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| From | "Jaimie Vernon" <bullseyecanada@hotmail.com> |
| Subject | Too Much Time On My Hands....Styx (no KK) |
| Date | Sun, 17 Oct 2004 02:13:53 -0400 |
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Just saw Styx at Casino Rama this weekend. Haven't had the chance to check
out the line-up with my mentor Larry Gowan since he joined some 5 years and
700 gigs ago (!?!).
I went in expecting the typical half-baked reunion effort (only Tommy Shaw
and James "JY" Young remain as pseudo-original members) only to find that
after a powerful 2 1/2 hour show -- with Gowan being back in his native
Canada for the first time in a year they played an hour longer than the
Casino would have liked -- they kicked ass.
Styx also seemed to me the Air Supply of pomp rock bands in the '70s because
Dennis DeYoung was so over-the-top and fey in his theatrics that I couldn't
stand looking at him prancing around like some Cirque de So-Late ringmaster.
Because it was the Tommy and JY show the tunes focused on *their* legacy of
lead-vocal hits -- "Renegade", "Blue Collar Man", "Crystal Ball", "Miss
America", "Too Much Time On My Hands", "Foolin' Yourself", etc.....all
typical rock songs and less pomp'n' circumstance.
But they did not disappoint the fans as Larry Gowan not only nailed the
Dennis DeYoung classics -- , "Lorelei", "Lady", "Suite Madame Blue", "The
Grand Illusion" and the capper "Come Sail Away" [all of which eerily
mimicked DeYoung's phrasing and tone] -- but he did a phenomenal version of
his biggest solo hit "A Criminal Mind" (complete with Tommy Shaw's Spinal
Tappian inclusion of mandolin).
A bigger highlight still was the inclusion of a 14 song medley covering
segments of tunes from "Styx", "Styx II", "Equinox", "The Serpeant Is
Rising", "Man Of Miracles", "Paradise Theater" and a very abbreviated nod to
"Mr. Roboto (off "Kilroy Was Here"). Curiously, there were no songs at all
from Cornerstone the entire night [not even the obvious hit "Babe"].
I was actually quite impressed how routinely the three new songs from
'Cyclorama' fit in.
And the encore was refreshing in that they did three cover tunes as an "ode
to fallen heroes". A truly convincing Ray Charles raver in "That's What I
Say" featuring Tommy Shaw on vocals (!!!). Gowan does one of the most
to-die-for takes on Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard to this day so these
were incorporated as well; JY doing Hendrix's "Manic Depression". I never
realized what a great guitarist he was before this [never gave it much
thought, actually]. And Gowan's bang-on reading of The Beatles' "I Am The
Walrus" complete with mellotrons, horns, et al.
The most memorable moment of the night had to be the surprise appearance of
original bassist Chuck Panozzo who had left the band two years ago following
the death of his drummer brother John.
Chuck did double bass duty with current touring bassist Ricky Phillips (The
Babys, Bad Englosh). Drums were supplied by a rather awesome unknown by the
name of Todd Sucherman.
Jaimie Vernon,
Bullseye
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