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PlantCityObserver.com
PLANT CITY OBSERVER | FEBRUARY 28, 2019 | 2019 FLORIDA STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL GUIDE
COUNTRY STARS UNITE FOR WORLDWIDE CONCERT
STYX RETURNS
TO STRAWBERRY FESTIVAL
Courtesy photo
Terri Clark, Pam Tillis and Suzy Bogguss will hit the stage March 3.
The Chicks with Hits Tour featuring Terri Clark and Pam Tillis and Suzy Bogguss will hit the festival stage on March 3. BREANNE WILLIAMS STAFF WRITER
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hree of country music’s greatest artists are coming together for one elaborate show at the Florida Strawberry Festival. The Chicks with Hits tour features Terri Clark, Pam Tillis, and Suzy Bogguss and will be performed at the festival on March 3 at 3:30 p.m. on the Wish Farms Soundstage. The three women have vastly different styles, but their music all shares one common thread: it comes from the heart. “We have a blast together,” Clark said. “We really like each other as human beings, we have true and genuine chemistry on stage. Our sense of humor is all very different, but it all gels so well. We sing and play each other’s songs, there’s no band up there, just the three of us… It’s just a lot of banter and the tour is full of songs the audience will now and love.” All three women were a part of the movement that revolutionized country music in the 80s and 90s. Women were flooding through the charts, cranking out hit after hit as they proved country music was only stronger with their influence. It’s something that now is seldom seen and sitting through the Chicks with Hits show is a bittersweet nod at the days gone by. The entire show is filled with familiar melodies, songs entire generations fell in love with years ago. People are always on their feet, singing and laughing along with the witty and spontaneous dialogue. Clark describes the show as a casual experience. She compares it to sitting in a giant living room. They’ll discuss everything from what their day was like to where they went on an adventure to lunch. It draws the audience in and makes them a part of the conversation. All three of the artists stayed true to their roots. As they continue to release music the albums evolve, but the style never strays from the original country inspiration that brought their songs to life. The songs drift to include some rock and blues influences, but continue to pay homage to classic country. “It’s a reminder every time we’re
up there, a reminder of a great time in country music,” Clark said. “The 90s was very female friendly… there were women all over the chart and now it’s become very scant. In a way, I think people may need to reach back and see shows like what we are doing, to remember what country music was and what it can be.” Each of the three artists will have several of their top hits featured. The other two will help play the melody and sing along with the catchy tunes. Some will be upbeat party songs while others will be more folksy. At the end of the show there will be montage of a lot of their other hits that didn’t fit into the show. As much fun as bringing their own songs to the stage are, Clark said it has been a blast getting to sing harmony with Tillis and Bogguss. It’s something they haven’t spent decades doing and through it they’ve found a new love for their co-star’s music as well as a deeper appreciation of their own songs as they watch them reimagined through the unique setup of their tour. “Come on out to the show, it’s going to be a lot of fun,” Clark said. “I guarantee a fun time and a lot of strawberry themed food.”
STYX and stones may break my bones but a set of teeth will always hurt me.
Rick Diamond (Courtesy photo)
STYX continues to bring energetic, anthemic rock and roll to the stage.
The band last played a concert in Plant City back in 2014. JUSTIN KLINE SPORTS/ASSOCIATE EDITOR
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he last time STYX took to the Wish Farms Soundstage, the legendary classic rock band helped start the Florida Strawberry Festival on a high note with its opening night concert. They played many of their greatest hits and even brought up 2014 Strawberry Queen Jessi Rae Varnum for guest vocals. Needless to say, the band is excited to get back in front of a familiar audience. “I just remember that one in particular for whatever reason, I can’t cite why, but the crowd was so into it and the festival itself seemed to be conducive to a great rock show,” bassist Ricky Phillips said. “They came to party, they came with a lot of energy and that’s what I remember.” STYX fans can once again expect to hear some of the band’s most iconic songs, from the sweeping chorus of “Come Sail Away” to the hard rocker-turned-Pittsburgh Steelers anthem “Renegade.” Phillips said the band will also include some “deep cuts” for the hardcore fans and songs from its newest album, 2017’s “The Mission.” A new wrinkle, at least for this show, is that fans will get to hear “Mr. Roboto.” After many years of not playing the song live, STYX added it into the rotation in 2017 and Phillips said playing the song has been “a lot of fun.” “Every once in a while we hit on something that’s working well and if it’s the same kind of audience, we stick with it,” Phillips said. “You want to rock a little
harder in outdoor festival settings like this.” As usual, STYX is going to stay busy on the road this year. They’re booked for a run of shows with comedian Larry the Cable Guy in March, going abroad to the United Kingdom and Norway in the summer and will begin planning their next move after the current tour run ends in March. “There’s always something looming or trying to be put together,” Phillips said. “In 15 years, if we ever got more than 10 days off in row it was a miracle.” “The Mission” is STYX’s latest foray into storytelling. The 2017 album is the tale of a manned flight from Earth to Mars that launches in the year 2033. Phillips said the band worked on the story with help from NASA. STYX is hoping to do a run of shows for the album later this year, but plans are not yet set in stone. If everything goes well, the band members might be able to get to the festival early and enjoy everything it has to offer before going on stage. And when they do get ready to rock and roll that night, they’ll make sure to put on another show Plant City won’t soon forget. “We’re rocking full force from beginning to end,” Phillips said.