Review by Ralph Greco, Jr.
Only one original member (for most of the night, but more on that later); a popular front man who joined the band in the late 70s and forged a name for himself; one of the best rock drummers playing today; a seasoned bass player; a keyboard player with a spinning rig; and all those big harmonies — Styx is a band to be reckoned with.
I caught the band at my local Mayo Center For The Performing Arts in the not-so-wild environs of Morristown, New Jersey. Starting promptly at 8:00, Styx opened with a medley that featured snippets of “Pieces of Eight” and the intro to “Mr. Roboto.”
Fearing we might get a night heavy of medley, we happily settled in as the band blistered into “The Grand Illusion,” showcasing keyboardist and vocalist Lawrence Gowan (best known as the guy who replaced Dennis DeYoung), and the first of many indications of Todd Sucherman’s amazing drum prowess.
“One With Everything” sported a strong chorus and a complicated arrangement toward the end. The nearly sold-out crowd was quickly on its feet for the one-two punch of “Blue Collar Man” and “Too Much Time on My Hands,” both featuring Tommy Shaw’s powerful vocals and guitar playing.
The band reached way back during the two-hour show, pulling out plumbs like “Lady,” “Lorelei” and “Suite Madame Blue.” Gowan’s spinning keyboard and sprite-like moves don’t always work, but the Canadian has DeYoung’s parts down perfectly. When he takes time to break out with a bit of classical playing, you can see why the band hired him.
Gowan more or less led the band into “I Am The Walrus,” covering the Beatles classic since releasing covers album, 2005’s Big Bang Theory. Then Shaw introduced “High Enough” from his short-lived Damn Yankee days. A crowd pleaser, well-played by Styx, but given the band’s huge catalog, a let-down for longtime fans who wish the band would stick to their own tunes.
They quickly redeemed themselves though with the absolute surprise of the night: “Boat On the River,” a chestnut if there ever was one from the Cornerstone album. Featuring Shaw again, this time on mandolin, it was the highlight of the night.
James Young stepped out for “Snowblind” and “Miss America” looking supremely youthful and in as good a voice as when those songs were first recorded. It’s interesting to watch Young (aka “JY”) play — while as flashy a guitar player as Shaw, and probably not technically proficient as your garden-variety rock guitar God, Young’s little riffs here and there during verses and the leads add flavor an imaginative and subtle flavor.
Shaw took center stage for “Crystal Ball” and “Fooling Yourself.” During the latter, original Styx bassman Chuck Panozzo sauntered out to a rousing ovation. Panozzo’s health concerns preclude him from performing the entire night with the band, but he did step up and out for “Fooling” and “Come Sail Away,” as well as for the encore of “Renegade.”
Shaw, Young, and Gowan may be out in front, but it would be remiss of me not to mention Sucherman again. Next to Neal Peart, he has to have the best bass drum feet I have ever heard. And the spot-on-I-have-every-single-bass-part-down-but-mixed-in-my-own-style of Ricky Phillips needs no further explanation.
The Mayo Center hosted as enthusiastic a crowd as you could ask for, truly a showcase for bands like Styx with good sight lines and a leveled stage set. All came into play tonight and Styx delivered.
