REO... 'Roll with the Changes'

Classic rockers wow Wal-Mart crowd, sell records

The internet was only a dream when REO Speedwagon was in their heyday. Their early recordings were done on vinyl, and most of the band's sales came from record stores.

Fast forward to 2007. Internet purchases have gone through the roof, and downloads are gutting in-store record sales, leaving artists and retailers scrambling for solutions. REO Speedwagon may have one.

This afternoon, singer Kevin Cronin and Bassist Bruce Hall climbed on a tiny stage in the men's department of Wal-Mart in Eagan. Armed with acoustic guitars and a new album, they played for hundreds of fans who packed the store aisles, anxious for a musical blast from the past.

"We're going to have them sign our vest, and, the 8 track I used to listen to them on," gushed Jamie Paulson, who had her teenaged daughter in tow. "We're out here, hitting the road old school, that's what brings us to Wal-Mart," said Cronin.

REO signed an early release exclusive with Wal-Mart, similar to a deal Garth Brooks did with the retail giant.

"Find your own way home" is the band's first release of all new songs in ten years. The new recording is being packaged with two live discs, and sold for less than $15.

The crowd that came to see Cronin and Hall snapped up all kinds of them, a win-win situation for the band and Wal-Mart.

"We've done it all, we've played coliseums, we've played baseball stadiums, started out playing clubs, and we figured the logical next step for us was department stores," the lead singer quipped.