Four members of REO Speedwagon came back together for a special performance in their hometown of Champaign, Illinois on Sept 27. It was a joyous event, although all involved admit they’re uncertain if it will lead to more work together.
It’s now been a year since the band announced they would stop touring at the end of 2024 due to “irreconcilable differences” between the band’s frontman, Kevin Cronin and bassist Bruce Hall. The pair were back together alongside keyboardist Neal Doughty (who retired from the group in 2023) and drummer Alan Gratzer, who stepped away from REO in late 1988.
All of this made their reunion for the University of Illinois a memorable milestone, as it was the first time the four members had all been together in a musical capacity since Dec. 31, 1988 according to Setlist.FM.
READ MORE: REO Speedwagon Plays Final Show
What Did REO Speedwagon Play During Their Reunion?
It was certainly an REO Speedwagon show that no one — not even the members of the band themselves — had ever witnessed. Tapped as grand marshals for the Illinois Homecoming Parade the previous day, Cronin, Hall, Gratzer and Doughty took the field with over 400 members of the university’s marching band, the Fighting Illini during halftime for the Homecoming Game.
The massive troupe helped the group deliver epic and choreographed versions of three fan favorites from their catalog, “Ridin’ the Storm Out,” “Roll With the Changes” and “157 Riverside Avenue.” You can watch the performance below.
REO Speedwagon Performs With the Marching Illini in Champaign, Illinois
What’s Next For REO Speedwagon?
In a new interview leading up to that weekend’s events, Cronin referenced the band’s past work when talking about what the reunion meant. “The fans all around the country, they know that we’re going to be together for the first time in a long time,” he shared. “You know, REO Speedwagon has always stood for…we ride the storm out. We roll with the changes. We keep pushing. We’re a positive energy source, and that’s what the institution of REO Speedwagon has always stood for. So for the four of us to be here together, I think it sends a message to the fans that you overcome whatever you got to overcome in the service of them, the fans and [also in order] to be here together in Champaign, where the band started.”
All the members smiled as they spoke about the weekend ahead and later, what might follow. “You never know,” Doughty said, when asked if this would be the last time they would all be together. “One never knows,” Gratzer added. “We don’t know. We can’t read the future, the magic ball,” he chuckled.
The reunion in Champaign marked the second time in recent months that Hall, Doughty and Gratzer have been back in the area. They reunited with other former members of the group in June to play a special retrospective concert that at the time seemed like it might be the final swan song.
Though Cronin was unable to participate in that gig due to his commitment to the Brotherhood of Rock tour with Styx and Don Felder, he admitted in an August conversation with UCR that touring as the Kevin Cronin Band had been difficult.
“I don’t know what I want to do next,” he said at that time, acknowledging that he’d made the “heartbreaking” decision to dismantle the touring crew that had been with him for decades going back to the REO days.
For the moment, there was visible unity. The singer stood with his former bandmates as a check for $50,000 was presented to the Moffitt Cancer Center. The donation came as a result of funds raised during the previous concert in June.
REO Speedwagon, University of Illinois, Champaign, Illinois, Set List:
1. “Ridin’ the Storm Out”
2. “Roll With the Changes”
3. “157 Riverside Avenue”
REO Speedwagon Albums Ranked
REO Speedwagon’s catalog and career have been marked by dizzying highs and big setbacks. Here’s a ranked look back.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso
