Guitar Gods Unite For The Brotherhood of Rock Tour At Hard Rock Live In Hollywood, Florida

By Special Correspondent Genevieve Penta 

Pick Up Styx: Hard Rock Live gets a little harder when Styx brings the thunder—sailing away never sounded so good. All images by Larry Marano.

Three iconic classic rock acts electrified the stage at the Hollywood Seminole Hard Rock on Friday, May 30th, delivering a night of nostalgia and nonstop entertainment. Known for their legendary contributions to rock music, this lineup brought an arsenal of hit songs from the 70s and 80s.

Kicking off the evening was Don Felder (lead guitarist of The Eagles/solo artist). Felder set a mood, bringing that “easy, peaceful feeling,” and delivering a setlist that included all the Eagles' staple hits, even throwing his own “Heavy Metal” into the mix. With a shout out to his Gainesville, Florida roots, the audience soaked it all in, singing and grooving to guitar riffs and lyrics that, like Don Felder, never seem to grow old.

The Kevin Cronin Band brought a wave of emotion and excitement to the stage.

Cronin (lead singer for REO Speedwagon), along with Bryan Hitt, Derek Hilland, Matt Bissonette, and Dave Amato, dropped the needle on “Don’t Let Him Go” and the High Infidelity album spun in its entirety. Reminding us of why this record spent 15 weeks at number 1 in the early 80s and went 10 times platinum. With heartfelt/heartbreak songs, the band proceeded to perform REO’s greatest hits from their catalog. Kevin Cronin did not need to encourage the audience to sing along, it came naturally considering the influence these tunes must have had on this satisfied crowd.

Closing out the night, STYX released the fireworks with their seamless performance and showmanship. It was high energy, peak vocals, and amplified chords. On display was “The Grand Illusion,” as “the stage is set, the band starts playing, suddenly your heart is pounding!” Life imitating art. Accompanying the band were stunning visuals to enhance the viewer’s experience. From psychedelic shapes to a giant ballerina composed of lights dancing to "Lady." We sailed away with Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman, Terry Gowan, Will Evankovich, James "J.Y." Young, and Tommy Shaw and their well-crafted set list.

Delivering one hit song after the other, from one great act after the other, tonight was a witness to the timeless appeal of classic rock and the undeniable talent of these musicians and songwriters who have so graciously continued to share their creativity with us for decades.

Kevin Cronin Band:

Don Felder:

Styx: