Posted by Opening the 2026 season at Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theatre, Canadian rock legends Triumph brought their Rock and Roll Machine Reloaded Tour to Long Island to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
Opening for Triumph, fellow Canadian band April Wine played a 10 song set, complete with their cover of Hot Chocolate’s “You Could Have Been a Lady” from their On Record album, a song that was on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1972.
Then, Triumph hit the stage with “When the Lights Go Down,” and what followed was a 12 song set (plus two encores) of one of the highest energy shows I’ve ever seen. The lineup for the show was Rik Emmett on vocals and guitar, Phil X on guitar, Todd Kerns on bass, and both Gil Moore and Brent Fitz on drums, with Brent Fitz also on keyboards for a few songs. Every one of those men were a powerhouse of energy, and they took over that stage putting on one hell of a rock show that even included pyro and a t-shirt cannon. They were pulling out all the stops to give the audience the night of their lives. And the best part? They all looked like they were having an absolute blast the entire time.
When discussing the roles of Phil X, Todd Kerns, and Brent Fitz in the show, Gil Moore said in an interview, “Rik and I are not puck hogs, so these guys are gonna shine in this show. And we would be idiots not to let them do that. These guys are great players and great singers, so we’re gonna share the stage. We’re not gonna hog the stage.” And true to his word, all three were truly were given the opportunity to show off their skills throughout the night. At one point, the band did a cover of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” and extended the song to feature impressive solos by each of them.
One thing about Triumph’s songs is that they focus on a positive, uplifting feel, which is a really wonderful niche in the rock world that I don’t think gets explored often enough. But to this point, near the end of the show, Emmett spoke to the audience saying, “I’m gonna come out here and I’m gonna preach the gospel. I’m gonna say, ‘Hey! You follow your heart. You believe in yourself.’ And I really, truly feel it. Every night up here, I get to feel it, and I hope you guys get to feel it, too. Because, ladies and gentlemen, THAT is the magic power of music.”And, honestly? We did. Or, at least, I did, but I assume the rest of the crowd did as well because they absolutely erupted with cheers.
In all, it was an absolutely amazing performance, and one I won’t soon forget.
An important side note for this tour is that $1 of every ticket sold goes to support Sounds Unite, Gil Moore’s charity whose purpose is “Advancing education by establishing and providing free music education, music wellness, as well as collaborative tools and programming for all Canadians, focusing on elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schools, healthcare organizations, marginalized or at-risk youth groups, and Indigenous communities.”
Long Island Sounds 