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I really like them! (There were secret messages in some of their songs . . .) |
Posted on 04/10/2007 2:28:52 PM PDT by ShadowDancer
Apr 8, 2007 9:32 am US/Eastern
REO Speedwagon Plays Wal-Mart
(CBS) EAGAN, Minn. REO Speedwagon became a rock icon with No.1 hits "Can’t Fight This Feeling" and "Keep On Loving You." They played giant stadiums in the ’70s and ’80s, but Friday they performed at a much different venue - a Wal-Mart in Eagan, Minn., reports CBS station WCCO-TV in Minneapolis.
The band is promoting its first new album in a decade and it has an exclusive deal with Wal-Mart.
"I’ve been watching them for 30 years," said Jay Powell from Cottage Grove, Minn., "and I had to come to Wal-Mart to meet them. I never would have thought that."
Kevin Cronin and Bruce Hall performed a short acoustic set for a crowd of fans, most of them over 40.
"REO was the first rock concert I went to when I was 14 years old," said Jeri Jensen, who made the trip from Hastings, Minn., to see the band. "I saw them at the Met Center in Bloomington."
Wal-Mart has an exclusive deal to sell a three-CD set that includes a DVD and some greatest hits. For two weeks it is the only place to buy the new music.
"We're people-people," said lead singer Kevin Cronin, "and this is where people come to buy music."
Teaming up with a big retailer like Wal-Mart or Best Buy is the latest sales tactic by artists targeting adults.
"...They're the ones still buying music in the CD jewel case form while their kids are downloading it for their iPods," said John Rash, Director of Media Negotiations for Campbell Mithun Advertising.
"Do I walk into a Wal-Mart and act the same way I would at Madison Garden? Absolutely not," said Cronin. “That's part of the beauty of this: These people come in and it's kind of in our living room."
Styx put out an album last year called “Big Bang Theory” with a lot of rock ‘n roll classics done their way. I saw them in Myrtle Beach at HOB, and it was an incredible show. I don’t think they’ll be at Wal-Mart anytime soon...
Now, if Triumph shows up, I’m THERE!
They played at a local county fair, in a reasonably large hall with “festival” style seating. It was a really outstanding show. They were virtuosic in their playing and seemed to be having a really good time.
U2 played at K Mart to launch one of their albums in the 90s.
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I really like them! (There were secret messages in some of their songs . . .) |
Triumph wasnt that bad, not REO bad....
Rik Emmett was one of those 70’s-style guitar soloists - just play a whole bunch of notes as fast as you can, regardless of accuracy or relevance to the song’s melody. ;)
Agree wholeheartedly. Sadly, the last time I saw Richrath was on REO's Behind the Music special on VH-1. He was in pretty bad shape due to alcoholism and Cronin had more or less written him off. He just looked awful! Drunk and bloated.
I wonder if he's cleaned up?
He was a kick-ass guitar player! I always liked those old videos on MTV recorded live at MacNichol's Arena in Denver. Richrath with his '59 Les Paul just wailing away!
I agree... he was an incredible guitar player in those days.
With this economey there just “ridin’ the storm out” /groan
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