Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Memorable concert took place in Paris, Ark., just as the band Styx gained notoriety
While teaching, kids are always asking the question, “What in the world did you do back then do keep from being bored to death in small towns?” It certainly wasn’t possible for us to travel 50 or more miles to go to a movie or go out to eat, but small towns had plenty going on to keep us occupied.
During the ’60s and ’70s, Saturday nights were cruise nights. Cars would line up, then travel up and down main street with occasional stops to hang out.
Even bigger towns like Fort Smith and Conway got into the act. Conway’s becoming so large it had to be shut down because it brought all other traffic to a standstill. Most towns of any size had a roller-skating rink, a drive-in theater or pool halls.
The biggest events usually centered around high school athletics. You could have stolen everything in Booneville on any given fall night because the entire population was at the football game. The same could have been said of Fordyce, Barton and Mena, all of which were the athletic powers of the time.
In 1974, Larry Glass and John Paul Well decided the small town of Paris needed an introduction to big time entertainment. They were just out of school and didn’t know their limitations, so they decided to host some big time entertainment with limited funds, a small venue and being off-the-beaten track, they had little success. They were probably laughed at by the Rolling Stones, The Jackson 5 and Creedence Clearwater Revival.
They finally located an up and coming band called Styx that just happened to be traveling through the region between shows. Early in the year, Glass was able to sign the group to a contract for the grand sum of $1,500. The concert was to take place at the local Logan Theater, a venue owned by his father.
A few weeks prior to the concert, Styx put out the single record “Lady.” The song, a wonderful ballad, shot to the top of the rock and roll charts and reached top ten status. Styx rolled into town to fulfill their contract on Aug. 27, 1974. Still unaccustomed to fame, they dined at the local Dairy Queen, a place known for its five for $1 hamburgers.
KMAG, one of the biggest FM stations in western Arkansas really pushed the concert and the $6 tickets sold like hotcakes.
Never mind that the theater could only seat 800 people, just keep printing off those tickets! Thirty minutes before the show, hundreds of kids were milling the streets outside.
The concert opened to a standing-room-only crowd. Early on, some enterprising kid opened the back door and hundreds more poured in, breaking every fire code ever written. With a group estimated at 2,000 people, individuals crowed the aisles, filled the area in front of the stage, and overflowed to the lobby.
Local rock group Whiz warmed up the crowd as Styx prepared. One of the roadies responsible for loading the pyrotechnics partook of a little too much of some item, and placed a full load in the cannon that opened the show. Whiz exited and excitement filled the air as the band prepared for the grand opening.
The curtains opened, they pyrotechnics went off. The explosion was so great that chunks of the ceiling fell to the floor and a black cloud of smoke filled the theater. Well and Glass pulled the double front doors open and the smoke rolled out the door and down the street around the courthouse.
The crowd, deafened by the explosion, probably never heard the sound of the firetruck and voluntary crew who were frantically looking for the source of the fire. They may not have even heard the first song or two, but Styx by all accounts put on one of the most incredible shows they ever performed.
Nearly 50 years later, people from all of the small towns in Logan, Franklin and Yell county are still talking about the first and greatest concert they ever heard. Only in a small town and on a Saturday night!
Curtis Varnell, Ph.D., is a longtime teacher in the area, the author of several books on local history, a regular columnist on that topic and the science and social studies coordinator for the Guy Fenter Education Service Cooperative at Branch. Email him at curtis.varnell@wscstarfish.com.