Train in Riverside

About Train

Train emerged from San Francisco in the late 90s with a sound that split the difference between 90s alternative rock and radio-friendly pop sensibility. They hit their commercial peak in the mid-2000s when 'Drops of Jupiter' became inescapable, a sprawling track that somehow worked despite its kitchen-sink approach to arrangements. 'Hey Soul Sister' cemented their status as a mainstream act, though it also solidified some people's conviction that they were aggressively corny. Their earlier work, particularly around 'Meet Virginia' and 'Calling All Angels,' showed more textural ambition and less predictability. Lead singer Pat Monahan has a conversational delivery that can feel either disarming or grating depending on your tolerance for earnestness. They've largely leaned into their catalog strength and touring reliability rather than chasing relevance, which is probably the right call.

Train shows are wedding reception energy. People sing along to every word of the big hits, the crowd gets genuinely into it, and there's a lot of swaying and phone recording. Monahan talks between songs in a way that either lands as charming or self-indulgent. Shows run long and feel competent.

Known for Drops of Jupiter, Hey Soul Sister, Calling All Angels, Meet Virginia, Marry Me

Train in Riverside News

• Two big names coming to Morton Amphitheater in Riverside next year FOX4KC.com · Nov 12, 2025
• Meghan Trainor, Train to open Kansas City’s newest live venue, Morton Amphitheater KCTV · Nov 12, 2025
• New Riverside concert venue announces first shows. Who’s performing in 2026? Kansas City Star · Nov 11, 2025
• Train Book 'Drops of Jupiter' 25th Anniversary Tour Exclaim! · Nov 10, 2025
• 'You’re walking over history.' Tour shares the story of Riverside Park's 1940s miniature railroad GazetteXtra · Oct 12, 2025

Live Music in Riverside

Riverside's music scene tends toward hip-hop and Latin music, with pockets of classic rock appreciation scattered across the Inland Empire. Train fits into that latter camp—straightforward rock-pop songwriting that plays well with audiences who came of age in the '90s and 2000s. The city doesn't get as many touring rock acts as it used to, so when they do roll through, it usually draws people who remember when this stuff dominated radio.

Riverside road trip to see Train?

Stay in the Magnolia Center area near downtown Riverside, where restored historic buildings sit alongside new boutique hotels and wine bars—it's the only neighborhood that actually feels like somewhere worth spending an evening. Before the show, dinner at Duane's, a reliable California steakhouse with real cocktails and actual craft to the food. Spend your afternoon at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum or walking through the Mission Inn's sprawling Mission Revival campus—it's genuinely stunning architecture, the kind of thing that reminds you why people actually settled this part of California.