The Endymion Extravaganza is set for Saturday night after the city’s largest parade. Large parties need big acts and taking the stage, along with country star Tim McGraw, is the rock band Styx.
The band who’s hits include “Renegade,” "Lady,” "Come Sail Away” and "Mr. Roboto" will perform at the Mardi Gras Ball which moves to the convention center this year as the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is currently being renovated.
Styx guitarist James Young spoke with Bayou 95.7’s John Osterlind about the performance, New Orleans and much more.
Young told Osterlind that this won’t be the band’s first Mardi Gras experience.
“We we’re there a couple years after Katrina,” he said. “And then we wound up along with Journey playing in the Superdome very late night overnight concert kind of thing after being in the parade and everything. We were out on the floats and throwing beads and receiving much love from the great city of New Orleans.
“Looking forward to coming back.”
Young also talked about the band’s success, which reached worldwide prominence in 1977 when the band released their seventh Album “The Grand Illusion.”
The album peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard charts.
“It’s something that every young musician hopes for, that you are going to come up with the magic,” Young said. “And sometimes some people have natural stuff that comes out of them when they are very young. We had to sort of work at it and focus on it and go back to the drawing table and write some more songs.”
Listen to the full interview below.