Train's Summer Road Trip 2024

Featuring:

Yatch Rock Revue & Train

Photos by: Samantha Madnick

Words by: Rudy Flores

IG: Shutter Hub Media

As the heat started to give way (for the evening anyway), patrons slowly filed into the North Island Credit Union Amphitheater for what was supposed to be Train with REO Speedwagon and the Yacht Rock Revue on their Summer Road Trip 2024 Tour. Unfortunately, only two of those bands would be performing that evening as REO had to drop from the show due to Kevin Cronin falling ill. Well wishes for a speedy recovery!

Up first were the fellas from Yacht Rock Revue, a cover band performing... well... covers of Yacht Rock hits. It's a genre that, over the last year or so, I’ve heard quite a bit about. It’s mostly a resurgence of 70s and mid-80s "soft rock," featuring artists like Kenny Loggins, Steely Dan, America, and Toto. Funnily enough, when I was researching the Yacht Rock artists, YRR popped up as the third photo on Google, which I thought was kinda cool... MOVING ON!

Made up of Peter Olson, Nicholas Niespodziani, Mark Cobb, Greg Lee, Mark Bencuya, Mark Dannells, and David Freeman, the septet takes the term "Cover Band" and throws it out the window! These guys put so much into each song you would almost swear they wrote them themselves! They looked the part too, each member sporting different styles from the era, like bell-bottom jeans, white leisure suits, apple caps, shit-kicker mustaches (respectfully), feathered hair, and even a mullet! Yup, they had it all, folks! They even managed to pull off the looks without looking corny. It seemed almost natural, like they were dropped off Bill & Ted-style to put on one kick-ass show. It was freaking rad... not sure if I made that clear yet...

They ended their set with "Roll With The Changes" by REO Speedwagon (which was definitely fitting) to a well-deserved standing ovation. These guys are one of the "grooviest" (they said that back then, right?) jam bands I've seen in a while, and I’m looking forward to catching them again sometime... hopefully, I’ll win the raffle. You kinda had to be there.

And now we wait...

Honestly, not that long. The stagehands took at most 20 minutes to set up Train’s set and get the show on the road, which I'm sure was appreciated by everyone. When the lights went out, the stage had two large blow-up suitcases with Train logos, looking like those stickers you pick up in travel shops all across the US. When Pat and the boys showed up, the crowd went crazy! They opened with REO Speedwagon's "Keep On Loving You," showing love in a classy way. "Calling All Angels" was next, and by that point, anyone still seated was quickly rising for the beloved tune. Streamers shot into the crowd during the final chorus, giving the first few rows a fun little memento of the evening. All hands were in the air during the final chant of the song, and it felt oddly spiritual—odd because it didn’t give me the creeps... so that’s good.

To say that Train fans are a different breed is an understatement. I mean that in a good way, mind you. There’s this weird sense of family among them all. Young and old, it doesn’t seem to matter here. I’ve only really felt this with fans of three bands: Jimmy Buffett (Parrot Heads are fun), Michael Franti (so good), and Train. Just a lot of fun folks out for a good time. I can dig it! Even though the show wasn’t completely sold out, the crowd definitely filled the gaps with lyrics being belted out in unison, hands waving in the air, and dancing in the crowd. Good folks.

I got pelted with a beach ball during "Save Me San Francisco"... TWICE! That’s what I get for trying to write this review during that song! My bad, won’t happen again, Pat. They did the old "throw the shirt into the crowd" routine with a really cool Meet Virginia shirt during that song. Apparently, Pat’s got a mini cannon for an arm because he LAUNCHED a few of those shirts past the "expensive" seats to the "slightly less expensive" seats with ease. Pat also did a cover of TikTok sensation Teddy Swims’ "Lose Control," which was really damn good. It would be a solid B-side, for those of us who remember singles.

Before diving into their other radio hits, they played "Long Yellow Dress" from their new album (name). Some of you might remember an Instagram post with Pat sporting the "Long Yellow Dress" from a while back. The big screens lit up during "50 Ways to Say Goodbye" (hmm... I thought there were only two... #IYKYK) and they brought out YRR’s sax player, Dave Freeman, for "Mississippi" from their now 25-year-old album Meet Virginia. Wow, did we really meet her that long ago?

The setlist had classics like "Marry Me," "Hey, Soul Sister," "Bruises," and "Drive By," which all garnered loud ovations after each song. They brought out the guys from YRR again to do an amazing cover of The Eagles' "Hotel California" before ending the evening with Pat’s tribute to his mother, "Drops of Jupiter." A fitting way to close the performance. As the crowd sang every word from the tops of their collective lungs, it was clear that no one wanted to leave because it meant the good times were coming to an end and the following workday was soon approaching. Unfortunately, that's the way the cookie crumbles, as all good things must come to an end... or must they?

Throughout the parking lot, as fans made their way home through what had to be some of the WORST traffic management imaginable (seriously, get rid of the cones and let the lights do their jobs), Train’s songs cut through the noise of revving engines and honking horns. Despite the traffic, the parking lot turned into an impromptu afterparty, with fans reliving every electrifying moment and as the night wore on and the last echoes of Train's music faded, the parking lot gradually emptied, leaving behind a sense of shared joy and anticipation for the next concert. It was a night of celebration, reminding everyone that the music truly does carry on, even long after the last note has been played. 

Train:

Yatch Rock Revue: