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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 " - 05/30/09
May 30, 2009…6:04 AM
So what am I doing awake at this time of day, you ask. Well, about this point in the tour my internal body clock completely ceases to function. I just sleep when I can…a few hours here, a few there. Hopefully it averages out to around eight per day… but rarely are they consecutive. It’s part of the life, I’m used to it.
The sun is now peeking over the horizon off the left side of the bus, silhouetting the mountains of southwestern Idaho. Now, had I slept through the night, I would have totally missed this rare sight. Not only that, I have VH-1 Classic on the TV, and Hall and Oates’, “Out of Touch” is on…again, had I gotten a good night’s sleep I would have missed all of those funky white guy dance moves, including John Oates grooving inside a giant letter O…I rest my case.
It’s also a good thing to be up at this hour so someone can check in on Scotty the bus driver. It is his job to get us to Salt Lake City as quickly, yet smoothly, as possible, so he motors on no matter what. He doesn’t stop unless we absolutely need fuel, or his bladder is about to burst. Some guys tend to wake up if the momentum of the bus changes, so Scotty does his best to keep his turns easy and his speed constant. If he gets hungry or thirsty, he is out of luck…unless one of us checks in on him. He normally plans ahead, so when I ask if he needs anything the answer is almost always, “Nope, but thanks for asking”. It’s the “thanks for asking” part that lets me know that he appreciates the fact that we are all here for him if he ever does need a can of Mountain Dew, a mini-donut, or a V-8.
Now we’re talkin’! My rock buddy, Joan Jett, is up on the screen now, looking tough, loving rock’n roll, and asking us to “put another dime in the jukebox baby”. I’m not sure a dime would get us much more than the opening chords these days, but I love the sentiment. Joan looks way better now than she did in this video. Of course who am I to talk? On a daily basis I am shown photos and old album covers from the 70s and 80s, the sight of which literally make my skin crawl. I guess those hairstyles and fashions looked good at the time, but yikes, that stuff is scary. Exhibit A: the Nine Lives album cover photo…as if the giant black panther on a chain wasn’t enough, there was my mesh shirt, spandex pants, and white gloves. However, the gold sequined medal has to go to Gary’s monster suit…that thing was a one piece, boots included, spandex masterpiece…Gene Simmons, eat your heart out!
I wonder who lives out here in this wilderness…but people do. We just passed through a random lava field. Now I can see the occasional farmhouse in the distance along the interstate, with the nearest neighbor living miles away. There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot going on around here. I suppose it works if you like your privacy…a lot. Wait, I just saw a road sign announcing the best steakhouse in Pocatello, so this must be the suburbs of Pocatello, Idaho. Now it all makes sense…no, actually it doesn’t. But then neither does this Duran Duran video…”Notorious”. This song makes no sense at all to me, but this chick sure can dance…oops, that’s one of the guys in the band!
Okay, there is a white, female, 80s disco artist on the tube now…this song somehow escaped my radar, even back then. Dang, I just missed seeing who it was. I think the song may have been called, “I Can’t Wait”, based on the fact that she sang that line about a hundred times for pretty much the entire video…but her doo was extremely big, so that makes up for the musical and lyrical shortcomings of the song.
Okay, I am getting very cynical, which should be a heads up that I need to slide back into my bunk and try to grab a couple more hours of sleepytime. I am very afraid of what dreams I may have after an hour of 80s videos. Oh yeah, a little ZZ Top now to rock me to sleep…a perfect exit song, “Legs”.
zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzkc
ps. In my room here in Salt Lake City, having gotten a few more hours of sleep…I feel slightly more human. I’m getting a text from Art Alexakis of Everclear. We have been friends ever since he made amends for kicking me off his stage in Atlanta a few years ago…but that is another story. He is basically trash talking me because I text messaged him last night. Is texting really only for “people who like horses and rainbows and pink”?
Anyway, the audience in Billings, Montana last night was so amazing. They were on their feet, singing, cheering, screaming…rocking, from 38 Special’s first song, “Rockin’ Into The Night”, right through to the REO/Styx finale of “Can’t Stop Rockin’”…what a great night!
Not to mention our night off in Billings on Thursday. Our tour manager, Walter, organized a REO/Styx band and crew movie night out. We all piled into a couple of local transport busses, and headed for the local multiplex to see “Angels and Demons”. Overall the flick received somewhere around fifteen thumbs down, but it was still enjoyable, if totally unbelievable. But it made no difference to us…we all had a blast, lots of laughs, hanging out together. This is the only way to tour. Having fun is a must at this point in time…and we are! Look out Salt Lake…..
KC
Can’t Stop Rockin’…Day ??
May 28, 2009
Okay, so we left Seattle after the show last night, and we are still on
the bus…ah yes, the glamorous life of touring….
The scenery, however, is awesome. We are cruising through the
Yellowstone National Park area. The sky is so blue, the air so fresh,
the snow covered mountains in the distance so magnificent…this is truly
Big Sky Country. Interstate 90 follows the free flowing Yellowstone
River, which Lewis and Clark navigated as they explored these lands in
the early 1800s….and now we retrace their route, in reverse, in this big
steel canoe with wheels. I feel the pioneer spirit, really.
The Can’t Stop Rockin’ finale jam just keeps getting better. We
rehearsed it during Styx’s sound check in San Jose the other night. Yeah
you heard right…we actually rehearsed! We dialed in the stage sound, so
now we can hear what each other are doing. It is such a blast every
night, and now it is even more fun. The REO/Styx combination band is a
powerful machine, which just keeps building on its own momentum. Don’t
miss it at the end of every concert.
This weekend we will be playing Billings, Salt Lake City, and the awe
inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheater in Denver. My earliest memory of life
was as a three-year-old boy, sitting on those huge red boulders with my
parents, looking at the natural stage below. Funny thing that I will be
on that stage, in front of a sold out crowd, singing my songs, on
Sunday. The circle of life is a wonderful thing.
Oh boy, I’m afraid we need a truck stop. I have no idea how Scott the
Bus Driver does it. He has been steering this monster all night, and
well into this afternoon…and he is cheerful as ever. I think I would be
a little cranky if I were him, and we asked to pull off for a little
“rest room break”. But faced with the alternative of breaking the first
precept of bus touring, the infamous “no solids rule”, Scott dutifully
heads for the next exit with a smile.
We Can’t Stop Rockin’…can you?
kc
"KC at Yellowstone"
Can’t Stop Rockin’….No idea what Day it is
Anyway, when you’re having this much fun, who cares?
All I know is last night was the LA show…our adopted hometown. The
amazing Nokia Theater was packed to the rafters with friends, fans and
family. I felt like it was my birthday. There was a never-ending parade
of people I love coming through my dressing room. All four of my
children were there…and my wife too. I can’t begin to name all of the
great friends who came out for this show.
The flip side of this picture is that Tour Manager Walter spent his day
in “guest list hell”…but he pulled it off, and so far no news of
catastrophic missteps from anyone who was accidentally left off the
list, or whose tickets got lost in the box office, or got eaten by the
dog…so we’ve got that going for us, and that’s nice.
Okay, this will have to be a short one…time to head for the amphitheater
at Konocti Harbor. We always have fun here, and tonight will be more of
the same.
Later,
kc
PS. Yikes, Tommy Shaw and I were having a relaxed, pre-show dinner when
all *&^% broke loose backstage at Konocti Harbor Amphitheater. Crew guys
moving at speeds never before even attempted…I mean guys were running
toward the stage.
38 Special had played a few measures into their first song when the
sound of twisting metal drown them out. Right before our eyes, the roof
of the outdoor stage buckled, and the down stage right corner dropped
about ten feet…right above Don Barnes’ head. Quickly the band was herded
off stage, the audience was cleared from the floor and into the
bleachers. We were all stunned and confused…even more than usual.
Riggers were up the towers in an instant, in an attempt to secure the
compromised structure. It was a scary scene for all of us.
Ultimately the show was cancelled and the audience was instructed that
the show would be re-scheduled and that they need to vacate the venue.
The bands were escorted out, and the crews are doing their best to clear
out the production gear safely as I type.
We are all disappointed that tonight’s show was cancelled, as we know
that our fans traveled far to be here with us tonight. The bands were
all ready to rock anyway, but we were told that the situation was far
too dangerous, and that playing the show was simply not an option.
Hopefully we can come back here later in the summer for a make up date.
We are all relieved that nobody in the audience or crew was injured…this
could have been far worse.
We will be ready to rock at Shoreline Amphitheater on Sunday. I agree
with Tommy’s opinion that since neither Styx nor REO played tonight,
that means that we never officially started rocking, which means that
technically we still Can’t Stop Rockin’…
kc
Can’t Stop Rockin…Day Four and a half, (and five too)
May 17, 2009
Yo Party People,
The Can’t Stop Rockin troupe brought the party to Party City last night,
as we rocked the Thomas and Mack Arena in Las Vegas. This venue has
become the home of “Arena Rock” concerts here, and it makes sense. They
sell tickets at 1981 prices, $25, and the sound in the arena is perfect
for our music. I could hear both 38 Special and Styx’s sets from my
dressing room, and they sounded @#$%^ Amazing!
You never know who is going to pop up backstage when you play in Vegas,
and some of our good buddies made the scene. Two time National League
batting champ, seven time Gold Glove winner, and all around great guy
and friend of our band…former outfielder for the Colorado Rockies, Larry
Walker came out for a dose of REO. I love his stories about what goes on
between the players and umpires during Big League baseball games…Larry
is awesome, a great dad, and one funny dude.
Original REO manager, and now ruler of the known world, Irving Azoff,
came and hung out in the dressing room, then watched our set from the
sound board, and gave the tour his coveted stamp of approval…thanks
Irving, that means a lot to us.
And our manager, godfather to my son Josh, the man whose brain child the
whole Can’t Stop Rockin’ idea is, and my close friend of thirty five
years, Tommy Consolo was on hand. Tommy’s energy is unending. He is a
human fountain of ideas. Without his love, loyalty and dedication our
band would not be where we are today…Fresno ;-) With Tommy was our new
friend from the Frontline Management family, Tamara. Nobody knows
exactly what her job is, including her, but she does it with such charm
and grace...we love her already.
Then, as we went into the refrain on “Roll With The Changes”, our good
buddy, the inimitable Carrot Top, ran out to Dave’s mic and tried his
hand at “singing” background vocals. He threatened to call me out on
stage during his show and make me tell a joke, so I can truly comprehend
how he felt last night…(no way will that happen). We met Top when he
visited us after our set during the Def Leppard tour last year. He and I
have become friends and text message buddies ever since…he cracks me up.
If you come to Vegas do not miss Carrot Top’s show at the Luxor. He is
brilliantly hilarious, and he uses our music, as well as a number of
other Classic Rock songs, to power his show…he is another great, down to
earth guy, who I am pleased to call a bro.
The vibes between REO and Styx just keep getting better and better. The
jam on “Can’t Stop Rockin” is just plain, old school, rock’n roll fun.
Tommy Shaw and I have let everybody know that we want to keep it loose,
and all of us are having a blast on stage. If you come to a show, don’t
even think about leaving early…forget about beating the traffic, the
babysitter can wait a few extra minutes. You have to stay until the end,
and check out “Can’t Stop Rockin”.
By the way, you can get a souvenir copy of the song at the merch stand
or through the website. Don’t be confused by the package…even though it
is a vintage LP cover in size and style, it contains a CD with the new
song, and two bonus tracks: “Roll With The Changes” and “Blue Collar
Man” performed live, by both bands together. There is also a double
sized poster of all eleven of us together contained inside the package,
as well as a lyric sheet. Every copy is hand autographed by all of the
bandmembers…thousands of them! I through out my shoulder signing
autographs last night. Luckily we had a former major leaguer on hand to
pop it back in place ;-)
Okay, it is halftime of Lakers-Rockets Game 7. Lakers are dominating,
but I can’t multi-task any longer. I need to give my full attention to
the second half. Hope to see you all at a Can’t Stop Rockin’ show soon…
kc
ps. I have since listened to the Vegas show tape, and it was an inspired
performance by band , crew, and all the techs. I rarely call meetings
these days, but tonight I called on everybody to meet in the band
dressing room after dinner. It was a love fest…the house mix, monitor
mix, lighting show, all of the stage techs…for a concert to come off
like last night’s, everybody needs to be operating at a high level…it is
teamwork, and I wanted to share the joy of giving a full energy show
with our whole team. It takes all of us to make it happen.
pps. Tonight in Fresno was another rockin’ show…we just can’t stop. LA,
here we come! I sleep in my own bed tonight, and wake up with my
children in the morning…
ppss. Go Lakers!!!
Can’t Stop Rockin’…Day 3
May 15, 2009
Back on the bus again, on the way to the gig at the beautiful Dodge
Theater. Yesterday’s day off here in Phoenix was wonderful, a good
workout, some poolside relaxation where I reviewed the recording of the
prior night’s concert, everything was great…until the evening. I had
ordered room service, set up a comfy seat in front of the big flat
screen TV in my room, and settled in to watch my beloved Lakers close
out the Houston Rockets in the second round of the NBA playoffs…..
But it was not to be…the team played like there was a swine flu breakout
in their locker room. It was 17-1 Rockets in the first quarter, and it
only got worse. Oh well, they come home to LA on Sunday, and should get
the job done in Game 7.
We are all looking forward to the concert tonight. We realized after two
shows that the right time to play “Cant Stop Rockin” is as the final
encore. That way all of the guys from both bands will be on stage to
wave good-bye at the very end of the night. It is the perfect finale for
an awesome, three band, night of hits. I know I sound like a skipping
CD, but you all must come out and see us this tour. It is just too much
fun.
Okay, fast forward, the concert just ended, and the finale was awesome.
After a four hour concert, all the guys in Styx and REO joined together
and played “Can’t Stop Rockin” live. It is amazing for all of us, and
from what I can see from the stage, the audience walks out of the arena
like they have been hit by a rock’n roll freight train. It is Big Fun.
The bus leaves for Vegas any minute, and we will attempt to sleep while
rocking down the interstate at 80 mph in a bus. It’s rock’n roll…and I
like it.
kc
“Can’t Stop Rockin”…Day 2 and a half
May 14, 2009
The road between Flagstaff and Phoenix drops from 7,500 to 1,500 feet of
elevation in a relatively short span, which is of little interest, other
than as a bit of trivia, unless you are trying to sleep on a speeding
tour bus. I decided to climb out of my bunk at 6:27 AM, as I would
prefer to be in an upright position when my eardrums explode. Now we
find ourselves at one with Phoenix’s morning commuters. (note: one of my
early motivating factors for pursuing a life as a musician, besides
meeting girls who were way out of my league, was to avoid being stuck in
drive time traffic like my father had been, five days a week, for twenty
five years…but I digress).
Okay, I now come to you live from a nice hotel room in downtown Phoenix,
across from a nice Phoenix shopping area, where reportedly one can find
an Apple Store…I need an i-phone upgrade in order to try out tweeting. I
am told that I can literally share our daily touring trials,
tribulations, and adventures as they occur through tweeter.com. Hey,
I’ll give it a shot.
So last night in Albuquerque was another sweet show. 38 Special joined
up and played a smoking, hit packed set. We have been playing shows with
those guys since the 70s, so it is great to have another band of rock
survivors on board…those dudes can’t stop rockin’ either. It was a
beautiful night for an outdoor concert…actually to call this a concert
is a bit of an understatement; this is a real Big Rock Show.
The Styx boys joined us for a final encore of “Can’t Stop Rockin”. I
love playing our set, but the two band jam at the end of the show is so
much fun, and the audience goes absolutely wild when we come out
together with both bands. I knew it would be cool, but it is way more
fun than I even expected.
Well, my premature wake up this morning is catching up with me…I am
fading fast…talk to you later…zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
kc
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Can’t Stop Rockin’…Day One
Amarillo, Texas is the perfect place to kick off the tour. This is the
kind of town where our band made a name for itself. REO is not a big
city thing. We are most at home in cozy little cities just like
Amarillo.
Amarillo is famous for a steakhouse called, The Big Texan, where anyone
who can clean their plate gets their meal for free…but as you may have
guessed, there is one catch. The meal consists of a 72-ounce hunk of
meat, a huge salad with dressing, and a baked potato the size of your
head…oh, and you have to eat it all while sitting at a raised table, as
all the other diners watch your every gluttonous gulp. I passed on the
invitation to imbibe…I’ll gladly ante up for my twelve dollar Chicken
Caesar.
While there is always a chance a tornado will blow through town this
time of year, the forecast says we are safe today, but there is
firestorm of classic rock’n roll set to blow the roof off the Amarillo
Civic Center tonight.
The smiles on all our faces as the Styx boys joined us to run through
our new single, Can’t Stop Rockin’, pretty much say it all. In case you
haven’t heard, Tommy Shaw and I wrote the song, and both bands recorded
it together, especially for this tour. The record is currently at number
five on the Classic Rock Radio chart, and will be available in a
collectable package at the merch stand every night. The finale of the
each show on the tour will be both bands playing the song live, all
together, on stage…it is so much fun, I can’t wait…and you should not
miss it.
So I am off to the gym, then sound check with the fans that joined “I
Love All Access”. You can be in the building watching sound check and
getting a little backstage tour…just check the website for info.
Tonight is opening night, and yes, I do have a slight case of the
jitters. This is the most amazing lighting rig/production we have ever
played on. We are as ready as we are gonna be, so I say, “Let’s Rock!”.
My goal is to send out daily tour stories, so stay tuned every day to
hear what we are up to. We also plan to post videos and photos of life
on the Can’t Stop Rockin’ Tour.
See you soon…kc.