Live Review: Honeymoon Suite with Aldo Nova at Arcada Theatre • St. Charles

Brassneck | September 16, 2023

Honeymoon Suite

Honeymoon Suite, Aldo Nova

The Arcada Theatre,

St. Charles, IL

Friday, September 15, 2023

Review by Jeff Elbel

Fans of Canadian rock flocked to the Arcada Theatre on Friday for rare local appearances by ’80s hitmakers Honeymoon Suite and Aldo Nova.

Hailing from Niagara Falls, Ontario, Honeymoon Suite arrived to play a 65-minute opening set drawing heavily from their 1984 self-titled release and 1986 follow-up The Big Prize. The band featured its four familiar principals including singer Johnnie Dee, guitarist and principal songwriter Derry Grehan, drummer Dave Betts, and bassist Gary Lalonde. Longtime keyboardist Peter Nunn completed the line-up.

Dee was in fine voice belting out rockers like “Burning in Love” and Billboard Hot 100 #34 single “Feel it Again.” Grehan’s durable guitar riffs drove songs including Monsters Under the Bed single “Say You Don’t Know Me” and *Racing After Midnight’s “Lookin’ Out for Number One.” The guitarist was a vibrant and enthusiastic presence. He lunged, twisted, and even did a classic scissor kick to punctuate his familiar riffs and solos.

Dee, Grehan, Lalonde, and Nunn joined in harmony while singing “Wounded,” before Nunn and Grehan traded synthesizer and guitar solos. Grehan dug into the majestic arena rock-styled solo for power ballad “What Does it Take” and stretched out with bluesy improvisations to punctuate the cathartic “Feel it Again.”

The band stripped arrangements back to Betts’ sturdy rhythm to allow the crowd to sing choruses on songs including the spiky “Stay in the Light” and shimmering “Wave Babies.” Betts’ drumming for the latter was especially intoxicating, joining Lalonde’s hypnotic bass and setting up Nunn’s pealing synthesizer lead. Dee played the song’s outro solo on guitar, momentarily borrowing the spotlight from Grehan’s flashy and tuneful playing.

Dee thanked the crowd for giving its energy and remaining in its feet throughout the show. “For those of you who know the band in this country and have supported us all these years, thank you so much,” he said. The band concluded with hard rock stomper “New Girl Now.”

Fans at the Arcada knew they were in for a treat with Aldo Nova’s headlining set. Nova withdrew from the spotlight in the ‘90s, finding major success as a writer, player, and producer for top artists including Celine Dion and Clay Aiken. Nova thrilled the crowd at the Arcada with a potent set featuring favorite singles “Monkey on Your Back” from 1983’s Subject and “Foolin’ Yourself” from the rocker’s 1982 self-titled Top Ten album. The set concluded with Billboard Hot 100 #23 single and pyrotechnic guitar workout “Fantasy.”