Keep on Loving Grand Illusion

July 10, 2025

*Styx performing at Starlight Theater in Kansas City. Photo by Josh Chaikin*

If there’s anything that has become a summertime tradition for us, it’s been covering Styx, or REO Speedwagon (now The Kevin Cronin Band – more on that later). With as many appearances as they’ve made at Starlight, Kevin even remarked that it felt like home. And that’s not even touching on REO’s history with Kansas City.

With a bill that included Don Felder, formerly of Eagles, ~~REO Speedwagon~~ Kevin Cronin Band, and Styx, we were sure to have a great night of music. Opening, to an already near-full Starlight, was Don Felder. We previously covered Don Felder, performing a solo show, some years ago. At 77, Felder is still an incredible guitar player, and handled vocal duties with remarkable precision. Often opening acts (it feels criminal to call Don Felder that) don’t get a lot of attention from the audience, but by the time he played Hotel California, nearly every seat was filled (or at least had someone on their feet in front of it).

Up next, the Kevin Cronin Band. The lineup of which was the same as when REO Speedwagon toured last summer. Without going into speculative detail, founding member, and bassist, holds the rights to the name and, for one reason or another, is no longer performing with the band, leaving Cronin and Company unable to use the name.

The band plowed through all the hits you would expect to hear at an REO show, breaking the sets into albums. Kevin’s voice hasn’t aged quite as well as the rest of them, but his energy, enthusiasm, and love of performing is undeniable.

Up next were the headliners of the evening, Styx. On tour supporting the “40th” anniversary of Grand Illusion, released in 1977 (we previously covered Dennis DeYoung’s tour of the same anniversary, here). The band, ever growing in size, also performed with remarkable precision and energy. While the excitement for Don Felder, and Kevin Cronin were undeniable, the atmosphere was purely electric throughout their performance.

That these musicians can return to the same venue every year, and sell it out, even after touring and playing the same songs for decades is not just a testament to their energy and the fans, but especially the music. Never a critic’s darling, Styx and REO have both yet to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but who cares if your guitar from the Hi-Infidelity, or Return to Paradise tour isn’t in a museum when you have thousands of fans singing along with you night after night.

The 80’s were a special time in rock music, before auto-tune, backing tracks, and abbreviated sets became the norm. To see any of the innovators live is a treat, when you have The Eagles, REO Speedwagon, and Styx all represented on one bill, performed (mostly) by the hit-makers themselves, is certainly an incredible experience, and that is an understatement. Truly something not to be missed.