DATE: Tuesday, November 4, 1997             TAG: 9711040041

SECTION: DAILY BREAK             PAGE: E2   EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: MUSIC REVIEW

SOURCE: By JEFF MAISEY, CORRESPONDENT 

                                            LENGTH:   43 lines

HIATT TAKES FANS ALONG ON A JOY RIDE OF HIS HITS

SATURDAY MUST have been busy for baby sitters, because it was thirty- and fortysomethings' night out at the Boathouse, where John Hiatt and his hot band, the Nashville Queens, served up a smorgasbord.

Hiatt, often called a songwriters' songwriter, eased into his fall concert schedule alone with an acoustic guitar, strumming away on the passionate ``In the Dark.'' The Nashville Queens joined him for the second number, the small crowd cheering the opening notes of ``Driving South.'' The set picked up speed with ``Riding With the King'' as Hiatt took his diehard fans on a joy ride of his hits.

The Midwestern rock 'n' roll came to a stop when Hiatt slid over to his electric piano. There's no denying a great song when you hear one: The ballad ``Far as We Go'' was an emotional gem.

``Native Son'' had a funky, Randy Newman flavor. It was followed by ``Sure Pinocchio,'' which apes Warren Zevon's ``Werewolves of London.'' The classic ``Memphis in the Meantime'' and ``Perfectly Good Guitar'' went over especially big. The catchy ``Private Radio'' and a saucy ``Graduated,'' both new tunes, received warm welcomes, too.

Guitarist David Immergluck, a master of stringed instruments, played mandolin on the set-ending, Grammy-nominated ``Cry Love.''

Many of Hiatt's songs have been made into hits by other performers. On the encore, he went solo on the piano during the inspirational ``Have a Little Faith in Me,'' a song covered by Joe Cocker and Jewel.

Hiatt has been credited with jump-starting Bonnie Raitt's late-'80s comeback with ``Thing Called Love.'' He rocked that one out, too. A dynamic ``Slow Turning'' ended a great set of American rock.

Sherri Jackson opened the night with her Hootie and the Blowfish-influenced music. Her voice noticeably strong, she strummed hard on her acoustic guitar, but the loudest response came when she sawed away on the fiddle. The tunes from her self-titled album had a twist of folk-rock, reggae and Cajun. ILLUSTRATION: MUSIC REVIEW

John Hiatt and the Nashville Queens with Sherri Jackson

Saturday Night at the Boathouse, Norfolk

Send Suggestions or Comments to webmaster@scholar.lib.vt.edu