Every once in a while, a band takes on a project that makes you equal parts excited… and terrified.

For Smokin’ Renegade, that project was Rosanna – The Music of Toto.

After months of planning, rehearsing, fine-tuning arrangements, and asking ourselves, “Are we really ready for this?”, we finally debuted our first full Toto tribute show on June 26 at the iconic Daytona Beach Bandshell.

And what a night it was.

This wasn’t just another setlist. Toto’s music is legendary for a reason—complex arrangements, incredible musicianship, soaring vocals, and songs that have stood the test of time. We knew from the very beginning that if we were going to perform this music, we had to do it justice.

To help bring these incredible songs to life, we welcomed a sixth member to the stage—Stacy Cartechine. Stacy and I have been friends since grade school, so having her join us for this new adventure made the experience even more meaningful. Her outstanding keyboard work and beautiful vocals blended seamlessly with the band, adding the rich layers and harmonies that are such an important part of the Toto sound.

Were we nervous? You bet.

Launching a brand-new tribute show is a leap of faith. You can spend hundreds of hours rehearsing, but you never really know how the audience will respond until those first notes ring out across the venue.

Thankfully, the fans who joined us at the Daytona Beach Bandshell on June 26 made us feel right at home.

From the opening song to the final encore, your energy reminded us why we love taking on new musical challenges. Seeing people singing along, dancing, and embracing this new chapter meant more to us than you’ll ever know. It confirmed that Rosanna – The Music of Toto is something worth pursuing.

Of course, we’re also our own toughest critics. We already have a list of little things we’d like to tighten up, polish, and refine. That’s part of the fun. Great shows aren’t built overnight—they evolve with every performance, and we’re committed to making this one even stronger each time we take the stage.

A huge thank you goes out to everyone who joined us for our debut. Whether you’ve been following Smokin’ Renegade for years or this was your first time seeing one of our tribute shows, you became part of a very special night in our band’s history.

We’re incredibly excited to continue bringing Rosanna – The Music of Toto to audiences throughout Florida alongside our Boston, Styx, and Foreigner tribute performances. We can’t wait to see where this journey takes us and to share this music with even more fans.

Thanks for believing in us, supporting live music, and joining us for the very first chapter of this adventure.

We’ll see you at the next show…

And remember… Hold the Line!