Any fan of Rock & Roll in the Youngstown area will want to mark November 7, 2009 on their calenders.  Usually when a band we have heard of and admired for so many years comes to our area, they bring an opening act who might have a hit or two.  On November 7, Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Night Ranger will invade Youngstown in the biggest concert value of the year.  All three bands qualify as dominant headliners.  Maybe they flip coins backstage to determine who plays first and see who closes.

Tommy Shaw, the backbone of Styx, and Jack Blades of Night Ranger have collaborated several times in the past.  Styx and REO Speedwagon have been touring together off and on for almost a decade.  Expect surprises.  Shaw and Blades were together in the 80’s supergroup Damn Yankees.  Not long ago, the duo also did an album of remakes from various eras in music with Shaw-Blades.  None of the three performing groups have anything new that is tearing up the charts, but all three groups have a catalog of hits that could make a four-hour concert special because the audience could recognize every single tune performed.

Below, I have showcased the 10 must hear songs for each band.  I can guarantee you will hear at least eight from each list.  I also predict there will be collaborating of some sort.  Expect all three groups to do something together at the end.  The starpower coming to the Covelli Centre is unheard of.

10 Night Ranger Songs To Expect

• Sing Me Away (Above Video)
• Sister Christian
• (You Can Still) Rock In America
• Goodbye
• The Secret Of My Success
• Don’t Tell Me You Love Me
• When You Close Your Eyes
• Four In The Morning
• Restless Kind
• Sentimental Street

10 REO Speedwagon Songs To Expect

• Keep On Loving You (Above Video)
• Roll With The Changes
• That Ain’t Love
• Take It On The Run
• In My Dreams
• Don’t Let Him Go
• Can’t Fight This Feeling
• Time For Me To Fly
• One Lonely Night
• Ridin’ The Storm Out

10 Styx Songs To Expect

• Fooling Yourself (Above Video)
• Lady
• Too Much Time On My Hands
• Renegade
• Come Sail Away
• Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
• The Grand Illusion
• Crystal Ball
• Suite Madam Blue
• Miss America

The above lists are in no way set in stone, but rather my predictions of which songs you may hear at the November 7 concert.  There are several songs from each band that I do not have listed that may well be played.  I think there is a shot of hearing High Enough, the Damn Yankees hit,  as some sort of encore.

The thing that makes this triple-headed monster of a rock concert special is the ability of all three bands to harmonize.  Put any Night Ranger CD on, wipe off a Styx album, pop in an REO Speedwagon cassette and you will find a very common element – very thick and rich harmonies that trademark each bands sound as their own.  Don’t blow your chance at missing the very best concert Youngstown will have to offer for a long time.

Tickets are flying, but there are still a few left.  You can call the Covelli Centre Box Office at 330-746-5265 or Ticketmaster by phone at 800-745-3000.  You can also purchase tickets online with a credit card at Ticketmaster.com, by clicking on the link.

Kudos to Eric Ryan and staff at The Covelli Centre for bringing this high-level of entertainment to Youngstown, Ohio!

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