It may have taken decades but the official version of the Guess Who has returned. After countless legal battles and various personal drama, original members Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman—who sang and wrote nearly every song in the band’s vast catalog—have reclaimed the rights to the name and are back on the road again. Following ex-Eagles guitar wizard Don Felder, who opened the show, the Guess Who brought a lot of late ’60s and ’70s peace, love and guitar vibe to the outdoor amphitheater Fiddler’s Green in Denver for a rainy August 12, 2026 show.

Felder has his own drama-heavy place in rock history. Known for many years as half of the Eagles’ two-guitar attack along with Joe Walsh, Felder still very much has his chops; like Bachman, Felder’s effortless guitar skills were on display for each song. Felder played major Eagles hits dating from the time he joined the band in 1974 on, including the opening twinpack of “Already Gone” and “One of These Nights.”

Though these songs were all sung by Don Henley or Glenn Frey, Felder’s smooth and relaxed lead vocals are underrated. Happily, Felder didn’t ignore his major solo hit, “Heavy Metal,” the theme and title song to the 1981 animated movie of the same name. “It was 1980 or ’81,” Felder told the crowd, “and I was asked to write a song for this movie that was animated, adult and a stoner flick. I was in.” The song itself is a charming, lean and mean rocker that still holds up, especially live in concert.

Felder later played “Life in the Fast Lane,” which originally featured more lead guitar from him and Walsh, and naturally finished his 50-minute set with the biggest hit of anyone’s career, “Hotel California.” Felder wrote the music for that rock anthem, which features one of rock’s best dueling guitar tradeoffs. The crowd, approximately 8,000 strong, responded vociferously. Clearly, this Guess Who crowd likes them some Eagles.

Related: Don Felder talks about making “Hotel California”

Originating from Canada, the Guess Who is one of those classic rock acts that have sailed somewhat under the radar despite having an impressive cavalcade of extremely catchy hit songs and fabulous musicality. Cummings’ powerful lead vocals are instantly recognizable, and though he is in his late 70s, the man can still rock and play excellent boogie-woogie piano. The band got its name, rather inadvertently, when its Canadian record label used a publicity stunt in 1965 to garner attention for their single of “Shakin’ All Over.” But the band’s roots actually go all the way back to 1958 when Chad Allan started a band called Al and the Silvertones. Bachman joined in 1962 and the group underwent several name changes. Cummings joined as lead singer in early 1966 and the band settled into the name the Guess Who.

Related: Our Album Rewind of American Woman

A plethora of radio hits soon followed, and the band became one of the most successful rock acts of the late ’60s. As happens with many successful bands that inevitably change members, conflict and chaos emerge and for nearly four decades, Cummings and Bachman have been in conflict with former bassist Jim Kale (who left the band in 1972) about the ownership of the band’s name. Kale had toured as the Guess Who for years without any founding members, and finally in 2024 an out-of-court settlement was reached and Cummings and Bachman rightfully were restored ownership of the name and business of the band.

Related: Our interview with Randy Bachman

A voice that shot out of the radio with verve and character, Cummings still can pull off an impressive performance, including hitting most of those high notes. Cummings naturally does not have that same voice as his younger self, but it still shines through recognizably and as the show progressed his voice grew stronger. Beginning their show with two relatively obscure Guess Who numbers, the band came out firing on all pistons nonetheless with “Running Back to Saskatoon,” an obvious nod to their homeland, and “Proper Stranger.” When they launched into “Hand Me Down World,” an early rock protest of environmental degradation that seems extremely prescient these days, the crowd responded with fervor as it recognized the track. “These Eyes” had everyone singing along and the humorous “Albert Flasher” followed.

Bachman, seated for the show, showcased his great guitar skills on his Gibson Les Paul, playing the many hooks in each hit song with radio perfection. Having split from the Guess Who in 1970, Bachman, of course, went on to form Bachman-Turner Overdrive with his brothers Tim and Robbie and Fred Turner, delivering more of the biggest rock radio hits of the ’70s. He performed “Let It Ride” (originally sung by Turner) mid-show before they went into the 1974 Guess Who nugget “Clap for the Wolfman.” The sophistication and depth of songs like “Laughing” and “Undun” are on full display in concert and those songs in particular are rather underappreciated. The seven-piece Guess Who hit their stride with those two numbers and were locking in, then the weather hit.

A crazy, intense and fast-moving thunderstorm with loads of lightning arrived and forced a 45-minute delay. The Guess Who returned and, having to forgo several songs from their regular set, resumed the show with five timeless hits, starting with “American Woman.” Cummings is a great showman and has an almost DJ-quality delivery in his frontman persona. The band then chugged through great versions of “No Sugar Tonight/Mother Nature,” and “No Time” before playing another hooky, pro-planet song, “Share the Land.”

The Guess Who, similar to bands like Three Dog Night, had so many great hit singles in such a short span of creative time, it’s remarkable. Bachman brought the night to a fitting close with the anthemic three-chord rocker from his BTO catalog, “Taking Care of Business.” Cummings was clearly thrilled to have control of his own band back, and energized by Mother Nature’s decision to make the storm a fairly quick one, he and the band finished on a great high note.

Though there are no announced plans to record new music, the pair organized a 7-disc box set, The Bachman Cummings Collection in 2021 via Sony Music Canada, which gathers albums from the Guess Who, plus material from Bachman-Turner Overdrive and Cummings’ solo career. Order it on CDs or LPs in the U.S. here, in their native Canada here and in the U.K. here.