Olivia at the Louisiana State Fair, Shreveport LA 14 Feb 1975
By Jim Shaw Of The Times Staff
Olivia Newton-John charmed the audience, sang a song from her own pen, kissed two babies and performed a first-rate concert Friday night at Hirsch Coliseum.
About 9,500 people filled the coliseum to hear Ms. Newton-John and Dave Loggins (not to be confused with Kenny Loggins of the group Loggins and Messina), according to a State Fair official.
Loggins opened the concert. He and his two accompanying musicians proved all first act performers do not have to be substandard.
Country and Western music influenced Loggins’ music. This was particularly true in “Goodby Miss Sadness,” (“for all you girls that have been doin’ wrong”). It had a distinct resemblance to the Allman Brothers’ style blues. He performed his own “Pieces of April,” first recorded by Three Dog Night, the song that launched his career, and “Operator,” by his “main man”, the late Jim Croce.
Closing his set he stated, “I guess this is why we’re here,” and played his recent single, “Please Come to Boston.”
Olivia Newton John opened her set with “Let Me Be There.”
The crowd was immediately taken with her delivery, but seemed more concerned with her looks.
“Love Song,” her “first flop record,” was well applauded.
For the older members of the crowd, she explained, “Nevertheless,” was included in the program.
Remarking jokingly that she was going to demonstrate gher musical versatility, Olivia produced a tambourine and called for the audience to help her sing “The River’s Too Wide,” The house lights came up at her insistance that she wanted to see the crowd, and at first, the audience was reluctant to as participate; however, after a several appeals they were pursuaded to sing along.
“Changes”, a moving song written by Ms. Newton John, was commendably performed. It was composed “for a friend” and dealt with what to tell a child about the separation of his parents. Her delivery captured the certainly tearful situation.
She closed with another of her hits, “I Love You.”
We did too, Olivia.