On this date in history, 8/30/1979, REO Speedwagon and Blackfoot played a massively overcrowded Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, resulting in one of the most frustrating and least fun shows I have ever attended.
REO were on tour supporting their 9th album, aptly titled Nine Lives. They were cresting in popularity, soon to release their biggest selling album ever, 1980’s Hi Infidelity. This may have been the cause of the arena being too full for my friend and I to find two adjacent seats, or it might have been something else. Whatever the cause, we were forced to continually keep moving by the security guards who were at least enforcing the fire code of the venue.
REO sounded great and the seated portion of the crowd enjoyed it immensely, but I sure didn’t enjoy not even getting the chance to watch a whole song without a flashlight being pointed in my face and a muscle bound guard telling me to move along. Blackfoot opened the show in fine Southern Rock style. I had seen them open for Cheap Trick just 2 months prior to this show and they were great both times.
Ricky Medlocke and his crew definitely were a great warmup band for a headliner, and provided the only enjoyment I got from this ill fated concert.
Written By Braddon S. Williams aka The Concert Critic
VinylLair.com 
Leave a Reply