IRON MAIDEN In Tinley Park, IL

Saturday, September 26, 2026 at 11:48 AM

By Shelly Harris

September 22, 2026 At Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre

Photos by Joseph Winters

Without a doubt, IRON MAIDEN are in their golden years in the best kind of way: Even after 50-plus years it would seem that the whole production, including the band members themselves, are aging backwards. Certainly they embody the assertion that having a job that one is passionate about is a key to the Fountain of Youth, but especially when that passion is in a creative field, and Rock N Roll no less! Indeed, witnessing any show (more like a total extravaganza) on the "Run For Your Lives" tour demonstrates that the band can still outdo itself, definitely no easy feat at this stage of the game, not only due to the age range of the band now (68-70) but also because of the caliber of all the prior tours over the past five decades.

This sold out gig in the Chicago suburb of Tinley Park marked the 45th year since IRON MAIDEN first toured the US and in the Chicago area in particular. While MAIDEN would go on to tour numerous times per year in Chicago and all the surrounding areas during those early years of the 80s, the first place they appeared here was at the Pointe East (in another nearby south-of-Chicago suburb), which is also the place I became familiar with the band and first started covering them extensively. What our eyes and ears have seen, heard, and experienced since then ...

The tours that have gone on in-between have seen MAIDEN go from the stages of small rock clubs to multi nights at Radio City in NYC, to the biggest soccer stadiums and festivals in the world. Naturally, they adapted to those ever-larger environments with equally stellar stage productions that make their gigs more than just a concert or a show. While some may say they don't need all the whistles and bells due to the strength of the songs, the musicianship, the theatrics, and the stage presence, this gig and this tour demonstrate an understanding that those in the back of a 30K amphitheater want to see more than just witnessing a performance via the Jumbotrons. It is also evident that so many of the band's storytelling songs - the 17 literary and historical epics from eight of IRON MAIDEN'S first nine albums - lend themselves most particularly well to the stunning special effects, pyro, and massive high-definition digital 3D video screens and other visuals that this tour boasts, especially with a Master of Ceremonies like Bruce Dickinson at the helm on tunes like "Rime of the Ancient Mariner", "Hallowed Be Thy Name", "Powerslave", and "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son". While the band continues to have fun with the lighter antics of various onstage Eddies, their most emotionally powerful numbers pack an extra punch.

However, with that said, the most stunning thing about the whole show is just how much the band members are on top of their game in every respect. Firing on all cylinders indeed. This, coupled with an inner awareness that IRON MAIDEN, a band that has rarely benefitted from mainstream perks like radio airplay or mainstream media publicity, is truly the tortoise and not the hare in gradually building up to the peak of a semi-centennial career that seems to have momentum to spare. With spectacular precision, stamina, and determination they truly have the well-earned status and aura of Rock Legends and the stratosphere seems to be the limit now.

Finally, for anyone who might think retirement could be imminent for IRON MAIDEN any time soon, this astonishing performance and tour signals that there's clearly no chance of that.