STYX - Koka Booth Amphitheatre - 06/23/11

It was never my intention to go see Styx. I didn't buy tickets, I wasn't counting down the days... I didn’t even know there was such a concert happening; and neither did you. This was a corporate sponsored event, arranged and paid for by one company as an appreciation celebration for their employees. I don’t think it’s wise of me to say which company, and to be honest, I had never heard of this company before the event, but this company is very awesome to its employees, let’s just say that much. Styx is a band that I, as a child growing up in the 80s, took for granted that I just happened to know every song. It would have never occurred to me to go see them play live, until the opportunity just happened to fall into my lap.

This show is a little different than any other review I’ve written – I didn’t see this show, I worked it. My amazing friend, Michele, usually works backstage part time for some local venues such as the DPAC, Walnut Creek or Koka booth, and was unable to work this function as she was going out of town (ironically, to see U2. Ahhhhh!) She called and asked if I would be interested in giving it a shot, as she knew I had lots of backstage/show experience from college and from being an overall music/show nerd.  I immediately jumped on the opportunity; not only was the money good, but the whole idea of it – backstage with rockgods and Superstars of my 80s childhood? Mr Roboto? Dude, Cool.

I arrived at Koka Booth around 11:30am and met up with Dave, whom everyone calls “Clem” (shortened last name nickname) and who is, without a doubt, one of the kindest, hardest working dudes I have ever met. I instantly wanted to cuddle him and do whatever he asked of me. He promptly introduced me to Buck and told me my job for the day was to be Buck’s right-hand; basically do whatever he needed of me. There was about 20 minutes or so of running in circles, following people around, wondering what in God’s name was going on, and then I was told to sit and wait - So I did. I sat on the back porch overlooking the lake, watching the geese, hanging out with really sexy beardy tattooed stagehand guys. I was then taken to one of the dressing rooms and told this was “my room” I was then given “the list”. Basically I was in charge of the hospitality/snacking room for the band. I prepped it, I was told to keep it stocked, and for the next several hours, my main job was to stand nearby and be all like “you guys need anything?” 

click to embiggen. why NO EVIAN? I wonder.

So here’s the interesting part of all this… so of all the things on this list, which was incredibly specific, mind you, once the band did actually make an appearance about an hour and half past when I was expecting them, they only drank coffee; their own coffee. And when I say their own coffee, I literally mean STYX COFFEE.

i had some, not gonna lie. this shit was GOOD.

They also had a couple slices of papa john’s pizza, which was actually an afterthought and not a request. So there I was, stressing over the burners under this specific-ass vegetable soup, stirring it and worrying about the ice levels over the seltzer water and the V8 juice, and naw, they hung out in there for like 10 minutes, tops.

I stole a butterfinger mini from Styx while i waited. THE SECRET IS OUT.

 

First in the room, and then later first to ride his bike around past me, was Sir Tommy Shaw. (So hot - I hate using the word sexy, but. Dammit, yeah. Dude is sexy.) He popped in, grabbed a bottle of water and ate a couple grapes and went on his way. Next in was J.Y. Young; shit was getting serious. Dude, I am like, hanging with Styx. However, not once did I lose my cool. I was all smiles and flirts and “do you need anything?” – He drank coffee and chilled out. Next in, my new bestie - Chuck Panozzo. Faaaabulous! Chuckie, for those not in the know, is an openly gay man living with HIV, activist, and is a hellaciously talented bass player in one of the hardest working bands in the biz. We chatted about the landscape, ducks, and food. At one point he took a little nap in the overstuffed chair in the room... Adorable! Later after the show we did the whole big-hug-double-cheek-kiss-ciao thing; love that dude.

Showtime! The guys hit the stage hard, like it was an arena full of 20,000 people and not just a corporate retreat with maybe 150 people in attendance total? They gave it 110%. I wasn’t able to watch most of the show, but I certainly heard it (my room was about 10 feet from the stage right entrance, outside) and I got to sneak down a couple times during the set to watch from the wings. Completely surreal. While the band was on stage I got to speak with and hang out with the band’s assistant tour manager, Jason. This guy was too much; Very busy, very silly, very sweet, very cute – those things. I was all trying to keep my game face on, but there was definitely some flirting going on there. My next setup was for the sandwich/cheese/post-show trays, which, again, didn’t get touched. But here is the good thing – Jason did pack up everything he could and took it on the bus with them; that’s good, I was getting all stressed because dammit, they paid for it! Take it! Don’t waste that shit! They did; Awesome.

So I didn’t get to hear/see Roboto, I don’t think they do that song live, probably. I don’t know. But I did get to hear Lorelei and TooMuch Time on My Hands and Lady; I didn’t realize that I knew practically every Styx song ever until I realized I knew every styx song ever, apparently. Best moment: during the breakdown of “Come Sail Away” (‘we'll try best that we can …to carrrrry onnnn!’)I had to stop Jason and be all like “Dude, sometimes don’t you just have to stop and ROCK OUT? And be all like, ‘Damn, I am hanging with Styx… ROCK AND ROLLLLLLL!’” (I guess that song will just always make me think of Freaks and Geeks and get me all sentimental) and he said something about you know, oh hearing the same songs for 4 or 5 years or something, which I totally understand. Then they ended the show on an encore of “Renegade” and then I found myself getting all philosophical and thinking “Dude, sometimes you have to just stop and rock out... You just have to stop… and rock…. rock out….” 

Very cool guys. Very cool.

Then as suddenly as it was over there was a swoop in, a swoop out …parts of the stage and members of the band are flying all over and all the beardy tattoo dudes who had disappeared earlier all reappeared… there was a clusterfuck of wild activity for about an hour and my feet were bleeding they were so blistered (but I was oblivious to this until later when I tried to go to bed and I couldn’t even cover my feet with a sheet because they were so tender) – quick goodbyes were said to new friends; the band is playing in town again in September; I won’t assume I’ll be asked back to work, but I certainly am going to attend and rock out. See the ‘other side’ of Styx, as it were.

Then almost as soon as it began, it was all over and I was riding in my little car back to my little house in my little town while the Styx Caravan of Extreme Awesomeness rolled on through the night; off to melt faces in another part of the world. I can’t remember a time when I slept as hard and as soundly as I did that night; after all was said and done, it was a 12 hour day. Worth it. I had a lot of fun. This was easily one of the better experiences of my whole life. I really hope I get to work this kinda thing again some time.

Valient Thorr 10th Anniversary Party @ King's - 04/30/11

We all have those defining, earth shattering moments that change us permanently; something that sticks with us indefinitely, that story you tell over and over again when the time is right and even when it’s not so right... The birth of a child, surviving a tornado, skydiving, etc. For me, as you can probably tell, the stories I tell over and over again are usually about “the first time I saw ____ play live”. Here is one such story…

Many years ago, when the planets aligned and the moon was in the seventh house, my friends Bart, Josh P. and I decided to hit (old) King’s and see a show. Bart had seen this particular band before and was utterly convinced my mind would be blown to bits by their performance. He described a madman, a ringleader from outer space, a rock god irresistible to mere earth women. I couldn’t resist. We shot off to McDowell Street and paid our, what $4? and blasted off on the mothership to Planet Superrock with Valient Thorr. What then proceeded was the most intense, sweaty, feral, and licentious rock show I had seen to date. This was approximately…. 2003? Pre-jean jackets and mega-beards. Oh yes, there were jackets and beards, but there was a jim Morrison-esque super-fringed leather jacket worn by Valient himself.

The legend surrounding this show has grown beyond rational recollection. Every time Bart and I talk about it, the fringe on the jacket gets longer. The stories get wilder; women paying to drink Valient’s sweat... Did you hear he charged through the crowd and knocked people over like bowling pins? Did you know there was a brawl during “Tough Customer?” I heard the mayor showed up.... all kinds of blown-out-of-proportion insanity. Who knows if these memories were real or were just scarred into our membranes by the magical rock powers of the Thorrs? Either way, it was a show that went down in history and is implanted in my memory banks as one of the best first shows I ever saw of a band. It then became my intention to see them play live every chance I got from then on. I’ve pretty much done that.

Last year, on Hopscotch Eve, King’s threw a party with VT that resulted in one of the wildest, drunkest throwdowns of my life. That was the last time I got to see them before this past weekend, their 10 year anniversary party. Now, I’m not one of those hardcore metal kids that have tattooed the band all over me or driven across the country to see them. Nor am I hard rock connoisseur, I likes what I like, and there are many pieces to the puzzle of Valient Thorr that result in my eternal faithfulness and fandom: These are local boys, These are good people, I have a long lasting relationship with them, They are amazing and incredibly professional, the mystery/mystique/legend of the band is brilliant, they NEVER fail to destroy the crowd and melt faces when they play and it is virtually impossible to walk out of a VT show without being a major fan and having a story to tell afterward.

This Saturday was a little different for me… I was fighting a shitty cold that had suddenly decided to settle over my sinuses and clog my pathetic ears even worse than they already are. The majority of my show-going friends were either out of town or indisposed, so I went completely alone without any knowledge or assumptions that I would have anyone to hang with and couldn’t care less. Shows like this sometimes turn out to be the best shows because you meet new friends, obvs. As it turns out, my good buddy PBR was there to help me forget about my ear pain and then help me spot some peers lingering in the peripherals.

It’s just not a VT show without Michele. She was with me Pre-Scotch last year, (we even closed the weekend down together, face first in a plate of cheese fires at the times at 3am, bless her) and it was only fitting we throw down together, it has now become a tradition.

Static minds; amazing. Dynamite brothers, whom I had never seen before, rocked ass. But after a brief stint outside, bragging about meeting Steve-o (still chuffed ‘bout that, btw,) I ran back upstairs to the show, just counting down for takeoff. In my frenzied excitement, I bypassed probably everyone I could possibly have known and made a snap decision which would change my life forever; I decided I MUST BE IN THE PIT... THE TIME HATH COME.

And there it was, suddenly, I knew what I had suppressed all along; I was a Valient Thorr Superfan; a Thorrior. I felt the change, it was like a little rumble in my belly and a tingle in my temples and I knew it was a long time coming. I had to celebrate and wiggle my fingers, begging for more guitar, and stomp around and get bruised; worshiping at the altar of the mighty Thorr. That was why the story stuck with me for so long and that was why I was so thrilled to be a part of the music video for "Sleeper Awakes" last weekend and that’s why I have so voraciously flirted with the members of the band whenever possible (one in particular, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE,) because I love them. I am proud of them. I am a part of them.

There is no questing for the one superfan at a Valient Thorr show. If you are within 25 feet of the stage, you are a superfan. If your arms are up and your throat is hoarse and your toes are throbbing and you can feel the bruises before the end of the third song, you are a Thorrior. You don’t have to know dates and facts and song lyrics, you just have to have the passion. I stuck it out; I made it all the way against the stage and didn’t wind up with too many bruises or covered in too much beer. One vital lesson was definitely learned this evening: no 3 inch heels in a mosh pit, ladies. Next time I attempt such inanity, I will find, buy and wear some sort of steel toed boot option.

I look at other people’s pictures from this show and I see that I am, as it would appear, the only girl up front. Therefore I pose this theory to you all: I Am Awesome. (Or completely stupid.) Either way, I feel like I survived the running of the bulls or something. This was my skydiving. I will say, there was a group of about 3 guys surrounding me that kept me safe. At any point, I could feel a protective arm around me when a boot went past my head or the surge of the crowd got a little too rough. Who would have known the Thorriors would be such gentlemen? Well done, sirs!

This was a highly energized, highly intensified, highly perfected show. The crowd was ballistic, the sound was impeccable, the band was on point and the energy was through the roof. It is probably going to get a special, spectral reserve seat in my memory banks. 

I might tell my grandkids about this one. Fuck ‘em if they don’t understand. 

Yeah, I just told my unborn grandchildren to fuck off. That’s how a Thorrior rolls!