REO Speedwagon -- Kansas City, MO -- June 4th, 2009

[mankvill]

Very surprising, every band did very, very good tonight. Starlight Theater was packed, just like any venue is whenever REO Speedwagon is in town. It was a bit chilly by the time they went on, but REO put on a pretty good show. They are good ol' classic rock. They only played a few new songs; the rest was stuff you'd hear on the radio often. "Can't Fight This Feeling" got a big reaction, as did "Keep On Lovin' You". REO was very heavy on the power ballad's, but they never got old. They had an encore with "Ridin' the Storm Out" and ended with a new song which they brought out Styx (the entire band) that was heavy on crowd participation. A great end to the show.

Unfortunately for REO Speedwagon, they had a really tough act to follow. Styx is very, very good live. I'd say REO Speedwagon is "heavier" than Styx, but that's like saying Slayer is "heavier" than Rush. Styx also channeled their inner Rush, as the synth and guitars in some songs reached a near-prog quality. There really was not a bad Styx song tonight in Kansas City. And to be a part of the crowd that roars into "Come Sail Away" is really something else.

The show opened with 38 Special. They were all around quality, but really shone later on. As the only band without an encore, they performed a medley of songs that included "Second Chance" and ended their set with the 1-2 punch of "Caught Up In You" and "Hold On Loosely". Not a bad set from them.


38 SPECIAL (40 minutes) -

Rockin' Into the Night
Twentieth Century Fox
Back Where You Belong
Wild-Eyed Southern Boys
Fantasy Girl
Medley - Teacher Teacher; Stone Cold Believer; Like No Other Night; Second Chance
Caught Up In You
Hold On Loosely

7.5/10

STYX (80 minutes) -

Miss America
Too Much Time On My Hands
The Grand Illusion
Lorelei
I Am The Walrus
Crystal Ball
Suite Madame Blue
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
Come Sail Away
ENCORES-
Home Sweet Chicago
Blue Collar Man
Renegade

8.5/10

REO SPEEDWAGON -

Don't Let Him Go
Take It On The Run
Keep Pushin'
Golden Country
Can't Fight This Feeling
Son Of A Poor Man
Time For Me To Fly
Back On The Road Again
Keep On Loving You
Roll With The Changes
ENCORES-
Ridin' The Storm Out
Can't Stop Rockin' (with STYX)

8/10

[maidenpriest]

i wonder how suite madame blue sounds without dennis deyoung...*shudders*

[mankvill]

Originally Posted by maidenpriest

i wonder how suite madame blue sounds without dennis deyoung...*shudders*

New guy sounds exactly like him.

Oh, it should go without saying, but "I Am The Walrus" was a Beatles cover, and the keyboardist sounded exactly like John Lennon.

[TonyD]

20th Century Fox by the Doors too?

[Derelict]

does that guy in reo still have that horrid pubefro?

[mankvill]

Originally Posted by Derelict

does that guy in reo still have that horrid pubefro?

No, thank God.

[Fe Maiden]

REO & Styx are both incredible bands!

[300%_Density]

I could probably make it through REO & Styx. Already seen 38 Special open up for ZZ Top and wow they were really not good imo. But thats just an observation.