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| Styx's Tommy Shaw at the San Jose City National Civic (Photo: Ken McCain) |
Another mid-week concert in the Bay Area became more than just another concert in the city. The legendary rock band
Styx came to town to play the
City National Civic, and as they asked their fans when they came out with guitars blaring, "San Jose, are you ready for a
Rock Show!?!" the crowd responded emphatically "Yeah!!!!" And so they began a nearly two and a half hour show with some of their best music. The original band was formed back in 1972 in Chicago by a small group of friends. As they developed their sound, drawing from rock, progressive rock, southern blues, & country they eventually added the piece of the puzzle that would become Styx. A change of labels and an addition of the great Tommy Shaw seemed to be the last few missing pieces that formed the basis for which they would start their run of over 45 years of making music.
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| Styx's Tommy Shaw at the San Jose City National Civic (Photo: Ken McCain)
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Like many bands that have been together as long as Styx, they've gone through lineup changes and hiatuses. The additions and subtractions for whatever reasons, have not deterred their fans from coming out to see them. Losing a huge part of their band, an original member Dennis DeYoung, in 1999, would have made most bands second guess their future. But Styx forged ahead hiring Lawrence Gowan as lead singer and keyboards.
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| Lawrence Gowan of Styx (Photo: Ken McCain) |
Of course, any Styx fan knows their isn't one lead singer in this band. They actually have three! James "J.Y." Young and Tommy Shaw take turns on a number of tunes, and have been part of the legacy of their most famous songs for decades. They each play lead guitar, as well. It's difficult to tell which one is better when you see 'em play live. Just when you hear a solo by one, you think that he's the better one. The other takes a lead shortly after and you have to change your mind. This back-and-forth happens all night long, and it really is thrilling to hear and watch.
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| James "J.Y." Young & Tommy Shaw of Styx (Photo: Ken McCain) |
On Tuesday night the band broke the night into two acts. Like a play, they broke for a 20-minute intermission, as well. Styx is known for their theatrics and stage show. From their beginnings in rock, they've brought a progressive edge and an almost operatic approach to many of their albums. Their album
The Grand Illusion (iTunes) and
Paradise Theater (iTunes) are two examples of this sort of musical direction. We were privy to learn that they would play these acts as two one-hour sets. Many of their previous shows had them playing around 16 songs. That could have translated into 2 hours of music if they had extended solos, or stopped to talk to the audience, etc. But it actually turned out to be 22 songs, and we got an additional 20 minutes which included two fan favorites "Mr. Roboto" and "Renegade".
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| James "J.Y." Young of Styx (Photo: Ken McCain) |
One very cool moment was when Tommy Shaw came to the mic and addressed the crowd. He spoke about growing up in his hometown of Montgomery, Alabama, playing in the bowling alley, and him and his band making $200 per week playing music for folks. It was at this time that he wrote one of their more famous songs "Crystal Ball". He mentioned that it was a long song, and had to be cut down, "tightened up", so they took a verse out. He then said that he'd like to play that song for us and put that verse back in, and would we mind? The audience roared with approval, and they proceeded to play a song familiar to all, with a bit of a new pleasant twist at the end.
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| Ricky Phillips, James "J.Y." Young & Tommy Shaw of Styx (Photo: Ken McCain)
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A few other moments took many by surprise as a sing-along to Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" ensued. It was only Gowan alone and on piano and the few thousand fans singing in unison on this one. And as many bands take the audience on a roller-coaster ride, if that was a short climb in the tracks, when they broke out "Too Much Time on My Hands" was the plunge! It got the whole crowd up on their feet, dancing and singing (again), and clapping in time (if you know the song, you know what I'm talking about).
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| Tommy Shaw of Styx (Photo: Ken McCain) |
These guys are an amazing band with tons of talent, years of experience, and a song catalog longer and more full of hits than most bands of the same age. With the few originals members upfront, they’re backed by guys like Todd Sucherman on drums and Ricky Phillips on Bass. One thing that was not really announced was the surprise appearance by original bassist Chuck Panozzo. He played on one of the early songs in the evening and a few at the end.
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| Todd Sucherman of Styx (Photo: Ken McCain) |
As Styx rolls on to the next town be sure to check them out if they come your way, or back around this way. Only a few
dates remain this year, but be assured that they will return next year.
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