Saw the last night of the Don Felder/Styx/REO Speedwagon tour in Orange Beach Monday. Was supposed to be Saturday but got rained out.
Enjoyed Felder's performance a lot. I saw him with The Eagles during the Hell Freezes Over Tour and in retrospect those guys seemed miserable. Sat on stools and played the songs. Felder alone seemed to be having much more fun. I've read all the stuff about his feud with Frey, the lawsuits or whatever but he seems genuinely happy to be there. I ran into him backstage before his set and he was personable, funny and pleasant. If he wasn't enjoying himself he was faking it really well. To be 70-something he did a really good job of bringing energy to the stage and played really well. The best part was when he brought out Tommy Shaw from Styx and REO guitarist Dave Amato for Hotel California. He mowed through a ten-song set, nine of which were Eagles songs.
Styx has two shows. A scaled down version which they usually use when they're hitting the casino circuit and a bigger one with enhanced video, smoke, lights, fire that they use when they're touring with, say, Def Leppard. This was the smaller version. Still good but almost rote. They played well, sounded good and had decent energy -- when you consider these are guys in their mid to late 60s. Shaw is 65. That's unreal. They played a steady diet of songs to which you know all the words, but then added in a new one from a CD they released last year. Did anybody know Styx released an album in 2017? I didn't and that's something I would typically be aware of.
REO was a little weak. They're older and can still crank out a wall of noise but they've reached that point to where the signature move is to plod a couple of steps and grimace. All of them are late 60s at least. The lead singer is 67. I hope I'm that energetic when I'm his age, but he's gotten where he looks like Bea Arthur and Todd Chrisley had a baby and then microwaved it. He looked like an old lady at times. His voice is still okay but he's starting to lose it. It's not as strong as Shaw's or Felder's. They played mostly old standards, but added a new song they are planning to record on an upcoming release. Is there a market for new REO?
I like going to these shows because the truth is I really don't know how many more times they can get out there. Like KISS. I've seen them at least 50 times and I've seen every lineup that toured (never saw Mark St. John, but I don't think he ever played on stage). I saw them in Atlanta with Def Leppard in July 2014 and decided that was the end for me. The show was really good and my entire extended family painted up for the show. It was the best. BUT...if by some miracle they decide to do one last final for real this is the end tour with Ace and Peter? I'll go. I've seen Styx five or six times. Maybe more. This was going to be the last. But I've seen rumors of a reunion with Dennis DeYoung. If that happens? I'll make one more trek.
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