Long Live the Tech, Part V
Styx guitar tech Scott Rottler gives us the inside scoop on what it felt like when he became a fulltime member of the Styx Crew.
Text & photos by Mike Mettler, resident Styxologist
Band photos by Jason Powell
“I already felt really comfortable, and I loved the Crew’s work ethic. I was like, ‘Damn, this is like an A-Team.’ It was a well-oiled machine, and I instantly looked up to that. I was like, ‘Man, if I was gonna be a part of a camp, this would be the camp I wanna be a part of.’” —Scott Rottler
Hello my fellow Stygians, one and all! First, let us recognize a collective moment of silence in memory of Styx co-founding drummer John Panozzo, who passed away 26 years ago on July 16, 1996. John was truly a one-of-a-kind talent, and if you want to read more about this special man and his unending impact on the legacy of Styx, go here for our special tribute. We love you, Dear John!
In the meantime, I’m happy to report Styx’s 45-date Live & UnZoomed Tour (a.k.a. L&UnZ) with good friends REO Speedwagon and Loverboy just wrapped up a number of truly amazing shows in California over these past few days (including an “extra,” non-L&UnZ show on Sunday), and our favorite band and company will continue wowing big crowds in the Golden State down in Chula Vista on Tuesday night (i.e., July 19).
As always, if you wanna see any of these or other upcoming Live & UnZoomed dates, not to mention find out about all the other way-cool shows on the live horizon in band Year 50, just head on over to our Tour section to glean all the necessary tour locale details. More dates are constantly being added to Styx’s touring schedule, so keep staying tuned!
Beyond the lighted stage, we are here to resume our current interview series spotlight on Tommy Shaw’s top-tier guitar tech, Scott Rottler. Scott has been a longtime friend of the Styx family who occasionally filled the guitar tech role here, there, and everywhere in recent years in a backup capacity, but the Indiana native has long since been an invaluable Styx Crew member the exact instant he was decreed as Tommy’s fulltime tech maestro.
Recently, Scott and I got on the line during one of Styx’s short touring breaks to sift through the details of his life and how he got to where he is today. Last week, we discussed the first time he ever heard Styx music, how videos on MTV made him even more aware of the band, and what his favorite song is in Styx’s current live set. This week, Scott and I talk about his indoctrination into the Styx Crew fulltime, what his initial reaction was when he got “the call” asking him to join the Crew, and why he feels Styx is truly firing on all cylinders on the Live & UnZoomed summer tour.
Mike Mettler: We were just talking about how you began working with Styx pretty much fulltime last year, which essentially resulted in you also moving to Nashville from your home in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Now let’s talk about how you started going out on the road with the guys. When you began talking about things with Tommy, Will [Evankovich], and everybody else, did you have a sense of like, “Hey, I need to be in this Crew”? Tell me about how that all came together.
Scott Rottler: Well, I did those first couple Mission shows we already talked about [including the NYCB Theatre at Westbury in Westbury, Long Island, New York, on November 16, 2019]. And me and the Crew, I mean — we all hit it off right then, really. I already felt really comfortable with them, and I loved their work ethic. I was like, “Damn, this is like an A-Team.” It was a well-oiled machine, and I instantly looked up to that. I was like, “Man, if I was gonna be a part of a camp, this would be the camp I wanna be a part of.”
When Tommy hit me up, I didn’t even know it was coming, really. I thought he had found a guy, because when I was out there for those Mission shows, he already had one. After those shows, I was like, “Well, he’ll be with Tommy for a while. He ain’t going nowhere.” I had just started working on the record with them in the studio [i.e., engineering Crash of the Crown], and didn’t think any more about it.
But when I was actually down in Florida helping a buddy move, George [Packer, Styx’s tour manager] called me and was like, “Hey, Tommy’s looking for a guitar tech.” Tommy had already talked to Will, and Will had given him the blessing to steal me away from The Guess Who. [Among his other band-related duties, Scott was Will’s guitar tech while he was a member of The Guess Who.]
George was like, “Is that something you’d be wanting to do?” At that point, I was really loving The Guess Who thing, because they were weekend warriors. Meaning, I’d fly out Thursday, do Friday/Saturday shows with them, then fly home Sunday. And that meant I could be in the studio Monday through Thursday, recording stuff.
I don’t think George was ready for it, but I was like, “Hey man, can I think about this, and then give you a call back?” And he was just like, “Uhh, what?” I really had to think about it because I was thinking to myself, “Well, that means my studio [i.e., Berry Street Records, in Fort Wayne, Indiana] is pretty much done, because if I’m on the road nine months out of the year, this stuff’s gonna sit here and rot.”
Mettler: Yeah, and then you’ll never be there to finish any of it! (laughs)
Rottler: Right! Finally, I thought about it, and that’s when I saw another buddy of mine had posted that he bought this building in Nashville. Like you said earlier, the stars just aligned. That’s when I called George back and I was like, “Yeah, man, I’ll do it! I’m more than happy to do it.” So (brief pause) . . . here we are!
Mettler: Here we are indeed! Tell me again what you guys are calling the new building — as in, what are you calling the new Nashville studio?
Rottler: This is called Wild Feather Recording. You can look it up on Facebook and Instagram.
Mettler: Noted! How does it feel being a part of the Styx Crew, now that you’ve been in it for a while?
Rottler: Well, they were like this established Crew, you know? I mean, I think Evan [McElhinney, Styx’s monitor engineer] was the youngest one in at having been 11 years on this Crew, and I just didn’t see there being an opening for me.
The one surprise they hit me with was, “Well, if you’re coming on as Tommy’s guitar tech, then you have to find Will a guitar tech.” And I’m sitting there going, “Wait a minute — why am I finding the other new guitar tech?” I was like, “Now I gotta kill it for Tommy, and I gotta bring a new guy in?” Talk about pressure, you know? (both laugh)
Mettler: Yeah, no pressure at all! Well, I think it was probably because you and Will had already worked together and it was like, “Scott knows what Will needs, so we’ll let him figure it out.” (chuckles)
Rottler: Yeah, and it all worked out great. John Ptak, Will’s tech, is amazing — and he and the Crew got along right away. We’re all now one well-oiled machine. We’re going to kill it this year!
Mettler: There’s a ton of evidence you’ve been doing that already, brother!
Rottler: And everybody’s having fun onstage, too. I can already tell that, with what I’ve seen this year. I’ve worked with other bands who get burned out from all the day-in and day-out stuff. But I can see how much more sleep these guys are getting, and how much more relaxed they are before the shows. They’re just happier out there, because the days are calmer.
It’s been an amazing year already. I mean, the way our Crew and REO [Speedwagon]’s crew interact and help each other, it’s already made for the easiest and smoothest summer tour [i.e., on the Live & UnZoomed tour].
Mettler: I’m sure it now feels like it’s a long way from getting the call that goes, “Hey, can you be out here 2 days from now? We’re actually going to need you a few months. Start packing!” (laughs)
Rottler: (laughs) Right? It’s like that call I got from Will to come work in the studio [on the aforementioned COTC]: “Can you be down here in 12 hours?” I was like, “Well, it takes me 5½ [hours] to drive there from Fort Wayne [Indiana], so, yep — I can do that. So . . . yes!” (chuckles heartily)
Mettler: Remember that time a few years ago when Will was only gonna be out there for those early January 2019 shows and rehearsals in Arizona, then fly home, and then go out to Las Vegas for the first full Mission show — but then he wound up being out for the whole run that went into California? He had to call back home to get some extra day clothes and some extra stage clothes sent out West for all those shows — and for the days in between! (both laugh)
[Your Styxologist clarifies: In January 2019, Will Evankovich was initially only going to rehearse for a few days and then perform onstage with Styx at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona on January 11-12 before joining them again for the first full Mission show at the Pearl at The Palms in Las Vegas on January 20, but the band decided it would be better for all concerned if Will stayed on for the balance of the five shows in California that occurred in between those Arizona and Las Vegas dates. As someone who was embedded with Styx for that whole run, I can personally confirm it was a great decision, as everyone else who attended that special first Mission show in Las Vegas can readily attest.]
Rottler: (still laughing) Oh yes! And then after that run when Will came back home, he was like, “All right Scotty, I’m gonna start doing more Mission shows with them — so you’re gonna start coming along with me because I’m never doing it again without a guitar tech!” And I’m like (slight pause) . . . “Ok!” (more laughter all around)
Next week: Scott Rottler tells us how he and his fellow guitar tech Greg Mandelke initially found their working rhythm together — and, of course, much, much more. See y’all right back here in 7 days!!
