Concert season is in full swing, and Tuscaloosa’s largest concert venue, The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater, is ready to meet music lovers’ demands with popular modern artists as well as timeless classics.
Tuscaloosa residents can expect many high-caliber performances coming to the Amphitheater in the next couple of months. A few of the acclaimed artists that will be performing include Jack Johnson, Alan Jackson, Jason Aldean and Keith Urban.
One of the next concerts at The Tuscaloosa Amphitheater is Styx and REO Speedwagon as a part of the Coca-Cola Concert Series. Don Felder will also be performing as a special guest.
Megan Barger, a junior majoring in public relations and a frequent concert attendee, is most looking forward to the Styx & REO Speedwagon and Jack Johnson concerts.
“I grew up listening to Styx and REO because my dad was a huge fan of both bands, so I guess you could say his music taste rubbed off on me,” Barger said.
Styx, an American rock band from Chicago, began their road to fame in the 1970s when they released their first few albums: The Grand Illusion, Paradise Theatre and Pieces of Eight. From there, the band began to incorporate different music genres like progressive rock, pop rock and soft rock into their music.
Today, Styx is best known for their hit songs such as “Mr. Roboto,” “Come Sail Away” and “Lady.”
REO Speedwagon, another American rock band from Illinois, formed in 1967 and started gaining a growing fan base throughout the 1970s. By the 1980s, the band achieved significant commercial success. In 1980, REO Speedwagon came out with their album Hi Infidelity, which contained four U.S. Top 40 Hits and sold over ten million copies.
Betsy Kiser, the marketing director at Red Mountain Entertainment, is looking forward to hearing both bands’ most popular songs after helping with the marketing, public relations and promotions for the concert.
“I am most looking forward to hearing all of their biggest hits,” Kiser said. “’Lady,’ ‘Come Sail Away’ and ‘Mr. Roboto’ from Styx and ‘Keep on Loving You’ and ‘Can’t Fight This Feeling’ by REO Speedwagon.”
Styx and REO Speedwagon starts at 7 p.m. on April 8th.
“Members of the Tuscaloosa community can expect a fabulous spring night with two of the greatest classic rock bands of all time filled with hits that they can sing along to,” Kiser said.
