Hot August Nights

Some August nights aren't so hot. Some are pretty cool. At least, this year they were. Todd and I usually haven't attended our community's annual Hot August Nights concerts. They feature bands (or what's left of them) from the '80's or older. They hold it in the park, and it has kind of a "fair" atmosphere, except add beer.

Not being beer drinkers ourselves, we've just usually stayed away. Until this year. When STYX came to town. Well -- Dennis DeYoung of STYX fame. We got tickets, and Todd even sprung for a parking pass which allowed us to park IN the park (actually, behind the bandshell, in the "Band" section. Woot!!).

So we sat on the opposite side as the beer garden, had some great BBQ for dinner, and sat thru the opening acts before the main show. This is us.... lounging in the lawn chairs:

We brought Alyssa & Darcie, who had no idea what to expect at a concert like this. They look so excited, don't they!! We wished that Cameron could have come as well, but he was working that night. Brandon is pretty bummed that he missed it too, but a mission in Jamaica is not too shabby, either!

Well, it got better, because Todd has an "in" with the concert organizers, and right before Dennis DeYoung/Styx took the stage, she offered to Alyssa & Darcie if they wanted to come up front by the stage. There was a temporary fence there to keep the mob back, with a space between the fence and the stage. Alys & Darce got to go right up IN FRONT of the fence, right by the stage. Darcie took some photos and video with her phone, but I'm trying to figure out how to get the files into a format I can read and use. So in the mean time,........

That's Dennis DeYoung, singing, "Babe"

And this is "Mr. Roboto". The guy on the left does the Tommy Shaw part, and he did a VERY good job. We were impressed at how authentic he sounded.
"Come Sail Away".......

We may never go to another Hot August Nights concert..... but this one was pretty darn cool!