2 nights with Triumph – Chicago IL and Milwaukee WI – May 13th – 14th 2026
Live Nation presents Triumph with special guests April Wine. A special 2 night review.
Review and photos by Kyle Hansen
April Wine delivered the kind of performance longtime classic-rock fans expect: polished musicianship, familiar hooks, and a set built around crowd favorites rather than reinvention. Their live shows tend to balance hard-driving arena rock with melodic ballads, giving audiences both high-energy singalongs and quieter nostalgic moments.
Songs like Roller and I Like to Rock usually generate the strongest audience response, with layered guitar work and extended solos translating especially well live. The band’s softer material, particularly Just Between You and Me, often provides the emotional center of the set and shows why their catalog has lasted across decades.
Modern-era April Wine performances are generally less about theatrical production and more about consistency and musicianship. The current lineup emphasizes faithful renditions of the classic recordings while still keeping enough live looseness to avoid sounding overly scripted. Guitar-heavy arrangements, steady rhythm playing, and audience interaction remain central to the experience.
For fans of ‘70s and ‘80s arena rock, an April Wine concert is usually less a nostalgia exercise and more a celebration of durable songwriting and veteran performers who still know how to work a crowd.
Setlist – I Like To Rock – Big City Girls – All Over Town – Say Hello – Enough is Enough – Before the Dawn – Right Down To It – Just Between You and Me – Sign of the Gypsy Queen – Roller
April Wine Chicago
Triumph came into Chicago with the atmosphere of a long-awaited reunion celebration rather than a routine nostalgia stop, and “Reloaded” felt designed to remind fans why the band once ranked among the premier arena-rock acts of the late ’70s and early ’80s. The crowd response carried the night as much as the music itself—an audience full of longtime fans treating every familiar riff like a recovered memory.
The opening stretch hit hard, with the band leaning into muscular guitar tones, synchronized lighting, and the kind of dramatic pacing that made Triumph famous in the first place. Rik Emmett remained the emotional center of the performance, delivering fluid guitar work that still sounded expressive and technically sharp. Even where the vocals showed the natural wear of time, the playing compensated with confidence and personality.
Songs such as Lay It on the Line and Fight the Good Fight generated the biggest reactions, turning sections of the concert into full-arena singalongs. The crowd clearly knew every lyric, and the band wisely allowed those moments to breathe instead of rushing through them. The balance between hard-rock attack and melodic hooks still defines Triumph’s appeal decades later.
What stood out most was the scale of the production. “Reloaded” did not feel like a stripped-down heritage act trying to survive on memories. The visual presentation, extended instrumental sections, and thunderous rhythm sound aimed directly at classic arena-rock spectacle. The supporting musicians added power and fullness without overshadowing the original members.
To fill in the band onthe Reloaded tour is Brent Fitz on drums and keyboards – Phil X on guitars and Todd Kerms on bass. Mike Levine couldn’t make it. It’s a bummer cause we all wanted to see him but Todd filled in just fine. His vocals filled in really nice. Phil X and Todd also hit all the high notes! The harmonies were perfect!
The Chicago performance also carried a sense of gratitude—from both band and audience. Rather than trying to pretend it was still 1981, Triumph embraced the idea of veteran musicians revisiting music that still matters to their fans. That honesty gave the concert more emotional weight than a simple retro-rock package show.
By the finale, the night felt less like a comeback and more like a victory lap: loud, unapologetically theatrical, and rooted in the kind of guitar-driven rock that still works best in a packed arena.
April Wine pretty much has the same set as Chicago but were better lit. It was so amazing to hear the songs again.
April Wine Milwaukee
The crowd reaction was strongest during staples like “Lay It on the Line,” “Magic Power,” and “Fight the Good Fight.” Even fans who hadn’t followed the band closely in years seemed pulled back in once those opening riffs hit. The audience energy built steadily through the night, and by the encore the theater had the feel of a late-70s arena show packed into a more intimate setting.
Rik Emmett’s guitar playing remained the centerpiece. While the vocals naturally showed some wear compared to the band’s prime years, the musicianship and emotional delivery carried the performance. The guitar solos were tasteful instead of overindulgent, and the band sounded tighter than many nostalgia acts touring today.
The production balanced classic-rock simplicity with enough lighting and visual punch to keep the concert feeling modern. Rather than relying on giant video spectacles, the show focused on the songs and musicianship, which suited Triumph’s style well.
A few slower moments in the middle of the set slightly interrupted the momentum, and some arrangements appeared adjusted to fit the realities of performing demanding material decades later. But instead of hurting the show, those adaptations gave it a more human and reflective tone.
Overall, the Milwaukee performance succeeded because it felt genuine. It wasn’t about pretending the clock never moved — it was about celebrating songs that still connect with people. For longtime fans, it likely felt emotional as much as entertaining. For newer listeners, it was a reminder of how strong Triumph’s catalog really is. And this maybe the smallest place they are playing on their Reloaded tour.
Overall rating: 10/10.
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