Chicago / REO Speedwagon @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO

Words and photos by Jack Adams
The crowd arrived at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre all in hopes to have an amazing night seeing incredible musicians perform. KSHE 95 gathering crowds of people to play bean bag toss and even take pictures with Sweetmeat. As the gates opened, people flooded the venue purchasing their keepsakes and finding their seats as the air filled with talk of excitement. The lights came on and thousands of people roared as REO Speedwagon walked onto stage. Kevin Cronin (lead singer of REO) introduced the band and they began with their hit “Don’t Let Him Go”. Hit after hit, they had everyone in the crowd in awe. The smiling faces cascaded from front row all the way to the lawn seats. After thanking the crowd for their hospitality, the band also reminisced over the years of Saint Louis fans coming together to enjoy the music that kept them going for years to come.

Next to the stage was the band everyone was anticipating for, Chicago. The band entered the stage to a crowd ready to hear the music that filled their hearts over the years. The ensemble played their classics from “25 or 6 to 4” to their song “You're the Inspiration”, tune after tune the crowd sang along. The visual art of the entire night was very vivid and had a lot of meaning behind it. Chicago had screens showing acts of rebellion against war, love stories, and psychedelic imagery. The act against war violence in a time around the 1960's or 1970's. The images showed people being blockaded by police, even as far as riots. To see and hear musicians play music expressing what so many people felt and fought for without having a negative response was probably the best experience of the night. The whole experience wasn’t just about violence, it was also about the love and compassion. The love stories showed couples holding hands while running through meadows and just being in the presence of someone you love. Those images gave more of a warmth to the crowd as the speaks rang with words of romance. The most visually pleasing part of the night was by far the psychedelic art, which showed images of brightly colored flowers and tidied art moving in swirls and different pattern movements to keep your eyes locked on it. It really brought a piece of happiness and tranquility to the stage, which kept it very light-hearted. This was also the time when they incorporated their band name the most. The visual art was very fitting for the music that Chicago was performing, even showing fireworks when they played “Saturday In The Park”.

As the night drew to an end, the crowd applauded the performers. Throughout the entire venue, you could hear others talk about how amazing the sound quality was as well as the visual art. Many amazing musicians came together to give the experience of a lifetime to those who grew up listening to the music they produced. It was definitely a night to remember for many years to come.

Photos of the show are below:

REO Speedwagon
Chicago
Contributed by Jack Adams
Chicago / REO Speedwagon @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO Chicago / REO Speedwagon @ Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, Maryland Heights, MO Reviewed by Scott Rowe, Editor on June 25, 2018 Rating: 5
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