As part of their anniversary tour, country music group Restless Heart performed some of their chart-topping hits at the Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts on Saturday, June 5. The group is well known in country history for their full harmony and the different music genres their songs encompass.

“We chose Restless Heart because their music is timeless in the world of contemporary country music,” said Donna Gay Anderson, director of Columbia Theatre.

According to Anderson, even the younger generation would relate well to Restless Heart’s music.

“Their themes are universal,” said Anderson. “They’re legendary in their field.”

The tunes for the night’s performance included the Grammy-nominated “I’ll Still be Loving You,” “That Rock Won’t Roll,” “Wheels,” “Why Does It Have To Be Wrong or Right,” “The Bluest Eyes in Texas” and “A Tender Lie.”

While playing their own hits, Restless Heart also did a tribute medley during their concert in honor of the bands they toured for such as The Judds, Reba McEntire, Alabama and Alan Jackson.

Along with the medley, the audience was treated to new songs set to come out on Restless Heart’s newest CD, which is currently untitled.

“We don’t know when it will be released,” said drummer John Dittrich. “The economy has hit everybody, the record companies too.”

Restless Heart is comprised of Dittrich, vocalist Larry Stewart, bassist Paul Gregg, guitarist Greg Jennings and keyboardist Dave Innis. The five-man group gained popularity during the ‘80s and ‘90s and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles charts and has received four Grammy award nominations.

According to Dittrich, it is the music that has kept them together throughout the years.

“The hits that we have were great songs,” said Dittrich. “We were very lucky in our first five to eight years of our career. It’s really the songs. A lot of it is timeless; it doesn’t get old.”

During the ‘90s, Restless Heart crossed over into the pop music genre with their well-known song “When She Cries.” The cross over into adult contemporary was met with some challenges for the group. According to Stewart, country radio did not embrace country bands transitioning into another genre.

“We happened to come out in an era that went totally traditional,” said Stewart. “Even though country radio embraced us, we started getting played on adult contemporary stations. The cross over really upset a lot of people. We had a hard time busting past that.”

In spite of the rough transition, Restless Heart has remained together and maintained a steady fan base, continuing to perform across the United States.

“They’re one of my favorite country bands,” said Nancy LeBlanc, a resident of Baton Rouge. “Of course I had to go see them perform.”

Tour information on future Restless Heart concerts can be found at the band’s Web site located at www.restlessheartband.com.