Fast forward to yesterday. I had to work, but it was a fairly quick hour and a half drive down to the fairgrounds in Monroe, WA. I was a bit concerned about the weather...it had been raining on and off all day long, and the forecast was possible thundershowers throughout the evening. The rain held off until I reached Monroe. There was a light drizzle as I walked from the fair parking lot to the entrance gate. My contest win included admission to the fair, which was nice. I met up with my friend Tiffany, who I invited to enjoy the free concert with me. After grabbing a burger for dinner, we headed to the grandstand for the show. Our tickets were for the general admission bleacher area...actually a good thing. That section had seating under the roof, which would be ideal should it rain. And, it did initially, but once the show started, the rain abated and we had a very pleasant Northwest evening under overcast skies.
REO Speedwagon took the stage to a roaring welcome. I got the impression there were a lot of people like me who grew up with their music and appreciated their old style rock and roll. In fact, I think most of the audience was in their 40's and 50's...yeah, I fit right in! But, age doesn't diminish enthusiasm, and there was an abundance of that.
The band still has three of the original members, lead singer Kevin Cronin, bass player Bruce Hall and keyboardist Neal Doughty, as well as guitarist Dave Amato and drummer Bryan Hitt. Throughout the evening, they played many of their biggest hits, including Can't Fight This Feeling, Take It On The Run and Keep On Loving You. Many years have passed since those songs ruled the charts, but REO Speedwagon hasn't lost its touch...they rocked the house!
Next week, my blast with the past continues. I'll be seeing another band of rock legends that like REO Speedwagon, also got their start in the 70s. This will be my first time attending one of their concerts and I'm SO EXCITED! Stay tuned....
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