Tag Archives: todd sucherman

Features, Tours and Festivals

Styx – Joan Jett & The Blackhearts Announce Co-Headline U.S. Summer Tour

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We might still be in the throes of winter, but the summer tours that are getting announced are surely going to help us get to the warmer weather faster. Well, mentally at least. Check out the news about Styx and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.

The Press Release:
Legendary rockers STYX and JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS are teaming up with TESLA for a summer U.S. tour that kicks off May 30 in Irvine, CA at the FivePoint Amphitheatre. Tickets for various cities of the tour, produced by Live Nation, will go on sale starting Friday, February 16 at 10am local time at Livenation.com. STYX and TESLA will be offering VIP packages via their own exclusive pre-sales beginning Wednesday, February 14 at 10am local time at StyxWorld.com and Teslatheband.com. Fans can explore JOAN JETT & THE BLACKHEARTS VIP packages available at the time of ticket purchase and at VIPNation.com.

STYX: Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars), James “JY” Young (vocals, guitars), Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards), Todd Sucherman (drums) and Ricky Phillips (bass), along with the occasional surprise appearance by original bassist Chuck Panozzo—would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late ’70s and early ’80s, due to a fondness for big rockers and soaring power ballads. Over the course of their 40-year career they’ve released 15 studio albums, six best-of compilations and four live albums, garnering eight Top Ten singles. STYX has sold over 30 million albums worldwide. Throughout their illustrious career, they’ve performed more live shows since 1999 than all of the previous years of its career combined. Two Super Bowl appearances, Pollstar box office chart-topping tours with Def Leppard, Journey, Boston, and Bad Company (to name only a few), two more studio albums. September 2, 2016 marked the long-awaited release date of STYX: LIVE AT THE ORLEANS ARENA LAS VEGAS on DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Formats via Eagle Rock Entertainment. It captures the band performing in July 2014 such fan favorites as: “Too Much Time On My Hands,” Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),” “Renegade,” and more. It also includes a special surprise visit from Don Felder—formerly of the Eagles—for a rousing performance of “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights).” It was released on CD July 24, 2015. After 14 years, STYX’s sonically sweet 16th studio album and its most ambitious, most challenging, and most rewarding album to date, THE MISSION, was finally released June 16, 2017 on the band’s label, Alpha Dog 2T/UMe. It debuted on various Billboard charts, including: #6 Top Rock Albums, #11 Physical Albums, #11 Vinyl Albums, #13 Current Albums, #14 Billboard Top Albums, #16 Retail, #17 Mass Merch/Non-Traditional, #29 Digital Albums, and #45 Top 200 Albums (includes catalog and streaming).
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Music, Reviews

“Live At The Orleans Arena Las Vegas” by Styx

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Artist: Styx
Title: “Live At The Orleans Arena Las Vegas”
Label: Eagle Records
Release Date: 7/24/2015
Genre: Hard Rock
Rating: 4/5

Back in 2014, Styx was touring as a part of the “Endless Summer” tour that featured a headlining Foreigner and support from The Eagles lead guitarist Don Felder. The three classic acts performed to rousing response in whatever town they happened to drop in on. Since I didn’t get to catch any of the regional appearances when they happened here I was super stoked to find Eagle Rock Entertainment dishing out both an audio and video of the bands set from the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas, NV. This summary speaks to the audio release only as I have not yet gotten my hands on the Blu-ray video but hope to do that soon.

Thinking back on my own personal appreciation for the music of Styx I have to chuckle at the fact that even though I’ve enjoyed them for decades now, and actually could play both “Equinox” and “Paradise Theatre” on the drums from beginning to end, they remain one of the bands that I have never, ever witnessed in concert for myself. I better get around to that before they decide that it’s time to retire but judging by the incendiary audio presentation I am currently blasting that does not seem to be something on the bands agenda anytime soon. The single CD release features twelve of the bands biggest hits such as “The Grand Illusion” which opens the set and draws you right into their musical world. It’s always been one of my favorites and usually seemed to be relegated to the closing part of their set. They follow with “Too Much Time On My Hands” from the great “Paradise Theatre” album and that was a radio hit times ten when that album came out. You young fans don’t remember the power of big radio rock stations but trust me this tune was in constant rotation. The band is joined by original bassist Chuck Panozzo during “Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man)” and this seems to be a regular occurrence for the band as the musician is listed as being a part-time member. In today’s music world, the Styx band is comprised of Chuck Panozzo (guest bass), James “J.Y.” Young (guitar), Tommy Shaw (guitar), Todd Sucherman (drums), Lawrence Gowan (keyboards, vocals), Ricky Phillips (bass). The lineup has been this way for just over a decade now and that is what makes having these live releases the most interesting because you are getting the band as they are now and not during their earliest years. Trust me this is not a bad thing at all even though I grew up on the melodies of Dennis DeYoung as their singer.
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Features, Interviews

New Year’s Music Resolutions For 2013: Part 11

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new year's music resolutions

Hails and Hello to The Metal Republic, my hope is that our continuing series opening finds you all well. Now that we are at Chapter Eleven, I have to admit that I never expected the responses to be this awesome but of course I am very glad for them when it all comes down to it. Okay, enough from me, let’s get back into the “New Year’s Music Resolutions for 2013” as contributed by some great talents.

1. Tyler Burrow (Publicist): “It is such a great feeling to be embraced by the music scene in NYC. Such an amazing community of people with brilliant minds and beautiful souls. I look forward to being part of discovering and nurturing new talents in the New Year and help others speak the language that the entire world understands, and that’s music.”

2. Kevin Quirion (Deicide, Order of Ennead, Shadow Society): For 2013, I want to finish up some songs that have been just sitting around for awhile. Also I would like to find one new band that I really enjoy. Its been awhile. Oh yeah, try and see Ghost this year too.

3. Benny Rose (Ghosts Of Eden): “To have 2013 be the year of the Ghosts! To make my late father proud of being able to push all these years and struggle to be a part of something so special. To be the pioneers of bringing Velvet Grunge out as a genre.”
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Reviews, Videos

“One With Everything” [Blu-ray] by Styx

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Artist: Styx
Title: “One With Everything” [Blu-ray]
Label: Eagle Vision
Release Date: 4/21/2009
Genre: Progressive Hard Rock
Rating: 4/5

Originally released as a standard DVD in 2006, the advances in media technology finds this great video from Styx being released in Blu-ray format. There are no differences between this version and its predecessor in terms of overall content but the picture is clearer and brighter while the sound all the more intense. As I’ve the same opinion of the release as I did when it was first discussed I am re-presenting it to you now and then a few more words about the Blu-ray will be entertained.
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Reviews, Videos

“Methods & Mechanics” by Todd Sucherman

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Artist: Todd Sucherman
Title: “Methods & Mechanics”
Label: MVD Visual
Release Date: 10/21/2008
Genre: Instructional
Rating: 4.5/5

I wanted to start off my commentary about “Methods & Mechanics” by saying that while I think that drummer Todd Sucherman is a very lucky guy, it must also be said that any perceived luck is actually the end result of many, many years of hard and dedicated work. The musician has been at his craft for over thirty years now and for most of the world had come into his largest prominence when he first sat down onto the Styx drum throne to fill in for an ailing John Panozzo. Sadly, Panozzo would pass away soon after these gigs and this would lead to Sucherman becoming the bands new fulltime drummer. Having been a Styx fan for many years myself, I am happy to report that the role is in good hands and that Todd does Panozzo justice with his talents – he is not only a capable musician but he is also a very innovative and powerful Rock drummer. It must have been a blast for this guy to have been a fan of the band growing up and then eventually finding himself coming to their aid and then joining their ranks no matter how bad the reasons for this might have originally been. Sucherman is also an established Jazz and contemporary player and all of these elements are tied together as he delivers his first instructional video “Methods & Mechanics”. The video comes care of MVD Visual, and this double DVD set is a fantastic look inside the drummer’s brain because not only does Todd explain and demonstrate a number of the tricks of the trade that he follows and had used to better his own development as a player, but it also delves deeply into his personal musical philosophy and this allows the viewer to understand just where his head is at.
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