REO SPEEDWAGON & CHICAGO’S CO-HEADLINING
SUMMER 2014 TOUR A MAJOR HIT FROM COAST-TO-COAST
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Legendary Rock Bands Captivate Crowds Across the U.S. with Special Shared Encore
August 19, 2014 (Los Angeles, CA) - Legendary rock bands Chicago and REO Speedwagon recently kicked off a co-headlining summer tour which is proving to be a massive hit all across the country. The tour, presented by Live Nation, has already taken the bands through California and the Midwest on the way to an East Coast run and the reviews have been phenomenal; more so, the bands are having the time of their lives, playing a truly “raucous” encore – a two band, hit-fuelled, epic jam.
Before the tour, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin said, “With so many personal connections between various members of REO and Chicago, it is amazing that we have never actually toured together,” says. “Can you imagine the Chicago horn section on ‘Roll With the Changes’? That would blow my mind!”
Now, Cronin, Chicago, REO, and fans coast-to-coast are having their minds blown, because, in addition to performing many of their biggest hits separately, both bands appear onstage together for the encore to play a handful of fan favorites. The crowd will be sure to sing along with “Riding The Storm Out,” “Free,” “Roll With The Changes,” “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” “Keep on Loving You,” and “25 or 6 to 4.”
Media have raved about the encore. The Pitch said, “…Chicago and REO Speedwagon’s combined supergroup encore was the stuff of classic-rock legend.” Chicago Sun Times promised, “…a raucous encore featuring both bands…” The Examiner reported, “As good as REO Speedwagon and Chicago were individually, it was Chicago Speedwagon that brought the house down.” Bam enthused, “The Chicago/Speedwagon tour successfully conjures up bright nostalgia for anyone who’s owned a radio in the past 40 years.”
Halfway into the tour Cronin exclaimed, “The combined REO/Chicago encore is a freaking force of nature. Musically it is off the charts, and personally we are having simply too much fun. It is awesome! The personal chemistry and mutual respect between our bands, plus the hit songs and combined musicality, are the energy sources which fuel the unbelievable two-band, six-song encore! It is truly a force of nature — not to be missed by fans of either of our bands!”
Chicago’s Lee Loughnane said, “The Chicago/REO package is as successful as we thought it would be, and both bands playing a long encore together proves again that one plus one can equal three. Our manager, Peter Schivarelli, had the idea to package two bands back in the early 2000’s. Each and every pairing has been great for the bands and the fans. This collaboration is no exception.”
There’s still plenty of time to catch this epic show as more than a dozen dates remain on the co-headlining tour. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster.com and/or the Live Nation mobile app and at www.livenation.com.
July 31
August 1
August 2
Concord, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Phoenix, AZ
Concord Pavilion
Greek Theatre
Comerica Theatre
August 4
Denver, CO
Red Rocks Amphitheatre
August 7
August 8
Kansas City, MO
St Louis, MO
Starlight Theatre
Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
August 9
August 10
Chicago, IL
Indianapolis, IN
FirstMerit Bank Pavilion
Klipsch Music Center
August 12
Detroit, MI
DTE Energy Music Theatre
August 13
Cincinnati, OH
Riverbend Music Center
August 15
Hartford, CT
XFINITY Theatre
August 16
Holmdel, NJ
PNC Bank Arts Center
August 17
Wantagh, NY
Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
August 19
Saratoga Springs, NY
Saratoga Performing Arts Center
August 20
Boston, MA
Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
August 22
Atlantic City, NJ
Borgata Events Center
August 23
Raleigh, NC
Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
August 24
Atlanta, GA
Chastain Park Amphitheatre
August 26
August 27
August 29
August 30
August 31
September 9
Durant, OK
Cedar Park, TX
Houston, TX
Oklahoma City, OK
Dallas, TX
Puyallup, WA
Choctaw Event Center
Cedar Park Center
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
OKC Downtown Airpark
Gexa Energy Pavilion
Washington State Fair
About Chicago:
Hailed as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era” by President Bill Clinton, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six decades.
In March of 2013, Chicago’s multi-platinum two-disc bestseller, The Very Best Of Chicago, Only The Beginning charted at #1 on two Billboard charts: the Catalog Chart, and the Digital Catalog chart. In Billboard Magazine’s list of Top 100 artists of all time, Chicago came in at #13, the highest charting American band. Chicago will be performing on the GRAMMY stage for the first time in 2014, and their album The Chicago Transit Authority was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame this year.
Formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, the group has produced a steady stream of hits throughout their career, including “25 or 6 to 4”, “Saturday In The Park”, “Hard Habit To Break”, “If You Leave Me Now” & many more. Lifetime achievements include a Grammy Award, multiple American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Chicago street dedicated in their honor, and keys to and proclamations from an impressive list of US cities. Record sales top the 100,000,000 mark, and include 21 Top 10 singles, 5 consecutive Number One albums, 11 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles.
The line-up includes original band members Robert Lamm on keyboards, vocals, Lee Loughnane on trumpet, James Pankow on trombone and Walt Parazaider on woodwinds, as well as Jason Scheff on bass, vocals, Tris Imboden on drums, Keith Howland on guitar, Lou Pardini on keyboards, vocals and Wally Reyes on percussion.
From the signature sound of the Chicago horns, their iconic vocalists, and a few dozen of ever-classic songs, this band’s concerts are celebrations. The band is now in their 48th consecutive year of touring, without missing a single concert date!
Chicago continue to be true ambassadors for their beloved hometown, carrying the city’s name with pride and dignity around the world. Chicago is currently recording new songs. Fans are being offered clips of works in progress on the band’s website, www.chicagotheband.com.
About REO Speedwagon:
Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO SPEEDWAGON has rocked to the top of the charts with a RIAA-certified 22 million albums sold in the U.S., 40 million around the globe, and a string of gold and platinum records. The group’s nine-times certified platinum Hi Infidelity spent 15 weeks in the #1 slot. Thirty–plus years later, Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying concert audiences across the nation.
Live at Moondance Jam - the band’s hit-filled performance from the country’s premier classic rock festival, was released in both a Blu-ray and a deluxe edition (containing a CD and DVD in a glossy digipak) on November 19, 2013.
In December ‘13, REO unveiled the band’s “Great Chicago Fire Hydrant” as part of a citywide Chicago public art installation project to benefit the 100 Club Chicago. Shortly thereafter, REO Speedwagon and STYX organized Rock To The Rescue Extends A Hand To Those In Need, a benefit concert for the central Illinois communities that were affected by the devastating tornadoes there. This concert raised in excess of $400,000.
For more information visit www.reospeedwagon.com.