"I really dig being able to GIVE something back to the community once a year and Glen makes that possible.......with such a diverse array of talent......I've really been able to stretch my Harmonica Skills in a Christmasy way...love bein' part of it..thanks to Glen and his Family & Peace to Mike Cleary and thanx to all the beautiful folks that come out and support us year after year!"

-Rob Paparozzi

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who would have known?

in the beginning....
i think that it was 1970 our 1st year at New Brunswick High School. we sat next to each other in the auditorium. he a skinny, intellectual, musical type, and me a beautiful disco diva (i get to be beautiful because i'm writing this). mr huff's high school choir (in my opinion, made up of the nerdy older kids) was about to sing handel's messiah, the hallelujah chorus. it was a kind of "christmas show." i was ready to be bored. i don't know what my friend was thinking, maybe his thoughts were of the girls that would be in the hall, after we got out of this place...this was pre-Rosie (his wife to be). the curtains opened and the 1st note was sung. i can't remember much of anything after that except for the feeling the music brought up in me. it was a georgeous excorcism of sorts. i was overwhelmed by the detail, the sweeping melodies, all those different voices coming together painting one complete beautiful portrait. for that moment, i was not in the audit orium at NBHS listening to the nerdy choir sing, i was in a strangely familiar coexisting universe made of sound, light and electricity. a universe that had to be, created by some higher power. maybe the same higher power that gave stevie wonder a voice that could touch my soul and marvin gaye the ability to write and sing about "what's goin on" in my heart and mind. i knew that that higher power surely wasn't mr. huff or the nerdy choir, but i was experiencing this feeling because of the music they were performing. i turned to "glenn burtnick", my skinny, intellectual, musical type friend and he had tears in eyes, too.

it was goose bump city (and mind you, we we're totally drug-free). we both knew what we had to do next.....

for the duration of our high school years glen and i sang the tenor parts in the NBHS' choir. i wasn't about to stand next to the girls, and mr huff was not about to argue with me, so glen kindly coached me on my parts and i was a tenor. i in return gave him pointers on how to dress. (please don't blame me for his choice in hair color!)

after graduation, glen set up a teac 4 track next to the drum set in his room. he continued to write songs and visit mr huff once in a while. i left town.

eventually i returned to exit # 9 and during the late eighties / early 90's (it's all a blur to me) glen had the bright idea to start his own christmas show. i think the 1st one was at the stony pony? i took part in that show and was totally blown away with the effort and love glen poured into it. to some people the performance may have seemed like a bunch of rockers getting together to belt out a bunch of christmas tunes (well, yeah, jigs doing the 12 days of christmas can definitely give one that impression). to me it was glen taking the gift that he was given by that (mr.x) higher power and coming full circle, by sharing it with others.

so now "the glen burtnick christmas extravaganza" has been going on 4-ever and the bottom line, the vin scelcia show, the baby burtnicks, the giglios, the famous and not so famous musicians and a whole community of music lovers has shared in it's joy and are all part of the "experience".

all this because of one performance of handel's messiah, the hallelujah chorus, given by mr. huff's nerdy choir, witnessed by a skinny, intellectual, musical type and a beautiful disco diva, at NBHS in 1970.

who would have known?

-patti maloney march 2001

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The Xmas Xtravaganza is in essence a celebration of the true meaning of Christmas. While all proceeds go to a worthy charity, the performers rehearse and prepare for weeks before the show and dedicate their time and talent. The audience reaches in their pocket and slaps down hard earned cash for the tickets, all in the spirit of giving to the less fortunate in their own way. And there's Glen who takes out precious time and dedicates this to putting the show together, rehearsing the performers and playing in the show, the list of tasks is endless. I don't quite know how he does it, but the show seems to get better and bigger year after year.

As for me, it is a time to do my three most favourite things in the world. Performing, spending time with my family and celebrating my favourite holiday. Christmas 2000, I was honoured to perform with my beautiful niece Darla Burtnick and it will always be a lasting memory for me and hopefully for Darla as well. As I live far away these days, I look forward to Christmas. "There is no place like home for the Holidays" and there is no better way for me to kick start and enjoy the true spirit of the holiday than the Glen Burtnick Xmas Xtravaganza.

-Brijitte West

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Doing the xmas show is the highlight of my xmas season. I love the spirit of the show, and how everybody plays together to make the show a family effort. I hope I can be a part of each year. Glen is a prince to pull it together every xmas. With love and a lot of hard work he always makes it cool and different. And his xmas hair is a seasonal highlite.

-Patty Smyth

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"The Xtravaganza is a burnin', churnin' hunk of holiday funk, festive--like the color wheel on a vintage aluminum christmas tree (but not nearly as predictable!...), it's a revolving display of great musical moments."

-Christine Ohlmann

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"I look foward to doing this show every year, the talent is always incredible, and the audience is always appreciative and enthusiastic . The fact that everyone donates their time and energy for a worthy cause makes it all the more special . Other than internet porn I can't think of anything that brings me more pleasure ."

-Chuck "Santa" Buck

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I hoped my medley of HAVA NEGILA/AVE MARIA would be a religious ice breaker and bring two faiths together - at least for the pagan aspects of Christmas, which I like. It was nerve wracking a bit as I was most concerned about singing AVE MARIA on key (I probably failed failed. But c'est la vie...)

-Fred Schneider

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It's 3:30 AM and Jeanne and I just got back from a late dinner at Tao, the coolest of cool new NYC eateries. Very "Sex In The City" and I have to admit the food and atmosphere was extraordinary. The REAL story, however is Glen Burtnik. The members of STYX all came to New York to take part in his "Xmas Xtravaganza" at the Bottom Line down in the Village. This was night number two of the two night event. Two shows per night and all sold to the rafters. We played late in the first show and early in the second show, performing a new song Lawrence wrote just before we left the tour a week ago called "Ring The Bells of Christmas," a very entertaining Tom Leher song entitled "A Christmas Carol" which JY sang, a song I wrote a few years ago called "All I Want For Christmas," and a Glen Burtnik rewrite of "Blue Collar Man" which became "Red Suited Man." It all went by faster than it took you to read the song list. And we did it TWICE! It was great to see so many of you there. Thanks for being so supportive of this great benefit food drive for the homeless. There was so much talent there, such a wide variety of extremely talented artists that it felt as if you had filled up on every type of good food on the planet, waited an hour and filled up again, and left with a feeling of warm satisfaction. To see our brother Glen in his zone, clearly the heart of this event, graciously handing over the spotlight to his family and friends, that was the deal for me. It's not that I didn't already have maximum love and respect for Glen, but to see him work so hard at such an unselfish and almost undoable event, keeping cool and hanging in from the beginning to the end just warmed my soul. JY really came alive on his song, for the first time ever, stripping off the 6-string and standing alone with mic in hand, only Lawrence accompanying him on piano. Amazing! I have always felt lucky to have Glen back in STYX and to call him a friend, but that love and respect just had another growth spurt today. Here's to Glen, to the fine folks at the Bottom Line and to all the amazing players, singers, poets and artists who joined us in making this night so unforgettable.

-Tommy Shaw

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