Since the 1990s, GRAND ILLUSION has stunned local and regional audiences with their impossibly accurate performances of STYX tunes. Playing shows from northern Quebec, Canada to southern Pennsylvania, USA, and just about everywhere in between, GRAND ILLUSION continues to play to “fire-code-breaking” crowds, faithfully recreating the feel of arena concert events of the 1970s, earning them an impressive 8+ awards at the Buffalo Music Awards in just their first three years .

By associations through friends of friends, a GRAND ILLUSION demo cassette tape found its way into the hands of STYX members backstage during their "Edge of the Century" tour and they were blown away.

During their first listen, an uneasy tension was felt by STYX members as if they were more than flattered by the tribute. Later, STYX guitarist James Young spoke of their trepidations confiding in the boys that GRAND ILLUSION sounded so hauntingly genuine to the original versions, for a few seconds after their first listening to the demo, JY and Dennis DeYoung among others thought the tape was an unauthorized bootleg recording of their own performance.

When they realized it was a tribute band, STYX knew they just HAD to meet these guys! Backstage VIP invites soon followed, and a couple of weeks later, GRAND ILLUSION was backstage partying with STYX. Ultimately, the members of STYX were flattered beyond words and immediate friendships were forged.

The band features RICK ALLEN on lead vocals & keyboards, BRIAN SCRANTON on vocals & guitars, JON WHITE on drums, RIC STAVE on bass guitar, vocals & synths and MARK CHIMES on vocals, guitars & guitar synthesizers.

GRAND ILLUSION was the opening act for HONEYMOON SUITE and CHEAP TRICK, and is as comfortable on stage in front of arena sized crowds as they are in more intimate venues for only a couple of hundred guests, bringing you all your favorite STYX classics.