Photos by Andy Argyrakis

The members of Styx and REO Speedwagon regularly ruled the charts together throughout the 1970s, ‘80s and early ‘90s, so it was only fitting the currently touring portions of these Illinois institutions united as the “Brotherhood Of Rock,” bringing along their friend and ex-Eagles lead guitarist Don Felder to the Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre in Tinley Park.

The famed outdoor venue was the same site the reunited Styx sold out nearly three decades ago and continue to fill with the latest line-up of founding guitarist/vocalist James “JY” Young, fellow guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw, periodically guesting original bassist Chuck Panozzo, longtime drummer Todd Sucherman, keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan, guitarist/vocalist Will Evankovich and bassist Terry Gowan.

In spite of singer/songwriter/keyboardist and another original Dennis DeYoung being surely missed, as he’s always been since around the turn of the century, at least all of the above were faithful to the prior material, in addition to introducing the melodic dynamite of “Build And Destroy” off the brand new “Circling From Above” album.

Other than the thought-provoking and promising example of Styx’s current direction, the guys’ 90 minutes focused on the anthems and ballads that made them famous, starting with the groundbreaking progressive meets hard rock project “The Grand Illusion” in its entirety.

Everything from the title track to “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),” “Come Sail Away” and “Miss America,” set to vibrant video walls, sprung to fresh life, followed by “Too Much Time On My Hands,” “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “Lady,” “Mr. Roboto,” “Renegade” and more out of the general repertoire, all of which have clearly become cross-generational classics.

Speaking of multi-platinum landmarks, former REO Speedwagon singer/songwriter/guitarist Kevin Cronin and a band consisting of several latter day alumni proficiently performed the complete “Hi Infidelity” collection, including “Don’t Let Him Go,” “Keep On Loving You,” “In Your Letter” and “Take It On The Run.”

However, there was still a hearty helping of subsequent hits, such as “Keep Pushin’,” “Time For Me To Fly,” “Ridin’ The Storm Out,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Roll With The Changes,” each sparking sing-a-longs led by the actual man who helped put them on the map.

When it came to country rockers the Eagles, “Fingers” Felder was just as significant of a factor spanning “On The Border” to “Hell Freezes Over,” plus embarked on a solo career and contributed to many movie soundtracks.

That meant authentic versions of the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers’ “One Of These Nights,” “The Long Run,” “Heartache Tonight” and “Hotel California,” through “Hollywood Victim” and “Heavy Metal (Takin’ A Ride)” to help warm up a legendary night of living “Life In The Fast Lane.”

For additional information on Styx, Kevin Cronin and Don Felder, visit StyxWorld.com, KevinCronin.com and DonFelder.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre include Lil Wayne (Aug. 24); Jonas Brothers (Aug. 26); Falling In Reverse (Aug. 30); Junior H (Aug. 31-Sept. 1); The Doobie Brothers (Sept. 10); Jason Aldean (Sept. 13); Conan Gray (Sept. 14); Twenty One Pilots (Sept. 24); Papa Roach and Rise Against (Sept. 27); Parker McCollum (Oct. 4) and Judas Priest and Alice Cooper (Oct. 5). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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