NORTH AMERICA - School of Hard Rock
“Citizens of western DuPage County...” the guitarist purred into the microphone before erupting into the maniacal sentence-ending shout, “...LIGHT UP!” Many in the cheering crowd did just that, flicking open lighters and hoisting them high, in a tradition made popular at arena rock concerts of the ’70s and ’80s. Acknowledging the audience response, James Vincent “J. Y.” Young (MAE ’70)—a lead guitarist and vocalist of the band Styx—smiled, sidled up next to his co-lead guitarist/vocalist, Tommy Shaw, and launched into “Light Up” from the band’s 1975 album Equinox. The scene seemed a mutual musical high shared by the boys in the band and their thousands of fans at this summer’s Naperville (Ill.) Exchange Club’s Ribfest 2013.