Sunday, January 13, 2019

Sounds And Sights From 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.

The group originally from the Midwestern United States, formed in 1967. Later, the band became popular during the 70s and 80s. In the 80s, the band began to see amazing commercial success. In fact Infidelity one album produced during that time featured over three top 40 hits and still remains one of the best selling studio recordings by the group.

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 most of the band remained stable over the years, there were three switches to the vocal line-up three times while recording the first three albums. Then, in 1977, REO convinced Epic Records that the strength of the band was in playing live shows. As a result, the group released a live album You Get What You Play For which later achieved platinum status. Having received such acclaim and success, the band moved to Los Angeles later that year.

Since forming in 1967, the band has sold over 40 million recordings while having had over 13 Top 40 hits. The most well known and popular of which is most likely Can't Fight This Feeling. For, the song can still be heard on a number of classic rock stations and during live shows.

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.

REO Speedwagon continues to tour on a regular basis, playing classic hits which fans have come to love over the years. While this is the case, the band also plays new music, including cuts from Can't Stop Rockin, a more recent recording released in 2009. With the group currently touring the United States from the West Coast to the Midwest and East Coast, there are plenty of chances for fans and newcomers to attend a live show sometime in the near future.




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