Legendary rockers Styx and Kevin Cronin, the iconic voice and writer behind REO Speedwagon's greatest hits, have one of the strongest brotherly bonds spanning 25 years, especially since they’ve crossed paths on the North American concert trail along with the occasional joint festival concert. Fittingly, next summer they’ll join forces for the sixth time for their “Brotherhood of Rock” tour, along with special guest Don Felder (a former lead guitarist for the Eagles), that will include a stop in Cincinnati, OH for a performance at Riverbend Music Center on Tuesday, August 19.
The It wouldn’t be summer without a live celebration of some of the greatest Rock anthems of all time, including “Renegade,” “Keep On Loving You,” “Come Sail Away,” “Can't Fight This Feeling,” and “Hotel California.”
The official trailer for the “Brotherhood of Rock” tour can be seen here.
Styx and Kevin Cronin (as part of REO Speedwagon) first toured together in 2000 and in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, they came together to form the Rock to the Rescue 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, which still collects donations for local charities at every stop on Styx’s on-going tour.
“The winter of 1975 I had returned home to Montgomery, Alabama after accepting the fact that there was very little, if any interest from club owners for seven-piece rock bands who played their original songs, (some of which were 10 minutes long) and we’d finally accepted the reality that people wanted disco music hits to dance to,” says STYX singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw. “A musician friend from home called me about a steady gig he and two other local musician friends had in the lounge of the local bowling alley. There was no dance floor, only tables and chairs, and they were playing music from bands like the Eagles, Dan Fogelberg, etc. and singing three-part harmony to locals who were loving it and not wanting to dance. And a steady weekly paycheck! I joined them and spent the rest of that year playing whatever we liked, bought a modest house, bought a used car, and was relieved to be off the road after two years of night club managers who wanted us to play disco. Thinking I’d found a secure life in my hometown, I got a call from a guy named Jim Vosecek, who’d introduced himself to me and the band at a club in Chicago. He explained that he was tour manager of the rock band STYX, that they had just released a new album called EQUINOX, and they were scheduled to embark on their first national tour when a member suddenly quit and left the band. He said to get on the plane they’d booked and come audition. Arriving at O’Hare airport, I met Kevin Cronin who was returning to rejoin his band, REO Speedwagon. It was the beginning of a lifelong friendship that finds us back on the road together, this time under much different circumstances! The BROTHERHOOD of ROCK is stronger than ever!”
“I remember seeing Tommy’s seven-piece funk/rock band at the Rush Up club in Chicago, during my mid-‘70s REO hiatus, and then bumping into him at O’Hare Airport a few weeks later,” remembers Kevin Cronin. “In no time I was back in REO Speedwagon and Tommy had become the newest member of Styx. REO and Styx dominated the Billboard charts in 1981 with HI INFIDELITY and PARADISE THEATRE, but for reasons unknown we had never toured together. So in the year 2000, Tommy and I decided to give it a shot. The ‘Arch Allies’ tour was a smashing success, and a life-long friendship was formed. Now, here we are 25 years later, having always had each other’s back, and psyched for our bands to join forces once again for the ‘Brotherhood of Rock’ tour. A lot has changed since that chance encounter at the airport in 1975, but our brotherhood has only become stronger through the years, as the songs of Styx and REO Speedwagon have found a place in the hearts and souls of people all across America.”
“I’m so excited to be hitting the road this summer with my friends Styx and Kevin Cronin,” declares Don Felder. “It’s such a great line up full of hit songs and lots of ROCK AND ROLL!!! We have so much fun together both on stage and off stage that it’s hard to find a more wonderful combination of great music and great friends. This is one show you won’t want to miss. See you soon.”
About Styx:
The seven men comprising Styx--James “JY” Young (lead vocals, guitars), Tommy Shaw (lead vocals, guitars), Chuck Panozzo (bass, vocals), Todd Sucherman (drums, percussion), Lawrence Gowan (lead vocals, keyboards), Will Evankovich (mandolin, guitars), Terry Gowan (bass, guitar, vocals)—have committed to rocking the Paradise together with audiences far and wide, and each one of them is committed to making the next show better than the last. Styx draws from over five decades of barn burning chart hits, joyous singalongs, and hard-driving deep cuts. Like a symphony that builds to a satisfying crescendo, a Styx set covers a wide range of stylistic cornerstones. From the progressively sweeping splendor that is “The Grand Illusion” to the hunker-down fortitude of all that is the “Blue Collar Man,” from the majestic spiritual love for a special “Lady” to the seething indictment of preening, primping pageantry for pageantry’s sake of “Miss America,” from an individual yearning for true connection as a “Man in the Wilderness” to a soul-deep quest to achieve what’s at the heart of one’s personal vision in “Crystal Ball,” from the regal reach-for-the-stars bravado of “Come Sail Away” to the grainy all-in gallop of that rugged “Renegade” who had it made, the band draws on an unlimited cache of ways to immerse one’s mind and body in their signature sound.
As STYX continues to travel all over North America on their ongoing headlining and co-headlining tours, the desire to make new music doesn’t stop and won’t anytime soon. Their 17th album, CRASH OF THE CROWN was released June 18, 2021. Forbes described the album as one in which “…its sweeping, dramatic and anthemic sound immediately recalls the band's classic works of the 1970s and early 1980s.” It’s the follow-up to THE MISSION (their first in 14 years at the time, which critics also had called “a masterpiece”) which was released June 16, 2017. It originally debuted on various Billboard charts, including: #6 Top Rock Albums, #11 Physical Albums, #11 Vinyl Albums, #13 Current Albums, and #14 Billboard Top Albums.
About Kevin Cronin:
For his first solo summer outing, iconic vocalist and hit songwriter Kevin Cronin’s band features the same multi-talented lineup that toured America in 2024 as REO Speedwagon. Cronin continues to be joined onstage by lead guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt, who have played in REO Speedwagon since 1989. Additionally, Derek Hilland, who previously toured with Rick Springfield and Whitesnake, has been REO's keyboard player since January 2023. Matt Bissonette, who spent 12 years with Elton John through 2023, signed on as REO Speedwagon's touring bassist in November of that year.
Cronin began fronting REO Speedwagon in 1972, delivering a newly melodic sound, and setting the stage for the explosive HI INFIDELITY (1980). Fueled by massive hit singles “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run,” the RIAA Diamond Award-certified album (10 million in U.S. sales) remains a high-water mark for rock bands, with 15 weeks at #1. With REO, Cronin has record sales of over 40 million, including a string of nine consecutive platinum-plus albums. He has written number one hits such as "Keep on Loving You" and "Can't Fight This Feeling," plus "Roll With the Changes," "Time for Me to Fly," "Don't Let Him Go," and “In My Dreams.” Cronin also considers it his responsibility to share and shepherd the songs of his former bandmate, the late great Gary Richrath. Performing at Live Aid, back-to-back sold out shows at the Houston Astrodome and New Orleans Super-Dome in 1981, and five appearances at his favorite venue in the world, Red Rocks Amphitheatre, are among his many live performance highlights.
More recently, Kevin Cronin performed a duet with Dolly Parton on his number one hit "Keep on Loving You" for her ROCKSTAR album. Cronin is an active family man, health and fitness enthusiast, and author. He and Lisa, his wife of thirty-five years, and former music publisher at Geffen Music are “partners in everything.” Lisa is a loving mother, trusted advisor, and is presently working with him as he puts the final touches on his memoir, Roll With the Changes: My Life Within and Without REO Speedwagon. Kevin is excited to continue this musical adventure with his powerful band of brothers, Dave, Bryan, Derek, and Matt, for the 2025 “Brotherhood of Rock” tour.
About Don Felder:
No matter how you look at it, 2024 is shaping up to be the Year of the Fingers — Don “Fingers” Felder, that is. Felder, a true American rock and roll guitar hero, is very much looking forward to building upon his rich legacy as one of the most innovative riff-generating songwriters of the modern rock era while continuing his growth as a featured touring and recording solo artist.
Spending more and more time on the road as the frontman of his own tight-knit solo band made Felder realize he needed to put in the time to hone his own distinctive voice into a finely tuned instrument. “That’s just how I work,” Don explains. “A lead vocal has to fit the song — it has to fit the timbre and texture of the song. Otherwise, you’re a one-note samba.” Felder counts extended runs with Foreigner, Styx, Peter Frampton’s Guitar Circus, and REO Speedwagon as touring highlights.
What’s next for Fingers Felder? Extensive touring is most definitely already locked into place to get behind the majestic sounds and broad shoulders of AMERICAN ROCK ’N’ ROLL. In the meantime, let us continue to admire the essence of Don Felder, a man who continues to push boundaries and expand horizons. It’s the only way that he can travel down that road.
