It has been a long time since REO Speedwagon’s debut in the late 1960s, but that does not stop the seasoned rock ‘n’ roll veterans from putting on a show that puts bands half its age to shame.

With a stage dressed like a tunnel, REO Speedwagon took an ecstatic audience at H. Ric Luhrs Performing Arts Center on a two-hour ride through that tunnel, featuring classic songs that have seen decades of radio play and concert performances.

The group, formed during college in the Midwest, is a staple of longevity in music.

Creating platinum records and awe inspiring runs at the top of the music charts, REO Speedwagon takes the energy and passion in songs older than many of the audience members and breathes new life into them with every guitar lick and vocal run.

Kevin Cronin, the group’s current lead vocalist, saw brief stints with the band in the late ’70s before becoming the band’s longest running vocalist, from 1976 to now.

The years seem not to have affected him, as Cronin dances and plays like he still has the energy of a man fresh out of college playing dive bars through the Midwest.

Cronin’s vocals have somehow managed to not only remain great through his years of touring and recording with REO Speedwagon, but have also gotten better than ever before.

Listening to live recordings from the late ’70s and early ’80s will not do Cronin’s voice justice, as he has somehow managed to reach near perfection in his vocal performance over three decades into his stay as REO Speedwagon’s lead vocalist.

The night saw the group perform songs that have become some of the most iconic in rock ‘n’ roll history and high points for any classic rock band, such as “Take It On The Run” and “Keep on Loving You.”

The excitement of the crowd could be felt as Cronin sang, “Heard it from a friend who, heard it from a friend who, heard it from another you been messin’ around,” the first three lines from the hit “Take It On The Run,” accompanied only by Cronin’s acoustic Ovation guitar.

Cronin does not just stop at vocals and guitar work—he becomes a bona fide comedian between songs, joking about seeing Amish-driven horse and buggies on his walks around town that afternoon and laughing as he shouted about how the band had “a fleet of those suckers” when they first started touring.

Despite the jokes about horse and buggies and about becoming a priest before taking the “vow of puberty,” Cronin is a very talented musician and it shows in both his vocals and guitar work.

Cronin’s guitar work, while being acoustic in a heavily amplified band, remains a key part of REO Speedwagon’s sound, blending well with guitarist Dave Amato’s exceptional playing.

Amato, who joined the group in 1989 after the departure of guitarist and founding member, Gary Richrath, was quoted at the time as saying, “REO songs are great because there is a guitar solo in every song.”

Guitar solos being something that Amato is more than proficient in — he would have many during the band’s two hours on stage.

Despite playing for other acts since 1989, Amato has been the main guitarist for REO Speedwagon over the last three decades, proving that he is a force to be reckoned with.

While Amato’s sound cannot be heard on many of the group’s legendary recordings because of his joining the band later in its career, his sound is distinct and well-received at live shows, often getting cheers and ovations for his guitar solos.

Amato’s predecessor, Richrath, was the driving force behind some of the group’s most notable songs, like “Take It On the Run” and “Ridin’ the Storm Out.”

Richrath died in September of 2015, but Amato more than fills his duties and Richrath received more than one nod from his former band throughout the show as they launched into many of his famous pieces of music.

REO Speedwagon creates an atmosphere during a concert that is hard to match or find a comparison for without looking to some of the greatest acts of the ’60s and ’70s, and almost unattainable by many of their modern counterparts.

Everything from the vocals to the lights to the guitar work is seamless, but at the same time there is an energy that makes the whole auditorium feel alive, a feeling that cannot be attained watching a video of the band’s performances.

Unlike many modern acts, REO Speedwagon sounds better and performs better live than on the group’s recordings.

REO Speedwagon is the self-proclaimed, “kings of classic rock” for a very good reason.

The band gives the audience a show that is unforgettable and that is what a rock ‘n’ roll concert is meant to feel like.

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