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Home | Links | News | Newsletter | Pictures | Guitars | Tour | CD's
Welcome to the kC Newsletter!
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Kevin Cronin will send in notes from the road to keep everybody updated on the latest REO Speedwagon news right here! Click on the link below to join the mailing list that notifies you when Kevin sends in a new note. Check out the past archived Newsletters for interesting notes from the past tours, developing news on the new CD as well as notes directly from the studio as they were recording "Find your own way home". |
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" kC Newsletter " - 08/09/08
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The new REO Speedwagon CD!
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Send a
message to Kevin!
Kevin wants to hear from you. Tell him anything! You can send him an e-mail via the listens page. kC personally reads his messages you send to his website. |
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Past Newsletters
"2008' News" 07/17/08 - It is our intention to accomplish three main goals 06/17/08 - THE JET-LAG JOURNALS…PART TWO 05/30/08 - WEBMASTER D, WHO IS AN EXPERT ON ALL THINGS REO... 04/13/08 - I CAN COUNT TO FIFTEEN, AND ASK HOW TO FIND THE BATHROOM... 04/03/08 - WELL EXCUUUUSE ME. JUST BECAUSE... 03/19/08 - Needless to say, my little ones were the stars of... 02/29/08 - The other photo du jour is of John Travolta signing my daughter's Super Bowl cap. ... 02/09/08 - Okay, here is a secret for you…I will be appearing on ... 01/27/08 - WE JAMMED FOR A WHILE ON A NEW SONG I AM WORKING ON CALLED, 01/11/08 - WE ARE HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE OUR UPCOMING SPRING TOUR.. |
Hey Everybody,
Here I go with the ritualistic “on the airplane home” version of the infamous KC Newsletter. The trip home is just the first phase of the transition between the road and home. The tricky part is that the road becomes home while we are on tour…the band and crew guys are my best friends, brothers, confidants…that is how we all survive this wacky lifestyle. Luckily for us, our band and crew are family. The bond between us is so strong…and then we all go off in different directions to our other families…our actual families. So while I can hardly wait to see my wife and my children, I also miss the camaraderie of the traveling circus also known as REO Speedwagon. I know, I know, in a mere ten days I will be lamenting having to leave my friends and loved ones behind as I head out on the road again.
“The Great Egg War of 2008” was bravely fought on the highways of Wisconsin, between Milwaukee, through Fond du Lac, and on to Wausau. For this short ride we decided to eschew the traditional tour bus, and instead commandeer a pair of compact SUV’s…with Bruce driving an un-armed vehicle for Neal and Bryan, and Walter at the wheel for Dave and me…and our four fresh, delicate, raw eggs…or as we call them: ammo.
A little background may be in order so I can properly set the stage. You see, there is a rich history of egg warfare throughout the history of REO touring. But perhaps the fiercest, and stickiest, of all battles, a masterpiece of strategy and precision logistics, and the one which resulted in the “Great 1985 Egg Treaty of New England”, occurred in the great state of Maine. It began innocently, as then tour manager Tommy Consolo rolled up to a McDonald’s drive-thru, and proceeded to order one raw egg. At a stop light at the next intersection, I exited our vehicle, casually aimed, and proceeded to slime the passenger side windshield of the car being driven by Alan Gratzer, with Neal Doughty riding shotgun and Bruce in the back seat. Neal had been looking forward to a relaxing drive on a crisp clear autumn afternoon, through the scenic New England countryside. Our attack spoiled everything…at that point “it was on”.
The final volley of that historic day, and perhaps the pinnacle of egg fighting surprise attack strategy, was truly a thing of beauty. We had pulled over our car with the intent of a roadside attack, but our adversaries had brilliantly taken a shortcut, and gotten ahead of us. We finally remounted, and headed north along a quiet two lane highway. Then it happened, coming toward us, heading south, was Bruce and Neal’s car, with Alan hanging out of the window, ammo in hand. We were sitting ducks…and we paid a dear price for our earlier attack, which Neal still claims was a war crime since their car was trapped at a traffic light at the time. I, on the other hand, contend that “All’s fair in love and egg fighting”.
Well, we got our revenge in Wisconsin in a stunning, high speed chase which culminated in a fearless exit ramp ambush. Bruce had pulled some remarkable defensive driving moves, but when we raced ahead, doing 110 MPH, and proceeded to block the ramp, he knew there was trouble. As I ran along the shoulder, holding the final egg in full view of my intended victims, Bruce brilliantly turned on his windshield wipers and washers with perfect timing so that when my chicken missile hit, it was partially blocked…but nevertheless made a wonderful mess.
We were all laughing hysterically, so hard Dave couldn’t catch his breath. Do we know how to have fun, or what?
Meanwhile, the band is sounding better than ever, sound man Neil Schaeffer has the house mix dialed in, our vocals are in tune as never before, we have tightened up a few ragged edges of some of our instrumental passages, and we love this year’s set list, which includes “Golden Country” and “Son Of A Poor Man”, an occasional acoustic version of “Needed to Fall” and “in My Dreams”, as well as rare sightings of “Like You Do” and “Building The Bridge”. We are having a blast our here.
Our “Live in the Heartland DVD” is available now. “Find Your Own Way Home” went top twenty. And we are in the advance planning stages for an exciting co-headline amphitheater tour for 2009. The new “reospeedwagon.com” is up and running, and being improved upon every day.
We play Ashville, North Carolina tonight as we head toward our New York City show with Boston at Jones Beach this coming Tuesday, and Detroit with Def Leppard and Styx later this month. In October we will be doing a grueling tour of Caribbean Islands…hey it’s a tough gig, but someone has to do it. Then we will wind down for the year with a triumphant return to the Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois in Champaign. I expect you may find us wandering down “REO Speedwagon Way” through the revitalized Champaign downtown entertainment district after the show.
Okay, that’s all I can think of at the moment, if you have any other questions or comments, you can reach me at kc@kevincronin.com.
Keep Pushing,
KC