Scott

The only odd thing about the show, was that it felt rushed. Dennis was constantly looking at this watch. Even said during the show that it's different playing with an orchestra with all the requirements you have to follow. Don't know if it was related to that or not. Towards the end it seemed as if he was trying to move things along quicker. After the show i even noticed that something was crossed off one of the setlists taped to the stage. Who knows???

Just a few things to add to the setlist. Jimmy played Prelude12 before Suite Madame Blue. State Street Sadie led into AD 1928 to start Rockin' the Paradise AD 1958 trailed Best of Times. Sat in the 3rd row on the piano side. From that close you can actually feel the music being played, especially with the orchestra. Dennis was in excellent form. The article does an excellent job summing it up. The speculation of whether or not any TS songs would be on the set was answered. Just play them without the orchestra. Only disappointment was my wife loves Castle Walls, especially with the orchestra, and its no longer on the setlist. Discovered right before the show that my camera's battery was dead, so I didn't get any pictures. My wife took some with her cell phone. If they are any good I'll try and post. Any questions...ask.

In Acutally the scores for other Styx songs may already exist. Back in 1996, Styx w/ Dennis, JY and Tommy, played with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Also, the songs would have had to been scored for the Contemporary Youth Orchestra as well, when Styx played with them (w/out Dennis).

I will be seeing him in Clearwater, FL with the Florida Symphony on the 24th. I will let you know if there are many changes from the Soundstage show.

I do think it is to sell at concert venues and their website. Another way of re-writing STyx history without DDY in it. It probalby kills them to have DDY still make money off what they do. This is a way of eliminating some of that. It also minimizes someone buying a CD w/ DDY on it and liking those versions better. I still can't believe "Sing for the Day" is on it. In my opinion it makes "Babe" sound like a rock song. Not exactly the image you think 2 "hard rockers" would want to portray.

The irony is that Dennis knows he's being campy. Gowan is being serious. He reminds me of the exagerrated rock star bit that Dana Carvey does.

I think the most sugar dripping, soft ballad that Styx EVER did, and I have heard it performed by the current line up in concert, is "Sing for the Day". And wasn't it on that hard rocking album "Pieces of Eight"? Oh yeah...Shaw penned tune to boot. He even named his daughter Hannah after the person in the song.

You always kind of wonder...with as many times as I've seen him in concert and have met him, do they start to recognize you by sheer repetition? (I always answer "no", but who knows)

I have added more photos from the show in the Member's Gallery under "Scott's Pics Busch Gardens". To view them in order change your option to ascending from descending. Hope you like them.

I also figured he is missing Hank, who sang on it as well.

It had been awhile since I had seen Dennis, so I was glad for the opportunity to go (and to go for Free wasn't bad to boot). The show was hit by some technical difficulties. August's guitar equipment was constantly messing up and there were some sound balance issues. Dennis made light of the situation with his normal witty ways, but you could tell he was getting frustrated. Dennis was in typical good voice. The concert was outside and it was a little cold for Florida, which of course he joked about being from Chicago and all. He also said that when they booked the show no one told him that it was Super Bowl Sunday and he asked what we were all doing there. The crowd was probably a little lighter than normal. I have seen him at Busch Gardens before and the crowd was larger. He told the crowd many times that this version of the band was playing their first concert together. The big departure for a normal Dennis show was the inclusion of 2 Tommy Shaw penned/sung songs. I remember many times seeing Dennis and him making the point that he was performing the songs that he wrote and sang with Styx. Interesting to gain insight into why he has changed that philosophy. It could be simply that it is difficult for him to carry the show 100% and it gives him a couple of songs to rest his voice, but who knows. August did a respectable job doing the 2 songs. He sounds very similar to Tommy in voice and style. As a side note: It did strike me that after seeing Glenn replace Tommy back during the Edge tour, seeing Lawrence replace Dennis in the current line-up of Styx and then seeing August on Sunday that Tommy is easier to duplicate/replace than Dennis. By no means do I want to stir the controversial pot, but to me Dennis' voice is so unique and pure and their is no substitute. After Blue Collar Man Dennis remarked that he liked doing that and that he invented the intro. The only other comment that was made was that they had been working on some things and that if we saw him again we would hear some things we hadn't heard in a while. My only dissappointment was that he did not do show Me the Way, which is one of my favorites and that he did not play anything off the new album. I have yet to see him do the new material. If anyone has any specific questions, please ask and I do my best to answer. Also, if I remember anything pertinent I will update.

Here is a picture of the new bass player. I believe his name was Greg Carter.

Here are a couple of pictures of new band member, August Zadra with Dennis. He sang the lead on the 2 TS songs in the show. I did a Google search on his name and it looks like he is/used to be a member of a Boston tribute band called "Smokin'"

Ladies and gentlemen we have some major changes... The band has changed somewhat and this was the first show with the new lineup. Here is the band: Dennis DeYoung - Keyboards/Lead Vocals Jimmy Leahey - Lead Guitar John Blaucucci - Keyboards Tom Sharpe - Drums/Percussion Suzanne DeYoung - Backup Vocals Greg Carter - Bass August Zadra (sp?) - Lead Guitar/*Lead Vocals Hank and Tommy are gone. Here was the set list. Let me know if you see anything odd: Grand Illusion Lady Lorelei Don't Let It End Light Up Blue Collar Man * Desert Moon Suite Madame Blue Mr. Roboto Rockin' the Paradise Babe Renegade * Best of Times/AD 1958/And in the End (Beatles) Come Sail Away I will comment further later tonight or tommorrow. This will give everyone time to digest what they just read.