RESTLESS HEART PERFORMS SUBURBAN COWBOY MUSIC AS TOP-FLIGHT MUSICIANS

Like frontman Paul Gregg's jeans, Restless Heart is a loose interpretation of the original.

The original being the Eagles or even Exile, bands whose pristine harmonies and expert craftsmanship predated Restless Heart. Which is not to say their descendants are either unoriginal or artless.

Restless Heart makes about the best suburban cowboy music around. You want loose? Try bluegrass on a soprano sax.

The band performed Tuesday night before a relatively small crowd about 550 of Academic Auditorium's 1,200 seats were filled that gave them a standing ovation at the end.

Surprising, the small turnout. This is the band minus lead singer Larry Stewart, who departed in 1991 with the string of seven number one hits, the band that appeared on "The Tonight Show" only last week.

Restless Heart proudly defies the categories of rock, pop and country. Their "Mending Fences" is number 20 on Billboard's country charts, while the single "Tell Me What You Dream" holds down number 5 on the adult contemporary chart.

As Gregg proclaimed to the audience, they are what they are.

"Accept it as a gift of music from a band called Restless Heart to you."

As usual, the highs and lows flew about the venerable hall Tuesday night like the spooks in "Ghostbusters," but the five top-flight musicians played flawlessly anyway.

Fueled by drummer John Dittrich's chugging rhythm and the roaring Stratocaster and slide playing of guitarist Greg Jennings, the band did the chart-busters "I'll Still Be Lovin' You," "That Rock Won't Roll," for instance along with lesser-known tunes yet to achieve hit status.

The highlight of the evening was a ballad called "New York," which began with spotlights on saxophonist Chris Hick and keyboardist Dwaine Rowe, who set the stage for the simply gorgeous three-part harmonies of Gregg, Jennings and Dittrich.

On the other hand, some of Restless Heart's tunes border on the homegenous. You could listen to this music all night long and not remember many melodies.

Also on the bill was a band from the Bootheel called Dirt Road Express. The four musicians played capable if unexceptional cover versions of country hits, but crossed line with that song by Billy Ray Cyrus.

No one who innocently goes to a concert should have to worry about a surprise "Achy Breaky Heart" attack.