Train delivered a feel-good night of hits, covers, and pure summer amphitheater energy Tuesday at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Maryland Heights.
The Drops of Jupiter: 25 Years in the Atmosphere Tour rolled into the St. Louis area with special guests Matt Nathanson and Barenaked Ladies for a stacked triple bill that leaned hard into nostalgia, sing-alongs, and the kind of polished, crowd-pleasing rock that has kept Train packing outdoor venues for decades.
Doors were at 6:45 p.m. Matt Nathanson opened and set an easy, melodic tone with his acoustic-leaning set. Barenaked Ladies followed and did what they do best: sharp musicianship mixed with humor and big choruses that got the pavilion and lawn moving. By the time Train hit the stage around 9:15, the place was locked in.
Frontman Patrick Monahan remains the engine. He worked the stage and the crowd with the same easy charm and high energy that have defined the band’s live shows for years, taking fan phones for selfies and videos, throwing out shirts, and keeping the banter light and local-friendly. The band — tight, professional, and clearly having fun — backed him with the bright, radio-ready sound that made songs like “Hey, Soul Sister” and “Drive By” ubiquitous.
In a recent interview reflecting on the song that gives the tour its name, Monahan described the dream that inspired “Drops of Jupiter” after his mother’s death and said, “I think ‘Drops of Jupiter’ was the first time I realized how healing music can be.” That spirit carried through the night in St. Louis. He has also summed up the band’s mission simply: “I’m not in the biggest band in the world, but I feel like I am, and that’s good enough. We go out there and we make families happy, and that’s a big deal.”
The set mixed Train’s biggest hits with a healthy dose of covers and special guests. Heavy hitters included “She’s on Fire,” “50 Ways to Say Goodbye,” “If It’s Love,” “Play That Song,” “Whipping Boy,” “Marry Me,” “Save Me, San Francisco,” “Bruises,” “Hey, Soul Sister,” and the inevitable closer “Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me).” The anniversary framing of the tour made the deeper cuts and album tracks from Drops of Jupiter and Save Me, San Francisco land with extra weight.
Covers and guest spots were highlights. Matt Nathanson joined for a run through John Mellencamp’s “Jack & Diane.” Rock Monahan (Patrick’s son) stepped up for Journey’s “Stone in Love” and a Dirty Heads cover of “Vacation.” A “Meet Virginia”/“Take Me Home, Country Roads” mashup with Barenaked Ladies’ Ed Robertson gave the night a loose, communal feel, and “Drive By” rolled into a “Hey Jude” outro that sent the crowd home singing.
The Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on a mid-August Tuesday delivered classic St. Louis outdoor concert vibes: warm air, a solid mix of reserved seats and lawn, and a crowd that knew every word to the big singles. Train’s shows aren’t about reinvention or edge — they’re about reliability, big choruses, and making a large outdoor space feel like a shared good time. On that front, this one checked every box.
If you came for the hits, you left satisfied. If you came for a polished, upbeat summer night under the lights with three acts who know exactly how to work an amphitheater, you got exactly that. Train is still very much in the business of delivering exactly what their fans show up for, and on this night in Maryland Heights they did it with energy and zero pretense.
Tour continues The Drops of Jupiter: 25 Years in the Atmosphere Tour still has plenty of road left. Remaining dates include:
- Aug. 12 – Riverside, MO (Morton Amphitheater)
- Aug. 14 – The Woodlands, TX (Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
- Aug. 15 – Dallas, TX (Dos Equis Pavilion)
- Aug. 17 – Morrison, CO (Red Rocks Amphitheatre)
- Aug. 19 – West Valley City, UT (Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre)
- Aug. 21 – Phoenix, AZ (Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre)
- Aug. 24 – Los Angeles, CA (Greek Theatre)
- Aug. 25 – Lake Tahoe, NV
- Aug. 26 – Mountain View, CA (Shoreline Amphitheatre)
- Aug. 28 – Bend, OR (Hayden Homes Amphitheater)
- Aug. 29 – Ridgefield, WA (Cascades Amphitheater)
- Aug. 30 – Auburn, WA (White River Amphitheatre)
Barenaked Ladies and Matt Nathanson continue as special guests through the end of the run.
