Styx (above) and their touring mates .38 Special and REO Speedwagon turned what could have been a lame nostalgia-fest into a surprisingly fun concert. Photos by .
It would have been so easy for the stop on the “Can’t Stop Rockin'” tour to meet my lowest expectations. Featuring the combined efforts of , and , the show easily could have been a lame “greatest hits” set list by paunchy, balding rockers backed by their latest lineup of unrecognizable, rookie bandmates. Or it could have meant sitting through a bunch of “new material” while drunk fans shouted for “Ridin’ the Storm Out.” But thankfully, for all the opportunities this show had to be overwrought, farcical or silly, it really wasn’t.
.38 Special opened with a signature hit, “Rockin’ Into the Night,” instantly bringing the overwhelmingly middle-aged crowd to their feet. Though the band’s current lineup only features two original members from their heyday (Donnie Van Zant and Don Barnes), they did a remarkable job of remaining true to the band’s Southern-rock sound. And for a show like this, that’s really all the crowd is looking for. Judging by how many fans perservered in the rain after the crescendo of “Hold on Loosely,” .38 Special didn’t disappoint.
The rain had gotten even harder by the time Styx took the stage with “Miss America.” Though several members of the most recent incarnation of Styx are new since the 1990s, vocalist James “J.Y.” Young’s voice is so dead-on, and returning member Tommy Shaw’s enthusiasm and humor is so disarming, it hardly matters.
The best part of the Styx set was that they played everything the crowd wanted them to play (“Madame Blue,” “Long Nights” and of course, “Sailing Away”) and didn’t take themselves too seriously. From Young’s rotating keyboard platform to moments where three guitarists would play in a carefully synchronized line, Styx knows the formula for good arena rock. If the band is having a good time, so will the crowd.
Opening with “Take It On the Run,” REO Speedwagon instantly spurred a wave of fortysomething makeout sessions in the Red Rocks stands. These virtuosos of the power ballad seemed to have sparked a thousand happy memories for their faithful fans, and as they continued with “Keep Pushin'” and “Time for Me to Fly,” the rain-soaked crowd became even more responsive to REO’s classic hits. Frontman Kevin Cronin’s stage presence is comfortable and enthusiastic, and when he waxes nostalgic about his bar-band days, one can tell why he named the tour as he did.
Unlike many bands of REO’s vintage, it isn’t like they should stop rocking or stubbornly won’t stop. One gets the impression that so long as Cronin and his bandmates are able to pull together a tour, they simply can’t stop. And so long as they keep doing it like they did at Red Rocks, the fans will keep coming.
Cassandra Schoon is an assistant manager at and a regular Reverb contributor.
Mark Osler is a Pulitzer Prize-winning Denver photographer and regular contributor to Reverb. See more of his work .
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