Elkhorn Wisconsin Review by Sharon and Don

For those of you who only want a review of the actual concert, feel free to skip the first two paragraphs because they're just background stuff that you may not be interested in.
OK, first a little background. Most of you know that Don (I call him Donnie) and I are married. We first met when I was in 7th grade and he was a freshman in high school. I thought he was *all that* but I don't think he was really interested in a 12-year old girl. A couple years passed and then I was a freshman, he was a junior. Hi Infidelity had come out a couple years before that, and I fell in love with REO Speedwagon. Donnie had been a fan for years already, which gave us some common ground, and we became friends. Finally one day I got brave, and knowing he was artistic, I asked if he could draw the wings logo for me, as I wanted to make my own little poster using some photos of the band that I'd cut from magazines. I well remember the day he presented me with the finished product. He caught me at my locker and the end of the school day and gave me this awesome wings logo - so good that I asked him if he had traced it, but he said no. Which of course was a lie, but he was trying to impress me. Then he said, "Now, maybe you could do something for me in return - will you go to the dance with me?" Oh, he was a smooth one. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Now, on to Elkhorn. Donnie and I, along with our oldest son and his friend, met up with Cyndi, Lou, and Nat at our hotel in Janestown and rode together to Elkhorn. We arrived at the gates around 5:15 and were shocked to find that the whole race track was full. Lawn chairs everywhere, with absolutely no room up front. Bummer! We later learned that the people in the front row had gotten there around noon. Oops. Not to be discouraged, we parked our chairs as close as we could, and planned to head up front when the concert started. During a *discussion* with a security guard over Lou & Cyndi's mat, we discovered that nobody was allowed on the race track without a lawn chair - no blankets or mats allowed. Bummer again! Meanwhile, we spotted Borga up on stage getting things ready, so Donnie called out to him, "BORGA!" He obliged us with flying picks left and right, causing quite a stir. People were starting to notice Donnie's REO plates which of course wasn't hard to do, considering he was holding them high for all the crowd to see. A few of the loyal fans came over and struck up conversations, and we met some really nice people. Then Jan arrived, and pretty soon our friendly security guard came back and informed us that he had learned that the band would be allowing people to stand up front. Cool, we had the go-ahead. We started noticing a crowd gathering up front and decided it was time for us to grab our spots. That we did, just as security moved the barricades up a few feet, much to the chagrin of the folks who had been sitting there since noon. But hey, did they really expect to actually SIT through a rock concert??? C'mon, people.
Imagine came on and the excitement built to a frenzy. And then.... there they were, opening with *Ridin' the Storm Out.* At this point, I really can't remember the exact set list, but you all probably know it by heart anyway. They were just awesome, I have no other words to describe the experience. Kevin's acoustic set was phenomenal, and we were given a special treat when he gave a performance of the new Santa song. Nat (Lou's 8-year old) was adorable, covering his ears during the *s* word on Tough Guys. Many of Kevin's relatives were there, including his parents, and at one point he was jamming with his adorable niece onstage. He told the Banana story again, lol. We thought the concert was over when 157 ended, but we were treated for the second time that night as they did a rendition of G-L-O-R-I-A. It was cool to see Neil jamming on the guitar. Bryan made sure Nat got a drumstick, and we all got picks.
Early on in the concert, Jan said she had an extra backstage pass and offered it to one of us. Between Lou, Cyndi, and Donnie, they suggested that I be the one to go back since they had all been back before. I wanted Donnie to go, but he insisted that I be the one, so Jan was kind enough to take me. Truthfully, during the concert I was having such a great time and forgot all about it, but when I heard the words "and I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might" in the encore performance of CFTF, all of a sudden it hit me: "OMG, I am going backstage to see REO!!" Donnie gave me his treasured plates, along with 5 golf balls and instructions to get autographs of them all if at all possible. I can be very stubborn if I want to be, and I made up my mind that I was not leaving until my mission was accomplished. I am still speechless about meeting the guys, so forgive me if I don't have adequate words to describe the backstage experience. What can I say, they were just the nicest guys you could meet. I managed to get both plates autographed by all of them, as well as the golf balls. But the best part was a hug from Bruce, and I was also bold enough to give Kevin a peck on the cheek. I can now die a happy woman. Thanks guys, for a wonderful night!

"REO Speedwagon meets The Tattoo"
By: Greg Hannigan

The Westbury show came with high hopes. This was our last chance this tour to meet the band, something we've been trying to do for a year now (not that we weren't trying for 25 years, but this past year we've been REALLY trying! {g}). No amount of chutzpah helped, and the charm of an 8 year old fan didn't work ... would the tattoo finally be our ticket in? No way of knowing, but it was about all we had as an advantage at this point.

We left home around 4, with plans to pick up our friends Maura and Rich by 5. Maura had never seen a rock concert of ANY variety EVER, so I can't tell you how excited we were that they were coming with us to see the Greatest Band Of All Time. We got to their place right on schedule, and made our way over the Throggs Neck bridge onto Long Island and into Westbury. Got there a little after 6 - also right on schedule. But as soon as we pulled into the empty parking lot we decided that we didn't want to wait the 50+ minutes until the doors opened to eat, only to have to nosh on the hot dogs, popcorn, or whatever that they had inside, so we decided to find a fast food place nearby to at least munch on something a little heartier. This made me anxious, though ... I mean, we were THERE! The only way we're going to meet them is to put ourselves in a *position* to ... we have to hang around and hope for the best! How would we be doing that if we LEFT? But I was outvoted 5 to 1 - my passengers wanted FOOD. If I didn't leave there'd be a mutiny, and instead of being the driver I'd end up bound and gagged in the back of a mini-van. I conceded, but not before I drove around the back of the building to see if we could later get access to where the tour bus was. Sure enough, we found it, and saw the open door it was pulled up to. Ok, the plan at that point was to eat, come back, and depending on what time it was, try to get back to that spot.

We went out and found a Wendy's, where we ate quickly and headed back to the venue. But enough time went by in our absence that the parking crews had come out in force, with cones set up and guys directing our way into the lot. Immediately more anxiety sets in - all of a sudden I wasn't "in control" of where I was going. But that ended up being a non-issue - we parked in the same area we had pulled into earlier when no one was around.

Got out and stood around for a few minutes - no point in heading back to the bus area, cuz the doors to the venue were about to open. We thought we had a better chance for success if we could just hook up with Borga. He had commented on my plans to get a tattoo when I discussed them on the kc.com chatboard, so I was hoping that he'd remember that conversation.

As we entered, security checked our various backpacks and purses, etc. The security guy was concerned about my digital camera, but when we assured him it wasn't a video camera he was cool with it. That, of course, made it seem like still photos would be allowed, so I was psyched. Made our way up to the next checkpoint, handed in our tickets, and passed into the lobby.

We made a beeline for the t-shirt table, as we always do. I hadn't planned on getting a shirt this time, since I'd gotten the last one currently offered that I didn't already have at the Danbury show in July. BUT, as luck would have it, there WERE a few new designs, including a new muscle tee! That's not normally my style, but I'd been thinking about getting one so that I could show off the tattoo when I wanted to. How cool was it that I could get an *REO* muscle tee instead of some bland generic one? TOO cool! Of course, I'd had my eye on the new red, white, and blue wings logo hat too, so I had to get that ... and Ry wanted this, and Melissa wanted that, and Bobbi wanted that .... later we were done, and the tee-shirt lady was ready to retire and end her career a rich woman. {g}

Made our way up to the ushers standing in front of the closed doors leading into the arena. I'm so out of character when it comes to an REO show .... normally a quiet, laid-back, don't-call-attention-to-me kinda guy; when an REO show is in gear I rush into a nearby phone booth - and then emerge as I-gotta-be-first, get-outta-my-way-or-I'll-knock-you-over Obnoxious Man!! I can't help it. Ok, maybe it's not THAT bad, but I'm definitely not me. ;-)

This might be a good place to describe Westbury Music Fair, especially for anybody who's never been to a "theatre-in-the-round" venue. Picture a cereal or salad bowl, with the seating on the sides of the bowl, and a round disc of a stage in the center. The stage rotates so that, in theory, there shouldn't be a bad seat in the house.

We get inside and make our way to our seats. Damn. Disappointment right off - we're right behind the sound board. :( Remember, this is a "theatre-in-the-round" ... the board isn't out in the crowd like it usually is, it's right there stageside ... and BETWEEN us and the stage.

Ok, let's not get bogged down in that right now - we have a mission. Let's try to spot Borga ... LOOK, there he is, over to our right, standing in a pit with KC's guitars and Bruce's basses all around him. We walk right over.

"Borga?"

"Yep?", as he turns around and looks up us.

I stick my hand out to shake his. "Greg, from the kc.com chatboard - the guy with the new tattoo!"

Borga reaches up and shakes my hand warmly. "Hey, all right! Let me see!" I reach over with my right hand and pull my left sleeve up. "Hey, that's great! Cool!"

He then told us that he couldn't chat right then - he still had two guitars to set up. So we walked back over to our seats and cased out our surroundings. We were right behind the sound board, with Dave's roadie and guitar setup off slightly to our right, and Bruce and Kevin's gear further right beyond that. All of that between us and the stage. Inspecting the stage, we could see that the entire stage setup was facing away from us - we were effectively "behind" the band. Yuck. Yes, the stage would revolve around and we'd eventually see them head-on, but the show would *start* with them facing the other way. :(

A few minutes later, Chris, from the REOMANIA board, came over and introduced herself. Dang good thing she did, because in my adrenaline excitement I totally forgot we were going to hook up! A great person, though, and she, Melissa, and Bobbi settled right into a long chat.

As the 8pm showtime neared, a voice came over the loudspeaker announcing that photography was not allowed, and that those caught would be asked to leave. :( Bummer. I guess being asked to leave is better than having a camera confiscated, but I didn't think it was worth it to take the chance. I had already taken a few shots of the empty stage, but after that I put the camera away.

A comedian by the name of Dan Wilson came out to warm up. Funny guy - personally liked him better than the one who came out the Foxwoods show in May. He stayed on for about 20 minutes. The expected jokes about the moving stage abounded (to a person in the crowd: "Hey, first you were over here, now you're over there!").

"Imagine" comes up about 8:45, and REO takes the stage with the same setlist we've become used to this tour - sans the coveted new song and the Xmas tune:

Ridin' The Storm Out |
Music Man |
Keep Pushin' |
Don't Let Him Go |
Keep On Lovin' You |
In Your Letter |
Take It On The Run |
Tough Guys |
Wish You Were There |
In My Dreams & That Ain't Love (acoustic) |
Time For Me To Fly |
Back On The Road Again |
Roll With The Changes |
Can't Fight This Feeling |
157 Riverside Avenue

Notable Westbury show standouts:

- At one point during Keep Pushin', Bruce and Dave rush up the ramp that led them to the stage at the beginning of the show, right up among audience members several rows up. Very cool to see from our vantage point, and probably even cooler for those sitting over that way!

- Kevin's definitely getting a feel for how to work the crowd with his comedic aspirations. ;-) His "hey, I'm workin' here!" schtick - though not said that quite that way - was relaxed and natural, and the Lisa/REM story is a great new addition.

- The revolving stage was definitely a hoot (and probably a major PITA) for the guys! Kevin said to the crowd early in the show "we don't know where we're goin' or where we'll end up ...". {g} At one point, after a song in which KC used the black Ovation, he turned to hand it off back to Borga - only to find that Borga, due to the stage's rotation, was clear across on the other side, behind the drums. So KC improvises - and probably makes Borga nuts - by handing the guitar to a fan right there in front of him in the front row, with a "hold this for a sec?" look on his face. The crowd went nuts as Borga sprinted around the stage to take the guitar from the fan and return it to the rack.

- I don't know about anybody else, but I just love the acoustic version of In My Dreams, especially KC, Bruce, and Dave on vocals. They sound *amazing* together. Just gotta get Neal a job up there, because his absence is "loud".

- The handling of the encore was hilarious. The band exits the stage by climbing down into the "pit" where Borga and crew were. Knowing that they were still in full view of the entire crowd via the low-level lighting of the stage, KC keeps mic in hand and starts goofing around while they let a few minutes go by. "Hey T-bird, how's it goin'?" says KC into the mic as he addresses Dave's guitar tech. "Do me a favor and tune him up a little better, 'k?" he says, greeted with groans from the crowd. He then asks Bryan and Bruce how they're doing - and they answer fine - all into the mic, there in the shadows in Borga's pit. Of course he doesn't leave out a little taunt for Borga, and a comment about Borga's various personal "decorations" there in his station. Then KC says "Let's go get 'em, guys", and the band re-takes the stage to launch into "Can't Fight This Feeling".

- As the rest of the guys launch into the opening bars of 157, KC jumps off the stage and sits down in an empty front row seat (hear that? An EMPTY FRONT ROW SEAT! ). He throws his arm on the back of chair to his left and then starts pumping his right fist into the air as if he were a Wagonhead himself! It was a riot!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

All in all, the guys were in great form, putting on a terrific show. My only two complaints were 1, the total lack of energy of the crowd (good thing the band brought along enough of their own), and 2, the number of empty seats. REO just about filled up Foxwoods in May, but the fan showing in Westbury - a smaller venue - was pitiful by comparison.

After the show was over the group left the stage and the lights came up. As we made our way out, we stopped over briefly to see Borga yet again ... to see if he could help us out in any way in our quest to meet the band. He was so cool, so friendly ... he handed both myself and my son Ryan a handful of KC picks, and explained that he really couldn't do that much - he wasn't given any backstage passes to hand out. But I thought it was so great that he remembered me by name as I came over (he had been mobbed by a bunch of folks before the show, and I really couldn't have blamed him if he hadn't remembered me!). I reached around the stack of storage cases that separated the seats from the pit area, just to extend my hand for a thankful handshake ... Borga took my hand in both of his, communicating a warmth that so perfectly matches the way people describe him, saying once again how cool he thought the tattoo was. I've read so much about what a great guy Borga is, but without knowing him myself, for all I knew it could have just been lip service. But let me tell you - it's not. Borga is just about as cool a guy as you can meet; he knows full well the kind of people REO fans are, and he treats them as such. He has a warmth that jumps out just as soon as you meet him - just a great all-around guy, and one who I hope has a long career with REO Speedwagon. Next time REO comes 'round, I'll look forward to seeing Borga almost as much as I will the show itself.

One of the oddest moments of the night came next. As we made our way out after speaking to Borga, the sound of someone yelling caught our attention. We turned around and saw that, on the other side of the circular stage, theatre security was actually wrestling someone to the ground! I have no idea what exactly he did, but he was going nuts in the struggle, putting up a pretty amazing fight despite being outnumbered by security people by as much as 5 to 1. I don't know what his problem was, or what he was actually trying to do that made him seem to the security folks to be enough of a threat to be physically restrained, but restrain him they did. As a bunch of us were standing there, amazed and frozen in place by what we were seeing, one of the usher ladies near us yelled something about evacuating "the theater NOW!!". A real shriek. Borga, who has been going about his business packing up, ignoring what was going on with the security folks the opposite end of the stage (I got the impression that Borga has "seen it all", not at all impressed enough by the scuffle to even glance away from his work ), heard the usher yell at us and yelled back to her ... "ma'am? There's really no reason for you to yell like that! Those people are no threat". Now how cool is THAT? Borga covers for his people! {g}

We pretty much made our way all the way out at that point, save for a couple of restroom stops on the way out of the building. I had for the most part resigned myself to the fact that we probably wouldn't meet the band, but I held out hope for our one last resort.

We made our way to the van and packed ourselves inside, and I drove around the back of the building as I had when we first got there earlier that afternoon. As we came around the last corner, to the area where we'd seen the tour buses parked, we saw that a small crowd had gathered behind the buses. I stopped the van and watched for a second, and it looked like there were no security yahoos giving the folks any trouble. We all looked at each other in the van with looks on our faces that said "ok, if it's going to happen, this is it". I backed the van into a parking space and we took inventory ... digital camera - check. Ryan's got a notepad for autographs - check. I've got my Westbury Music Fair "program", or "playbill"-kinda thing - check. I think we're ready.

We piled out of the van and made our way over to the crowd. People carrying vinyl albums, CD inserts ... damn, we loaded ourselves up with those kinds of things at the last two shows, but not this time. No matter - we had Sharpies and something to write on, so we were set.

I yanked my left sleeve up to my shoulder to expose the tattoo. I felt like an idiot ... there with my bone white upper arms contrasting with my driver's tan forearm. But having the band see the tattoo was part of the point, so it had to be done. While we waited I had several folks comment on it; at one point a small "sub-crowd" gathered around me to check it out. It was just so weird ... I'm not a "call attention to myself" kinda guy, so the attention this tattoo has drawn has really been a strange thing to deal with. Here I have 4 or 5 people I've never met - and will probably never see again - crowding around me in the dark staring my arm. {g} But it was a lot of fun ... everybody's comments were great. One guy who told me he'd been a fan since 1973 (ok, he wins, got me by at least 5 years there {g}) said he'd often thought of doing the same thing, but always concluded with an "I dunno" attitude. That always surprises me, too - that someone would want to do it and not, yet there I am, probably the most UNlikely person to ever do it, doing it and loving it. {g} Kind of a "hey, if *I* can do it, *any*body can!" thing.

Anyway, after waiting for about a half hour, finally ... IT HAPPENED!

The crowd's murmuring grew, and without thought we all pushed towards the security sawhorses that kept us back from the buses. Out of the shadows of the building a figure came walking towards us, and within a second or two the shadows revealed that figure to be Neal Doughty. Without even thinking about it I throw my arms straight up into the air as I would during a show, as the band takes the stage. It was one of those moments where you act on pure impulse, without any conscious thought whatsoever, and then replay the events in your head later and cringe. {g}

It was just so cool to stand so close to the most under-rated keyboardist in rock and roll. He mentioned that they were about to hit the road to Ohio, etc. Great, friendly guy. As he approached our position along the sawhorses I thrust out my Westbury brochure, which he took and graciously signed. I then said "Neal, you have to see the tat" and held it out for him. Y'know, I honestly can't remember exactly what he said, but the picture shows him checking it out.

Dave and Bruce emerged next, my two personal favorite members. Dave gets to us first, and I give it the same "Dave, you've got to see the Tat". *His* reaction I remember clearly - "Hey, cool! Check it out! Bruce, you gotta see this!". Of course, Bruce, about 3 feet behind, didn't have to travel far. {g} I had a second to chat with them both ... I asked Bruce if he remembered the Foxwoods show last fall, where he kneeled down to my son in the first row, right after "Can't Fight This Feeling", and personally handed him his pick - right there in the middle of the concert. "Yeah, that's right!" he said ... though hesitantly. I'm really not sure if he remembered, but he's too nice a guy to say so if he didn't. ;-) I was amazed, in shaking his hand, that it was bigger than mine - that's rare ... but it really made my night to shake both their hands and thank them for all they've meant.

Now, through the whole time we were back by the buses, my wife had our camera and was taking the pictures. I knew that she snapped a shot of Neal as he went by us, but I also knew that none of us were in the picture. Not good. {g} And there was NO way I was NOT gonna be in the pic of Dave and Bruce. So before they made their way past us I asked them if we could snap a pic. I leaned forward, over the sawhorse, and twisted my upper body around to face the camera. As I did that I felt a hand on my right shoulder .. I thought to myself that was probably the security guy that was hovering nearby, either trying to push me back or trying to prop me up, thinking I was going to fall over the sawhorse. No matter - the hand wasn't *pushing*, so I dealt with it. Turns out the hand was Dave's. {g} Now also, I couldn't see either Dave or Bruce out of the corner of my eye, but I could feel hair on the left side of my neck, and I was sure that was Bruce. "Man, his head is RIGHT THERE," I thought. "This is going to be such a cool picture!". I think it turned out to be, but you be the judge. ;-)

As Dave and Bruce made their way down the line of fans, we looked to our left and saw that Bryan had walked a different path between the buses, to come out on the other side of the line. We walked over towards him and waited our turn on line. As we came up to him, he leaned down to my son Ryan and asked him what his name was. Now, there was a good deal of noise around with people talking, etc., so my soft-spoken son probably spelled his name just a little too softly. {g} Bryan exclaimed, "Hey, just like me!" and shook Ry's hand ... I thought he was referring to the vowel sound in the name, but apparently he was misunderstanding ... Ryan's autograph from the Hittman reads "To Bryan:". ;-) No matter - WE know Bry meant it for Ry.

Finally, with a grand entrance all his own, KC made his way down along the side of the bus. This actually got cheers instead of just a buzz of excitement. As he made his way towards us, he got to Ryan first, signing his book and then he got to me. His response to the tattoo? "Awesome!!" I asked him for a pic, and he leaned forward over the sawhorse, rather than me having to lean back towards him. He probably felt like it was an eternity while we waited for the camera to focus and the flash to charge. Yet when the shutter snapped, there was KC with a spontaneous looking expression on his face. Clearly he's done this before. {g} I took his hand and thanked him for "everything" ... I was surprised how soft-spoken he sounded has he thanked me back.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Y'know, I'd been imagining that moment for many, many years. And I tellya, I was almost afraid of it. Not from a shyness perspective, but from a letdown perspective. I know everybody reading this knows that the allure of REO Speedwagon is not just the music - it's the personalities of the band members. I myself was hooked for life when I saw the "Live Infidelity" video in the summer of 1982. To watch those guys have SUCH a great time on that stage - it was incredible. I watched it over and over so many times that I truly, honestly felt like I knew the band personally. A few years later, when the live "Wheels Are Turnin'" video was released, the same thing continued. They just had such a good time together on that stage - despite the countless hours they spend together onstage and off, and despite the countless numbers of times you know that they've played the same songs over and over, you still couldn't pry the smiles off their faces with a crowbar. You get sucked right into it.

Now flash forward 15 years ... and you see the same thing all over again. A couple of faces have changed, but the camaraderie lives on. Were the core members of REO "lucky" that they found a new drummer and guitarist that fit in so well? Or is it Kevin, Neal, and Bruce that bring that funloving friendship to the band, and Dave and Bryan that got sucked into the whirlwind? Who knows? But you know what? It really doesn't matter. The chemistry that exists within REO Speedwagon is unmatched by any other musical group I've ever taken the time to look at closely. Maybe it *is* the music that gives them that gift. I just don't know, but I get tired trying to figure it out.

So it was that feeling of knowing them for so long that made me leery. They've met thousands of fans before me .. how could they remember them all? Do they remember the faces they met through all the years? Maybe one face that they met backstage a show in Poughkeepsie in 1987? Probably not. So as I contemplated meeting them, it was a weird thing to imagine ... that after all these years of feeling like they were family, I'd have this brief connection to them - a moment where'd I'd be a person standing there in front of them while they were the same to me - and then, after they drove away, I'd sink back into a sea of anonymity. I wondered what that would feel like ... a combination of the letdown of a long sought-after goal finally coming to fruition, and the feeling that, in the grand universe of REO Speedwagon, my meeting them was so insignificant that it might as well not have happened.

Well folks, I'm here to tell you that what actually happened was a total surprise. I *do* feel more connected to them than I did before. I *do* still feel motivated to seek them out the next time they're around. I don't at all feel like an insignificant speck. {g} Was the tattoo the "ticket in" that I'd hoped it would be? Of course not. I feel silly having thought that. The tattoo was a conversation piece, but fans don't need to go out and get an REO tattoo - or do anything else like that - just to get a chance to meet the band. It took 8 parts perseverance and determination, one part patience, and one part luck. Anybody can make those parts add up for themselves too. I feel like I finally got to meet a bunch of "best friends" that I've had for two and a half decades now ... and I can't wait to meet 'em again.

It's REO Speedwagon that makes you feel that way. It's REO Speedwagon that makes you understand that they know it's the fans who made them, and it's the fans that they dedicate themselves to.

It's REO Speedwagon that is the Greatest Band Of All Time.

"The Crowd Gathers"



"Neal Arrives first"



"Neal meets The Tat. "Oh. My. God."



"Finally, Dave and Bruce!"



"Dave's blinded by the flashbulbs ... and science"



"Dave meets The Tat"



"A chance to chat with Dave and Bruce. Is Dave starting to look a little freaked out?"




"This pic was the highlight of my night"



"Bryan deals with the onlslaught ..."



"....Then tries to get Ryan's name right"



"The Hardest working drummer in rock!"


"Kevin makes his entrance....."


"...and signs Ry's book."


"Posing with the greatest voice in music."


"The holy paper"