REVIEWS

Reviews - USA Today : Old 'Ball Game' will get new treatments on ESPN
Written by Michael Hiestand USA Today

As the sports schedule slows down in summer, TV networks - especially ESPN -become more unbuttoned. So maybe it's not too much to hope that finally we might be able to see, say, rockers play Take Me Out to the Ball Game and then smash their guitars.

But you won't see it from ESPN analyst Peter Gammons, who will play Ball Game on-air Sunday (7 p.m. ET) in a sort of homage to the late guitar legend Bo Diddley: "It's how Bo Diddley would have played it."

And ESPN's Baseball Tonight on Monday will begin airing music videos from nine musical acts - including REO Speedwagon - playing the 100 year-old anthem. (FYI: Lyricists Jack Norworth and Albert Von Tilzer never went to a baseball game - and weren't even interested in the sport. Art needn't imitate life.)

The idea, says ESPN producer Jay Levy, is to create a battle of the bands decided by online voting, starting June 29, with a winner announced July 13: "Personally, I'm a huge American Idol fan, so I figured why not have our own little American Idol."

Other contestants: Jazz guitarist John Pizzarelli, bluegrass band Punch Brothers, rhythm-and-blues singer Lloyd, rockers The Cab, country singer Gretchen Wilson, Latin and salsa hip-hop group Ozomatli - "they're fabulous," Gammons says - as well as saxophonist Branford Marsalis and rockers Candlebox.

But just so the pros would be represented, ESPN should also include a ballpark organist.

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Reviews - Ameristar Casino
Written by Kim Shockley Staff Writer Hardrock Haven

REO Speedwagon
Ameristar Casino
May 9, 2008
Kansas City, Mo.

by Kim Shockley
Staff Writer

Comments: Saturday night, May 9 was anything but ordinary for REO Speedwagon fans gathered at the Ameristar Casino for what was to be a brilliant show. Anticipation was high, and fans were on their feet the moment REO took the stage. It is hard to believe that this group of musicians is approaching senior citizen status. The energy and enthusiasm of the band combined with the always impeccable voice of lead singer Kevin Cronin made it more of a party atmosphere then simply a "concert."

REO fans have come to expect their favorite band to play all the great hits from the '70s, and as always, they didn't disappoint. Hits like "Don't Let Him Go,""Keep Pushin", "Golden Country" kept fans on their feet for the duration of the show. Also included in the set list were favorites from their latest release "Find Your Own Way Home." The cuts from this CD, surely to become an REO classic, are fresh but still have that "REO" sound that is imitated but never duplicated.

Just before playing one of their most beloved classics, K.C. reminisced about the night in 1979 when they headlined the show held at Kansas City's Arrowhead stadium. The sky was dark and a storm was approaching fast, but they were determined not to let the fans down and came out anyway to play "Ridin' the Storm Out." Guitarist Dave Amato was unquestionably at the top of his game tonight. The guitar solo during "RTSO" rocked the house. Even fans of legendary guitarist Gary Richrath, former REO lead guitarist had to admit this guy is the bomb.

One of the greatest things about seeing REO live is how obvious it is these guys LOVE what they do. The excitement and energy, the smiles and on stage antics set them apart from other "veteran" bands. They came to please and from the comments made by fans after the show, they definitely succeeded. The meet and greet held after the show was especially memorable for those lucky enough to be a part of it. It is so refreshing to see that these are "regular guys" who put on their pants one leg at a time like the rest of us.

There was no arrogance or super egos to contend with. These guys love their job and love and appreciate their fans. It was definitely a night to remember.

Band:

Kevin Cronin: Lead Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Dave Amato: Lead Guitar, Vocals
Bruce Hall: Bass Guitar, Vocals
Neal Doughty: Keyboards
Bryan Hitt: Drums, Percussion

REO Speedwagon Set List:

Don't Let Him Go
Take It On The Run
Keep Pushin'
Find Your Own Way Home
That Ain't Love
Building The Bridge
Golden Country
Can't Fight This Feeling
Dangerous Combination
Sone Of A Poor Man
Smilin' In The End
Time For Me to Fly
Back on The Road Again
Keep On Lovin You
Roll With The Changes
Ridin The Storm Out
157 Riverside Avenue

Reviews - Zoo kicks off city concert series
Written by Heather Warlick - The Oklahoman

It was a brisk evening chock full of 1980s power band nostalgia as the Zoo Amphitheater kicked off its summer concert series Sunday night with Night Ranger and REO Speedwagon.

Night Ranger opened the show with "This Boy Needs To Rock." Clad in patriotic flag-bearing holey jeans and a matching red plaid shirt, Jack Blades tore through the band's short but memory provoking list of hits including "When You Close Your Eyes,""Don't Tell Me You Love Me," and "Sister Christian" which was really more of an audience karaoke moment.

Toward the end of their set, Night Ranger knocked out a version of "Can You Take Me High Enough," a song Blades co-wrote with Ted Nugent and Tommy Shaw.

The band members, three of which are originals, sounded as good as ever especially considering the, well, longevity of their careers in rock and roll.

Then REO Speedwagon hit the stage with "Don't Let it Go," just one of several power ballads they had in store for their Oklahoma City audience.

To an audience tribute of raised cell phones and blue smoke hovering in the brisk spring air, the band pumped out tunes from their plethora of past albums and their newest album, "Find Your Own Way Home."

Two of the biggest crowd pleaser's were "Take it on the Run" and "Keep on Loving You."

Both bands showed that after thirty-something years of cranking out rock and roll hits and filling arenas with eager fans, their careers are still in full swing...

Though the night air was chilly, Oklahoma City audience was amped to the point of a few fist fights for the rock classics REO Speedwagon and Night Ranger, proving that not only can you still rock in America, you can still rock in Oklahoma City.

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Reviews - Zoo's 'scenery' will have REO speeding back
Written by Gene Triplett - The Oklahoman

The Zoo Amphitheatre is a favorite summer stop on REO Speedwagon driver Kevin Cronin's touring map for several good reasons - not the least of which is the feminine scenery. Categories...

"There's a lot of outdoor amphitheaters, but most of them are like these kind of shiny new amphitheaters that look like they got dropped from outer space and landed in the middle of a cornfield somewhere," the band's lead singer, rhythm guitarist and chief songwriter said from his Southern California home last week. "They all look the same, and you don't know whether you're in Irvine, Calif., or St. Louis. They're all kind of made out of the same mold.

"And the Zoo Amphitheatre has just got, I don't know, it's just real. It's funky. The dressing rooms have got a vibe to 'em. Even just the amphitheater itself, you know, with the rock and the natural (grade) of the land.

"And, I don't know what it is, and I don't know if this happens to every band that plays there, but every time we play there - and maybe it has to do with the weather when we come to town -but all I can tell you is that the women of Oklahoma are very generous with their ... with, uh ... with displaying themselves to us when we play onstage at the Zoo Amphitheatre. And it's much appreciated, especially by the road crew. But I must say the band appreciates the gesture, as well."

The feeling is mutual between REO and the Zoo, said Innervisions President Howard Pollack, who runs the venue during the months that permit music under an open sky.

"He always likes to come back, and REO has pretty much become the house band at the Zoo," Pollack said. "We have them every year. They have the greatest time, we always have big crowds, and this year it's the first outdoor show of the season."

REO will perform with fellow '70s-'80s hit-maker Night Ranger at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, kicking off a summer concert series that will include a powerful double-header May 29: The Steve Miller Band and Joe Cocker.

"Everyone knows about Steve Miller," Pollack said, "but Steve Miller and Joe Cocker together, what a great show."

Early MTV-era new wave chanteuse Cyndi Lauper just wants to have fun June 23 when she brings her all-star "True Colors" tour to the Zoo, with guests including the newly reunited B-52s, Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Andy Bell of Erasure, Girl in a Coma, fashion savant Carson Kressley and comedian Margaret Cho.

"It's an all-day thing," Pollack said. "So, if you're wanting to come out and see a great show, Cyndi Lauper, you know, what a great performer."

Boston and Styx bring back late '70s and early '80s arena rock memories June 25, followed July 19 by the second annual Soul Food Festival, featuring Peabo Bryson, The Whispers and several other acts to be announced soon.

"The Soul Food Festival is something unique to a city," Pollack said. "The people we're working with are doing it in a few key cities - Atlanta being one of them and Houston being another - and they chose Oklahoma City. It has soul food, it has soul food music.

Classic rock station KRXO-FM 107.7 throws itself a birthday bash July 23 with the triple-threat hard-rock lineup of Journey, Heart and Cheap Trick.

Then alternative takes its turn at the Zoo on Aug. 2 with Stone Temple Pilots, featuring singer Scott Weiland back in the fold after a misfire stint with Velvet Revolver.

"I think there'll be some new twists that the audience will see at that show," Pollack said. "Nothing I can talk about yet."

The Midwest meets the South when Kid Rock teams with Lynyrd Skynyrd Aug. 8. Then contemporary music continues to hold its own Aug. 16 when singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow performs under the stars with special guests James Blunt and Toots and the Maytals.

On Sept. 20, the Cross Canadian Ragweed Family Jam returns with special guests Buckcherry, mixing straight-ahead rock with Red Dirt as Randy Rogers and Jason Boland & The Stragglers join a total of 10 acts playing from two stages during the all-day affair.

And as the schedule currently stands, the country duo of Montgomery Gentry rounds out the season Oct. 17 as the weather begins to cool again.

But Pollack promises more major-show announcements as the summer progresses. Meanwhile, he's urging everyone to turn out for the REO/Night Ranger show Sunday - and to bring their mothers.

"It's Mother's Day," he said. "It's going to be a great day, fun in the sun with REO and your mother."

Cronin agrees.

"We always have a great time," Cronin said. "The people of Oklahoma, man, you know, we've been playin' Oklahoma City for 35 years. When we come back to what we call the classic REO country, we just feel like we have a lot of gigs that feel like hometown gigs.

"And the great thing is, a lot of the people that come and see us are over 40; they've seen us 15 times over the years. But there's just as many people who are high school kids, college kids, who either have heard our music through their parents or they listen to classic rock radio, or one way or the other they hear our music, and they're relatin' to it and they're diggin' it."

And then there are those female fans who are really digging it.

"Yeah, we look forward to comin' back for all kinds of reasons," Cronin chuckled.

REO Speedwagon
With: Night Ranger.

When: 7:30 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Zoo Amphitheatre, 2101 NE 50.

Tickets: $75, $45, $35 at www.zooamp. com or at the gate.

Information: (800) 511-1552.

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Reviews - MoonDance Jam Sweet 16
Written by Jeb Wright - classicrockrevisted.com

REO Speedwagon is a true meat and potatoes Midwestern rock band. No matter how many times you see them in concert you always walk away feeling good inside. They have performed "Time For Me To Fly,""Roll with the Changes" and "Ridin' the Storm Out" thousands of times. They could play them with their eyes closed and still sound good. But instead of resting on their laurels the band performs them like it was their first time debuting the tracks. Leader Kevin Cronin has an energy about him that sets the tone for an REO show. Vocally, he sounds great and he continues to shine creatively as the songs performed tonight from their new album "Find Your Own Way Home" attest to. The best of the newbies was the title track although "Dangerous Combination" and "I Needed to Fall" were both received well.

Guitarist Dave Amato does Gary Richrath on guitar better than Gary Richrath making the hole left by the gifted guitar player more palatable. Bryan Hitt is so good on the drums it is scary and bass player Bruce Hall is as fun to watch as he is to listen to. In fact, when he bounces around the stage during his lead vocal on "Back on the Road Again" one can't help but bounce along with him. The mainstay of the group is founding member and keyboard player Neal Doughty. Perched up on a riser he adds the flavor to many of Speedwagon's best tracks including "Roll with the Changes" and "Don't Let Him Go."

One of the major highlights of the set was "Golden Country." REO does not always pull this tune out but when they do you can rest assured it is spellbinding. Couple this with the classic tunes "Keep on Loving You" and "Take It on the Run" and you have yourself the perfect end to Day II of Sweet 16.

Reviews - 'Jack Bash' lineup rocks, even if schedule didn't
Written by Vickie Snow Staff writer - Daily Southto

Joan Jett, the Stray Cats, the Pretenders, REO Speedwagon and ZZ Top-in that order-totally rocked Toyota Park Thursday.

Rockabilly boys in cuffed jeans and cool coiffures and hundreds of couples who likely grew up on classic rock attended the Jack FM Jumpin' Jack Bash at the Bridgeview stadium, hosted by WJMK-FM (104.3)

Some fans got free tickets, paid $10 for Coronas or $5 for a slice of so-so pizza. Parking was $15.

Despite the sock-it to the pocket, fans seemed to enjoy the lineup but perhaps not so much the schedule. Often overheard were debates about why REO wasn't the headliner along with guesses as to what exactly Chrissie Hynde's crew used to cover up the McDonald's logo on the stage backdrop.

The Pretenders' vocalist and guitarist, a serious vegan and quite the rebel, apparently had covered the big M with duct tape and spray paint before offering some choice profanity about the cheeseburger chain she'd promised not to refer to negatively back in 1989 after remarks at a Greenpeace conference in London.

Her bravado was backed up with a confident, impressive set. In knee-high, high-heeled boots-pleather perhaps?-and tight jeans and a deep-cut red tank, Hynde strutted her stuff, swung her guitar around her back and wailed on the harp as she took fans back on the chain gang and to Ohio.

On the heels of its first studio album in 11 years, REO - Kevin Cronin, Bruce Hall, Dave Amato, Neal Doughty and Bryan Hitt - was the clear audience favorite of the night.

The hometown icons got fans dancing, singing, hugging and kissing during classics, including "Take It On the Run,""Can't Fight This Feeling,""Time for Me to Fly," and "Keep On Loving You," as well as new songs "I Needed to Fall" and "Smilin' in the End."

Fans demanded an encore and got a blustery version of "Ridin' the Storm Out."

By 10:15 p.m., halfway into ZZ Top's somewhat boring show, it was confirmed that REO should've headlined. Nonetheless the Bearded Ones - Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill - and drummer Frank Beard gave their own Texan take on nostalgia with smoke machines, fuzzy guitars and "Cheap Sunglasses,""Legs,""La Grange,""Gimme All Your Lovin',""Sharp Dressed Man,""I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" and "Tush."

Jett, 48, whose small build remains as solid as her vocals, overcame initially feedback-heavy sound as the first artist on stage. Nobody screams "yow!" like her, and she kept the arriving crowd tuned in throughout her half-hour set highlighted by "Fetish,""I Love Rock N' Roll,""Crimson and Clover" and the closer "I Hate Myself For Loving You."

While Jett's "Do You Wanna Touch Me" brought back visions of her bikini-flashing MTV video, the Stray Cats' "(She's) Sexy + 17,""Rock This Town" and "Stray Cat Strut" took the crowd back to the rockabilly revival the trio led in the early 1980s.
The Cats - frontman, vocalist and guitarist Brian Setzer, bass guitarist Lee Rocker and drummer Slim Jim Phantom - finally reunited after focusing on solo projects.

Thursday was the Cats' first show of their first tour in 15 years. Looking and sounding as cool as ever, Setzer, a seven-time Grammy nominee, was flanked by Phantom standing at the drums and Rocker occasionally mounting and sprinting off his upright bass.

Set up right on the edge of the massive stage, the Cats' set was at full swing with "Fishnet Stockings" when a couple showed off stellar dance moves in an aisle and a sign language interpreter struggled to keep up with all of the "bop-bop-a-loo-bops."

Reviews - Dallas News
Written by Mario Tarradell

REO Speedwagon
Find Your Own Way Home
(Mailboat Recordings, 2007)

The Speedwagon's first studio album in 11 years sounds better than anybody would have expected. Largely written and produced by lead singer Kevin Cronin, whose permanent grin belies the newfound grit in his voice, Home finds the group aiming for arena rock cred again. It kicks up dust, particularly on tracks such as "Smilin' in the End,""Another Lifetime" and "Everything You Feel," but also offers more organic power ballads, namely "I Needed to Fall." For good fun, there's the boogie-woogie rocker "Run Away Baby." REO is loose and energized on a disc that grows stronger with each listen.

Reviews - REO Speedwagon's latest album shaped by troubled relationships
Written by Joshua Rotter

Given that REO Speedwagon's biggest hit remains the impassioned 1980 power ballad "Keep on Loving You," it should come as no suprirse to learn that recent romantic difficulties fueled the songs on the band's first new album in more than a decade.

"It wasn't anything planned on," frontman Kevin Cronin said. "I had a challenging couple years that got my creative juices flowing. I usually find that it's personal turmoil that ends up turning up the best songs, which is what the record is all about - the challenges of maintaining a real relationship."

Last month, the 40 million record-selling band featuring Cronin, Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums) released its first album since 1996, "Find Your Way Home." REO Speedwagon kicks off its summer tour tonight at the San Joaquin Fair.

"We're very excited about the new CD," Cronin said. "We strongly believe in this new album, but people also want to hear the songs that bring them back to high school. So we're going to do the big hits from the '70s and '80s and three songs off the new album."

"Find Your Way Home" offers the best of both eras with 10 new songs reminiscent of the band's classic rock ballads and anthems, including "Lost On The Road Of Love,""Dangerous Combination" and the first single, the emotionally charged "I Needed to Fall."

"It is a power ballad with some teeth, thematically," Cronin said. "I experienced things from 2003 to 2005 that were really difficult and some were really necessary. It's made me a better person, a better man, husband, father and friend. It's about that experience.

"It's ultimately a really positive thing in my life. Four band members were going through similar things in their personal lives at the same time, so through the process we really bonded and got to know each other."

While "Find Your Way Home" focuses on romantic strife, REO Speedwagon has been no stranger to professional conflicts.

Formed in 1968 at the University of Illinois by Doughty and drummer Alan Gratzer (later adding guitarist Gary Richrath and bassist Gregg Philbin), the band changed singers three times before finding Cronin.

After years of relentless touring in the Midwest, the group broke through nationally with the albums "R.E.O." (1976), "You Can Tune a Piano, But You Can't Tuna Fish" (1978) and "Nine Lives" (1979). Speedwagon struck superstardom with "Hi Infidelity" (1980), which sold 9 million copies on the strength of singles "Don't Let Him Go,""Take It on the Run" and the chart-topping "Keep on Loving You."

Speedwagon continued to score hits with the albums "Good Trouble" (1982) and "Wheels Are Turnin'" (1984), but the public's changing tastes and dissension within the band led to the exit of both Richrath and Gratzer in the late '80s.

"The after-show partying became more of a focus than the tour itself," Cronin said. "One faction cleaned up their act but it was not like that for everyone, which was when things went sour. Then the day came when we got into the studio and I realized I could not make records with Gary anymore."

In a 2001 episode of VH1's "Behind the Music," Cronin and Richrath suggested a possible reunion. When the band returned to the studio, however, it was without Richrath.

"The main reason we couldn't work together was that the creative tension - the sparks that flew between us - stopped flying because of personal things that were going on, lifestyle changes," Cronin said. "The fire in his eyes that was there when me met in 1972 wasn't there anymore."

Today, Cronin chooses to focus on the band's future, particularly the fresh material on "Find Your Way Home."

"It's why I think 'I Needed to Fall' is an important song," he said. "It's something that people need to remember when going through tough times.

"When you're at a low point and given the opportunity to make changes in your life, a lot of people squander it, getting depressed or turning to drugs and alcohol," Cronin added. "But it's those times that you learn the most about yourself."

Contact Joshua Rotter at features@recordnet.com.

Reviews - Wagon Still Rolls
Written by Andy Coleman

REO SPEEDWAGON @ Symphony Hall

AMERICAN soft rock heaveyweights REO Speedwagon motored into Birmingham - and showed they've still got their foot on the pedal and a tankful of fuel.

Named after a truck made by the REO Motor Car Company, the band showcased four tracks from their new album - their first in a decade - and whizzed through favourites from their near - 40 year career.

And despite arriving on stage half an hour later then scheduled the patient crowd gave the quintet a hero's welcome.

The ever smiling 55 year old frontman, Kevin Cronin, danced around the stage like a man half his age, while Dave Amato pranced and posed as the lead guitarist of an American rock band should.

Big Bruce Hall, his shoulder-length blonde hair flailing around, played his bass solidly and got the crowd on their feet with his lead vocals on Back On The Road Again.

At the back of the stage Neal Doughty was a calming influence behind his keyboard and Bryan Hitt kept the party going with some serious drummming.

Reviews - REO Speedwagon @ Bridgewater Hall
Written by Martin Hutchinson

Manchester Evening News
(Manchester,England)

A BLISTERING set from start to finish with the hit songs coming thick and fast. Even I was knackered!

Lead singer Kevin Cronin bounds around the stage like a man thirty years younger, and talks the same way. Such enthusiasm and energy you wouldnt expect from a veteran band formed 40 years ago.

Take it on the Run, Roll With the Changes, Cant Fight This Feeling and Time For Me To Fly were all performed with masterly musicianship.

Kevin had told me just before the show that hes picked up a bug but you certainly couldnt tell as his distinctive voice soared around the auditorium, sending the sell-out audience into raptures.

We had a few numbers from the new CD, in amongst the classic songs, but when they launched into Keep On Loving You and Riding The Storm Out, well, the roof nearly came off.

Lets hope that it wont be 22 years before they are back again.

Reviews - Neal's boys are up to speed again
Written by Martin Hutchinson

Manchester Evening News
(Manchester,England)
THEY were famous for poodle perm rock and taking it 'on the run' as they went at full-throttle for glory in the Eighties.

But then stadium rockers REO Speedwagon - formed by Neal Doughty and classmate Alan Gratzer in 1967 - put the brakes on touring for two decades - until now.

Doughty is still at the helm and behind the keyboards, alongside guitarist and singer Kevin Cronin who joined in 1972. Backing them up are guitarist Dave Amato, drummer Bryan Hitt and bassist Bruce Hall.

The Eighties proved to be the band's most successful period, with their album Hi Infidelity becoming the biggest selling rock record of 1981.

This album spawned their first US chart-topper - the anthemic Keep On Loving You, which also made number seven in Britain. Other hits followed, such as Take It On The Run and Can't Fight This Feeling (another US number one).

The band have proved to be incredibly resilient, and even their record company going bankrupt in the Nineties failed to stop them.

They appeared at Live Aid in 1985 and perform these days mainly at festivals, touring occasionally with other classic rock bands. It seems strange that a band with the following of REO Speedwagon haven't been to the UK in such a long time.

Love it

"It's not avoidance on our part," explains Kevin Cronin. "We love it in Britain - in fact, our last show there was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The audiences there are phenomenal.

"We've been through some tough times. We almost quit, and we were playing small bars in Mexico. But we persevered and rebuilt the band. It's made us stronger."

On the back of a new album - their first original for 11 years - titled Find Your Own Way Home, REO Speedwagon have managed to find their own way to Manchester's Bridgewater Hall for a concert on Tuesday. It's one of only four shows in the UK.

"It's been over a decade since our last proper album, but now we've got some music that we're really proud of," says Kevin.

And just in case fans are worried that the new album will take precedence in the show, Kevin reassures me: "No, not at all. People want to hear us perform the hits, they want to hear the songs that have affected their lives in some way."

The future looks busy, too.

"Indeed yes," enthuses Kevin. "We got derailed a bit because we were due to do a 75-date tour with Boston, but we have shows throughout the year with ZZ Top, Kansas, The Pretenders, Styx, Cheap Trick and Def Leppard. So, interesting times ahead. It's kinda exciting."

REO Speedwagon play the Bridgewater Hall on Tuesday, June 5. Tickets 35 on 0161 907 9000.

Reviews - Q&A with REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin
Written by George A. Paul Staff Writer

During the late '70s and early '80s, you couldn't switch on a classic rock station like KLOS-FM (95.5) in Los Angeles without hearing REO Speedwagon at some point.

It was a long haul before the band achieved mainstream radio play though. Originally formed by University of Illinois students Neal Doughty (keyboards) and Alan Gratzer (drums) in 1967, several members came and went until Kevin Cronin became the permanent vocalist, alongside guitarist Gary Richrath and bassist Bruce Hall.

Their first nine albums achieved little to moderate success. Then REO finally crossed over to the pop charts in 1980 with No. 1 single "Keep on Loving You" and mammoth album "Hi Infidelity" (a chart topper for fourth months that went on to sell 10 million copies). Finally, REO was one of the biggest bands in America.

Subsequent releases "Good Trouble,""Wheels Are Turnin'" and "Life as We Know It" were certified gold or platinum.

Former Ted Nugent/Cher tour guitarist Dave Amato and ex-Wang Chung drummer Bryan Hitt joined a revised lineup in 1999.

Here are more excerpts from my chat with the highly personable Cronin last week.

Question: The new album "Find Your Way Home" sounds contemporary, but like classic REO at the same time. Did you find it hard to get the right balance?

Answer: It is tough because you don't want to abandon what got you there, but you also don't want to do what you've already done.

Q: Were you apprehensive about going into the studio 10 years after "Building the Bridge?"

A: I vowed that I would keep my expectations really low because then you don't put stress on yourself. The songs emerged and demanded to be recorded. It just so happened (producer) Joe Vanelli has a studio five minutes from my kids' school. That was serendipitous. Joe and I ended up with a musical partnership that took us to a whole new level.

Q: The tune "I Needed to Fall" was written back in 2000. Did it serve as a catalyst for the new album?

A: It was one of two emotional centerpieces of the record - that and the title song. 'I Needed to Fall' really does encapsulate the story of our band over the past 10 years. When do learn the most about yourself? When you're down. That's when you make some choices. If you choose to move forward, then you come back stronger.

Q: Do you find you are more creative during those dark moments in your life?

A: Absolutely...it's like I'm digging an oil well, which is a bad analogy these days. The deeper I get, the reward becomes richer. When you're already in an emotional state, you're halfway down the hole. Then it's a matter of having the courage to continue to explore. That's why I'm so proud of this record. When you're young, it's a little easier to bear your soul. As time goes by, there's a little more at risk. I'm proud of everybody in the band for the passion they put into this record. It really shows.

Q: A few songs have a distinct bluesy feel. Were you aiming for an early REO vibe?

A: We're not one of these bands that jams, cuts a track, then hopefully writes some lyrics to fit the track. That's not how we operate. If I can't put the song across in a coffeehouse on acoustic guitar, then I'm not even going to bother bringing it into the band.

Q: Dave plays guitar like a man possessed on "Everything You Feel" and the talk box action really stands out.

A: Yeah, doesn't it? Obviously Dave had some big shoes to fill in REO Speedwagon. Let's face it: Gary Richrath was one of the first guitar heroes...it was probably the hardest we ever worked on a record, but boy, the rewards are right there. That solo at the end of 'Everything' was one take. He nailed it. Those are magic moments.

Q: What keeps the big hits fresh for you after playing them for the umpteenth time?

A: When you're in a creative space - writing, playing and arranging new songs...you take that energy and it can't help but overflow into the classic songs. I feel like I broke through a wall as a singer on this record that I'd never been able to get to in the studio before...now when I sing those old songs, I have a new outlook. I have more fun singing them.

Q: The current lineup has been around almost as long as the first incarnation. Do you plan to keep REO going for awhile?

A: I don't see any reason to change it. Dave and Bryan have been in the band 18 years and are still (considered) the new guys. We never let 'em forget it. This recording project really brought us all together. Guys are usually not that willing to share their fears and vulnerabilities, but when I started coming in with these songs, I found I was not alone...There was an amazing effect this music had on all these guys. It was almost bizarre. Parts of all our stories got meshed into all these songs. There's a real brotherhood.

Reviews - CONCERT PREVIEW - REO SPEEDWAGON
Written by George A. Paul Staff Writer

Several Wal-Mart stores rocked big time last month - and it wasn't due to any price rollbacks.
Instead, Midwestern shoppers were treated to a surprise acoustic serenade by members of REO Speedwagon, who released their first studio CD in 11 years, "Find Your Own Way Home." Hundreds of fans turned up at each location to get albums signed.

The veteran classic rock band - best known for a string of '80s hits including "Keep on Loving You,""Take It on the Run,""Keep the Fire Burnin' and "Can't Fight This Feeling" - partnered with the retailing giant to put out an exclusive box set.

Bargain priced around $15, the collection contains "Home,""XM Artist Confidential" (a stripped-down live performance/Q&A session DVD) and the "Hi Infidelity, Then Again...Live" CD.

For lead singer/songwriter Kevin Cronin, 55, the unorthodox in-store experience was surreal and more than a little crazy. "We rented an SUV...one day we visited nine radio stations and Wal-Marts in four different cities."

Cronin called the process a grind, but said he feels "so strongly about our new CD that I'm willing to do whatever it takes to get the word out." All the hard work appears to be paying off.

Initial single "I Needed to Fall," a moving power ballad in the vintage REO vein, just debuted at No. 30 on Billboard's Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. The band's previous radio airplay was for 1990's "Love is a Rock."

REO Speedwagon - rounded out by bassist Bruce Hall and keyboardist Neal Doughty (both members since the '70s), plus guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt) - is no stranger to the Inland area.

It has done gigs in Perris, Temecula and Devore over the past decade and arrives in Victorville tonight.

"When we play out there, people are more down to earth and unaffected by the whole Los Angeles vibe; I find that heartwarming," said Cronin, a Westlake Village resident.

"Our band started in Champagne, Ill., which has a lot more in common with the Inland Empire than it does with L.A."

Longtime REO enthusiasts will find plenty to savor in the solid "Find Your Own Way Home," co-produced by Cronin and Juno Award-winner Joe Vannelli(brother of "I Just Wanna Stop" singer Gino).

Easily the band's most resonant work since 1984's "Wheels Are Turnin'," everything came about organically.

"We literally had no expectations for this," explained Cronin. "It was casual; we were just going to record some songs I wrote. Then at a certain point, we felt we had something exciting."

Among the standouts are a bluesy "Run Away Baby," soulful "Lost on the Road of Love" and hard-edged CD opener, "Smilin' in the End."

A week ago, Cronin was doing exactly that. He spent "one of the greatest days of my life" at Wrigley Field. The lifelong baseball fan threw out the first Cubs game pitch and sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with his 7-year-old twin sons (wearing their Cubs pony league uniforms).

"It was like a fantasy camp for me...I was up in the TV broadcast booth, talking about the new album and baseball. I felt a lot of love out there in Chicago, my hometown."

Reviews - Eleven Years After...
Written by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Eleven years after Building the Bridge, REO Speedwagon delivered their 15th studio album, Find Your Own Way Home. Given the band's slow drift into adult contemporary pop in the late '80s, it's a bit of surprise that this album rocks as hard as it does, opening with the strident rocker "Smilin' in the End," where Kevin Cronin doesn't sound anything like himself. It's an odd, disarming way to begin the record, and instead of proving the exception to the rule, it provides the touchstone for Find Your Own Way Home. Sure, on the next two songs -- "Find Your Own Way Home" and "I Needed to Fall" -- the group moves back toward the anthemic rock and power ballads that made them AOR staples in the '80s, but this doesn't have the gloss of their records from the late '80s and '90s. This is harder, punchier, the sound of a band that wants to reconnect with the rock band that played arenas in the '70s. This re-emphasis on rock suits the band now, not only because Cronin's voice is rougher and more gravelly than it was, but also because they sound stripped back to their basics. The band does sound as lean as a group of mainstream '70s rock veterans can -- the production isn't gritty, it's clean and punchy, but that fits with their past -- and they sound looser than they have in years, even succumbing to the pleasures of boogie rock on "Run Away Baby." If not all the songs are as memorable as this fun throwaway, not to mention their classic rock hits from the '70s and '80s, they're nevertheless stronger and harder than anything they've done in the last 20 years, and they provide a good vehicle to showcase this re-energized, back-to-basics lineup of REO Speedwagon. And while that may not be enough to win back the legions who haven't paid attention since either Hi Infidelity or 1985's "Can't Fight This Feeling," those hardcore fans who have kept the fire burning over the years will welcome this album warmly if not quite enthusiastically. [Find Your Own Way Home was originally available only through a retail agreement with Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, which sold it as part of a three-disc set including a CD featuring a live version of Hi Infidelity in its entirety (entitled Hi Infidelity: Then Again...Live) plus a DVD of a live unplugged show. In April 2007, it was released on its own as a single-disc album.]

Reviews - A review of REO SPEEDWAGON'S new CD
Written by Cerebralwaste @ Lyrichut.com

"FIND YOUR OWN WAY HOME"

After nearly 20 years REO SPEEDWAGON is back on the charts with their first studio album in 11 years. The genesis for the album began a couple of years ago when the band played a new song while on out on tour. The new song titled "EVERYTHING YOU FEEL" ignited a plethora of creative energy in the band and gave birth to the completion of 10 new tracks on the self released album titled FIND YOUR OWN WAY HOME. The bands 15th original studio release.

The album is REO through and through. A rock sold mix of hard rocking songs sprinkled with some of the softer touches REO is famous for. Leave no doubt. This album is one of the best the band has ever done and it is obvious the band it proud of it as well. And they damn well should be. It is every bit as potent as the classic multi platinum release Hi Infidelity from 1980 and shows REO is still capable of going full tilt in the studio.

The first song. SMILING IN THE END is a powerful crank up the volume rocker that not only holds its own musically but lyrically as well. IT ROCKS!

The second track, and title track for the album, FIND YOUR OWN WAY HOME also delves into strong lyrical heights. Definite single material!

The third song I NEEDED TO FALL slows the pace down a bit but don't let that fool you. It stands up musically with the best of them.

DANGEROUS COMBINATION is the 4th song and it has a near country feel to it. Lead singer and frontman Kevin Cronin teamed up with his good friend Jim Peterik from Survivor to pen this gem

LOST ON THE ROAD TO LOVE is the 5th song and this baby make you want to sing along with it. Upbeat and driven this song delivers more than you expect!

Track six, ANOTHER LIFETIME, is without a doubt one of my favorite songs on the album and one of my favorites from REO ever. Another definite sing along song.

RUN AWAY BABY takes the album's 7th slot and packs a somewhat surprising JAZZ type fell to it yet maintains that distinguished REO feel and sound at the same time.

The eighth track, EVERYTHING YOU FEEL is a rock solid old school REO anthem that will blister your eardrums. Quite possibly the best song on the album as well and the genesis for the new album.

BORN TO LOVE YOU takes the 9th slot and was written by REO bass player Bruce hall who also sings the song as well. This song ooozes class and has a very distinct sound with a heavy bass. For the first time ever on a REO song a clarinet is used. Played by none other that Bruce Hall's father BILL HALL. A first for both the instrument and someone from one of the bands family members to play on an REO album.The last song ends the CD with a great power ballad.

LET MY LOVE FIND YOU is a definite tear jerker but don't let that fool you. The song has class and the chops to be solid hit.

REO teamed up with legendary music producer Joe Vannelli from Blue Moon Studios and the results speak for themselves. While REO has maintained one of the strongest touring schedules over the years is a great feeling to see them back in action with new material and new CD. You can listen to samples of the songs on REO's WEBSITE at www.speedwagon.com You can also purchase the CD directly from the website or at most major record stores and WALMART.

Without a doubt this album ranks a 10 out 10 and is a must have in your collection. You simply will not be disappointed. One thing is for sure REO Speedwagon doesn't need to find their way home. But their album needs to find its way into yours

Reviews - REO Speedwagon 'takes it on the run' again*
Written by Brittany Davenport -The Eastern Progress

REO Speedwagon promised to "keep on lovin' you" back in the day. How else to show more love than for Kevin Cronin, Dave Amato, Bruce Hall, Neal Doughty and Bryan Hitt to put out a spankin' new album, Find Your Way Home? What began in 2002, when the guys sang one of the tracks Everything You Feel at a show in Wisconsin, sparked a fire in their creative
juices and voi la: their 2007 release was born.

To kick things off with a bang, you have Smilin' In The End. The upbeat sing-along is bound to be another classic from the guys with lyrics like, "Gonna get away and have myself a little fun."

The title track is about losing a girl to another guy. The guy's hurting and just wanting some closure or his girl back. Towards the end, though, he realizes maybe he should leave, so he can
see how it feels- "I've hung on for so long. Do I need to walk away? To see how it feels when I'm gone."

Track three is about falling in love. I Needed To Fall is about a man realizing he's falling for his girl. He pretends to be a tough know-it-all, but realizes all he may need is to fall: "There is just so much a man can bare until he starts to find it hard to care and, baby, I'm almost there."

Lost On The Road Of Love is a little ditty about taking a trip down the road to the heart. Getting lost and how it might just lead home, but then again it always ends the same. "Does it ever end, this road of love? Just around the bend, another future ex-friend."

Track six, Another Lifetime, is definitely one of my favorite songs on the album. The song talks about how two people have decided to walk away and leave the relationship, but if the timing were different, things would work out between them, just not now.

"We could be together, you could be my girl. Right beside me around every turn, in another lifetime, a different world."

Run Away Baby is a nice pick-me-up with a jazzy feel. It's about running away with his baby and just living it up and having fun. "We don't need any air tickets darlin'. Let's just hop inside my car, check into a no tell motel, have them hold our calls."

Everything You Feel sounds right on old school REO. It's all about who you are and knowing what makes you who you are. "You are everything you choose, everything you find. All that you can't live without, all you leave behind."

I love Born To Love You. With a classy vibe and the piano adding such a nice touch, the song talks about how "every good woman needs a lovin' man." The man was born to love the woman and how "something so right, you know it can't be wrong." One of the best lines in the chorus has to be, "I'll give you all I've got and then I'll give you more."

The last track wraps up the CD well. Let My Love Find You pulls at the heartstrings as Cronin sings, "Let my love find you, if it takes all night." The song goes on about letting the woman's spirit lead her to his love so they can end up together. "This is a dream I have for us tonight. This is a prayer I will say before I sleep, hoping it will keep us together, forever."

I must say this CD will be kept at hand. It has the right mixture of slow songs and fast songs, just the right amount of romance with REO flare.

Reviews - Billboard Review - Find Your Own Way Home
Written by Deborah Evans Price

This finely crafted album is the first collection of new songs since REO's 1996 release "Building the Bridge," and it's a wonderful return to form from the veteran rock band. Anyone who has ever raised a cigarette lighter (or a cell phone) and swayed to such REO mega hits as "Can't Fight This Feeling" or "Keep On Loving You" will find much to enjoy here. "Smilin' in the End" is an upbeat survivor's anthem, while "I Needed to Fall" is a gorgeous power ballad. "Lost on the Road of Love" has a greasy, swampy vibe that gets under your skin, while the title track is a compelling look at a relationship in turmoil. Throughout, lead vocalist Kevin Cronin and his cohorts demonstrate that years of relentless touring have kept their musical chops intact. ƒDeborah Evans Price

Reviews - Review of REO's Find Your Own Way Home
Written by Bob Coburn

Eleven years between albums is a long, long time. But for REO, break out the clichƒ, it was worth the wait. The forthcoming CD, Find Your Own Way Home is at once muscular and melodic, melancholy and meaningful. Perhaps its a blend of their patented, classic sound enhanced by modern production, maybe its just good songwriting and execution, whatever it is this is one flat out enjoyable album from beginning to end. The album title has been changed; the artwork has been redone moving away from their original plans, but one constant is that the music they created for this new disc remains solid and relevant. The band is ready to head out on the road in support of the new music, current dates are available at www.Speedwagon.com and more will surely be added as they gear it up to play these new songs live.

A special version of the album will be available at one retailer, including a live performance of their groundbreaking High Infidelity album and a DVD with selected acoustic performances and other extras. Regardless of extras and bonuses, Find Your Own Way Home stands on its own as possibly their best album. For a band with such a long and storied career that is quite a statement. The names and faces have changed over the years, but his core band featuring Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty, Bruce hall, Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt has been together for many years now. With a balance of more aggressive songs and just a taste of the power ballads that propelled then to superstardom, REO has created a winner as they provide a musical GPS to help get you home and rocking in style.

A special version of the album will be available at one retailer, including a live performance of their groundbreaking High Infidelity album and a DVD with selected acoustic performances and other extras. Regardless of extras and bonuses, Find Your Own Way Home stands on its own as possibly their best album. For a band with such a long and storied career that is quite a statement. The names and faces have changed over the years, but his core band featuring Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty, Bruce hall, Dave Amato and Bryan Hitt has been together for many years now. With a balance of more aggressive songs and just a taste of the power ballads that propelled then to superstardom, REO has created a winner as they provide a musical GPS to help get you home and rocking in style.

Reviews - Eleven Years After...
Written by Stephen Thomas Erlewin / All Music Guide

Eleven years after Building the Bridge, REO Speedwagon delivered their 15th studio album, Find Your Own Way Home. Given the band's slow drift into adult contemporary pop in the late '80s, it's a bit of surprise that this album rocks as hard as it does, opening with the strident rocker "Smilin' in the End," where Kevin Cronin doesn't sound anything like himself. It's an odd, disarming way to begin the record, and instead of proving the exception to the rule, it provides the touchstone for Find Your Own Way Home. Sure, on the next two songs -- "Find Your Own Way Home" and "I Needed to Fall" -- the group moves back toward the anthemic rock and power ballads that made them AOR staples in the '80s, but this doesn't have the gloss of their records from the late '80s and '90s. This is harder, punchier, the sound of a band that wants to reconnect with the rock band that played arenas in the '70s. This re-emphasis on rock suits the band now, not only because Cronin's voice is rougher and more gravelly than it was, but also because without original keyboardist Neal Doughty in the lineup, they sound stripped back to their basics. The band does sound as lean as a group of mainstream '70s rock veterans can -- the production isn't gritty, it's clean and punchy, but that fits with their past -- and they sound looser than they have in years, even succumbing to the pleasures of boogie rock on "Run Away Baby." If not all the songs are as memorable as this fun throwaway, not to mention their classic rock hits from the '70s and '80s, they're nevertheless stronger and harder than anything they've done in the last 20 years, and they provide a good vehicle to showcase this re-energized, back-to-basics lineup of REO Speedwagon. And while that may not be enough to win back the legions who haven't paid attention since either Hi Infidelity or 1985's "Can't Fight This Feeling," those hardcore fans who have kept the fire burning over the years will welcome this album warmly if not quite enthusiastically. [Find Your Own Way Home was originally available only through a retail agreement with Wal-Mart and Sam's Club, which sold it as part of a three-disc set including a CD featuring a live version of Hi Infidelity in its entirety (entitled Hi Infidelity: Then Again...Live) plus a DVD of a live unplugged show. In April 2007, it was released on its own as a single-disc album.]

Reviews - Journey, REO Speedwagon bring classic hits to Hershey
Written by Matthew G. Solovey / Hershey Park

It was a great night to be a classic rock fan.

Last Friday, three of rock's most successful bands from the 1970s and '80s hit the stage of the Hershey Park Star Pavilion to perform for a crowd of rabid fans. It may have been several years since many in attendance had seen REO Speedwagon, Styx or Journey live in concert - and there was some catching up to do.

The evening kicked off with REO Speedwagon, who played a rather energetic set featuring a nice variety of rock and ballads. It was surprising to realize just how many hits the band has had.

While songs like "Can't Fight This Feeling" helped define my childhood in the early '80s, REO Speedwagon played an extremely impressive, tight set that helped energize the crowd on a hot, summer night. . .

If REO Speedwagon, Styx and Journey showed one thing on Friday, it was the great defects in the current music industry. Here were three bands who sold well over 100 million records combined, who provided the soundtrack to many of our lives - and who all have no major record deal and were totally mismanaged when they did.

If there's no room for bands like the three who played here on Friday night, then the music industry surely needs a major shakeup.

Reviews - REO, Styx looking forward to Loopfest homecoming
Written by ELOISE MARIE VALADEZ / Daily Southtown

Rock giants Styx and REO Speedwagon enjoyed a friendly rivalry throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, sharing space on radio airwaves as their hits climbed the charts.

Though they performed on many of the same stages throughout their early careers, it wasn't until 2000 that the Chicago-bred bands teamed up to perform a major double-bill show.

This weekend, the rock 'n' rollers will unite again to perform Saturday at Tweeter Center in Tinley Park as part of Loopfest. The show, presented by WLUP-FM (97.9), also will feature Heart (see story at right), Night Ranger and Shooting Star. . .

In recent phone interviews, both Styx guitarist James Young and REO Speedwagon singer and songwriter Kevin Cronin said they were looking forward to the Chicago homecoming.

. . . "It's been too long since we've been back in Chicago," the Oak Lawn native said.

"We had such a great tour with our buddies in Styx in 2000 that we wanted to wait to come back until there was something special," he said, adding that the Loopfest show was the perfect opportunity.

"Chicago is just such a special place for me (because) I was born and raised there," Cronin said. "At this point in my career, when we play Chicago, I just want to always top what we did last time."

The bands will be rolling out all the expected hits. . .Cronin said he's excited about delivering all the favorites to audience members. And he's also delighting in listening to the hits of his comrades.

REO Speedwagon, which was formed in the late 1960s by a group of students at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, is now made up of Cronin, Neal Doughty, Bruce Hall, Bryan Hitt and Dave Amato.

"The band started in Champaign but when Chicago accepted us that was big," Cronin said. "Of course, it was my hometown, so it was important for me." . . . Cronin said the positive audience response to the shows is "overwhelming." 'It's one of the best feelings there is."

"Any band that is from our era that is still doing headline tours at this point in their career, you've got to figure they've got something going. We're not all there by accident. We're all there because we love it and still have the ability and the desire to put on a world-class rock show," Cronin said.

Cronin and Young agreed that the musical reunion of hometown guys at the Tweeter Center will be extremely memorable.

"I live in California now, but I'm a Midwestern kid. I'm a South Side kid," Cronin said. "When the baseball scores go by, I still kind of see what the White Sox did."

Reviews - Crowd got the concert it deserved -- a great one
Written by Jude Hanley / The Record - 7/16/03

As I made my way back to the car Saturday night from the REO Speedwagon, Styx and Journey rock 'n roll summit, I thought of something Meryl Streep once said in a movie, "More is more, your Dad always says less is more, but to me, more is more!"

We've been beaten over the head so many times with the phrase "less is more" that sometimes we forget it's not necessarily true. Saturday night more was more, thanks to three bands that were talented enough, energetic enough, seasoned enough and most importantly appreciative enough to give the fans a quarry full of rock and a Freihofer truckful of roll.

Before I talk about the bands, I must first acknowledge the wonderful fans that jammed all but a couple of nosebleed seats in the Pepsi Arena. Never in all my years going to shows in the Capital District have I seen a crowd that was more in touch with the performers than I did Saturday night.

The crowd sang along with every word of every song and it seemed a lot more like a big house party than a music concert. Fans were there to have fun and the bands seemed to in turn feed off the positive energy. It would have taken three calculators and more hands than I was born with to count how many times the bands thanked the crowd. . .

REO Speedwagon opened the show and if that was all there was that would have been plenty.

REO developed a large fan following in the '70s long before their first radio hit thanks to their incredible stage show, and they proved once again that live they can kick any other band's gluteous maximus.

Kevin Cronin, sporting short blonde hair, is a shamefully underrated frontman and the band is spectacular. Ace guitar slinger Gary Richrath is no longer with the band but lead guitar player Dave Amato is a more than capable replacement, able to keep the essence of Richrath's distinctive solos while adding plenty of his own style. Amato's solos and Cronin's voice dueled to bring each song to beautiful crescendo.

They often praise bluesmen for saying more with one note than most people can say with 100, but Amato played a million notes and every one seemed essential. I don't go to a lot of shows and think to myself, "Man, that is one helluva bass player," but I did while watching Bruce Hall jump all over the stage with his orange Fender jazz bass. The sound was perfect and Hall's bass was the driving foundation to the band's monster sound.

Hall even stepped up to the mic to sing 1979s "Back on the Road", a song that Cronin dedicated to school teachers, police officers, firefighters, and farmers. Cronin then went a step further and dedicated it to all the housewives who bust their tails at home trying to raise their children right, drawing a roar of approval from the crowd. A truly classy dedication from a classy band.

Reviews - KWEEVAK ON THE ROAD WITH CLASSIC ROCK'S MAIN EVENT
Written by Richard & Laura Lynch - 7/12/03

Fans of 80's rock giants converge on Pepsi Arena in Albany, New York .

How do three veteran rock bands, all best known for their hit songs from the 70's and 80's and each dealt with serious blows to their original line-ups, still live the dream and reality of performing for packed arenas teeming with fans? If you're Styx, Journey & REO Speedwagon you form a tour de force, with partnership marketing from VH1. The Classic Rock's Main Event Spring and Summer Tour of 2003 features many of the greatest hits by these three bands who have collectively had over 140 million in total album sales.

This concert tour is aptly named the Main Event because the show has the feel of a circus, carnival, rock concert and professional boxing match all in one. The similarly matched bands, who all pioneered part of the AOR radio sound, each delivered energetic and powerful performances with enough hits to last a night of heavy-weight prize fights.

Overall, the evening had a structured organization and the performances were tied together with a cohesive video presentation containing clips, graphics and textual enhancements from each of the bands. Ticking away like the minutes of a round in a boxing match was a large L.E.D. clock behind the soundstage. This device alerted the bands as to how much time was remaining in their respective sets, which allowed for fast-paced, urgent performances from each of them.


REO's Kevin Cronin, Dave Amato and Bruce Hall Keep Pushin' On.

Kicking off the evening promptly at 7:30 were heartland rockers, REO Speedwgaon, whose 'Riding the Storm Out' and 'Keep Pushin'' set the tone and pace for the entire evening. Leader-singer Kevin Cronin and the rest of the band came out ablazin' in jazzy attire with plenty of showmanship, abounding with exuberance and enthusiasm.

Around mid-set Cronin relayed a story about a recent invitation to the infamous Playboy Mansion and he said it was necessary to visit it to see the type of temptations his children may face someday. The band then launched into the complete side-one of their record-smashing Hi-Infidelity LP from 1981 enhanced by a giant video image of the album's cover serving as a backdrop. 'Time For Me to Fly' was next but the band had time for a few more.

Bassist Bruce Hall took over on lead vocals for 'Back on The Road Again' which was preceded by a Cronin rap about being sick of celebrities and professional athletes complaining about their jobs during which he ran through a list of everyday people who really do "damn hard work". He dedicated the song to the band's roadies and crews as well as doctors, nurses and America's ubiquitous post-911 patriotic super-heroes, police officers and firemen. This was followed by the classic AOR jam anthem, 'Roll With The Changes'. The band then left the stage and returned for the crowd pleasing set closer, '157 Riverside Avenue'.

REO's lead-guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt were the new guys in the band taking over for original members Gary Richrath and Alan Gratzer in the late 80's and early 90's. The line-up this evening had the band sounding as proficient as ever. . .

Reviews - The Big Three, Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon pack 'em in
Written by Scott McLennan

This summer's surprise box-office winner is a concert package featuring Journey, REO Speedwagon and Styx. Dubbed Classic Rock's Main Event and backed by VH1, the tour is mounting a hugely successful campaign across America, drawing crowds comparable to those seen at shows by such current acts as Matchbox 20 and Godsmack.

The tripod of bands that made its hits as the '70s turned into the '80s will be setting up shop Friday at the Worcester Centrum Centre. . . . . .Journey should have first checked with tour mates REO Speedwagon and Styx about how these things go. Both those Midwest rockers have perfected the art of the comeback by sticking to the songs that made them famous in the first place.

A TON OF HITS

"Basically, this show is about a ton of hits. You come to this show and you hear 4 hours of hits," said Dave Amato, guitarist for REO Speedwagon. "The main focus is to make people happy."

The surprise here, however, is that nobody was predicting that such songs as "Grand Illusion", "Take it On the Run" and "Don't Stop Believin' " would make people so happy some 25 years after Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey hit their commercial peaks.

But the public's renewed taste for this post-Zeppelin/ re-punk rock started becoming apparent around the mid '90s as REO Speedwagon and Styx saw their stock rise on the touring circuit. The two bands that were once fierce competitors for publicity and chart position teamed for a wildly successful tour in 2000 that resulted in the live double CD "Arch Allies" which featured music from both bands.

Amato said the next logical step was to find a band that would further enhance the particular brand of rock'n'roll nostalgia.

"I think these fans overlap easily. The appeal here is you have hardcore Journey fans that have never seen REO before, or hardcore REO fans that have never seen Journey before, but both groups of fans know the other band's music," he said.

When asked how he would explain this concert to a 14-year-old today, Amato responded that in fact this show does attract a good number of people too young to have been fans of these bands when Styx was high on its "Pieces of Eight" and "The Grand Illusion" albums, or REO Speedwagon owned radio with "Hi-Infidelity" or Journey's "Escape" and "Infinity" records propelled the group to superstardom.

"A lot of teenagers know these songs because their parents still play these
songs," Amato said.

Of course there was a time when Journey, REO Speedwagon and Styx where straddling the line between "where are they now?" and "who cares?" It was around that time in REO's career that Amato joined the fold 14 years ago.

The Framingham-bred guitarist and member of the popular Worcester group August went to Los Angeles in 1980 and became a specialist at taking on short-term jobs with flagging bands. He logged time with Black Oak Arkansas, Ted Nugent and pre-revival Cher. REO Speedwagon looked like just another two-year gig, he said.

"When I joined, the band was kind of down. But all through touring we built this up," Amato said. "For a while we were finding our work in Mexico. But we got the band tight, we took small gigs and slowly built it up." . . .

Reviews - Review: '80s roar back to life as Journey, Speedwagon, Styx storm stage
Written by MARIO TARRADELL / The Dallas Morning New

. .A touring package that also featured REO Speedwagon and Styx. The combination was perfect. Not only did all three groups command the charts at roughly the same time, but their respective sounds all come from the same school of strong melody, even stronger hooks, soaring vocals and that palatable mix of guitars, bass, keyboards and drums.

Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon. . . rocked the house. He was a dynamo who never missed a beat while singing or talking. And he made all those old REO hits sound new again, especially the tracks from 1980's Hi Infidelity, the band's commercial zenith. It was cool to see the album cover so huge on the video screen during "Don't Let Him Go,""Keep On Loving You,""In Your Letter" and "Take It On the Run." What a blast from the past. Mr. Cronin's sense of pure joy was contagious. He brought out Tommy Shaw of Styx - the band had the unenviable spot of opening act at an early 6:30 p.m.- and sang with him. He addressed the masses: "I'll tell you what makes me feel good, standing here in Dallas, Texas, playing our music for you. We need you guys. We need your energy." Truth is Mr. Cronin had enough energy for the whole amphitheater.

Reviews - '80s rock rivals are now tour buddies
Written by MARCI PERSKY / KALAMAZOO GAZETTE - 6/8/

Styx, REO Speedwagon and Journey were the three biggest arena rock acts of the early '80s and they were hardly friends at the time. But 20 years and hundreds of concerts later, the three bands are on the road forging both musical and personal bonds as "The Main Event," a tour coming to Grand Rapids' Van Andel Arena on Wednesday.

"Tommy Shaw (of Styx) and I did a little workout this morning," REO front man Kevin Cronin said via phone recently from his hotel room in Denver. The excesses of the '80s -- groupies, binge drinking and the legendary drug use -- are things of the past. Now the rock veterans spend their time working out, eating salads and shopping for gifts to bring home to the kids.

"I did a little shopping earlier," Cronin said. "We have a break in a couple of days and there had better be some surprises in my suitcase when Daddy gets home. All three of these bands are on their best behavior and playing our a---- off," he said. It's true that with age comes wisdom, Cronin said. "In the '80s we were so popular and it was such an amazing time, but I took it for granted," he said. "Now I just appreciate everything more. "I see people in the audience and I understand the concept that they have spent their hard-earned money to see us. A lot of those people have seen us before and they are coming to see us again because our music means something to them. It gives me goose bumps."

Cronin said the groups are chomping at the bit as the tour wends its way toward the Midwest. "The Midwest is what we look forward to," he said. "That's where we started. We're Midwest boys." Although he now calls Los Angeles home, Cronin grew up in the Chicago suburb of Evanston and has fond memories of vacationing on the Michigan side of the big lake. "I spent every summer of my life in Grand Haven, Ludington and places like that," he said. "I may live in L.A. now, but I'll always be a Midwest boy."

Reviews - Journey, Styx, REO Speedwagon Give Fans a Blast from the Past at the Delta
Written by Julie DeHerrera / The Salt Lake Tribune

Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon took fans on a rock 'n' roll road trip to the past on Wednesday, via Salt Lake City's Delta Center. This trio of classic rock radio bands topped the charts in the '70s and '80s with such hits as "Lights,""Renegade" and "Roll With the Changes," respectively. A near-capacity crowd heard those hits and more as the bands evoked yesteryear with a litany of fan favorites.

REO Speedwagon took the stage first with lead singer Kevin Cronin belting out "Ridin' the Storm Out" and "Don't Let Him Go" and such ballads as "Keep On Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling." He proved he still has the vocal tenacity to get the job done and added a commentary about how the bands have as much power today as they did yesterday. The crowd responded with avid applause, after which bassist Bruce Hall showcased his vocals on "Back on the Road Again."

Reviews - Journey, Styx, and REO Speedwagon have worked hard to stay in tune.
Written by By Mike Osegueda, The Fresno Bee, 5/9/03

The members of REO Speedwagon were rehearsing in a Los Angeles studio when they got two unexpected visitors: the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl and Taylor Hawkins. Grohl and Hawkins took seats while REO Speedwagon members rehearsed for their Classic Rock Main Event tour. But they didn't just sit there. They rocked out. The two younger, hipper musicians traveled back in time to when they were teenagers and the members of REO Speedwagon were the kings of arena rock.

If the Foo Fighters are the judges, it seems the Speedwagon is still rolling. "As far as gauging how we sound," says REO's Kevin Cronin, "if the Foo Fighters can hang, I think we're probably doing pretty well." It's not just the Foo Fighters who get to relive the REO Speedwagon experience. Anyone can. The Classic Rock Main Event hits the Selland Arena on Thursday with REO and arena-rock buddies Journey and Styx. "It's not a nostalgia tour," Cronin says. "There's a certain degree of nostalgia, but we're playing [the music] like it's new. The common thread between us is that anyone who's still in any of these bands right now is here because we want to be here."

. . .All three bands have been through changes. It was the same for REO Speedwagon, when Dave Amato replaced original guitarist Gary Richrath. "It was a real challenge for whoever was going to step in," Cronin says. "Either the band was going to stop, or someone had to take those songs and find the balance between re-creating the parts and feeling creatively challenged and fulfilled. "I really respect his ability to find that balance. There are certain things that Dave has to re-create. There are certain guitar solos that people know. They can hum them."

Reviews - REO headlines 4 1/2 hours of rock with Journey, Styx
Written by Neil Baron / Reno Gazette - 5/1/2003

Music fans in at least 40 cities are excited about the upcoming triple-headline tour featuring Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon. However, not everyone is happy about the '80s nostalgia rockfest - especially Josh and Shane Cronin, the 3-year-old twin sons of Kevin Cronin, singer, songwriter and guitarist for REO Speedwagon.

"That's really the toughest part of the gig for me these days," said Cronin, who also must leave his wife, Lisa, and daughter, Holly, 6, at home in California. "When the boys see the big metal suitcase coming down the stairs and the car pull up in front, they are not happy. It's a heartbreaker."

Cronin lives two very different lives. "When I'm home, they have me pretty much full time. But when I leave I'm gone full time. And they're getting to the age now where they can tell by the size of my suitcase how long it's going to be." Cronin said he is fortunate that his wife was a longtime music publisher with David Geffen so she understands the business. And she's as loving a mom as a child could want, Cronin said.

When he's on the road, Cronin taps into his creative side. That's also where he tends to stay. "I try to stay as isolated from the business side of it as possible," he said. "I want to know what cities we're playing, but what I really love is putting the whole thing together and creating a concert experience that is fun for us. Because if it's fun for us, it more likely will be for the audience tooƒ

. . . Cronin said, all three bands look forward to the challenge. "Oh yeah, there's nothing like playing with a couple other bands that are going to kick ass every night to raise the bar," he said. "I'm really looking forward to that motivation. We know those guys will be in the building every night. And do I want people to walk out of the building thinking REO was the strongest act on the bill? Absolutely. Does Tommy Shaw want everyone thinking the same thing about Styx? Does Neil Schon want everyone thinking that about Journey? Of course. So there's a level of competition there. But it's a good kind of competition."

. . . Now it's a pretty cool thing because so many bands have fallen by the wayside. We've all been through a lot of adversity, yet we're still here. So there's a certain camaraderie we feel because we're survivors. I have a lot of respect for all three groups." Perhaps the most difficult decision in regard to the tour is figuring out what songs to play. "Actually, our (problem) probably is trying to figure out which songs to leave out," Cronin said. "Sometimes we do 'An Evening With REO' where we can play for three hours and dig deep. That's one kind of tour. This is a different kind of tour. This is like load them, blast them away, take this show and just jam-pack it with energy. We have got to break a sweat in the first two minutes to make this concert happen and that's exactly what we're going to do."

Reviews - REO Wins Battle of 80s bands
Written by Scott Iwasaki / Deseret News

Journey, Styx and REO Speedwagon duked it out in the Delta Center Wednesday night. REO won. Singer Kevin Cronin's rants and Dave Amato's led guitars soared during Don't Let Him Go,Keep on Lovin' You,In Your Letter and Take It on the Run, all from the 1980 album High Infidelity.

In My Dreams was stripped to its acoustic bones as keyboardist Neal Doughty squeezed an accordion and drummer Bryan Hitt settled for a tambourine and shaker.

Bassist Bruce Hall pounded out Back on the Road Again just before Roll With the Changes. The band's encore was 157 Riverside Avenue.

Reviews - 'Keep on Rollin'' Styx, REO & Journey come to the Joe
Written by Eccentric News / LANA MINI

REO Speedwagon singer Kevin Cronin is experiencing a lot of personal energy these days. It's not surprising since REO is in the midst of a popularity resurgence. Turn on the radio and chances are an REO Speedwagon song will be on soon. If Keep On Lovin' You isn't flowing through the airwaves, Styx or Journey might be instead. It's this three-band concert Thursday June 12 at Joe Louis Arena that's causing the buzz (originally the show was scheduled for DTE). Prime seats cost as much as a Lollapalooza or Pearl Jam ticket and they're selling steadily.

On a break from playing with his young twin sons in California last week, Cronin talked about the tour that he calls an experiment.

"We've played with Styx in the past and we're friends with the Journey guys," Cronin said. "But when you have all three bands playing one concert. . .you have a great mixture of competitiveness, friendship and positive energy where everyone just plays better. It will be very interesting to hear." Cronin said he's very sincere when he says the Detroit show is a highlight. "Every show is going to be different, but Detroit? C'mon...it's Detroit. Detroit is a rock n' roll town and every band out there knows it. It's not a clichƒ when they say it. It's the audience that gives us such great energy and it's the fantastic radio there that helps it all along. Detroit is always a city that bands look forward to."

". . .We'll be hitting the gas every single night the whole way through way," Cronin said. And he isn't tired of singing Ridin' the storm out.

"Believe it or not I'm still trying to improve it," he said. Fans will hear songs like Roll with the Changes and That Ain't Love by REO.
PERSONAL Cronin knows REO songs were personal for teenagers who grew up listening the band -- those songs personal for him too.

"It's embarrassing to admit, but I was more honest in my music than I was in my real relationships...those songs helped me through a lot growing up...and I hear they impacted others. Some songs are timeless if the lyrics are honest." Still some of the hits might sound different when performed live. "I could do an acoustic version of That Ain't Love if it seems appropriate for the moment. We can take a song that everyone knows and discover something brand new, sometimes it can take years for a song to grow up. They evolve if you let it happen."

As for the future of REO: Cronin isn't ready to discuss it. The band has been rolling for 30 years and this tour is taking on its own wild life that will probably be extended beyond the currently 45 scheduled shows. To maintain serenity from the tour REO travels with a bamboo plant, named Lucky, whom Cronin says has helped their lives fall into interesting places. Cronin's eclectic feelings about Lucky the Bamboo can be visited on www.speedwagon.com. And at the concert look hard because Lucky might even be seen somewhere on REO's stage. When the tour is over, Cronin will take time to be alone with his family.

Reviews - Classic bands rock out again
Written by Omaha World / Niz Proskocil

Classic rock fans, get ready to raise those lighters high.

REO Speedwagon
Kevin Cronin looks out from the stage and likes what he sees. "It's really surprising. We're getting a lot of young fans," said Cronin, REO Speedwagon's lead singer and principal songwriter. "I see these beautiful 20-year-old girls just dancing and rocking out." Cronin is overwhelmed by the success of the tour, and there's talk of extending it through August, he said by phone from Boise, Idaho, where he was working out at a gym.

More than 30 years after the release of its first album, REO Speedwagon continues to play to packed houses across the country. Its most recent release is 2001's "Live: Plus."

The band's other members are keyboard player Neal Doughty, bass player Bruce Hall, guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt. REO Speedwagon has produced 17 albums and numerous Top 40 singles, including "Can't Fight This Feeling,""Keep On Loving You,""Roll With The Changes,""Ridin' The Storm Out" and "Take It On The Run."

Their landmark 1980 recording, "Hi Infidelity," sold more than 9 million copies worldwide. The secret to the band's longevity, Cronin said, is the universal themes in the songs. "They're stories about people, about what people do, how people feel," he said. "That's been the core to our success. . .

Reviews - REO, Styx, Journey have classic night
Written by ALAN K. STOUT / Wilkes-Barre Times

WILKES-BARRE TWP. - The First Union Arena wears many hats. It's a hockey rink, a football field, and has hosted everything from circuses to rodeos and ice shows.

On Sunday night, it was transformed into one giant radio, with its dial firmly set to big hits from the late '70s and early '80s. REO Speedwagon, Styx and Journey were on the bill, and they brought more rock classics and prom songs than even the crowd of 6,000 could have expected.

REO, which went on first, wasted no time kicking up the memories with sturdy performances of "Ridin' the Storm Out,""Keep Pushin"' and "Can't Fight This Feeling." . . .Kevin Cronin's. . .voice. . . was still strong and solid and his delivery of ballads such as "Keep on Lovin You" and favorites like "Take It on the Run" came with conviction.

At one point, Cronin told the crowd that the three groups had been on tour since May 1 and because there was only one more show left before its conclusion they planned to "leave everything they had on the stage." Journey's vocalist Steve Augeri joined the band for a torrid rendition of "Roll With the Changes" and the set ended with a fiery brand of rock and blues.

Reviews - REO Speedwagon, Styx, Journey Beyond Belief
Written by VH1

Classic Rock's Main Event the VH1 Classic-sponsored triple-bill tour featuring REO Speedwagon, Styx and Journey, is officially underway. Kevin Cronin of REO Speedwagon wrote on his band's web site that they've all been throwing out an energy level that's beyond belief, which seems fitting considering the enthusiasm he had for the tour in the first place. I just appreciate the fact that we're out here doing it, man. We're doing what we love to do, you know. And you know, we've earned it, I mean, we've been doing it for a long time, and we've kept our standards high, and we still have fun doing it. . .