to play a rare Napa County show. February 2.
The son of a stage singer, 70-year-old Colin Hay was destined to be a musician up front and center well before realizing his true calling. Although it would take until the early 80’s to fully realize his place on the world’s stages, Hay has never retreated from his rabid fan base.
While most fans of 80s act Men at Work only recall the band’s two hit records — “Business As Usual” (1981) and “Cargo” (1983) — diehards know they did release a third record called “Two Hearts” (1985) that didn’t fare nearly as well.
To their credit as an ensemble, the band earned several Grammy awards and sold an astounding 30 million-plus records to date, propelled by hit singles “Who Can It Be Now?,” “Down Under,” “Overkill,” “Dr. Heckyll & Mr. Jive, ” and “It’s A Mistake.”
Thankfully, frontman/singer Colin Hay has amassed quite a following, releasing solo records starting with his stellar debut album, ‘Looking For Jack’ (1987). Even today, Hay is not resting on his pop laurels and is still releasing new solo records, which include his most recent and 15th long-player released in 2o22, ‘Now In The Evermore’ (Lazy Eye/Compass Records). Although more somber in delivery and subject than any Men At Work offering, the album is a contemplative collection of songs that showcase Hay’s songwriting skills and ability to cope with his own mortality.
As Colin said about his long and successful career, “I’m deeply grateful for the life I have, and I think my natural tendency has always been towards optimism and humor. Lately, though, I’ve had to be more intentional about it. I’ve had to actively seek out the positive, to let new rays of hope shine on some seemingly dark situations.”
For those not in the know, Hay is also an accomplished actor, having made countless appearances on TV (The Larry Sanders Show, JAG, The Mick Molloy Show, A Million Little Things, What About Brian, and the immensely popular Scrubs series) as well as many other film appearances in his native Australia.
Additionally, he has toured all over the U.S. with the Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band and still plays live with a completely revamped version of Men At Work, who will be touring South America (Brazil and Chile, respectively) starting in mid-February. His upcoming show in Napa is only one of two California shows slated in 2024 (the other is at Lesher Center For The Arts in Walnut Creek on February 1st).
Colin Hay’s “Solo with Songs and Stories” starts at 8 pm, Friday, February 2 at JaM Cellars Ballroom, 1030 Main St., Napa. Tickets range from $49 to $119 in advance and can be purchased at www.jamcellarsballroom.com. Ages 8 and over are welcome.
