Being up near the stage for almost every Styx show is special because there is always a big chunk of my Styx family there to rock out with me. This band has given me friendships with so many beautiful people, I could never begin to give enough thanks. But this Ribfest performance gave me an extra special story to bring home, and I would really like to share it with you.
Leading the charge with me in the Ribfest frontlines this year was a young couple from Tulsa, Oklahoma. Their 3-year-old daughter Olivia was about to turn 4-years-old in just a matter of days, and she had what might be considered a quite unusual wish for a gal her age. She wanted to see Styx at Naperville’s Ribfest. So, being hardcore fans of Styx and suckers for a really sweet smile, her adventurous parents drove all the way from Tulsa and camped out at the gate so little Olivia could see her heroes.
From seeing Styx more times than I can count, I have caught drummer Todd Sucherman’s attention when he tosses a few sticks into the crowd, and I have ended up grabbing seven of them. I usually end up mounting them in a shadowbox for display in my music room. On this night I would grab stick number eight, but instead of mounting this one I’ll be hanging a pretty adorable picture on the wall.
Happy Birthday Olivia!
