Review by Ralph Greco, Jr.
Styx created a paradise out of the Mayo Performing Arts Center theater in Morristown with a sensational two hour show. I have come to rely on Tommy Shaw, James “J.Y.” Young, Lawrence Gowan, Ricky Phillips, and Todd Sucherman as the one band to deliver expertly time and again; to me, there really is no better classic rock band out there presently.
Playing songs from their latest (concept) album The Mission, plus the hits and deep album cuts, I found the quintet still able to surprise me in their song selection as much as how their playing seems to get tighter each time I see them.
This time, there were more songs from The Mission. Songs like “Radio Silence,” which went down especially well live, and the chunky “The Outpost,” were two of the standouts. We also got Styx staples early on, like “The Grand Illusion,” arguably one of the best opening songs of a set ever, plus chestnuts like “Lady,” “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man), and “Light Up.” When they were running through the complex changes of “Pieces Of Eight,” it was obvious that this is a band that is not just phoning in it.
Being the unabashed James Young I am, I was most taken when he was featured on lead vocals, as he was on the high-flying harmonies around him on “Snowblind,” and the heavy “Miss America.” While playing second to Tommy Shaw’s more flashy guitar leads, for my money, it’s always been ‘J.Y.’s subtler leads I’ve been more taken with.
Lawrence Gowan made his solo piano spot especially memorable by featuring the middle operatic section from “Bohemian Rhapsody,” which the nearly sell-out Mayo crowd happily joined in on. The regular set ended with “Come Sail Away,” allowing Gowan to really preen, prance and engage the audience.
Back for two encores, the band started with a blistering “Mr. Roboto,” another song I don’t think I have seen this incarnation of the band play, pulled off with a heavier edge. “Renegade” ended the night as cannons showered the crowd in confetti. I expected tonight’s show to be noteworthy. Instead, this one might have been the best I have ever seen from Styx.
