By Vlad T, Rock At Night Detroit and Chyrisse Tabone, Rock At Night Tampa

Live Review: Triumph w/ April Wine at the Hard Rock Orlando, Florida – April 10, 2026

This year has seen Canadian rock acts return to the international spotlight. Hall of Famers Rush set the concert world alight with news of its re-emergence in arenas nearly a decade after Neil Peart’s demise. And Quebec math rock duo Angine De Poitrine have blown up the internet and European venues with their daring presentation and inventive stylings.

It’s in this milieu that two 80s arena rock powerhouses from north of 54°40′ are making their live return to American audiences. And it was here on Friday that Orlando, Florida’s  Hard Rock Live welcomed Triumph with special guests April Wine on the first date of a much-anticipated tour.

Billed as “The Rock And Roll Machine Reloaded,” this marks the headliners’ 50th anniversary and first sustained series of dates in nearly 40 years with the original power trio of vocalist/guitarist Rik Emmett, preternaturally youthful drummer/vocalist Gil Moore, and bassist Mike Levine.

Adding to the festivities are guitarist Phil X (who succeeded Emmett in 1992 after his first tour with the band), bassist Todd Kerns (filling in for Levine as needed), and drummer/keyboardist Brent Fitz. This makes for a dual power trio configuration onstage, similar to what Robert Fripp has done with King Crimson.

Friday’s show was an arena rock tour de force, bringing all the hallmarks of Triumph’s 80s heyday live experience. The video special effects and pyrotechnics were powerful and thoughtfully executed, showing that the band means business.

But these were merely supplements to an exhilarating performance by the boys on stage. Tearing through a littany of hits like “Lay It On the Line” and “Fight the Good Fight” and album fan favorites like “Magic Power” and even a faithful reading of Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way” with drummer Moore stepping up front on vocals, the band showed an energy, musical execution and voice easily worthy of a place on the big stage again. (Levine, battling health matters, wasn’t in the evening’s show, his spot covered by Kerns.)

An especially memorable sequence was “Rock and Roll Machine,” where the tour’s informal theme song enveloped hair-raising eclectic solos by Emmett that negotiated through rock, jazz, flamenco, and even Grieg’s “Hall of the Mountain King.” Similarities to Jeff Beck in form and playing precision come to mind.

Evening openers and contemporaries April Wine delivered an impressive, strongly received set featuring the band’s numerous North American hits from the 70s and 80s, including Elton John cover “You Could Have Been A Lady,” plus AOR staples “Enough Is Enough,” “I Like To Rock,” and the barn burner “Roller.” The band, still anchored by longtime guitarist Brian Greenway, now is ably fronted by energetic and engaging vocalist Marc Parent, personally chosen by his predecessor Myles Goodwin to be his successor.

This evening of Canadian rock memories deeply resonated with an audience—from both sides of the border—that fondly remembers the bands as soundtracks to those fun times crossing the Windsor/Detroit or Buffalo/Niagara borders.

Canadians and Americans will always be genuine friends and neighbors. Thanks to Triumph and April Wine for helping us remember that.

*Check out Rock At Night’s interview with Gil Moore.

PHOTO GALLERY

Triumph

PHOTO GALLERY

April Wine