By Eloise Marie Valadez
nwi.com
Rock band Boston's Tracy Ferrie is looking forward to traveling with the group to New Buffalo, Michigan this weekend.
Boston is scheduled to bring its latest tour to Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo on Saturday. For Ferrie, that show is a special one since it's not too far from where he grew up, and his friends are expected to be in the audience.
"Some of my classmates are supposed to make it to the show," Ferrie said. Ferrie, a native of Elkhart, Indiana, said Region fans and Midwest fans, in general, are always supportive of the band.
"They're fantastic," the guitarist said, about Boston's local followers. Fellow band member Gary Pihl is also a native of the Midwest. Pihl formerly lived in the Chicago suburbs of Park Forest, Mt. Prospect and Park Ridge.
Boston, spearheaded/founded by Tom Scholz in the early '70s, has featured a rotating cast of players throughout the years. The current lineup, however, stars musicians who have performed in the band for awhile. Ferrie met Scholz and Pihl in 2008 when they played at a fundraiser. He was asked to join Boston on tour in 2012.
The Boston catalog of tunes, written by Scholz, has had great appeal through the decades, Ferrie said.
"The classic rock songs have an element of timelessness," he said, adding Scholz is a musician who used cutting edge techniques in his music as well.
Boston's show at Four Winds Casino will feature all the hits including "Don't Look Back," "More Than A Feeling," "Peace of Mind" and "Amanda."
Ferrie said he was a fan of music at a young age. His father had an interest in classical music, and he enjoyed listening to the albums.
"My parents owned a roller rink in Elkhart," he said, adding various musicians visited the rink for concerts and that exposed him to the exciting live concert experience. Ferrie was also a skating champion and being involved with skating allowed him to check out various tunes to skate to. He was always interested in what was new in the music world.
Ferrie also played in various bands including Stryper, Whitecross and Guardian. He attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
Whenever the band travels, Ferrie said he doesn't hesitate to put on his roller skates when there's some downtown.
"I bring my skates on tour. It's not uncommon (to find) Tom (Scholz) and I skating," he said.
FYI: Boston will perform at 9 p.m. Eastern Saturday at Silver Creek Event Center at Four Winds Casino in New Buffalo, Michigan. Tickets start at $95 plus applicable fees. Visit ticketmaster.com or fourwindscasino.com.