TRIUMPH, APRIL WINE In Boston, MA With Photos!

Monday, June 15, 2026 at 8:38 AM

By George Dionne

The Rock & Roll Machine Reloaded Tour Comes To A Close At Leader Bank Pavilion On June 26th

All Live Photos By George Dionne/@rockisgeorge

Canadian Rock and Roll legends TRIUMPH have been having a bit of a renaissance over the last five years or so. Some say it was due to the release of their 2019 documentary ‘Triumph: Rock ‘n Roll’ Machine’, yet others claim it’s just the natural cycle of a new generation discovering the classics for the first time. Whatever it was, it created a groundswell for another tour.

Truth is, absent a handful of reunion performances, TRIUMPH’s last official tour was in 1988. I asked guitarist/vocalist Rick Emmett about another tour in an interview for KNAC.COM back in 2024. In not so many words he said a traditional tour was not going to happen. When I interviewed drummer Gil Moore in 2025, he talked about some type of AI/avatar/live performance hybrid he was working on. All the while, more and more Rock fans young and old were continuing to talk about TRIUMPH.

Then on December 9, 2025, to coincide with the band’s 50th anniversary, TRIUMPH announced they were embarking on their first North American tour in the spring of 2026. 27 dates across the US and Canada. Fellow Canadian stalwarts APRIL WINE would be the openers.

No one likes to talk about age in music and the limitations and health issues that come along with it, but TRIUMPH was up front about what to expect at the live shows. The band would not be performing as a trio, but as an expanded group featuring longtime collaborator and guitarist Phil X (BON JOVI), bassist Todd Kearns (SLASH), and drummer Brent Fitz (SLASH). Bassist Mike Levine would appear at select shows.

TRIUMPH foretold the success of this 2026 tour 45 years ago, but we didn’t know it at the time. It was delivered in the lyrics for their 1981 hit single “Magic Power”:

”The music does the talking,
Says the things you want to hear
I’m young now, I’m wild and I’m free
Got the magic power of the music in me”

I’d be lying to you if I said I knew any other song by APRIL WINE besides “Just Between You and Me”. The group hit the stage with an energetic performance of “I Like To Rock”. The crowd was instantly into it and so was I. Guitarist Brian Greenway is the last original member of APRIL WINE after the passing of guitarist and lead vocalist Myles Goodwin in 2023. I don’t know where they found current vocalist Marc Parent, but that guy has some pipes.

APRIL WINE continued to control a raucous Boston crowd with Rock and Roll mastery and of course their big ballad. You would have thought a ballad near the end of such a dynamic set would have brought the mood down a bit. However, we all took a little breather to sing along, then APRIL WINE returned to the riffage with intensity and grandeur closing their set out with “Sign of the Gypsy Queen” and “Roller”. I sure hope APRIL WINE is going to take advantage of this momentum by releasing a new album and touring in support of it.

Setlist:

“I Like To Rock”
”Big City Girls”
”All Over Town”
“Say Hello”
”Enough Is Enough”
”Before The Dawn”
”You Could Have Been a Lady”
”Just Between You And Me”
”Sign Of The Gypsy Queen”
”Roller”

https://aprilwine.ca

TRIUMPH’s set started off with a cool video package honoring their 50 years together. The display on the big screen was a sight to behold, as was every graphic that played behind the band throughout the night. A lot of work was put into the production. The opening notes of “When The Lights Go Down” began to play and it had everyone on their feet. It was obvious Rik Emmett and Gil Moore were having the time of their lives on stage.

Phil, Todd, and Brent only enhanced the fun and excitement of Boston getting to witness TRIUMPH live once again, and for possibly for the last time. My favorite TRIUMPH song “Somebody’s Out There” was batting second. Yes, the songs were a little slower and maybe in a lower key at times, but no one was complaining.

“Spellbound” is one of those songs that kick you right in the stomach with melody and power. Hearing it live for the first time was no different. “Allied Forces” and “Rock & Roll Machine” were both lively crowd favorites. There were times throughout the night that Rik or Gil would take a break, but it seemed a natural part of the show.

TRIUMPH pulled out a deep cut with “Blinding Light Show”/“Moonchild”. This was not a track I was familiar with. The song originally appeared on their first album back in 1976. I had no idea that TRIUMPH dabbled with Progressive Rock during their formidable years. The sights and sounds of this composition was a nice little detour from the Rock radio friendly stuff.

I was unaware of the fact that in 1978, TRIUMPH covered “Rocky Mountain Way” by Joe Walsh (EAGLES) and it was their first charting song in Canada. However, I think we could have skipped this one for the reunion tour and maybe subbed in the Rik Emmett solo hit “Saved By Love”.

From there, TRIUMPH made me forget about the cover with hit after hit after hit. The Canadian legends ended their first set, as expected, with “Magic Power”. The live version and the 45 year old recorded version is simply a powerful song. For at least two hours in Boston we all forgot about our worries. We forgot about our stresses, responsibilities, and to-do lists. We forgot about how old we were on this night, and remembered how we turned to this music 45 years ago for all the same reasons. That’s the magic power of music my friends.

Keeping the good vibes flowing, TRIUMPH returned for an encore of “I Live For The Weekend” and “Fight The Good Fight”. Ending again on a great message for all of us, with a 50 year old TRIUMPH leading by example.

Setlist:

“When The Lights Go Down”
“Somebody’s Out There”
“Spellbound”
“Hold On”
“Allied Forces”
“Blinding Light Show / Moonchild”
“Rock & Roll Machine”
“Rock Mountain Way”
“Never Surrender”
“Lay It On The Line”
“Follow Your Heart”
“Magic Power”
“I Live For The Weekend”
“Fight The Good Fight”