Pat Monahan of Train takes selfies on phones thrown to him by his fans.

The night kicked off with Yacht Rock Revue, the Atlanta-based purveyors of all things smooth and breezy. These cats have been sailing the mellow seas of soft rock since 2007, embodying the nostalgic yacht rock genre like no one else. With members like Nick Niespodziani and Peter Olson leading the charge, they turned the venue into a time machine back to the ’70s. Their latest release, Seaside Gold (2023), is a glossy homage to the era, and they played it with a knowing wink and more than a few heads bobbing in unison. You can check out more of their vibe at yachtrockrevue.com.

Next up, REO Speedwagon took the stage, blasting out of Champaign, Illinois, like a sonic freight train. These veterans of arena rock need no introduction, but they delivered one anyway, with Kevin Cronin’s unmistakable voice leading the charge. The band, featuring Dave Amato on guitar, Bruce Hall on bass, Neal Doughty on keys, and Bryan Hitt pounding the skins, laid down a set that felt like a greatest hits parade—because, well, it was. They ripped through classics and even threw in a few from their 2020 release, The Hits Revisited. More on them at reospeedwagon.com.

And then came Train, hailing from San Francisco, to wrap the night in a bow of sing-along anthems and radio-friendly hooks. Pat Monahan’s voice soared through the humid Carolina air, backed by a tight lineup including Hector Maldonado on bass, Jerry Becker on guitar, and Matt Musty on drums. Train has a knack for making the familiar feel fresh, and their latest album, AM Gold (2022), kept that tradition alive. The crowd couldn’t resist the urge to sing every word, and by the time they closed with “Drops of Jupiter,” you could feel the collective nostalgia flooding the park. Find them at savemesanfrancisco.com.

Train

REO Speedwagon

Yacht Rock Revue