Over ten thousand filled Jiffy Lube Live on Friday for a night of classic rock featuring REO Speedwagon, Styx, and Loverboy. The co-headlining tour sees REO Speedwagon and Styx alternating who closes out the show and on this night it was REO Speedwagons turn to close things out.
Loverboy were up first to get things started, they played a relatively quick eight song opening set. The lineup included all the original members with the exception of Ken Sinnaeve who took over on bass for the late Scott Smith. The band released a new single this year titled “Release” but the new song didn’t make it into the setlist for the night. The setlist did include fan favorites “Lucky Ones,” “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” and “Hot Girls in Love” which included a drum solo by Mike Frenette. The set wrapped up with the band’s biggest hits “Turn Me Loose,” and “Working for the Weekend.”
Up next on the evening was Chicago’s Styx, who it’s hard to believe have been doing this for fifty years now. The current lineup features Lawrence Gowan on keyboards and vocals, Tommy Shaw on guitar and vocals, James Young on guitar, Ricky Phillips on bass, and Todd Sucherman on drums. However James Young was unable to perform and Will Evankovich filled in without missing a beat. The guys released their seventeenth studio album, Crash of the Crown back in June of 2021 and night’s set started with the opening track from the album, “The Fight of Our Lives.” From their the guys turned the energy up to an eleven and dove into some classic hits Styx fans have some to love over the years with “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “The Grand Illusion,” and “Lady.” Up next was the only other new track to make the set the title track from the latest album, “Crash of the Crown.” Founding member Chuck Panozzo joined the band on bass for the following songs, “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),” “Lost at Sea, and “Come Sail Away.” Styx performed a two song encore of “Mr. Roboto,” and “Renegade” which saw Chuck return to the stage to finish out the night. The multi-platinum band leaves it all on stage each every night and have been doing so for the past fifty years and after Friday night’s performance there’s no question there’s still plenty of fuel left in the tank. Fans can pick up the new album, merch, and keep up with all that is Styx HERE.
REO Speedwagon closed out the night under the super moon. REO Speedwagon didn’t quite match the energy of Styx but still put on a great show. The thirteen song set included the hits, “Time for Me to Fly,” “Ridin’ the Storm Out,” and “Keep On Loving You” before wrapping up the night with “Roll With the Changes.”
The tour will continue making its way across the country before wrapping up in Bangor, ME on September 18th. This is a great tour for any fan of classic rock to catch!
Notorious (with Doug Johnson on harmonica)
Lucky Ones
Queen of the Broken Hearts
The Kid Is Hot Tonite
Lovin’ Every Minute of It
Hot Girls in Love (concluded with Mike Frenette drum solo)
Turn Me Loose
Working for the Weekend
Styx Setlist:
The Fight of Our Lives
Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
The Grand Illusion
Lady
Crash of the Crown
Light Up
Sound the Alarm (Followed by band introductions by Lawrence Gowan.)
Rockin’ the Paradise
Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man) (with Chuck Panozzo)
Too Much Time on My Hands
Khedive (Keyboard Solo by Lawrence Gowan)
Lost at Sea (with Chuck Panozzo)
Come Sail Away (with Chuck Panozzo)
Encore:
Mr. Roboto
Renegade (with Chuck Panozzo)
REO Speedwagon Setlist:
Don’t Let Him Go
Take It on the Run
Keep Pushin’
Live Every Moment (with “Judy Blue Eyes” outro)
That Ain’t Love
Tough Guys (complete with “Our Gang” excerpt intro, as on the album)
Can’t Fight This Feeling (Kevin Cronin introduced Neal Doughty before the song. Doughty kicked off the song on keyboards.)
Like You Do
Time for Me to Fly
Back on the Road Again (Bruce Hall on lead vocals. Concluded with full band intros and Bryan Hitt drum solo.)
Ridin’ the Storm Out (17 second pause after song. Band didn’t leave stage. Not really long enough to declare an encore.)
Keep On Loving You
Roll With the Changes (Kevin Cronin on grand piano though the first verse. Another round of band intros at end of song.)
Check out “Live & UnZoomed” at any of the following stops:
Sat. 8/13 – Camden, NJ – Waterfront Music Pavilion
Tue. 8/16 – Toronto, ONT. – Budweiser Stage
Wed. 8/17 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
Fri. 8/19 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
Sat. 8/20 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Sun. 8/21 – Wantagh, NY – Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sat. 9/3 – Duluth, MN – Amsoil Arena ^
Sun. 9/4 – Des Moines, IA – Wells Fargo Arena ^
Tue. 9/6 – Moline, IL – TaxSlayer Center ^
Fri. 9/9 – Syracuse, NY – St. Joseph’s Health Amp ^
Sat. 9/10 – Burgettstown, PA – Pavilion at Star Lake ^
Tue. 9/13 – Huntsville, AL – Orion Amphitheater ^
Wed. 9/14 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours ^
Fri. 9/16 – Bridgeport, CT – Hartford Healthcare Amp ^
Sat. 9/17 – Gilford, NH – Bank of NH Pavilion ^
Sun. 9/18 – Bangor, ME – Darling’s Waterfront Pavilion ^
^ new concert date.
