"The Midwest Rock 'n Roll Express" tour made a stop in nearby Alpharetta Sunday night, playing three full sets in a concert by Ted Nugent, REO Speedwagon and Styx.
Styx closed out the night at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, drawing cheers and applause from a crowd that started rockin' with Ted Nugent and didn't stop through REO Speedwagon. Only stage changes necessary to get the different bands' equipment set up caused the 9,000 or more concertgoers to take a pause.
Tommy Shaw, James “JY” Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman and Ricky Phillips got it right last night, playing all the crowd favorites that make up most of their hits. They were even joined by original bassist Chuck Panozzo on stage for a time.
Songs drawing long cheers included "Come Sail Away," "Lady," "Too Much Time on My Hands" and "The Best of Times."
Check out photo galleries from the other two acts Sunday night:
Motor City Madman Unleashes His Fury
REO Speedwagon Rocks Encore Park
My only real problem with the concert wasn't obvious until it got dark enough to see the projection screens, which are necessary if your seats are more than 20 or 30 rows from the stage. It seems whomever was choosing which camera view was showing on the screens wasn't paying much attention to who had the solo, or more importantly who had the spotlight literally on them. But that really didn't detract from the music, so it's just a minor annoyance.
It was a trip down memory lane, as it probably was for the majority of the crowd. This was a place for Baby Boomers, though it still seems strange to see fans in their 60s rocking out to the music. At least until you realize those up on stage are around that age, too.
And why does the amphitheater keep booking these aging rockers? Simple. They sell tickets. More than 9,000 people showed up in the pouring rain for this concert. With the amphitheater roof being so high, even when you sit under it it's likely you'll get at least a little damp as misting rain blows in.
Upcoming concerts at the amphitheater include:
Sunday, June 3: Jackie Evancho with Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Thursday, June 7: Foster the People with The Kooks & Kimbr
Friday, June 8: Bon Iver with The Staves
Sunday, June 10: ZZ Top & 3 Doors Down with Gretchen Wilson
Recently announced was a concert by Kelly Clarkson & The Fray with Special Guest Carolina Liar that is scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 7.
So far 21 concerts have been scheduled for this season at the amphitheater, with 16 of them still ahead.
