When I was in high school, I fell in love with REO Speedwagon. Not the same way I fell in love with Davey Jones from The Monkees (OK, I didn't realize he was already 50 and I was watching reruns until my mom took me to see them live in Memphis and when they came onstage I asked who they were and then I cried because he was old). Or the way I loved Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block and believed we were meant for each other and would get married and have babies.
No, the way I loved REO was different.
I don't ever remember seeing a picture of REO Speedwagon. In fact, by the time I fell in love with their music, they were probably done touring for the time and their top 5 hits had long since left the charts. But in a little green Honda with my friend Erin Hardy, we discovered a mutual, undying love for all things REO, a love that still permeates both of our lives today.
I honestly can't even estimate how many times we listened to The Best of REO Speedwagon tape. I know I went through 3 of them in high school and I still keep the 3rd and final one in my nightstand. It has lived in Mississippi. South Carolina. California. Florida. And may or may not still play if I shoved it in my car. Wait, does my car even have a tape player?! Must check on that later...
Anyway.
A few months ago, I was notified by Ticketmaster that REO was coming to Charleston. Because my New Year's resolution was to see as many live shows in 12 months as possible, AND I've been waiting my entire life to see them, I immediately snapped up 2 tickets. Little did I know that hours later a multitude of people would text me wanting to go, but I had good seats and my work was done.
Fast forward to last Saturday night, a.k.a. surprisingly one of the best shows I have EVER been to.
Don't get me wrong, I was extremely excited to see them. But a tiny part of me feared I was going to see some very old dudes in bad clothes who would stand around the stage, not sing their hits, and do so in voices almost unrecognizable. Let's face it, it happens. There is nothing as depressing as a lead singer no longer being able to hit the notes he is famous for. However, absolutely none of these things happened.
Instead, these guys came out and gave the show of a lifetime. There is no way they ever had more energy back in the 70's and 80's than they do now. They were in great shape. They ran all over that stage for god-knows-how-long without a break. Kevin Cronin sounded just as good as he did when the band was signed in 1972. And they sang every single song I adore. I was going absolutely insane. And I may or may not have dropped a beer on the lady in front of me, but in hindsight it was really her fault. I mean, who sits in their seat when every other person in the room is standing? It's your duty as a concert-goer to stand. Or get a beer dropped on your head.
So I bought my awesome t-shirts:
Loved my seats:
And really tried to video as much as I could.
But I was so freakin' excited, the sound on my phone apparently sucks, I sang over most of my videos, and then got so crazed I forgot I was filming. So the videos are a little bit of a let-down. But I don't care. It totally ruled.
Oh, and Erin Stone, there is a total shout-out to you from me at the end of your song! ;)
Take it on the Run
Can't Fight This Feeling
That Ain't Love
Time for Me to Fly
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