Left to right: Ricky Phillips, James Young and Tommy Shaw of Styx

Styx fans

Kevin Kronin of REO Speedwagon

Fans of 1980s arena rock got a big treat Wednesday night at Kent’s ShoWare Center, where Styx, REO Speedwagon and .38 Special performed a powerful, eye-popping show.

Longtime fans of the three veteran rock bands jammed bars and restaurants at the Kent Commons mall before the show, adding to the celebratory mood.

More than 4,000 concertgoers attended the show at the sharp-looking new arena, which has a seating capacity of about 6,200 for rock shows.

The current tour is named for the new Styx/ REO Speedwagon single, “Can’t Stop Rockin’ ” (co-written by REO’s Kevin Cronin and Styx’s Tommy Shaw). The two bands teamed up for the boisterous concert finale at the end of Styx’s set.

Shaw has dubbed the low-priced, cross-country tour “a rock ‘n’ roll stimulus package” in a tough economy. In fact, the country’s economic woes were common themes during the show, in particular REO’s “Roll With the Changes” and Styx’s “Blue Collar Man.”

Nevertheless, the show was an upbeat rock ‘n’ roll blowout featuring massive LED videos and all the bells and whistles associated with ’80s arena rock. During REO’s “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” a wide-screen image of the U.S. flag and footage of the band from the 1985 Live Aid concert were displayed on the giant LED screen.

REO singer Kronin was especially talkative and upbeat, telling fans that “we need to stick together” before the band launched into “Ride the Storm Out.”

Styx, in an equally colorful and high-revving set, treated fans to such past hits as “Miss America,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” “The Grand Illusion” and “Lorelei,” as well as “I Am the Walrus,” a nod to the Beatles that included psychedelic imagery on the big screen.

The photos above were shot by former P-I photographer Scott Eklund, now of Red Box Pictures.

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