Last Friday night’s REO Speedwagon show was nothing short of spectacular and renewed my faith that good-old fashioned rock and roll music is alive and well in 2023. Joined by Sir, Please, Kevin Cronin and company transported fans back in time with 16 classic tracks that had everyone in attendance singing and dancing all night long. It was the perfect setlist to welcome in the new year at Yaamava Theater, one of the newest and coolest live music venues in Southern California.
Looking to start out 2023 with a bang, I decided to hit up Yaamava Theater for the first time and rock out with arguably one of the most prolific and long-standing classic rock acts on the planet, REO Speedwagon. Joined by thousands of REO faithful, I made my way through the beautiful Yaamava Casino and entered the theater for what I anticipated to be one hell of a rock and roll show. Fans were smiling, beer was flowing, and I knew Friday’s show would be one for the ages. Let’s dig in.
Kicking off the festivities in Highland was a killer quartet from Agoura Hills known affectionately as Sir, Please. While their unassuming nature might catch you off guard, this band of brothers brought their “A” game to with a killer set that blended their own hits with classic covers in a fun and funky way that really hit home with the masses. While they only had time for a handful of songs, I was blown away by tracks like “Different,” “Dance With Me,” and “If I Run.” I’d seen Sir, Please many years ago at one of their first performances and they have really evolved into a well-oiled machine with a super clean sound, unique style, and amazing stage presence. Catch em’ if you can live as these cats are poised for greatness in the not-so-distant future.
Now on to the main attraction, REO Speedwagon. I’ve been what many consider a “super-fan” for many years, and I have seen the band live more times than I can count. However, their sets never get old and their music still resonates with me on a deep and personal level. As lights dimmed and the band finally took the stage, the capacity crowd jumped out of their seats as they launched into “Don’t Let Him Go” off of one of my all-time favorite albums, High Infidelity. The stage was set, rockets were launched, and REO was off to the races.
Over the next few hours, fans from all walks of life were treated to 16 amazing REO Speedwagon tracks spanning their legendary 50+ year career. There was honestly not one song in their set that I couldn’t sing along with, and I did just that all night long with classics like “Take It On The Run,” “Son of a Poor Man,” and of course, “Ridin’ the Storm Out.” The evening ended with a two-song encore consisting of “Keep on Loving You” and “Roll With The Changes.” Both sounded brilliant and were amplified 10-fold by the amazing acoustics of the Yaamava Theater. As Kevin, Bruce, Dave, Bryan, and Derek took their final curtain call, I simply smiled as the show came to an unfortunate end. Reflecting back, it definitely was a “show for the ages” and one I’ve come to expect as a long time REO Speedwagon fan. Until next time!
SIR, PLEASE
