I had this concert completely backward. When I bought tickets, I thought that Pure Prairie League headlined the show and Pablo Cruise was the warm-up act. So I was surprised when the evening began with a giant animated cowboy appearing on the video screen behind the stage, announcing Pure Prairie League.

Both bands had their greatest success in the 1970s - PPL with their mix of country, blues, and soft rock; and PC with a style of music that has been retroactively labeled "Yacht Rock."

"Prairie" began their set Friday evening at The Arcada Theatre in St. Charles with "Two Lane Highway" - a single from 1975. The song brought the crowd to its feet before the band reeled them in with softer love songs, including their most commercially successful song, "Let Me Love You Tonight." Of course, they closed with "Falling In and Out of Love" / "Amie". Like many fans, this is my favorite composition by the group, which made it an ideal choice to close the set.

None of the six original members of Pure Prairie League remain with the band, but the current lineup did justice to their catalog.

In contrast, Pablo Cruise still includes three of its four founding members. On Friday evening, one could still see Steve Price driving the rhythm behind his drum set, Cory Lerios serving as master of ceremonies behind his guitar, and David Jenkins stepping to the front to play lead and rhythm guitar and sing some of their hits. Only Bud Cockrell, who passed away in 2010, is absent from the lineup. Joining the old trio on stage were Larry Antonino (bass guitar) and Robbie Wyckoff (vocals).

Although each band member had a chance to perform a solo - most notably on the long instrumental jam, "Zero to Sixty in Five"- it was Jenkins's guitar playing that stole the show. He shifted seamlessly from blistering licks to smooth, mellow chords. He also performed one of his solo compositions, "Livin' Inside Your Love," with the band offstage.

But the band's heyday hits brought the most energy to the room. "Love Will Find a Way" and "Watcha Gonna Do?" were the perfect end to the performance. They did not return for an encore, but they did not need one - the two bands combined for well over three hours of entertainment, which was sufficient.