1/17/2019

Discovering And Experiencing A REO Speedwagon Tour

By Shirley Allen


While there are a number of rock and roll concerts which occur in America each year, some are better than others. When it comes to a REO Speedwagon tour, the shows are often some of the most well attended, especially for classic rock bands. Most likely, this is because of the different types of rock which include pop, rock and roll, American Contemporary and Blues the group includes on various albums and live shows.

Originally forming in Champaign Illinois in 1967, it has been a hard though successful journey for the band. While first becoming popular in the early 1970s and having achieved major commercial success, popularity waned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Although, one album titled Infidelity which features four top rated hits has remained the best selling album by the group after selling over 10 million copies.

Named for a character in JoJo's Bizarre Adventures, REO definitely takes live audiences on a musical journey. For, the light shows, lyrics and sound are often some of the best in the industry. In addition, with bands like Styx, . 38 Special and Foreigner co-headlining, tours are never boring.

In the beginning, the members of the band would have to haul equipment to shows in a station wagon which belonged to a long-time friend. In most cases, shows were at local venues in and around the greater Champaign and Chicago area. Then, after releasing the first self-titled album in 1972, fans found favor with the track 157 Riverside Avenue which became the most often played track by the group on the radio and by fans around the world.

While the band has mostly remained stable over the years, the most notable change is that the vocalist changed three times during the first three recording sessions. Whereas, in the mid 1970s, REO convinced Epic to allow the band to record a live show to be released at a later date. Epic responded in kind, and the first live show You Get What You Play For was recorded during a live performance.

The band has sold over 40 million recordings and boasts over thirteen top forty hits on the Billboard charts. The most popular and well known songs are often considered to be Roll With The Changes, Can't Fight This Feeling and Keep On Loving You, all of which are still played at live shows. As with other bands, while record sales are down, the group still remains a popular live musical act.

While the self-financed release, Find Your Own Way Home in April of 2007 did not make the Billboard Rock and Roll charts, two singles from the album appeared on the Billboard American Contemporary chart. As such, it appears REO Speedwagon is a band that has new and old fans alike.

Currently, the band is on a Winter tour traveling from the West Coast throughout the Midwest and up and down the East Coast. The group often plays a number of classics as well as new material in each and every concert. Most often, music from Can't Stop Rockin, an album released in 2009, as well as music from the 80s and 90s are on the set list at each show.




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