The Etess Arena at Atlantic City, NJ’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino is already filling up this Friday, August 30, 2019 evening with a sold-out crowd that is ready to party with the legendary musical duo, Daryl Hall and John Oates.

As we wait for the show to begin, we chat with several fans in the audience including Ryan from Egg Harbor Twp. who reveals, “I’m a newer fan of Daryl Hall and John Oates — I’ve only been following them for about four years. A lot of today’s music doesn’t appeal to me, but Hall and Oates’ music has such a good pop to it — and it’s soulful.”

Demetria from Egg Harbor Twp. agrees, stating, “The first time we saw Hall and Oates live, we were the youngest people in the crowd,” explaining, “I’m 28 years old — I grew up listening to their records since my dad played their LPs at home.”

We also chat with Linda from Egg Harbor Twp. who recalls, “I’ve been a fan of Daryl Hall and John Oates since 1975. I have all of their records — I love their music — plus they’re good looking guys!”

Continuing, “This is my first time seeing them in over 20 years,” Linda acknowledges, “I know all the words and I can sing along — I’m really into the lyrics. And since Hall and Oates is one of my all-time favorite groups, my friend, Theresa, bought me tickets for tonight’s show,” exclaiming, “She’s my hero!”

Although Theresa from Galloway admits, “This is my first time seeing them,” her husband, Chris, is a fan who states, “I like what they do — they’re clean, romantic, rockin’ soul.”

The lights dim and the pixilated screen behind the stage changes to radio static before images of 45rpm records flash and snippets of hit songs play in succession. Instantly recognizable, the first few notes of each number play like a marathon of Hall and Oates’ hits, as saxophonist Charles DeChant, guitarist Shane Theriot, bassist Klyde Jones, keyboardist Eliot Lewis, drummer Brian Dunne, and percussionist Porter Carroll take the stage.

As the introduction to “Maneater” plays, John Oates enters first and is followed by Daryl Hall as the standing crowd cheers. When Hall, 72, sings “She’ll only come out at night/The lean and hungry type,” he sounds as young as he did in 1982 when the duo first recorded this chart-topping tune.

The bass thumps and the band pumps out the groove with Daryl Hall and John Oates each playing electric guitars.

John Oates and sax player, Charley DeChant — wearing his stylish gold jacket — duel on their instruments, the crowd entranced by their interplay.

The pair fist bumps each other at the end of the sequence and the audience happily joins in singing on the famous “(Oh here she comes) Watch out boy she’ll chew you up/(Oh here she comes) She’s a maneater” chorus before responding on their feet with wild cheering and applause.

Daryl Hall takes the mic and welcomes the crowd, stating, “Atlantic City — it’s always great to be back to this part of the world! We’re going to be playing lots of songs from different eras,” before adding, “This is a Big Bam Boom song.”

The keyboard rings out and the video background slowly spins around as Hall and Oates launch into a hit from their 1984 album, Big Bam Boom, “Out of Touch.”

As he sings, Hall gets the crowd to sway with their hands overhead to the powerful sound coming from the stage. The vocals strong and dominant, the pair sings, “You’re out of touch/I’m out of time/But I’m out of my head when you’re not around” before a rockin’ guitar solo ends the song to cheers and applause.

After Hall says, “This is one we all need to think about,” the drum begins to play a rhythm, which is followed by guitars, and finally the rest of the band on the duo’s 1984 Top Ten hit, “Adult Education.” Featuring a keyboard interlude and a driving beat, Hall sings as the background morphs to the driving beat while the group sings in perfect harmony.

Hall says, “We’re gonna do another Big Bam Boom song.” Flashes of light punctuate the funk beat as Hall’s soulful voice leads the band on the group’s 1985 Top Five hit, “Method of Modern Love.” The audience spells along with the pair on the “M-E-T-H-O-D-O-F-L-O-V-E” refrain, and Oates handles the lead vocal and plays guitar while Hall vocally ad libs over him. Dancing as he sings and growls on this bluesy funk tune, Hall sings a soulful ending before stating, “You got it now — you got the method baby!”

Launching into a tune from the group’s 1983 Rock ’n Soul Part 1 album, Hall and Oates perform their 1983 Top 5 hit, “Say It Isn’t So.” Colored lights flash as the cowbell keeps the rhythm going and the crowd stands and dances at their seats to this rockin’ tune. Hall’s compelling lead vocal provides the edgy blue-eyed soul on this number which is supported by smooth six-part backup vocals.

The band members smile their approval as saxophonist Charley DeChant steps out front and takes the song to another level in his shiny gold jacket, and Hall looks the part of a rock star in his leather jacket and sunglasses, smiling as he plays with guitarist Shane Theriot in a duel chordal solo.

The crowd cheers as the pair ends the tune by playing dual “hammer-ons” on their guitars.

Hall says, “We’ve been doing this a long time. Sometimes you got to stop everything. It’s always nice to be somewhere — whether it’s close to home or not. That’s what this next song is about.”

Here, Hall and Oates perform their 1983 Top Ten hit, “One on One.” Hall’s voice leaps and bounds in contrast to his colleagues’ smooth backup vocals, and the audience joins in singing the well-known “One on one I want to play that game tonight/One on one so slow” chorus.

Percussionist Porter Carroll plays small cymbals with his hands between bongo strokes and Charley DeChant smoothly solos on his sax. Hall ad libs to the easy groove as Oates and Co. extend the “One on one/Just you and me” coda — Hall’s voice sounding both raspy and smooth at the same time.

Guitars and sax bring the bass, drums, and percussion full circle as the number swirls around and embraces the audience before Hall’s voice echoes out “Oh, yeah!” at the end.

The audience stands and cheers, and John Oates takes the mic saying, “Thank you guys for coming out tonight! This is a song from the ’80s written by Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil.”

Oates starts the number singing the low part on the pair’s 1980 Top 20 single, “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’.”

His voice deep and full on the “You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips” lyric, the group joins in with seven-part vocals on the “You’ve lost that lovin’ feelin’” refrain. Their voices soulful and timeless, Hall and Oates handle the second verse in tight harmony before the song builds in intensity and lights flash to the driving beat, the performance ending in an explosion of audience hoots, hollers, whistles, and applause.

Hall asks the crowd, “You guys doing alright?” to which the audience joyfully responds in the affirmative.

Continuing, “It feels good — I can tell — fantastic!” Hall explains, “We’re going back to the early days, ’cause we’re in the homeland — back to Philadelphia. Times have changed, but we’re going back to Abandoned Luncheonette — it took us out of this part of the world and into the world.”

Audience members cheer as the duo’s 1973 Abandoned Luncheonette album cover fills the screen and Hall and Oates perform one of the highlight numbers of tonight’s program — a live rendition of “She’s Gone,” a song which in 1974 hit the Top 100, but after becoming a hit for Tavares traveled up to the Top Ten when it was re-released in 1976.

Hall and Oates hit all the high notes spot on and the audience can’t help but join in on singing the infectious “She’s gone, oh I, oh I’d/Better learn how to face it” refrain.

Trading vocals right through to the soulful ending, Hall and Oates’ vocals ring true on this classic hit as it modulates, growing before one’s eyes and ears as the crowd revels in the musical magic emanating from the stage.

Following cheers and enormous applause, Hall moves over to the grand piano saying, “I’m gonna play a couple songs on this thing here.”

Oates joins in on guitar for the group’s first top ten hit, “Sarah Smile.” Five-part vocals blend as the audience joins in singing the “Sara smile/Won’t you smile a while for me, Sara” refrain on this rock ballad. Several couples in the audience can be seen slow dancing as they enjoy a soulful and emotional performance from these master performers. Following a musical interlude on which guitarist Steve Theriot finger-picks a guitar solo while the rest of the musicians provide picture-perfect support, Hall sings and plays a bluesy and power chord ending on the piano.

The crowd stands and cheers and Hall smiles and waves, exclaiming, “Thank you very much!”

When the audience continues to cheer and scream out to him, Hall announces, “We’re going to let the band stretch. This has always been one of my favorite songs — it’s John’s song.”

Here, Oates handles the lead on “Is It a Star,” a blues shuffle with a 6/8 feel, which also features five-part vocal harmonies and a crisp and masterful John Oates guitar solo.

As a moon and stars shine on the screen behind them, Eliot Lewis plays a wailing keyboard solo and Hall fills in on the grand piano.

More cheers and applause follow as the talented H&O band ends the song and Charley DeChant plays a staccato flute part to the group’s next song which gets everyone’s hands clapping. Hall moves to a keyboard set up center stage as the funky groove pulsates out the beginning of Hall and Oates’ 1981 #1 hit, “ I Can’t Go For That (No Can Do).” The audience boogies to the infectious rhythm and sings along on the ubiquitous “I can’t go for that, no (no)/No can do” refrain. DeChant switches over to sax as he rocks out with Oates.

As the band continues to percolate, Hall speaks mid-song saying, “You know, sometimes you got to draw some kind of line; it’s different for everybody. You gotta say, ‘Hell no. I can’t go for that! No way — no, no, no!’” as percussionist Porter Carroll answers, “No!” and the band accompanies him on the chant.

As the band jams, their images are projected supersized on the backdrop, and the crowd grooves along at their seats as guitarist Shane Theriot and saxophonist Charley DeChant play off one another in dueling splendor before the number ends with the solidarity of one last “I can’t go for that!”

Waving goodbye as Hall and Oates and the rest of the musicians leave the stage, the supersized images show individuals in the crowd as they stand and cheer for the return of their beloved musical heroes.

When they return, Hall smiles and says, “Oh, my, oh, my!” before taking his place center stage at the keyboard for an encore of the duo’s 1977 #1 hit, “Rich Girl.” Starting with Hall singing and playing alone on the “You’re a rich girl, and you’ve gone too far/‘Cause you know it don’t matter anyway,” the band kicks in on this rhythmic chart-topper with Theriot and Oates dueling fast licks on this ’70s feel-good anthem.

The crowd screams, and drummer Brian Dunne counts off, “1, 2, 3” as the band plays the intro to the pair’s 1981 #1 hit, “Kiss On My List.” On their feet, audience members dance, groove, and sing along on the famous “(Because your kiss) Your kiss is on my list/(Because your kiss) Your kiss I can’t resist/(Because your kiss) Is what I miss when I turn out the lights” chorus.

Double clapping ensues as the group launches into Hall and Oates’ 1981 #1 smash, “Private Eyes,” where the crowd happily joins in singing on the “Private eyes/They’re watching you/They see your every move” refrain while guitars rock.

Hall takes the mic to say, “Thank you so much — it’s always good here — it’s never not good looking at all those smiling faces out there. John and I have been together for a long time, but this band has been together a long time, too,” acknowledging, “We really are a band.”

Here, he introduces all of the esteemed members of the group and the crowd bursts into cheers and applause as they recognize the bouncy keyboard intro to the group’s final encore number of the evening — a rendition of Hall and Oates’ 1981 Top 5 hit, “You Make My Dreams.”

The musicians have fun playing for the hometown crowd on this rhythmic number which features lots of audience singing on the “You make my dreams come true” refrain, not to mention a Charley DeChant and John Oates instrumental soli, and a soulful rockin’ ending.

At the conclusion, Oates throws his guitar pick into the crowd before he and Hall leave the stage, and members of the crowd continue to cheer on their feet as the band takes its own bow and exits, tossing guitar picks and even drumsticks out into the crowd.

As audience members make their way out of the Etess Arena, we chat with several music lovers who share their reactions to tonight’s performance by Daryl Hall and John Oates.

First, we chat with a quartet of friends from Edison, including Julio who exclaims, “This show rocked — it was totally awesome!,” Heidi who remarks, “I loved it — ‘Maneater’ was my favorite,” Steve who declares, “This was one of the best concerts ever — I loved the energy!” and Joelle who concludes, “I loved it so much, I wish it had never ended!”

Next, we chat with a pair of twins — Kim from Franklin Heights and her sister, Kathy from North Carolina. Whereas Kim exclaims, “This was a wonderful show — I just love Hall and Oates’ music — and it was lovely to see them in such a great venue!,” Kathy replies, “Hall and Oates were both terrific — we’ve been longtime fans of them, and we love them both equally.”

A pair of friends attending a bachelor party comment next, beginning with Michael from Clifton who says, “This was one great show. I love that they covered a lot of songs — it made it such a fun time,” explaining, “Both Daryl Hall and John Oates sound amazing — they’ve still got it — and they brought back all the classic hits on the encore.”

Michael’s friend, Miles from South Carolina, agrees adding, “They came on strong and continued strong right through to the end.”

Jessica from Burlington — wearing a special tiara — reveals, “This is my birthday weekend and this concert was just fantastic — it’s everything I thought it would be.”

Acknowledging, “I’m a life-long fan of Hall and Oates,” Jessica recalls, “I can remember listening to their music as a toddler.”

Another tiara-wearing birthday celebrant, Jeanne from Gibbstown, declares, “Hall and Oates were just incredible! Their performance made me cry,” before adding, “and seeing them here in this beautiful venue was just amazing.”

Jeanne’s friend, Donna from Cherry Hill, chimes in joking, “I’m Jeanne’s fairy godmother! I got these tickets for her for her birthday. We’re ‘80s girls. This music brings us both right back to high school,” adding, “Daryl Hall and John Oates sound the same as they did 30 years ago,” before concluding, “and I loved seeing them here at the Hard Rock, too — we come here all the time because we just love this venue.”

Lastly, we chat with three generations of a family from Boothwyn, PA, all here to enjoy an evening of hits from Hall and Oates.

Says granddaughter Micaela, 18, “This concert was amazing! I liked John Oates the most — I love his voice,” acknowledging, “Pop is the one who started us all listening to Hall and Oates.”

Remarks Grandpa Chuck, “I’m a DJ, and I still play Hall and Oates’ music at private parties. This was the third time I’ve seen them live and, definitely, the best concert of the three. I started listening to the band on the radio before buying their LPs, which I still have — in fact, the girls still listen to them on the phono in the basement.”

Granddaughter Ava, 15, confesses, “I liked Charley the saxophonist the best. He’s really good — he’s really cute — plus he wore that fashionable gold jacket!”

Whereas Ava’s Mom, Heather, remarks, “This was my first time seeing Hall and Oates, and I just loved them,” Heather’s husband, Bob, states “Daryl Hall and John Oates were so impressive, and the sound in this venue was perfect” before concluding, “They blew me away!’”

To learn more about Hall and Oates, please go to hallandoates.com. To learn more about future performances at Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino — including Foreigner on October 4, Bad Company on November 9, Sting on November 15, and The Doobie Brothers on November 22 — please click on hardrockhotels.com/atlantic-city.

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