Date
  Title
  Another fine day...
  Thank you..
  Dream Weekend
  Opening Night
  Vegas Baby!
  REO ROCKS!
  Thank you, Survivor...
  On the road--OFFICIALLY!
  The Today Show Odyssey
  Another Day in the Life
  Last night at Pine Knob...
  The Day After Springfield, MO
  Morning in Minnesota...
  Land spreading out so far and wide...
  Pursuing perfection in the prairie...
  Thinkin' of Lincoln
  On the road...
  Smiles, Hemlock and Magic...
  Psyche Delicacies...
  Roll Them Bones...
  The road to 47...
  Helplessly Hopped...
  Laughing at land mines
  Happy, nappy people...
  Delawareness
  Jumpin' & Jivin' in Jersey Baby...
  Another day in STYX...
  Konocti to Canada...
  Benjamin Orr...
  North Bay newcomers...
  North Bay to Quebec City...
  A rite of passage...
  Train kept a'rollin'...
  That voodoo that we do...
  Day off in Munich...
  Last day in Germany
  London today, LA tomorrow ...
  Looking at you from Lowell
     

6/1/00 - Another Day in the Life

Boston was a real surprise. I don't know what I expected, but when I stepped into the REO stage monitor world, looked out and saw a sea of fans, from the edge of the stage to as far as I could see up the hill. And as usual, Kevin and the boys had them in an uproar, singing their choruses in a deafening choir to the heavens above. I am almost getting used to the pressure these guys put on us day in and day out with their power packed, chock-full-of-hits live show. I wasn't going to say it again but dammit, I am such a fan of theirs. What have they done to my mind? I thought we were the ones who were supposed to have all those evil backwards messages.

After the show, Glen, Jeanne, Simon from our management office, Bubba and I boarded the Love Bus and headed back to NYC so that me and my gang could be dropped off at a hotel there and then Glen and Billy could cross over to the Jersey side and Glen could sleep in his own bed for one night. Love Bus number 2 with JY, Suzie, Gowan and Todd was already motoring its way to Cleveland for a day off.

It seemed like we just got to sleep when the alarm sounded and it was time to wake up and head downstairs for the waiting car to take us downtown to meet Ted, Jack and the rest of the Damn Yankees folks at the photo shoot for the coming CD. It was held an enormous 3rd story artist's loft with tall windows facing the Hudson River, letting oceans of light pour into the space.

Stylists snipped and powdered away, steamed racks of carefully chosen duds, gaffers and assistants scurried here and there getting the shots set up as we all made our way through the transitions from sleepy, bed-headed travelers to big-haired, tight panted, leather clad, booted and jeweled rock icons. At least that was the plan. I cannot speak for myself, but judging how good Ted, Jack and Damon turned out, I think the girls did a fine job. Show biz magic at its finest!

It was fun to get some one-on-one with the guys, to read the latest adventures as written by the eloquent Mr. Nugent in a current issue of "Let's Go Kill Something" monthly. I absolutely love Ted's bombastic use of the English language, not only when he speaks, but when he puts pen to paper. His words leap off the pages and give you a feeling of being on Safari with Hemingway at the height of his days. Ted has a book coming soon which I look forward to, espousing his philosophies and chronicling his larger than life journey from Wonderkind to Living Legend. I predict it will be a page turner.

We put young Damon through the paces with our Damn Yankees history/revisionist history lessons and I have to say, the boy has heart and will do just fine. He can take it and dish it like an old pro. Welcome to the band Damon Johnson. Michael Cartellone was already in Paris with Skynyrd and so he will be digitally flown into the photo mix.

This is an odd occurrence, having Damn Yankees and STYX in such close proximity and alignment, but I have stopped questioning good fortune and am learning to just let it be.

There is a great respect level from camp to camp and I only wish I could be two people and treat Damn Yankees with the undivided attention I was able to give it in 1989 when we were all a lot more available than we are these days. But we are all a little older, maybe even a little wiser, and the Yanks have created some great new music that is being recorded by virtue of the latest technology and with any luck there will be a digital plug-in which has this feature--the "Get the heck out of the way and let it be what it is" button. That is all we will need at the end of the day, and then expect a great new Damn Yankees record to come out the other end of that box.

I have been blessed to sit next to the greatest partners in this business and 2000 has proven to be the busiest and happiest year on this road to date.

Tonight we will perform in Cleveland at Blossom, where I played with with this band on my 30th birthday a few moons ago. STYX is bigger and badder than it has been since we muscled up for the 1978 Pieces of Eight Tour and as I said, I am not asking why or how this has happened--I am just holding on to the top of this rocket, because I don't want to miss a second of the ride as it penetrates the upper atmospheric limits of time and space.

See you at the show.

© 2000 STYX and ArtSite Design. All original photos in site design by MARK WEISS/ANGLES

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