Paradise Found: Topeka Music Vacations Prepares For Styx + Friends

By Doug Fox

From rocking it to questioning if it’s all they’ve heard it was, Styx fans can certainly recite a lyric or two about paradise. However, come Oct. 9-11 on the sun-drenched, white-sand shore of Miramar Beach, Florida, they won’t have to close their eyes wondering if they’re already there. 
That’s when Styx will host and headline Rockin’ in Paradise with Styx + Friends, a three-day destination festival bringing together the band and a lineup of artists from their extended circle of camaraderie. More than just another tour stop, the event is designed as an immersive experience — part vacation, part shared community adventure, part spontaneous collaboration, but all parts rock ’n’ roll. 
The overall concept emanates from Topeka Music Vacations, whose story begins, fittingly enough, with Almost Famous — Cameron Crowe’s cinematic love letter to rock, road trips, and the messy magic of being swept up in a band’s music. Topeka’s very name tips the hat to a specific scene in the Academy Award-winning film, while its mission takes that wanderlust off the screen and transforms it into one-of-a-kind music getaways.
It’s no coincidence next week’s festival borrows its name from the Styx anthem Rockin’ the Paradise, with its forward-facing lyric, “Let’s stick together and futurize our attitudes.” That message of unity and reinvention fuels Topeka’s vision of crafting music vacations that go beyond standard setlists, sparking journeys where fans travel, bond, and celebrate in ways that stay with them long after the final encore.

“While the music itself is obviously the core draw of why someone will come to this vacation, there's a lot of other activities planned around the three days that make it something that you just can't get in regular life,” explains Anthony Diaz, COO/Partner of Topeka Music Vacations. “You're not going to get these types of experiences at a normal show.”

With the full schedule set, Rockin’ in Paradise is poised to deliver an incredible three days of music and fun in the sun. Beyond your average concert, fans can look forward to unique flourishes like intimate artist showcases and spontaneous collaborations that will ensure the festival reverberates long after the final chord.

Let’s take a closer look at what type of experience awaits fans attending Rockin’ in Paradise.
‘Just Make Us Look Cool’
For starters, Styx will headline two of the three nights — one featuring The Grand Illusion album performed in full for the final time this year and the other a tour set of hits and more — surrounded by a roster of friends and kindred spirits chosen with fan and band input to make the lineup a can’t-miss celebration. 

Showing faith in its generation, Styx will be joined by Loverboy (which headlines the second night), 38 Special, John Waite, Cheap Trick, Collective Soul and Edwin McCain. Styx keyboardist/vocalist Lawrence Gowan will perform a solo set to open the second night. You can check out the full nightly lineup at Topeka Music Vacations.

Diaz, who previously was an executive at Sixthman, a company that was among the first to organize concert cruises, says that putting together music vacation experiences is an acquired art form — one that still takes a bit of guesswork.

“It’s something that I have studied the last 15 years and I wish I could say I’ve got it down. It’s really hard to identify what makes a fan base that will work for a destination event,” he says. “It’s extremely different than just buying a ticket to go see a band in your hometown.”

It’s one thing to purchase a ticket, arrange babysitting and get a rideshare for a local show. It takes a different level of passion, he says, to pack a bag, fly into a destination and essentially go on vacation with your favorite band surrounded by fans with the same mindset.

Styx is a band that strikes all the right chords, Diaz notes, and creating this particular vacation with them as the lynchpin was an easy call.

“What’s helped make this such a big first-year success is obviously Styx and their rabid fan base, along with having those other bands around them as well,” Diaz says. They have a discography that they can draw from over multiple years and, most importantly, they have a passionate fan base. That era means something to people. They've worked so hard touring every summer, doing unique packages with other artists, staying out in front of trends and still continuing to put out new music. They just checked all the boxes of a fan base that would have the propensity for people to want to go on vacation for them.”

‘It’s All Happening!’

Once fans are onsite in Miramar Beach, there will be no shortage of extracurricular activities in which to participate. Building a community vibe is one of the ultimate goals and byproducts of the Topeka vacation experience.

“The best way to explain it is like you’re all at summer camp,” says Violet Thompson, Senior Leader of Artist Relations at Topeka Music Vacations. “If you can remember what summer camp felt like when you were in high school — you’re with all your friends, you’re there all weekend long and you’re meeting people that are there to have fun. We’re all like one big happy family.”

The Topeka team has already been building that community camaraderie in the months leading up to the big shows, fostering connections among attendees via a private Facebook group and other promotions. Once fans arrive, it would be a calamity to find too much time on their hands. 

Styx faithful will not want to miss two official special events on Day 2 of the festival. These include a full-band Q&A, giving fans a rare opportunity to hear stories and insights straight from all members. The hour-long Q&A will be hosted by renowned rock radio personality Eddie Trunk.

Immediately following the Q&A, Styx sticks-man Todd Sucherman will perform an hour-long drum showcase, not only giving fans an up-close view of his handiwork but undoubtedly an even greater appreciation for the rhythmic engine of Styx’s live shows.

“It will be seven songs in their entirety,” Sucherman says, noting that he will set up sideways near the front of the stage. “Some will be hits and many will be deep cuts or songs that aren’t in the set anymore. Songs like ‘The Red Storm’ and ‘One With Everything,’ and maybe a track or two that’s never been played live before. It should be fun!”

Additional Topeka-sponsored activities include a kickoff bonfire, beach yoga, an art workshop, cornhole tournaments and daily performances by an all-star School of Rock band. And, of course, the sugar-white sands and emerald waters of Destin and Miramar beaches are always just a couple good Frisbee throws away. 

“Fans can either spend their day at the beach doing whatever they want to do or they can participate in these activities that are open to everybody,” Thompson says. “I think our big priority is to make everybody feel like they’re on vacation. Not just the guests, but our partners and artists too. Everybody gets to be on vacation.”

‘You ARE Home’

Adding to the magic is Topeka’s innovative venue setup: Reserved “coves” give groups their own comfortable space with unobstructed views, while food, drinks, and merch are delivered directly to each spot within minutes. Just steps from the condos and the beach, the venue makes it easy for fans to drift between sun-soaked relaxation and rock ’n’ roll energy without ever leaving the festival’s orbit.

The cove brainstorm actually hatched during COVID as Topeka Founder Andy Levine was exploring the idea of promoting shows while still following social distancing protocols. The format proved so popular that the idea stuck. The company’s first concert occurred in 2021 and the enterprise has gradually grown to a high of 10 planned vacation festivals this year. Several festivals — such as Moon Crush, Brandi Carlile’s Mothership Weekend and the Tedeschi Trucks Band’s Sun, Sand and Soul — have become recurring annual celebrations.

Another standout — and stand-up — feature is a grassy pit area where patrons can snare a piece of prime real estate right in front of the stage. In a true genius maneuver, this area is situated 21 inches lower than the first section of coves, so that sightlines to the stage are not hampered by those standing in front. The name of this VIP area changes depending on the weekend’s host band. For the Rockin’ in Paradise experience, it has been aptly dubbed Renegade Cove. Oh, Mama!

“There’s really no venue like ours,” Diaz says.“The cove setup has ended up being a differentiator and a real innovator for us. It’s a unique format that fans really tend to enjoy.”

Another byproduct of the cove arrangement is how it naturally sparks friendships with nearby fans. Hanging out, partying, and sharing such a unique experience with members of your extended musical tribe strikes a chord of harmony that often lasts long after the vacation is over. It’s reminiscent, perhaps, of the communal spirit depicted in Almost Famous’ soul-stirring Tiny Dancer tour bus singalong.

“If you think about it, at a normal concert, you don’t meet anybody,” Diaz says. “You don’t talk to anybody but who you came with. At our events, you’re with this community all throughout the day and into the evening in your cove configuration. And when you’re with 4,000 people that share your same passion, you have 4,000 best friends.

“It’s a sense of community where they come for the band year one, and then they come back for each other in the years after that. I've never been on a vacation where I met anybody, or became best friends, and then went back on vacation with strangers. It's just not how normal vacations work — but this is just a super unique experience that is tailored to foster community.”

Whether you’re already booked, on the verge of a last-minute decision or even considering future concert vacations in Miramar Beach, Diaz has a message for you.

“Just listen to the fans who come back year after year,” he says. “Guests tell us this is absolutely the best live music experience they’ve ever had in their life. It’s incredibly unique and it’s incredibly difficult to articulate. You have to experience it. It’s just one of those things. Come trust us and my guess is that you’ll come back year after year after year.”

In the spirit of Topeka Music Vacations — and true to the heart of Almost Famous — The Stygian Chronicles can’t help but echo the film’s pivotal closing scene, with a rock journalist asking artists and attendees one simple question: “What do you love about Rockin’ in Paradise?”

“To begin with … everything!”