Ruoff Music Center was buzzing with anticipation on Wednesday, July 10th. This show drew the attention of an older demographic overall, but I still saw plenty of young people in the crowd too—most were there with families, and it was fun to see parents and grandparents sharing moments and their music with the younger generation.
Kicking off the night was Yacht Rock Revue, a cover band whose main focus is 70s and 80s crowdpleasers. Their opening set was just a preview, however—they will be headlining at Everwise Amphitheater in downtown Indy later this year.
I Believe It’s Time for Me to Fly
REO Speedwagon is absolutely a group that has withstood the test of time. Frontman Kevin Cronin first joined the band in 1972 (6 years after REO was formed), and has been a constant presence of nearly 50 years as lead vocals vocalist.
This concert was clearly pure nostalgia for many of those around me, as the vast majority of those with pavilion seats were in the 50+ age range. Power ballads were prevalent, especially toward the end of the set, and got the crowd on their feet multiple times.
Though I have never seen REO perform live, I could tell that the band members have a dedication to quality and consistency in their performances. Cronin’s vocals have not fortunately not faded with time, and he is very emotive while on stage.
Guitarist Greg Amato’s performance was also noteworthy, with a shreddy guitar solo during “Take it on the Run”, as well as bringing out a double neck Telecaster during “Time for Me to Fly”.
Her Confidence Is Tragic, but Her Intuition Magic
Train brought their signature brand of radio-friendly pop-rock to an enthusiastic Indianapolis crowd.
Entering the stage to a cacophony of train whistles and flashing lights, directly leading into “Calling All Angels”. Monahan’s vocals were strong and clear throughout the night, demonstrating why he remains one of pop rock’s most distinctive voices.
As expected, the setlist was heavy on hits, with songs like “Hey, Soul Sister,” “Drops of Jupiter,” and “Drive By” eliciting massive singalongs from the audience. The band also included their newest single “Long Yellow Dress”, which has only been on the .
A highlight of the show was an acoustic segment mid-set, featuring Monahan and guitarist Luis Maldonado performing a stripped-down version of “Marry Me”. This intimate moment provided a nice contrast to the full-band numbers and showcased the strength of Train’s songwriting.
The band’s cover of Teddy Swims’s “Lose Control” was a pleasant surprise, demonstrating their musical versatility and Monahan’s impressive vocal range.
Throughout the show, Monahan engaged warmly with the audience, the highlight of which was early in the show when he took crowd selfies with phones from the audience during “If it’s Love”. The crowd members in the pit also had the opportunity to catch bespoke “Meet Virginia” t-shirts, which Monahan lazily tossed to them (including one that he wore and subsequently signed before peeling off). These interactions, along with references to his “local hangs in Broad Ripple”, helped create a strong connection with the Indianapolis crowd.
While Train’s performance didn’t break new ground, it delivered exactly what the audience came for – a night of catchy, well-performed pop-rock hits in a fun, high-energy atmosphere, concluding with “Drive By” and “Drops of Jupiter”.
The Good
-Solid and consistent performances from several heavy hitters in the music business
-Great crowd engagement during the Train set
The Not-as-Good
-Train’s set looked really kitschy to me; as a band who has toured and been around for a while, I would have expected something either a little more stripped down or more theatrical. The stage just had several larger than life blow up suitcases, which technically fit the theme, but reminded me of the set of a children’s TV show.