Kevin Cronin began his post-REO Speedwagon concert with an “exciting, if bittersweet” first show under his own band name Saturday night.
“It felt awesome to be back out in front of a room full of REO fans, and feel nothing but love,” Cronin told UCR. “Their support means so much to me… I really do love our fans.”
You can see the complete set list and fan-shot video from the show below. The concert began with a complete run through REO’s 1980 album Hi Infidelity, which the band will also perform in full on their upcoming summer tour with Styx.
The unique thing about this breakup is that the newly christened Kevin Cronin Band that performed at the Treasure Island Resort and Casino in Welch, MN features the exact same lineup as the band that performed at REO Speedwagon’s last show on Dec. 21 in Las Vegas: Cronin, guitarist Dave Amato, drummer Bryan Hitt, keyboardist Derek Hilland and bassist Matt Bissonette.
“As expected, a Kevin Cronin Band show feels an awful lot like an REO Speedwagon show,” Cronin explained. “Same hit songs, same band as last year, same high energy, and the crowd on their feet and singing along, as always. But at the same time, having poured my heart and soul into building up the high-quality reputation which the name REO Speedwagon represents, I am devastated at being prevented from using that name.”
Read More: REO Speedwagon Plays Final Show: Set List and Video
The roots of REO Speedwagon’s go back to late 2023, when longtime bassist Bruce Hall was forced to step away from the road for a few months while recovering from back surgery.
That absence wound up stretching all the way through 2024, and late in the year it was revealed that Cronin and Hall could not come to an agreement about the details of the bassist’s return.
The group instead decided to break up, and Cronin tells UCR he’s eager to leave the ensuing drama behind and make the best of the situation. “That chapter is over. I have shared as much of my side of the story as I can … the rest is personal and private. And Bruce is sticking with his version of what happened. Bruce claims that, ‘I and I alone did this,’ and that I left REO to pursue a solo career. This claim is totally out of context, and inaccurate. Bruce and I had several phone conversations, texts, and emails that brought us to where we are today. Never ever did I abandon REO Speedwagon to go solo.
“As in all divorces, there are two sides to the story,” he concludes. “When bands split up, it is never all one person’s doing. I would ask the online community to lower the temperature, as the haters have only made matters worse between Bruce and me. Anyone who claims to know the facts of what went on inside our band, is simply making it up to suit their narrative. Bruce and I are each responsible, in our own ways, for the unfortunate end of REO Speedwagon. We simply could not agree on an acceptable path forward. The time has come to stop fighting, forgive, and move on. As I said, I wish Bruce the best. I only wish he could wish the same for me.”
Watch the Kevin Cronin Band Perform ‘Ridin’ the Storm Out’
On Thursday, Feb. 27, Cronin will join Sammy Hagar, Cheap Trick‘s Robin Zander and other stars at the Rock for Responders benefit show in San Pedro, California. On April 25 the Kevin Cronin band will join Styx and Don Felder on the Brotherhood of Rock tour, with dates currently scheduled until Aug. 24 in Milwaukee.
Watch the Kevin Cronin Band Perform ‘Out of Season’
Kevin Cronin Band Welch, MN Feb. 22, 2025 Set List
1. “Don’t Let Him Go”
2. “Keep On Loving You”
3. “Follow Your Heart”
4. “In Your Letter”
5. “Take it on the Run”
6. “Tough Guys”
7. “Out of Season”
8. “Shake It Loose”
9. “Someone Tonight”
10. “Wish You Were There”
11. “Music Man”
12. “Keep Pushin’”
13. “Live Every Moment”
14. “Son of a Poor Man”
15. “Time For Me To Fly”
16. “Ridin’ the Storm Out”
17. “Can’t Fight This Feeling”
18. “Roll with the Changes”
Styx and the Kevin Cronin Band Brotherhood of Rock Tour 2025
4/25 Lincoln, CA – Thunder Valley Casino Resort
4/26 Sparks, NV – Nugget Event Center
5/28 Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
5/31 Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
6/2 Jacksonville, FL – Daily’s Place
6/4 Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
6/6 The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
6/7 Ridgedale, MO – Thunder Ridge Nature Arena
6/9 Denver, CO – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre
6/11 Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
6/13 Concord, CA – Toyota Pavilion at Concord
6/14 Bend, OR Hayden – Homes Amphitheater
6/15 Ridgefield, WA – Cascades Amphitheater
6/28 Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
6/30 Colorado Springs, CO – Ford Amphitheatre
7/2 Kansas City, MO – Starlight Theatre
7/5 Birmingham, AL – Coca-Cola Amphitheater
7/6 Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
7/8 Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
7/9 Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
7/11 Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
7/12 Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
7/14 Syracuse, NY – Empower Federal Credit Union Amphitheater at Lakeview
7/15 Bridgeport, CT – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater
7/18 Gilford, NH – BankNH Pavilion
7/19 Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
7/20 Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
8/1 Dallas, TX – Dos Equis Pavilion
8/2 Brandon, MS – Brandon Amphitheater
8/4 Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
8/6 Richmond, VA – Allianz Amphitheater at Riverfront
8/8 Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
8/10 Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
8/12 Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
8/13 Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
8/15 Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
8/16 Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
8/19 Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
8/20 Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
8/22 St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
8/23 Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
8/24 Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater
Top 100 ’80s Rock Albums
UCR takes a chronological look at the 100 best rock albums of the ’80s.
Gallery Credit: Nick DeRiso and Michael Gallucci
