- THE ROMANTICS/CHRISTOPHER CROSS/TOTO
- Morton Amphitheater – Riverside, MO
- August 24, 2026
Phoitos by Michael Smith/Media Mikes unless noted
NOTE: As the show began, I had a serious malfunction with my camera. I want to thank my fellow photographers who were in the pit with me for figuring out and helping me correct the issues, especially Peter Amisano, who gave me a new SD card, and Tyler Cook, who very kindly supplied me with a great shot of the Romantics for this article. You guys are the best!
In the past few years, I’ve heard the term “Yacht Rock” used to describe most of the music I grew up with as a young man. Smooth and mellow, but always with a little touch of rock and roll. On this night, the Morton Amphitheater became an ocean, with some of the greatest “Yachts” sailing in to an enthusiastic audience.
Kicking off the night, the Romantics played a fun, lively (11) song set, beginning with Rock You Up. The band sounded great and had the audience on their feet almost immediately, ending their evening with a rousing What I Like About You. I had never seen the Romantics live before and I’m glad I finally had the opportunity to cross the band from my Bucket List.
In 1981, Christopher Cross seemingly came out of nowhere to make Grammy Award history by becoming the first person to win Grammy’s for Best Album, Best New Artist and both Record and Song of the Year (Sailing). That record stood until 2020 when Billie Eilish joined him in that rarified air. Like Eilish, Cros has also won an Academy Award, having co-written Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do). Cross kicked off his set with two straight hits (All Right and Never Be the Same), then took the audience on a journey playing both classic tunes as well as more current songs accompanied by some great musicians a trio of background singers. Before Arthur’s Theme he gave a shout out to the song’s co-writer, Kansas City born composer Burt Bacharach. It was the second time this year I’ve heard Bacharach honored this year, with Herb Alpert also paying tribute to the legendary songwriter this past spring. Cross closed his set with another hit, Ride Like the Wind.
One of my earliest concert memories is seeing Boston in Largo, Florida. There were two acts opening for Boston that night: Sammy Hagar and a band called Toto. Led by Steve Lukather, David Paisch, and Steve and Jeff Porcaro (brother Mike would join the band in1982), Toto hit the charts running with Hold the Line and never looked back. In 1983, the band won (6) Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year for Toto IV and Record of the Year for Rosanna, with Lukather also taking home an individual Grammy for co-writing the George Benson hit Turn Your Love Around.
Toto began the evening with Goodbye Elenore before delivering a kick-ass performance of Rosanna which eventually featured three keyboardists! Quick fun fact: five years before Dirty Dancing, both Patrick Swayze and Cynthia Rhodes were featured dancers in the Rosanna video! Still led by guitarist Lukather (sadly both Jeff and Mike Porcaro have passed and Steve Porcaro and Paich no longer tour with the band), the band is fronted by Joseph Williams, who revealed during the show that he was the singing voice of young Simba in The Lion King by sharing a few lines from Hakuna Matata! Lukather also introduced the newest member of the band, an amazing musician named Dennis Atlas, who has serious musical chops! The band was tight musically and Williams hit all the notes. If it wasn’t for my hair loss and weight gain I would have sworn I was 18 again! The show concluded with a powerful rendition of Africa, with Toto joined on stage by the Romantics and Christopher Cross. The perfect ending to a perfect evening of music!
SET LISTS
THE ROMANTICS
Rock You Up, Do Me Any Way You Wanna, When I Look in Your Eyes, Got Me Where You Want Me, Little White Lies, Real Good Thing, Bop, She’s Got Everything, Stone Pony, Talking in Your Sleep, What I Like About You
CHRISTOPHER CROSS
All Right, Never Be the Same, I Really Don’t Know Anymore, Dreamers, Sailing, Think of Laura, I Know You Well, The Light Is On, Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), Say You’ll Be Mine, Ride Like the Wind
TOTO
Goodbye Elenore, Rosanna, Hydra, Georgy Porgy. I Won’t Hold You Back, Endless, Kingdom of Desire, Pamela, I’ll Be Over You, I’ll Supply the Love, Taint Your World, Hold the Line. ENCORE: Africa (with Christopher Cross and The Romantics)