guitarist Otha Young stepped into the spotlight several times to let loose with hot solos, most notably during Newton’s rousing 1987 hit, “Tell Me True.” Young and Newton have been playing together since they were in college more than 20 years ago, and by now they’ve practically merged into a single musical entity.

The centerpiece of the show was an acoustic interlude. The spare instrumentation made for a welcome contrast to the full-throttle approach of the rest of the set and lent a new sound to some familiar hits. “Old Flame” was accompanied only by a piano. Young exchanged his guitar for a mandolin for “Falling in Love.” And “Ride ‘Em Cowboy,” played on unamplified guitars, sounded like a throwback to Newton and Young’s early years as folkies.

Throughout the evening, Newton’s sense of humor kept shining through. In response to the aircraft-like whine of some feedback, she quipped: “Who’s landing?” And even during her dramatic pause at the climax of “Break It to Me Gently,” she couldn’t refrain from cracking: “I know it’s a cheap trick.”