From bars to giant arenas across the globe, REO Speedwagon has played for crowds of all sorts for 45 years.

Despite their rise to stardom, Bruce Hall, the bass guitar player, said they play at just about anywhere they are welcome. 

“We even played at some guy’s birthday party once. His wife had hired us,” Hall said. 

While touring for some celebrities can be demanding—long hour drives and flights, interviews and press conferences and sometimes only being able to call a hotel home—Hall said he feels blessed that fans still find the band relevant enough that they have the chance to even go out on tour. 

“Sometimes it’s hard to remember what my name is, what day it is or where you are,” Hall said. 

After touring for several months, Hall said he will decompress  before the concert in Charleston.

Hall said the exhausting effects that come with touring have never caused him, or his band mates, to turn his back on performing live.

“It’s been my dream since I was 13 to go out and perform on stage. It’s been my only job for as long as I can remember,” Hall said. 

At the height of its popularity in the 1980s, REO Speedwagon produced hits like “Can’t Fight This Feeling,” “Keep On Loving You” and “Take It On the Run.”

Hall said when at concerts, the group tries to cater to fans that come out to hear some of their greatest hits. 

Originally formed in Champaign, Hall said it is satisfying for him to come back into this part of the country.

 Hall said he worked on his grandfather’s farm in Champaign when he was a child.

“It’s the heartland of the country,” Hall said. “People there have better values; they’re more down to earth.” 

The band sometimes played at Ted’s Warehouse, a local bar that was closed down in 1996, in its very early days. 

Ceci Brinker, the director of the Student Life Ofiice, said several bands were considered for this year’s concert, including Fleetwood Mac, Journey and Cheap Trick.

However, Brinker said REO’s mid-western roots and ability to put on a live show where they constantly interact with fans made them a viable candidate for Eastern’s Family Weekend. 

When considering the band’s appeal, Brinker said The University Board felt that REO continues “ to enjoy a generation of diehards, as fans, both young and old alike, find the band’s classic-rock sound and music still very appealing.”

The band has not recorded a new album since 2007, titled “Find Your Own Way Home.”  Despite not having produced a new album in five years, Brinker said their popularity has not waned after many years of live performances and albums.

Hall said REO Speedwagon fans remain faithful to them because their songs are uplifting and positive. 

He described their music as direct and said it does not beat around the bush. 

“We go through the same emotions as everyone else; we just happen to be able to write them down,” Hall said. 

Jaime Lopez can be reached at 581-2812 or jlopez2@eiu.edu.