Thank You...

MARCH 20, 2005
MORRIS PERF. ARTS CTR
SOUTH BEND, IN


Introducing "The Godfather" JY in South Bend...Photo:Daniel Wills

Hello Friends,

We're all in our respective homes today after a two week road trip which tool us from Nashville, down to South Florida and finally through the midwest where we ended a six cities in six days run in South Bend, Indiana. Every show was a uniquely outstanding experience and by the time we hit the home stretch we had put "I Don't need No Doctor" pretty much into the song list. We hope you liked it as much as we liked playing it.

Last night in South Bend, you may not know this but among the historic STYX friends who attended were Michael "Stretch" Coupleditch and Jim Vosecek. Stretch was the original "Janitor" in our 1981 production of Paradise Theater. Stretch traveled many miles for many moons with us back in those days and we were thrilled to have him and and his clan as our guests. Jim Vocescek, aka Jim Vose, was the man whom I first met when he came to see me play with MS Funk at a club called "Rush Up" back in the early seventies. He worked for STYX at the time and made it a point to introduce himself to me. It was Jim who later tracked me down in Montgomery to tell me he'd recommended me for the gig when JC decided to leave in December, 1975. Vose, as we called him, put in a lot of hours wrangling us as we made our way all over the countinent supporting Equinox and Crystal Ball. It was very cool to know he was in the audience.

It was also sweet in that my old pal Pete Kernan promoted the show. We go way back to the seventies when he was involved in promotions and merchandising at all the South Bend shows, particularly the ACC on the Notre Dame campus. Peter now works out of Malibu as well as South Bend and we all had our pasts on our sleeves all day long and into the evening.

Even my dear friend Chip Beckman stopped by to say hello after the show. I probably had more laughs with Chip back when I lived in Niles than with any other person in my life. That was our friendship. How much fun could be had? That was the constant quest. He'll always be the Chip who made stupid video clips with me, including the infamus "Poopers Red Kidney Beans" commercial with the exploding pants. I still have that video and it is as funny now as it was then.

Thanks for the flashbacks, South Bend!

And now, back to getting Big Bang Theory ready to ship...

TS


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Previously published on Styxworld.com on or about the date mentioned.