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