Two rather unlikely bands, Kansas and REO Speedwagon, linked up this summer for the "Ridin' the Storm Out" tour, named after a popular Speedwagon song. Both bands, rockin' hard for nearly 30 years and having taken part in various tours with other groups such as Styx and Journey, toured together for the first time and performed at new venues such as the Careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Conn. on July 7 .Kansas hit the stage first. Formed in 1974 and currently featuring members Steve Walsh, Richard Williams, Robby Steinhardt, Phil Ehart, and Billy Greer, Kansas is unique since one of their prime instruments is an electric violin. This strange choice of equipment gives Kansas an awesome signature sound that bridges country and rock 'n' roll.

The combination of the guitars, violin, and acoustics of the music theatre emitted a powerful and superior sound that was enjoyed by all in attendance. Their encore consisted of their two big hits, "Dust in the Wind" and "Carry on My Wayward Son," which caused the whole theater to burst into song.

After a brief intermission, REO Speedwagon took the stage. Recording since 1971 and now featuring members Kevin Cronin, Neal Doughty, Dave Amato, Bryan Hitt, and Bruce Hall, Speedwagon has had many hits - both upbeat and ballads (lead singer Cronin announced that he much prefers the former). In their main set, Speedwagon performed many songs, the majority of which were featured on their greatest hits album, such as "Roll With The Changes" and "Keep Pushin.'" Later on, they performed an acoustic set, featuring great songs such as "In My Dreams" and "That Ain't Love." The third set was a tribute to their best-selling (and by far their finest album) "Hi Infidelity." This set included popular favorites such as "Don't Let Him Go," "Take it On the Run," and "Tough Guys." The encore unleashed other wonderful songs, such as "Can't Fight This Feeling Anymore" and the concert's theme, "Ridin' the Storm Out."

After all of these years, Kansas and REO Speedwagon were still rockin' strong. Both groups, though neither contained all of their original members, seemed to be intensely enjoying performing at the Connecticut venue to a crowd of teenagers to middle-aged adults. Fans ran up to the stage during Speedwagon's songs to receive a hand slap from a musician or catch a flying guitar pick.

Another wonderful factor that made this concert so enjoyable was that both groups played all of their old hits and crowd favorites. Sometimes older bands try to splice in their new music with their old, which is never as welcome as a set of their classics. Both bands stuck to their originals, and the audience loved them for it.