107.7 SFR’s Classic Rock Showdown finale: I be the judge

REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin (left) is not one of the "music industry professionals" judging 107.7 SFR's Classic Rock Showdown finale this Saturday. But I am.

As part of my ongoing quest to attain local celebrity status, I’ll be judging 107.7 SFR’s Classic Rock Showdown finale this Saturday. Music starts at 8 p.m. at Third Base Tavern in Jeffersonville, Ind. (134 Spring St.).

Come out and be the Paula to my Simon. I’ll be the guy drinking like it’s free, because, for me, it is.

Four bands will play 35-minute sets each. I’m judging based on

• performance (technical)
• stage presence
• station fit
• crowd response
• girth

2011 is my second time judging the finale; last year was a blast, despite some concerns about how the second-place band’s groupies would respond to a second-place finish. You don’t want to irk a rock cover band’s groupies.

Talking babysitting, video games and rock n’ roll with REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin

REO Speedwagon's Kevin Cronin and me at the band's meet and greet after its recent show in Louisville.

Regardless of how well you prepare and what interesting questions you’ve come up with, the quality of an interview depends a lot on the subject and a bunch of variables. To be honest, I was concerned my recent conversation with REO Speedwagon’s lead singer, Kevin Cronin, was going to be a dud:

• It was delayed by a couple of hours because he was at the dentist.
• We spoke while he was in a rush to get to the airport.
• I was interviewing him for Louisville.com; while I’m proud of the site and its traffic, it’s not Rolling Stone in 1981.

Cronin, however, was fantastic to speak to, both in my interview, REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin on Louisville, power ballads and if my wife’s a slut, and when we met during a meet and greet after the band’s Louisville concert Friday night (my review of which is here). He was engaging, funny and passionate about subjects ranging from the power of the power ballad to the band’s new video game.

While REO Speedwagon put on a fun show that I reckon was similar to its performances during its peak in popularity in the 1980s, the backstage scene is probably a lot different now–Cronin and I chatted about how hard it can be to find a babysitter (he has two pre-teens and Friday was the first time my wife and I left our daughter with a sitter).