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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". |
Join the kC mailing list today !
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" kC Newsletter " - 11/19/08
OKAY, OUR PLANE HAS BEEN IN THE AIR FOR NEARLY HALF AN HOUR, AND THE “LAVATORY OCCUPIED” SIGN HAS BEEN LIT FOR THE ENTIRE TIME. I AM SECOND IN LINE, BEHIND CLINT BLACK, AND WE ARE BEGINNING TO WONDER, AND DREAD, WHAT MIGHT BE GOING ON IN THERE, AND TO RECONSIDER HOW BADLY EACH OF US HAS TO GO. AT LAST WE HEAR THE TELL TALE SOUND OF THE RESTROOM DOOR BEING UNLOCKED, AND OUT COMES AN ENORMOUS OLDER GENTLEMAN, LOOKING LIKE HE HAS SEEN BETTER MORNINGS. NOW, CLINT AND I FACE THE INEVITABLE, AND UNAVOIDABLE, MOMENT WHEN ONE OF US MUST BE THE BRAVE ONE TO FOLLOW THIS DUDE. ALTHOUGH WE HAVE EACH BEEN HOLDING IT FOR QUITE A WHILE, BOTH CLINT AND I ARE A BIT GUN SHY ABOUT VENTURING INTO THAT TINY, UNVENTILATED CUBICLE. OUR ONLY CHANCE IS TO STALL, (GET IT?), SO WE WHIP OUT THE FAMILY PHOTOS, AND CONTINUE DISCUSSING THE CHALLENGES AND JOYS OF BEING A PARENT OF YOUNG KIDS. FINALLY, WHEN WE DEEM IT SAFE TO PROCEED, CLINT ENTERS THE UNOCCUPIED POTTY…HEY, HE WAS FIRST IN LINE.
ANYWAY, THIS MORNING I SAID GOODBYE TO MY CHILDREN FOR THE LAST TIME THIS YEAR…YEP, THIS IS THE FINAL RUN OF THE 2008 TOURING SEASON. THE DEF LEPPARD SHOWS AND OUR SPRING EUROPEAN TOUR SEEM LIKE ANOTHER LIFETIME, (GET IT?). THE SUMMER DATES ARE A BLUR. EVEN OUR RECENT CARIBBEAN SHOWS SEEM LIKE THEY HAPPENED LONG AGO. ROCK TOURS HAVE A WAY OF WARPING TIME. BEING IN DIFFERENT CITIES EVERY DAY, CRISSCROSSING TIME ZONES, MEETING SO MANY PEOPLE…IT ALL HAS A WAY OF MESHING TOGETHER AND PLAYING TRICKS ON THE ROAD WEARY MIND. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT IT IS ALL SO MUCH FUN THAT IT IS A PLEASURABLE STATE OF CONFUSION, ONE TO WHICH I HAVE GROWN ACCUSTOMED OVER THE PAST THIRTY-FIVE YEARS. AS CLINT BLACK AND I WERE JUST SAYING, WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO BE ABLE TO GET PAID FOR DOING WHAT WE LOVE TO DO.
THIS FLIGHT IS QUICKLY TURNING INTO A PARTY. MEATLOAF JUST STOPPED BY MY SEAT FOR A CHAT, AND SAYS HE PLANS TO BE AT OUR SHOW IN NASHVILLE TOMORROW. TOM PETERSON IS ON THE FINAL LEG OF HIS JOURNEY HOME AFTER CHEAP TRICK’S AUSTRALIAN TOUR, AND HE IS PRETTY MUCH ASLEEP BEFORE HE GETS TO HIS SEAT. I LOVE THAT GUY. ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS ABOUT BEING IN A BAND IS THAT I GET TO HANG OUT WITH OTHER GUYS IN BANDS WHICH I LIKE AND RESPECT…IT’S ALL GOOD.
THE NASHVILLE SHOW WAS SO MUCH FUN. PLAYING TO A ROOM FULL OF MUSICIANS AND SONGWRITERS DEFINITELY BRINGS THE BEST OUT OF US. AFTER THE CONCERT KELLY KEAGEY FROM NIGHT RANGER, ERIC BAZILIAN OF THE HOOTERS, AND THE GIRLS FROM PISTOL, ALONG WITH ROD, JOHN, AND THE GANG AT CAA, WERE ALL IN THE DRESSING ROOM DRINKING CHAMPAGNE. I KNOW, WATCH YOUR FEET, I AM DROPPING LOTS OF NAMES HERE, BUT I CAN’T HELP IT…IT’S FUN, AND I’M NOT DONE YET!
WE HAD A BLAST FRIDAY NIGHT AT WILD BILL’S IN ATLANTA…IT’S A GREAT ROCK’N ROLL VENUE AND WE SAW SO MANY FRIENDS AND EVEN A COUSIN. THEN WE SET OUT FOR THE 500 PLUS MILE RIDE TO NEW ORLEANS. THE SHOW WAS ON A CHILLY OUTDOOR STAGE AT HARRAH’S CASINO, JUST OFF THE FRENCH QUARTER, AND AGAIN, PLAYING IN A MUSIC TOWN GETS US CHARGED UP. WHEN WE GOT OFF STAGE THERE WAS A MESSAGE FROM SAMMY HAGAR INVITING ME TO A PRIVATE BENEFIT SHOW HE WAS DOING FOR HIS BUDDY, CHEF EMERIL. I GOT THERE JUST IN TIME FOR A COUPLE OF PRE-SHOW SIPS OF CABO WABO, THEN A GLASS OF WINE FROM EMERIL’S STASH…PERHAPS THE BEST RED WINE I HAVE EVER TASTED, SO I ENJOYED ANOTHER GLASS…OH BOY, HERE WE GO. WALTER AND I WOUND UP AT OUR FAVORITE FRENCH QUARTER HANG, THE DUNGEON, WHERE THE DOM WAS FLOWING AND THE MUSIC WAS DEAFENING, ANOTHER ROCKIN’ NIGHT IN NEW ORLEANS.
BY THE TIME I GOT TO NEW YORK CITY ON SUNDAY I WAS MORE THAN A LITTLE TIRED, NOT TO MENTION SLIGHTLY HUNG OVER. IT HAS BEEN YEARS SINCE I HAD AN ACTUAL HANGOVER, SO I HAD FORGOTTEN WHAT TO DO. WAS IT RAW EEGS AND TOMATO JUICE? TOAST AND 7 UP? SOME HAIR OF THE DOG THAT BIT ME?
ANYWAY, BY MONDAY I WAS READY TO ROCK. WE DID AN UNPLUGGED THING WITH OUR BUDDIES “BOB AND TOM” VIA SATELLITE TO INDIANAPOLIS, AND TO THEIR 200 AFFILIATED RADIO STATIONS. WE DID 104 FM IN NEW YORK CITY, AS WELL AS A NUMBER OF OTHER PRESS RELATED STUFF. THE FUN CAME THAT NIGHT WHEN WE WERE INVITED TO COME TO A PERFORMANCE OF “ROCK OF AGES”.
“ROCK OF AGES” IS A BROADWAY STYLE MUSICAL COMEDY, SET TO THE MUSIC OF THE 80s, AND WE ALL LOVED IT. I WON’T GIVE AWAY THE TAKE THEY HAVE ON OUR SONGS, BUT YOU HAVE TO SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT. CONSTANTINE FROM LAST YEAR’S AMERICAN IDOL HAS THE LEAD ROLE, AND HE SINGS HIS ASS OFF…HE IS THE REAL THING, AND THE REST OF THE CAST, AS WELL AS THE BAND, IS GREAT. IT IS A TOTAL FEEL GOOD SHOW, AND I RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE VISITING MANHATTAN’S THEATER DISTRICT.
OKAY, WE HAVE DONE 90 SHOWS SO FAR THIS YEAR, WITH ONE FINAL CONCERT IN VEGAS THIS SATURDAY…CAN I GO HOME NOW!!!
KC
