Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Styx, REO Speedwagon and .38 Special




We decided to go to this show a the last minute. Were able to secure good seats off Craigslist at the reasonable price of $40.00 each, with VIP! We spent an hour in the sun at the Starlight with our season ticket seatmates, Justin and Marsha. Met many Styx and REO fans that were eagerly awaiting the show. Most seemed to dismiss .38 Special out of hand, kinda a throw in.

Between the 3 bands, over 135,000,000 albums sold, 6 Grammy's, 6 American Music Awards, 2 Super Bowl performances, and over 30 Gold albums! What a bill, but who will be the headliner....

.38 Special comes on at 6:45 and plays to a 1/2 full house. Much to this Dogg's surprise, the entire pavillion stands and rocks out for the entire set. You don't see this with the third act very often. The band is very tight and polished. The shared lighting effective, even in the full sun. The set flew by in a fast paced 45 minutes. We were surprised at the number of songs we instantly recognized from FM radio. I perfect start to a long night!

To our dismay, Styx came on next and absolutely played the best set I've seen them play in the past 10 years! The interplay between Tommy Shaw and JY- James Young was perfect. Add in the superb backing players, including Jonny P. on bass for 1/2 the show. With the huge catalog of songs to choose from, Styx never disappoints us. Tonight all the classics, Crystal Ball, Suite Madame Blue, Lorilie, Come Sail Away, etc., were equally complimented by the covers off "The Big Bang Theory" and the latest album. By this time the hill was overflowing and the pavillion 90% full. We had a rocking time and sang along passionately all set long. After nearly 90 minutes, its onto REO. A+ for Styx

In typical REO fashion, they feel compelled to play the ballad style hits from the late 80's and early 90's at a 2-1 ratio of their harder rocking anthems. This show was no different. When they played Keep Pushin, 467 Riverside Ave, and Roll with the Changes, the scene was electric. Just when it seemed they'd have the crowd in their hand, Kevin Cronin would get all sappy again. Nothing against their ballads, but how about a show where you play 100% uptempo, rock songs. This man would love to hear it. Some of the epic shows at Pine Knob were REO 1985 and 1987. This show I give a B to.

Weather B+
Crowd A
Atmosphere A
Bands A+
Staging B
Lights B

Overall an excellent show. The Dogg and BLT give it an A!

1 comment:

  1. do you have the breakdown of the 135,000,000 albums between the 3 bands. I've been looking for album info on .38 special. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete