Working again — that’s exactly what Michael Stanley Band tribute act In the Heartland has planned for 2022.
After what can only be described as one of their toughest years, the band members are grieving not only the death a year ago of one of Cleveland’s favorite sons, musical legend and radio mainstay Michael Stanley, but also the recent passing in January of the cover group’s singer, Kelly Derrick, a 1980 graduate of Riverside High School in Painesville Township.
“It’s been extremely difficult,” said In The Heartland drummer-vocalist Jim Simonian, who lives in Concord Township. “We have such a deep friendship with Kelly. He was really the heart and soul of the band. We did get to spend some time with him at the end.”
Added keyboardist John Sustar, “It’s really tough. There was a question if we would ever move on. We dedicate this show to both of them. It’s going to be tough, I have to stay.”
That show is In the Heartland’s scheduled performance March 19 at the Lorain Palace Theatre.
In addition to Simonian and Sustar, In the Heartland features regular band members Tim Bradach (vocals, guitar), Gary Stulak (vocals, bass) and Mark Rasnick (sax).
Michael Stanley Band member Danny Powers also recently joined the outfit on lead guitar and vocals.
Simonian’s ties to Derrick predate his friend’s creation of the first Michael Stanley Band tribute act, Stagepass, which started — with Stanley’s blessings — in the early ’90s.
“Me and Johnny played with Kelly back in the ’80s, but I had been gone from Northeast Ohio for about 20 years,” Simonian said. “I just had moved back to Cleveland, and, interestingly enough, I had this feeling I had to find Kelly because we used to play together.
“Thinking I was still living in (Florida), he called me out of the blue because he was coming down. He said he wanted to meet up. I said, ‘I’m back in Cleveland.’ That was kind of the impetus for In the Heartland, but Johnny and Kelly were working on this before I came back.”
The timing of the phone call was prescient considering the white lines on the highway brought Simonian home around the same time Stanley died in March 2021.
“Kelly had been bugging me and Tim for years to do this, but I would say Michael Stanley dying was the catalyst that gave us a kick in the butt to really ramp things up,” said Sustar, who lives in Eastlake.
“Starting this band was just a way to keep the music alive and recreating the sound from 1983 and ’84, the Kevin Raleigh-era of the band.”
Both Simonian and Sustar look at last year as a blessing for many reasons. Not only did they perform alongside Kelly at In the Heartland’s roughly 10 gigs, but the outfit landed on the radar of Powers, who, naturally, was mourning his friend while looking to celebrate their shared music.
“The last shows played with Kelly were on Nov. 13 and 14,” said Simonian, who also filled in on drums at an early December Stanley tribute show held at MGM Northfield Park.
“That’s when another former member of the Michael Stanley Band, Michael Gismondi, played with us. What a dream come true for Kelly that we’re playing the original members from the Michael Stanley Band.”
As for the future of In The Heartland, the group needs only to take guidance from one of the Michael Stanley lyrics (“Working again…Gotta be working”) and their own former leader.
“Kelly wanted us to continue on with this band and to keep the spirit of the Michael Stanley Band music alive for the fans,” Simonian said. “It was just very important to him, so it’s important to us.”
In the Heartland
When: 7 p.m. March 19.
Where: Lorain Palace Theatre, 617 Broadway Ave.
Tickets: $20 ($25 day of show).
Info: 440-452-1050 or lorainpalace.com.
