by Michael LelloWeekender Editor
There’s not much subtlety in the name of this summer’s “Can’t Stop Rockin’” tour. Or the collaborative song of the same name that inspired the concerts that match co-headliners Styx and REO Speedwagon with 38 Special.
“Never really fit in / Couldn’t quite be cool / Got my ass kicked up and down the halls of my high school,” goes the song, put together by longtime friends REO’s Kevin Cronin and Tommy Shaw of Styx. “I can’t stop, can’t stop rockin’,” they sing in the chorus.
Bob Dylan probably isn’t kicking himself because he didn’t come up with those lyrics. But the sentiment of the song is heartfelt.
REO and Styx toured together in 2000, and Cronin and Shaw earlier this year batted around the idea of doing it again this summer.
“We were talking about troubles with the economy in the United States, and so many people are losing their jobs and everything,” Cronin said in a recent phone interview. “Could we still do it? Is this the right time to go out and do a rock tour? We realized that this is the time when people need our kind of music more than ever. Even during these troubled times, everybody needs to keep doing what they do, and for us, what we do is play rock music.”
The “Can’t Stop Rockin’” tour will swing into Northeastern Pennsylvania Friday, July 3, with a show at Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain.
If any band knows about staying the course, it’s REO, which has toured every year since the band released its first album in 1971.
“Part of it is strictly a practical issue,” said the affable and talkative frontman. “There’s a lot of mouths to feed; there’s the band, the crew, the drivers. It’s kind of, to a certain degree, our responsibility to kind of keep the store open. Plus, it’s not exactly a bad gig. There’s not too much wrong with going out every summer and singing your songs for people.”
The current REO lineup features Cronin, founding member Neal Doughty (keyboards), longtime members Bryan Hitt (drums) and Bruce Hall (bass) and guitarist Dave Amato, with the band since 1989.
During its ’70s and ’80s heyday, REO scored hits with “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Keep On Lovin’ You,” “Time For Me To Fly,” “Roll With The Changes,” “Ridin’ The Storm Out” and “Take It On The Run.”
In addition to the band still being in constant rotation on classic rock radio, some more modern outlets have given the songs new life to younger generations. The “Rock Band” video game recently added a 7-pack of REO and Styx songs, including “Can’t Stop Rockin.’” Additionally, “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Keep On Lovin’ You” are featured in the Tony-winning Broadway musical comedy “Rock of Ages.”
“We’re pretty fortunate in that,” Cronin said. “The music has not faded away by any means, and if anything, it’s stronger than ever now. I’m not sure exactly why. I think part of it is the songs have memorable melodies, and in our case, we write our songs about what happens to people. They’re kind of like amped-up folk songs.”
Cronin also feels that younger listeners are more likely to latch onto music they like rather than follow trends.
“I have 9-year-old twin boys, and they’re into playing ‘Guitar Hero,’” he said. “They’re still not brainwashed by the press — no offense — by what’s cool and what’s hip and what’s the happening things. So with them, it could be Foo Fighters or Kings of Leon or The Scorpions. They don’t really care.”
REO and Styx are taking turns closing each show on the tour. According to the “Can’t Stop Rockin’” promotional Web site, Styx will close the show in Scranton on Friday. But Cronin cautioned that fans shouldn’t exit the venue right after Styx’s final chord rings out, because all three bands will come together to perform a finale of the “Can’t Stop Rockin’” tune.
“I guess the message is don’t head for the parking lot until the concert is really over, because if you do, you’re going to miss the very end of the show, which is a riot,” he said. “So stay in your seats, it will be worth your while.”
w
‘Can’t Stop Rockin,’ REO Speedwagon, Styx, 38 Special, Friday, July 3, 7 p.m., Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain. Tickets, $29.50-$55, lawn ticket 4- and 6-packs, $22.50-$13.50 per ticket. LiveNation.com, select Blockbuster locations and box office.
