Nassau County residents were in for a real treat on Saturday evening when Blondie played a free concert in Eisenhower Park. Thousands turned out to see the legendary new wave rock band at Harry Chapin Lakeside Theatre. Frontwoman Debbie Harry, now 72, strutted around the stage in a miniskirt and sunglasses, sounding as fierce as when the band was founded in the mid-’70s.
Blondie opened with “One Way Or Another,” that familiar song released in 1979 that has been featured in dozens of television shows and movies and continues to maintain a presence in pop culture.
Followed by other chart toppers “Call Me,” “Hanging on the Telephone,” “Maria,” “Heart of Glass” and “Rapture,” the one-and-a half-hour set was peppered with songs from the new album Pollinator, which has been getting good play on radio stations like WFUV. “Long Time,” “Fun,” “Gravity,” “Too Much” and “Fragments” made welcome appearances.
The band also pulled out several covers including “Rainy Day Women #12 & 35” by Bob Dylan, an ’80s alternative version of “My Heart Will Go On,” the famed Titanic theme song, and reggae tune “The Tide Is High,” which was popularized by Blondie in the 1980s.
Closing out the encore was Blondie’s 1979 hit “Dreaming,” during which Debbie Harry reminded the crowd that “dreaming is free” and wished them sweet dreams.
Blondie will be back in our area on Oct. 13 with a concert at the Tilles Center in Greenvale. For more dates on Blondie’s Pollinator Tour, see www.blondie.net/shows.
