Shoulder to Shoulder

Shoulder to Shoulder

My lovely wife bought two tickets to see REO Speedwagon and Styx at Red Rocks this week. I honestly had no expectations going into the show, as I knew that neither band had any new albums out and it would likely be a re-hashing of old classic rock chart-toppers.

What I didn’t expect, was how awesome both bands still are.

The keyboard player for Styx toyed with the audience better than any performer I’ve seen in years, and he acknowledged the power he yielded. To stand alone on stage and lead 10,000 people in any musical direction you choose…that really is power. His shenangians led up to my favorite song of the night: Come Sail Away

During the song, no less than 95% of the audience sang along at the top of their lungs. I looked around and caught the eye of nearby strangers. We would smile at each other, knowing we were all milking the moment for everything it was worth.

I sang at the top of my lungs, and it was ok. It was expected. It was really, really fun.

Most of my hobbies are somewhat private. Hiking, biking, photography and brewing beer all tend to be solo-esque endeavors.

It’s good to stand shoulder to shoulder with people you don’t know and share a powerful experience. It reminds you that you can make your world as small or as big as you like.

Bigger is better.
- #WSMED
- #Day 21
- #Music
- #Styx
- #Red Rocks
10 May 2012 / 8 notes