Classic rockers REO Speedwagon roll into Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Sept. 20
From a press release:
It was announced today that chart-topping, multi-platinum-selling classic rock band REO Speedwagon will perform at the Sands Bethlehem Event Center on Friday, Sept. 20 at 8 p.m.
Tickets, which are $49.50, $59.50, and $69.50, go on sale this Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. and can be purchased at sandseventcenter.com, the Event Center box office (77 Sands Blvd., Bethlehem), ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster outlets, or by phone at 800-745-3000. A pre-sale for members of the venue’s Music Insiders Club will take place on Thursday, March 28 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m.
Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by iconic vocalist Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO Speedwagon is a band where the main constant over the decades is a never-ending desire to give their all to their fans, year in and year out.
Formed loosely in the late ‘60s at college in Champaign, Illinois, REO (named after the precursor to the light truck) rode to gigs in station wagons, hopping from small gigs to even tinier gigs, just to get their name out. It worked, as fans quickly realized there was much more going on here than your average college party band.
By the early ‘70s, the band’s unrelenting drive, as well as nonstop touring and recording, jump-started the burgeoning rock movement in the Midwest. It carved a path that was eventually followed by Styx, Kansas, Cheap Trick, and more. Platinum albums and freeform FM radio staples such as “Ridin’ the Storm Out” followed, setting the stage for 1980’s explosive “Hi Infidelity”, which received the Recording Industry Association of America’s Diamond Award for surpassing sales of 10 million units in the U.S. REO rode the top of the charts with a RIAA-certified 22 million albums sold in the U.S. and 40 million around the globe with a string of gold and platinum records and international hit singles.
In 1994, when many rock bands of their era had either broken up or were feeling like their days were numbered, the REO team came up with a co-headline tour concept that breathed new life into the world of touring. The Can’t Stop Rockin’ amphitheater tour featuring Fleetwood Mac, REO, and Pat Benatar was a huge success and blazed the trail for the very popular co-headlining tours that are seen nationwide today.
Today, fully established with songs on the radio in every city and town they ever set foot in, REO Speedwagon still has that Midwest work ethic. The band has gone on stage and in the studio to work – dozens of albums, thousands of concerts, and countless radio spins. Their eyes have always been on the future and on the road – not a year has gone by where REO Speedwagon didn’t perform live, thrilling fans with hit-filled sets. The band’s younger fans might not realize the sheer impact REO has had on music and the culture of rock ‘n’ roll. “Hi Infidelity’s” millions in sales were fueled by massive hit singles such as “Keep on Loving You” and “Take It on the Run.” All these years later, the 10-times-platinum album still remains a high-water mark for rock bands – it spent 15 weeks in the No. 1 slot, a feat that modern artists can only dream of achieving.
At the center of REO’s desire to keep it rocking for the fans is Kevin Cronin, who looks like he’s found the fountain of youth, along with the secret to penning some of the biggest hits in rock. With bandmates Bruce Hall on bass, keyboardist Neal Doughty, Dave Amato on lead guitar, and drummer Bryan Hitt, REO has remained busy since the band celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007.
In the summer of 2018, REO Speedwagon and Chicago joined forces for a co-headlining tour of North America. The two hit-making bands rocked 30 cities along the run. In July, the members of REO Speedwagon were voted the top musicians in Illinois history by participants in the “Illinois Top 200” project, a part of the state’s bicentennial celebration. The band played the bicentennial party in December.
