Styx and REO Speedwagon are both mid western bands from the US, both have a similar style of music and both achieved similar degrees of success in the ‘70s. Because of these similarities, many considered them to be arch rivals which, to a degree, they were. The battle raged for years among diehard fans as to who was the best or who was the more popular.

While appearing on a VH1 quiz challenge, Tommy Shaw from Styx and Kevin Cronin from REO got talking. Kevin told Tommy that he would be happy to help out on his solo project and Tommy took him up on his offer. From there they got talking some more and discussed the possibility of Styx and REO performing together in a battle of the bands style show. It wasn’t until a while later when the management of each band also suggested it that they started to think it could happen. The other band members were asked their thoughts on a tour and all agreed it would be great, so plans were put into action.

Arch Allies Live at Riverport is one of the early shows from this tour, recorded at Riverport in St Louis on June 9, 2000. One of the early problems they needed to resolve was the issue of who would top the bill. Both bands agreed that they would take it in turns, nominating specific venues as particular fan base areas in advance.

The Riverport show sees Styx hit the stage first and they are in fine form. Although this is not the original line-up, the newer members have brought fresh enthusiasm and this comes across in abundance. Performing hits such as Fooling Yourself and Lady they never miss a beat.

REO Speedwagon hit the stage next and they are also in fine form. Having achieved more hits worldwide, viewers that are not too familiar with either band are more likely to recognise some of the REO ballads, but viewers should also give Styx the listen they deserves. REO sound great and they also ooze enthusiasm. The crowd loves every minute and it is great to see audience members wearing Styx t-shirts singing along to REO and vice versa.

Track listing:

Styx

Please note that this is yet another NTSC release in this PAL market, so if you're not set up to handle it you'll just have to miss out. Having primarily been filmed as a TV special, the show is presented in full frame and therefore is not 16x9 enhanced. Picture is sharp throughout and colours are vibrant and reasonably natural. There are the usual problems associated with live concerts such as grain, detail issues and aliasing, but these are minimal and take nothing away from the enjoyment. There are no subtitles supplied with this release, but they are not required anyway as diction is clear at all times.

Audio supplied is a choice of Dolby Digital 2.0 or 5.1. Both are very good, but the track of choice is the 5.1, giving a much fuller sound and using the rear speakers well for that concert feel. Separation is also used well on the DD 2.0 track, but the full concert feel is slightly lacking. Audio synch is never a problem and the subwoofer gets a little action on the 5.1 track, but nothing too taxing.

A few nice extras accompany this release. From the main menu, viewers can select the Audio Interviews. This is with Tommy Shaw and Kevin Cronin and they answer the question “How did the Arch Allies project come together?� The Tommy Shaw response is great and runs for 11:27, giving an excellent insight into how this tour came about. The Kevin Cronin response is not as good though. He appears to be reading directly from the CD cover notes and offers little in the way of insight. His response runs for 4:31. Next is a Photo Gallery, which consists of a few photographs from the show and of each band. Web Links offers web site addresses for the Styx and REO Speedwagon websites and DVD Credits is s simple one page listing those responsible for this DVD release. In the area on the menu for each band, there is also a Biography and Discography. These are very well presented and quite informative.

Overall this is a very good quality performance by two of the finest bands in their area. Both achieved great success throughout the world in the ‘70s and this is a great trip down memory lane, portrayed as that by the bands as there is no plugging of new albums here. So if you are a fan of either band, definitely check this out. If you only have a mild liking for either band, this is still worth a look as it is a great concert with a good video and audio transfer and a decent swag of extras.