It’s a good story and was just meant to be.ĭid you ever imagine you'd still be doing this 25 years later? That was when they offered me a spot in the band. Then we went back in and jammed again until around 5. We played a few of the songs together and then played a little basketball. I remember I went in on a Friday around 1 p.m. They didn't want to put out a “cattle call” for people in LA, so Jesse mentioned me to Kevin and they gave me a few songs to see what I could do with them. Gary wasn't with the band anymore and they were looking for a guitar player. My friend Jesse Harms was a keyboard player in Sammy Hagar's band and was also writing songs with Kevin. It's great playing with them every night.Ĭan you tell me the story of how you joined the band? We've been together for 25 years, and these guys are my friends and my brothers. What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think about that? Visit her website at WORLD: Twenty-five years with REO Speedwagon. C., with podcasts on Spotify, Apple, and Anchor. Tammy Davis is a freelance writer based in Columbia, S. And, like Kronin, we all keep on rolling. We all do the best we can with what we’ve got. Sometimes we have to sit in a chair because we don’t have the energy to stand. Sometimes we play the guitar and sing hits and dance for hours on stage while crowds scream and cheer. Sometimes we feel like old men or women with the flu. We got some good life lessons that night. While I am disappointed I didn’t get to hear Cronin’s distinct sound, I think some good came out of Kronin’s bad health. Some were with their friends, some were with their children and even grands. Some were single, some had been married forty years. Some were being rolled in on wheelchairs. Some were probably rolling illegal cigarettes. Keep on rolling, keep on rolling, that’s what we all did the night that REO Speedwagon came to town. The youngsters asked the married couples to come out to dance and many did. Then they called for 30 and even 40 years.
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Levon asked if anyone was married 20 years or more. It was an older audience, as you would imagine for a band started in 1967. Levon worked the crowd well at the beginning and the end.
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They did mostly covers, but their original “With My Eyes Closed” is worth a quick download. The young trio, based out of Nashville, got called back on stage to help REO Speedwagon close out the show with “Roll with the Changes.” They had wowed the crowd earlier with their opening act. They cheered and did their best to carry him through the show by singing along.Ĭronin’s misfortune provided a break for the opening act, Levon. The crowd responded in the way that devoted fans do. The Illinois-born, California resident sounded folksy, almost country, when he joked that he “shorely” would appreciate everyone’s help. He promised to do his best with the music and encouraged everyone to sing along. They are super stars-rock stars-but sometimes, on nights like that night, he reminded us how very human we all are. In Columbia, on February 29, Cronin was less rock star and more older, but wiser, man.Ĭronin said rock stars often don’t feel human. They got to learn more about the very real side of Kevin Cronin. No, the audience got something a little different. The audience didn’t get what they came for-the chance to hear Cronin singing 50 years’ worth of hits. He felt bad, and the crowd felt bad for him. Recently at Columbia’s Township Auditorium, REO Speedwagon lead singer Kevin Cronin was both.Ĭronin owned it almost immediately.
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Sometimes you are a 68-year-old man with the flu.