Too Much Time on Our Hands?

Mark, Wes and I (Doug) made a run for the border to Wendover on a recent Saturday evening to discuss our adventures in Scouting, share funny stories about our wives, do a little home teaching, stress how one of us insists on being introduced with the title of doctor preceding his full name, have a nice meal, discuss potential table centerpieces for priesthood meeting, oh, and catch Styx in concert!

Now, as anyone who has ever had the displeasure to make the trek to Wendover can attest, this is not the state's most scenic drive. Yet, the time literally flew by as Wes shared pictures and stories from the latest overnight Scout trip, and Mark and I, as veteran writers are wont to do, shared fascinating grammar and punctuation tips.

In between debates about whether Air Supply can be considered a "legendary" rock band (Consensus: No -- and we don't care if the music listings in the Daily Herald once said so!) and how everything today is all iPhones and bio fuel, we did add another convert for the Shaw/Blades album "Influence." I had shared an advance copy of the 2007 covers album (by Styx's Tommy Shaw and Night Ranger's Jack Blades) with Mark en route to another concert several years ago, and we've both taken up the cause by "proselytizing," as Mark says, the album to many of our music-loving friends. It was important that Wes be on board with the album, for reasons that will be apparent shortly.

For the record, just let me say that the road between Wendover and Reno isn't all that scintillating either -- well, at least if the first 5 miles of it are any indication. We traveled about that far past our destination because Mark kept insisting that Wendover had three exits. (Note: It doesn't. What you just saw WAS Wendover. All of it.)

We had planned to catch a buffet before the show, but we ended up having just enough time to wolf down a few menu items from McDonalds. Good Scouts are, after all, thrifty. On the positive side, we're sure the meal was much better than the roast squirrel Wes sampled at Scout camp last summer.

The Peppermill Resort has a fairly new 1,000-seat concert venue, which is home to concerts almost every weekend. The venue is quite nice, with padded, movie-theater style seating and an intimate feel. In the hallways outside of the actual theater, there are pictures of many of the acts who have graced the stage there. We had to stop for a few moments under a photo of Rick Springfield, one of Mark's favorite artists, for a lively debate of his musical merits (or lack thereof) -- and then it was on to the show.

I have been a fan of Styx ever since the summer of 1977, when a high school friend of mine invited me over to listen to this great new record he had just bought. It was Styx's "The Grand Illusion." He dropped the needle down on "Miss America" and said, "Check this out!" I was immediately hooked.

So I was more than pleasantly surprised when, after a short intro medley, Styx opened the Wendover show with "Miss America" -- something they had never done on any previous tour. It took me full circle in my Styx history and set the stage for what turned out to be a great evening of live music.

I play electric guitar -- purely for my own amusement mind you -- but there's a part of me that looks with envy upon anyone that can spontaneously arch their heads back and cut loose with an amazing guitar lick or solo. To me it seems like a moment of pure freedom, and just once I would love to know what it feels like. Of course, I could actually spend hours practicing my instrument to the point where I could experience that thrill -- but it's so much easier to simply dream about it -- or do the next best thing, which is embarrass my children with my extreme jumps or behind-the-head maneuvers while playing the "Guitar Hero" video game.

This was the band's last concert before a month off, so everyone was in quick-getaway mode after the show. Still, guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw invited us back for a visit and proceeded to give us the lowdown on the band's summer tour plans, future "Rock Band" downloads and additional off-the-record info. (I could tell you, but then I'd have to lock you in a room and make you listen to country music until your brain melted. Granted, that might not take long, judging by most country artists Jenn has forced me to sample.)

Our final mission on this night was to try and learn from Tommy one song he and Jack had been working up for their Shaw/Blades followup covers record. So we told him -- somewhat jokingly -- that we would not let him leave without telling us at least one song they had chosen. He must have taken the threat seriously, though, because he immediately told us three. On top of that, he mentioned another possibility and some hints on another song.

The ride back also passed pretty quickly -- especially since we cut out the partial detour to Reno -- and there was only time for one or two of my past concert stories. (Apparently, as my companions pointed out, I can get a little long winded when telling a story -- a trait that also might carry over to writing, as Brighton told me after reading this, "Man, this story is TOO long!")

Honors for the best tale of the night, however, go to the good doctor, who regaled us with how he "might" have bought a guitar from Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page himself during his mission. (That would would be Wes' mission, not Brother Page's.) The Fender is signed and, apparently, one can even still smell the scent of incense and burning riffage -- no doubt from an incendiary "Black Dog" -- that it arrived with. So when you see him, ask him to share the story -- it's a great one!