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Mary Lou Daoust said she remembers hearing faint echoes of the band America coming from her older sisters’ bedroom as a kid. She always tried to join in, opening the door to find her two sisters screaming the lyrics. The three grabbed hairbrushes as microphones and held their own concerts. Last night, she was singing along with the actual band.

“I just heard about it like three days ago, and I was immediately looking for tickets,” Daoust said. “Pretty psyched to be here.”

The folk-rock band America took the stage at The Oncenter Crouse Hinds Theater on Saturday night. Hundreds of fans crammed into the venue.The Grammy-winning band formed in 1970 with three members — Dewey Bunnell, Gerry Beckley and Dan Peek — all sons of U.S. Air Force personnel.

The trio met at London Central High School, a designated school for U.S. citizens whose family was stationed in London. The group began writing music and signed a record deal with Warner Bros. before moving back to the U.S. after graduation.

The band name reflected their desire not to come off as British artists trying to sound American. Their self-titled debut album, released in 1972, is still the band’s best-selling studio album. Fifty-three years later, Beckley is retired and Peek is dead, leaving Bunnell as the last original member performing.

The concert opened with a video montage showing the impact of America’s music in pop culture. Songs like “Sister Golden Hair” in “The Sopranos” and “A Horse with No Name” in “Breaking Bad” were some of the ones shown.

Although most of the setlist followed the order of the band’s releases, they opened with “Tin Man,” a song from their third album, “Holiday.” Attendees immediately recognized the acoustic intro and were drawn into the folk-rock groove.

Bunnell handled rhythm guitar and lead vocals on most tracks, including “You Can Do Magic,” which followed the opening performance.

Between songs, Bunnell talked about his aging and how he’s the last original member, saying his love for the music keeps him going.

Next, drummer Ryland Steen sang “Don’t Cross the River.” Concertgoer Dean Mauro said it was his favorite America track, recalling memories of listening to it on vacation in the late ‘70s.

Bunnell then addressed Beckley’s retirement, emphasizing his importance to the band. The next song, “I Need You,” was one of the night’s most emotional moments with passionate lyrics, causing the audience to sway together.

Bunnell insisted their songs weren’t “oldies,” they were “classic rock.” Matthew Gurin, one of the younger attendees, said he’s still a big fan of the genre despite his youth.

“The crowd was definitely skewed,” Gurin said. “I would listen on car rides, my parents would play it on the radio station.”

When the opening chords of “Ventura Highway” hit, the crowd erupted in cheers. The acoustic guitar riff required all three guitarists on stage to nail the harmonies.

Like most bands, Bunnell said, America started off doing covers before they had any original material. They followed up with “California Dreamin’,” a popular track from the ‘60s.

Attendee Scott Reed recalled first hearing America on AM radio, comparing them to Crosby, Stills & Nash because of their similar folk sound. Now a father of two, Reed said he once gave his daughters personalized children’s CDs that added their own names into a variety of kids’ songs.

Later, after hearing the same one or two songs over and over again, he decided to make a mixtape for her with music he could tolerate. He recalled telling his daughter, “These are your songs, this is your CD.” Artists like Paul Simon and Michael Jackson filled the disc and fostered a new love of music for his daughter.

Bunnell also reflected on his friendship with Peek, who died in 2011.

“We went to high school together, grew up together, we did everything together like the three musketeers,” Bunnell said.

It was a warm transition into some of Peek’s songs and the track “Lonely People,” a song about finding hope in sadness.

After a brief pause, the screen behind the band counted to four, and the crowd erupted again as “Sister Golden Hair” started to play. Fans clapped and sang along to every word.

The band carried their instruments off stage, seemingly finished, but people in the audience knew there was one more song to come as they remained standing. Moments later, the band jogged back out.

“I must be getting old, I forgot one,” Bunnell joked.

The band delivered their most popular track, “A Horse with No Name,” as the last song. The crowd roared, singing the cryptic lyrics to conclude the concert.

The concert brought together lifetime fans who grew up listening to AM radio and younger listeners who discovered the band online. Regardless of age, Bunnell said the message remains the same.

“This is America,” Bunnell said. “And this is all about the music.”

Published on November 2, 2025 at 8:33 pm
Contact Cam: crmcgraw@syr.edu