Ok let’s set the tone. Imagine if you will that you’ve built a time machine, and that you plan to take a journey back in time to 1972. Your journey takes you back in time 45 years to search for some of the greatest Rock music available, and explore that Rock with an intensity that rivals the beginning of Mariner 9 mapping Mars. Now you snap back to reality and its August 13th 2017 and you realize you have just been transported back to the future and the Rock has come with you to Jiffy Lube Live in Bristow, Virginia captured in the “United We Rock” Tour…..
As the crowd at Jiffy Lube Live settled into their seats, one thing was clear they were here to rock. The show hadn’t even started yet, and through the crowd you could hear people signing their favorite songs by each band or talking about the last time they had seen such an amazing line-up. It was truly awe-inspiring to look around and see fans from young and old coming together and embodying the “United We Rock” Tour to its fullest.
Don Felder former Lead Guitarist of the Eagles took the stage at Jiffy Lube Live first. Instantly I was taken back to my childhood of sitting in front of the stereo and my step father playing the Eagles albums from start to finish. I remember I became completely consumed by what I was hearing and this night would be no different. Don played several of the Eagles classics such as “One Of These Nights”, “Witchy Woman”, and “Take It Easy” with Tommy Shaw from STYX. We were also treated to a cover of Steve Young’s “Seven Bridges Road”. As I listened I looked around and noticed there wasn’t a single person sitting still or not singing along, and the observation erupted with the closing of Don Felder’s set with classic Eagles in the form of “Hotel California” with a little assistance from Dave Amato of REO Speedwagon.
As I sat there literally drifting off and going back to my past and the great music we had just heard, the crowd roared as the stage was being set for STYX. This was a pleasant surprise as many of us assumed STYX would be closing the night. None the less that didn’t stop anyone from leaping out of their seats when STYX took the stage. STYX introduced themselves to us with “Gone, Gone, Gone” a track from their newest CD The Mission. Instantly you could hear that sound that has made STYX one of the premier Rock bands. With a similar but distinctive sound the fans at Jiffy Lube Live were completely blown away with the new material. Yet that was just a teaser of things yet to come. STYX was out to prove that this was so much more and unlike their classic track this was not just “The Grand Illusion” As we all sat in our seats our minds our souls were treated to a set list that covered the 45 years of STYX with classic hits like “Lady”, “Fooling Yourself” and “Too Much Time on My Hands” and culminating with “Come Sail Away” and the encore that featured the powerhouse classic “Renegade”.
Next up and to close out the night was one of the purest Rock bands to ever step on stage REO Speedwagon. I know you all will laugh, but immediately my mind went to my high school dances. Nervously holding my girl and dancing to songs like “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Keep On Loving You”. Fear not though rockers REO Speedwagon quickly brought me back to the rock as my foot began to tap and my head began to bounce and yes I started singing to songs like “Time For Me To Fly” and “Take It On The Run”. I was in that time machine and the pilots for this extraordinaire journey were REO Speedwagon. My eyes could not believe what it was that I was witnessing, and what I mean is that you may have heard me say it before or heard other fans say it but this show the set that REO Speedwagon presented to us the fans was nothing short of a masterpiece. It made me proud to be a rocker and have an undying love and admiration for the music and the band. REO Speedwagon closed out their night and their encore with “Roll With The Changes” but they left us all with the feeling that this was one-off the Greatest Rock shows we have ever had the privilege to see or be a part of and proving once again hands down my opening statement that they are ‘The Purest Rock Band ever’.
