They made us laugh, and we made them cry. Now, REO Speedwagon believes it’s time for them to fly. The arena rock kings formed in 1967, during keyboardist Neal Doughty’s junior year at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Hitting their peak with 1980’s Hi Infidelity, REO Speedwagon captivated listeners with timeless classics like “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Keep On Loving You.” Now, nearly 60 years in, the “Take It On the Run” hitmakers are hanging it up. Watch these can’t-miss moments from REO Speedwagon’s final show.
REO Speedwagon Takes Final Bow in Vegas
Taking the stage Saturday (Dec. 21) at Las Vegas’ Venetian Theater, REO Speedwagon took the near-capacity crowd on a soaring trip down memory lane.
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The 15-song setlist spanned the entirety of 1980’s 10-time platinum-certified album Hi Infidelity, including the No. 1 hit “Keep On Loving You.” Ultimately, the band wrapped up their illustrious career with an encore performance of “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Roll With the Changes.’
Asking the crowd to indulge him for a moment, lead vocalist Kevin Cronin reflected on the “amazing ride” that the last 52 years have brought him.
“So I feel sadness that this is the final REO Speedwagon concert, and at the same time, I feel grateful to have been part of this incredible ride,” said Cronin, 73. “We’ve all been brothers on this amazing musical journey called REO Speedwagon.”
Kevin Cronin Will “Carry on the Spirit” of the Band
Back in September, REO Speedwagon abruptly announced that their days on the road were coming to an end.
In November 2023, bassist Bruce Hall took a leave of absence from the band to undergo back surgery. Nearly one year later, his bandmates announced that Hall had not sufficiently recovered from that surgery, which led to “irreconcilable differences” between the bassist and frontman Kevin Cronin.
In an interview last week with Billboard, Cronin insisted that the split hadn’t been his idea. The Illinois rocker also indicated that he plans to continue performing the band’s extensive catalog live under his own name.
“I never quit the band; I never will quit the band,” Cronin said. “I just got outvoted and…have to stop calling it REO Speedwagon at the end of this year.”
Featured image by Larry Marano/Shutterstock
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