REO Speedwagon – Mayo Civic Center – Rochester, MN – November 20th, 2024

By Kate Klaus 4 weeks ago

REO Speedwagon with American Scarecrows – Mayo Civic Center – Rochester, MN – November 20th, 2024

Review and photos by Kate Klaus

Back in September, REO Speedwagon announced that they will stop touring permanently at the end of 2024, so it was an even more distinctive and poignant night at the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, MN as one of the last concerts of their monumental time as a band.  The auditorium was near capacity and the crowd excited to welcome the band for one last show, and what a show it was.

The night started off with Twin Cities trio American Scarecrows, led by singer-songwriter Seth Davin on guitar and vocals.  They played a lively set of great storytelling indie-pop and folk-rock tunes.  They performed with great energy and a wonderful mix of music stylings that ramped up the energy for the night.

When REO Speedwagon took the stage, the crowd erupted in cheers and took to their feet.  Lead singer Kevin Cronin was full of energy and flair, as they opened with “Don’t Let Him Go”, with guitarist Dave Amato’s fiery solo taking center stage.  They slowed it down a bit next, following up with “Take it on the Run”, and Cronin at multiple times paused to let the crowd take the chorus, with a broad smile on his face, just taking in the energy in their music.  Bassist Matt Bissonette, fresh off touring with Elton John, matched their energy with great playing and showmanship.  Cronin did a great job of highlighting each member with a fun story or information about them before a song on the setlist that highlighted their talent, most notably for original founding member Neal Doughty, as they led into crowd favorite “Can’t Fight This Feeling” with that iconic opening piano phrasing.  Cronin’s voice was on point throughout the set, with beautiful tone and energy and their entire performance was top-notch, with such vibrant energy and such a sense that they were truly enjoying every minute of their performance, making it a bittersweet but beautiful end to such an amazing legacy of music.