REO Speedwagon refreshed and ready to rock Montgomery

Fresh off an active four months of supposed down time, REO Speedwagon’s spring tour is rolling in for a 7:30 p.m. show Tuesday, April 2, at the Montgomery Performing Arts Centre.

“From Jimmy Kimmel Live and a gig at the legendary Whiskey a Go-Go with our Summer Road Trip tour mates, Train, to joining Kelly Ripa in Las Vegas for ‘Live with Kelly and Mark,’ this has been a very busy break,” wrote Kevin Cronin, REO Speedwagon’s vocalist who has been with them since 1972.

“Live with Kelly and Mark” on ABC was a fun reunion for Cronin.

“Our episode featured our friends Howie Mandel and Scott ‘Carrot Top’ Thompson, and our new friends Mark and Kelly,” Cronin wrote. “Howie and Carrot Top were both on top of their games, and we kinda nailed our mash-up of ‘Keep on Loving You’ and ‘Roll with the Changes.’ Carrot Top and I have been friends since Joe Elliott introduced us around ten years ago, and I got to know Howie even better today. I love both of these guys.”

Though the band formed in 1967, Cronin joined REO Speedwagon just one year after the band was signed in 1971. After about five years the group turned into a platinum-selling machine.

"REO started in Champaign, Illinois. That's where I grew up. It's my hometown,” bass player Bruce Hall, who joined in ’77, told the Advertiser in 2019.  “I knew the guys. We all played at the same places. I played in a band with Gary Richrath before he was in REO Speedwagon. One of the songs that I wrote, called 'Lost In A Dream,' REO covered that before I was even in the band. So I was close to the band before I ever joined. When they got ahold of me to be in the band, it was so easy because I knew all the songs. I knew all the guys. It was easy to make that jump. A piece of cake."

Along with Cronin and Hall, the band’s current lineup has Dave Amato (lead guitar, vocals), Neal Doughtry (keyboards), and Bryan Hitt (drums, percussion).

“We're the best of friends,” Hall said. “I think that's the only way we've been able to stick through it year after year. We actually enjoy being together, and we love making music together. I don't know if that's common. We don't ever question that part of it. We don't take it for granted, but I don't think we study it or anything like that. It is what it is. We're very fortunate to have five guys who get along as well as we do."

Over a 12-year period, from ’77 to ’89, the band had nine consecutive albums all platinum or higher. Their No. 1 selling Hi Infidelity album in 1980 had the hits “Take It On the Run” and “Keep On Loving You.” The album spent 15 weeks in the #1 slot and has received the RIAA’s Diamond Award for 10X platinum sales.

REO Speedwagon has rocked to the top of the charts with a RIAA-certified 22 million albums sold in the U.S., 40 million around the globe, and a string of worldwide hit singles. Other favorites from through the years include songs like “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Ridin’ The Storm Out,” “Roll With The Changes,” and “Time For Me To Fly.” Fans are sure to hear plenty of these favorites at the live concerts.

"People buy tickets to hear the songs that they know,” Hall said. “They want to hear certain songs. They want to hear 'Roll With The Changes,' 'Time For Me To Fly,' 'Ridin The Storm Out,' 'Keep On Loving You.' There's a lot of songs that we do. We're starting to do more songs off the Hi Infidelity album. People wanted to hear those. We try to get as many songs in as we can.... We have a set list, and then there will be audibles. It'll be up to Kevin if he wants to play a certain song at a certain time. He'll even change it up. It's kind of a scramble sometimes, but it's kind of fun. It keeps us on our toes. It's nice to have so many different songs to choose from."

Before the new tour began, they were rocking stages for good causes recently. In a release from the band, Cronin said they’ve played benefit shows for the Charley Hoffman Foundation and Warburton St Jude.

“You all have put me in a position of being able to give back,” Cronin wrote to REO Speedwagon fans. “It feels great and you are part of it.”

They’ve also done free shows with the Jim Irsay band, whose namesake — the owner of NFL’s Colts — has been recovering from a severe respiratory illness.

“Thoughts and prayers to Jim on his continuing recovery,” Cronin said.

Cronin also sang for in  Eddie Trunk’s 40th anniversary in Las Vegas.

“And an acoustic show with my buddy and seven-time major ATP champion Mats Wilander at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, CA.,” Cronin wrote. “Just to mention a few of the fun and rewarding experiences I enjoyed due to the support you, the fans have shown REO Speedwagon through the years.”

Now that their break is over, rehearsals are done, and the spring 2024 tour is under way, REO Speedwagon is bringing some friends along for the shows. The tour opened recently in Reading, Penn., with special guest Rick Springfield. Cheap Trick is going to be joining REO Speedwagon as well. For the Montgomery show, they’ll have Levon.

"If they come to the show, they're going to love it,” Hall said. “They can sing along with every song. I've got a feeling it'll be mostly the hits. Just bring your voice with you and sing real loud. Have a good time. That's what we want."

Tickets to the MPAC show are $35 to $135, and are available at mpaconline.org or by calling the MPAC box office at 334-481-5100.

“So come on out and join the fun. We miss you all!” Cronin wrote.

Follow the band online at reospeedwagon.com.

Montgomery Advertiser reporter Shannon Heupel covers things to do in the River Region. Contact him at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: REO Speedwagon refreshed and ready to rock Montgomery