He was the distinctive, high-sailing voice behind Boston's biggest hits — “More Than a Feeling,” “Hitch a Ride,” “Peace of Mind,” “Smokin',” “Rock ‘n' Roll Band,” “Don't Look Back” and “Amanda.”
He was the distinctive, high-sailing voice behind Boston's biggest hits — “More Than a Feeling,” “Hitch a Ride,” “Peace of Mind,” “Smokin',” “Rock ‘n' Roll Band,” “Don't Look Back” and “Amanda.”
Boston
•What: 102.7 Jackfest concert, also featuring Styx, Smash Mouth
•Where: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, 16765 Lookout Road, Selma
•When: 7 p.m. Saturday; doors open at 6
•Tickets: $25.50-$65.50 at Ticketmaster outlets
On the Web
• Boston's official Web site
• Boston news and notes
• Tommy DeCarlo on MySpace
For openers
Styx
Led by James Young and Tommy Shaw, these melodic hard rockers still dazzle with bombastic guitar riffs, real guitar solos and stacked harmonies. Classic-rock concert promoters Jack Orbin and Glenn Smith agreed in interviews this spring that Styx and other '70s rock survivors are playing better than ever. The prog-rock band brings some of the genre's all-time biggest hits, “Lady,” “Lorelei,” “Come Sail Away,” “You're Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),” “Babe,” “The Best of Times,” “Too Much Time on My Hands” and “Mr. Roboto.”

Smash Mouth
It's easy to forget that this fun-loving act started out as a skater-punk and ska band. The first time it played San Antonio, its White Rabbit set list was heavy on super-fast rock. Only “Walkin' on the Sun” stood apart. By the next visit, Smash Mouth had transformed into combo-organ-heavy party hitmakers with “All Star.” Soon to follow was a remake of The Monkees “I'm a Believer” and a killer version of ? and the Mysterians “Can't Get Enough of You Baby.”

—Hector Saldaña

So when Brad Delp committed suicide in 2007, it was a seismic shock to band mates and fans.

That Boston founder Tom Scholz has come up with a novel way to pay tribute to Delp — he's hired two singers (Stryper's Michael Sweet and complete unknown karaoke singer Tommy DeCarlo) — helps ease the pain somewhat.

Boston plays Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Saturday with Styx and Smash Mouth.

“Nobody's trying to be Brad, or replacing Brad or anything,” Sweet told the Flint Journal of Michigan.

It's all about accentuating the positive.

“We're going out there and carrying on the incredible music and trying to have as good a time as we can doing so,” Sweet said. “Having fun and encouraging one another. So far it's been a great journey.”

DeCarlo, a Home Depot credit manager on leave from his day job, takes the higher-register songs like “Smokin'” and “Don't Look Back.” Sweet shines on “More Than a Feeling” and “Amanda.”

DeCarlo's discovery is ebony porn out of the movies.

In his grief over Delp's death, karaoke singer DeCarlo posted a tribute song on MySpace.com. “A Man I'll Always Be” is an answer of sorts to Boston's “A Man I'll Never Be.”

“I thought I'd like to share it with other Boston fans,” DeCarlo said from a Baton Rouge tour stop. Scholz's wife stumbled upon it and turned on her husband. The amateur singer was quickly invited to sing at a tribute show in August 2007.

“Smokin'” was the first song they rehearsed.

“It was awesome. It was hard to believe,” said DeCarlo, who admits he's still a bit starstruck. “When the music started behind me, I was thinking, ‘This ain't karaoke. This is for real. It's wicked.'”

As with AC/DC and Lynyrd Skynyrd, it's a delicate dance for bands to carry on after tragically losing lead singers.

“To some extent, it's hard for the fans to get used to somebody new, especially an unknown,” DeCarlo acknowledged. “But they have been very receptive. They know, as well as we know, there will never be another Brad Delp.”

He has been a Boston fan since he was 12. “It never was my intention to go out and sound like Brad Delp. I just sang and however it came out, it came out,” said DeCarlo, who has used a voice coach since hooking up with the band.

Was there any time for a rock 'n' roll boot camp? “The rock 'n' roll boot camp was the first four shows that we've done so far,” he said.

Delp was never a flashy singer, which is a relief for DeCarlo.

“That works good for me. It's not like I have to go up there and follow a David Lee Roth act.”

By Hector Saldaña
Express-News Staff Writer

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