By Andrew Lawton
Landmark Report

When the legendary rock band BOSTON was formed in the mid-70's, it was an unlikely success story. Musical renaissance man Tom Scholz spent every dollar he had to record a series of self-written tracks with his friend the late Brad Delp taking on the vocals.

The reaction from record labels when the heard the demos was much like North America’s reaction to the band’s unique, and energetic feel: Love at first sound. The result was the 1976 release of BOSTON, the self-titled album that holds its place in history as the highest selling debut album of all time.

The album (remastered by Tom Scholz himself in 2006) has sold 17 million copies. With tracks like "More Than a Feeling" and "Hitch a Ride," the record is still synonymous with rock and roll.

And now, fans in North America once again have the opportunity to hear BOSTON live as they hit the road with their 2012 summer tour.

On the 2012 tour, lead vocals are being shared by vocalist Tommy DeCarlo and Los Angeles-based rocker David Victor, who splits his time between his music career and his IT consulting business.

For Victor, sharing the stage with BOSTON is a dream come true, especially coming from his latest stint as the lead in a BOSTON/Styx cover band, BOSTYX.

"I probably imagined it at some point, but I never thought it would actually happen," Victor told Landmark Report about the opportunity to join up with BOSTON. "[Working with BOSTYX] has been the best preparation for this because we try to be as letter perfect as we can possibly be with our covers."

Though this is Victor’s first tour with BOSTON, he’s had the privilege of recording some tracks for the band’s next album at Tom Scholz’s Massachusetts studio, an experience he describes as "surreal."

Known for his high vocal range and extraordinary stage presence, the untimely passing of Brad Delp in 2007 left a void in BOSTON, but Victor said the fans have been accepting of the band’s changing line-up.

"The fans have been awesome. People are there to see BOSTON and hear BOSTON. If you give them BOSTON, you’re in. We’re doing our best to be true to the original recording with some fun variances in there. People just want to hear the music and relive the memories and as long as we deliver, they’re overjoyed."

When it comes to knowing what the fans want, David Victor is somewhat of an expert, still proudly calling himself one.

"I started off as a fan for the first 34 years. It was fandom from the start," he said. "It still is."

For this tour, which swings through Rama, Belleville, and London, Ontario this weekend before returning to the United States, Victor promises a great show, with a few surprises.

"A few of the arrangements are changed up a bit to give your ear something you’re not expecting. It’ll be fun."

David Victor’s advice to fans for the tour is pretty simple: Go!

"This is the first opportunity in four years to see BOSTON, are you going to wait another four?"

To find out if the the band is playing near you, check out their official website.