The Best of Times

July 9, 2005 at the Heritage Park in Taylor, Michigan, USA, a crowd of more than 10, 000 people watched, screamed, sang and listened to the good old rock music of the still alive and rockin’ 70’s Super group named after the river in Hades, the Greek Underworld inhabited by the souls of the dead - STYX, as they rocked the 2005 Meijer Taylor Michigan Summer Fest!

The first cassette tape that I bought was the band’s Caught in the Act Live album back when I was in first year high school in 1983. So, when I saw the poster that STYX will be performing at the annual Meijer- sponsored Summer Fest literally for a song, I decided to grab the chance to watch them in person and did not regret it. The songs and sound remain the same albeit the singers and players were older and grayer.

STYX minus original front man Dennis de Young started the show with their traditional opening song, “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” by Lead Vocalist Tommy Shaw to the delight of the screaming audience. His voice hasn’t change much since he first burst into the scene eons ago for the band.

When the STYX Godfather James “JY” Young took the microphone and sang the opening lines of Snowblind--

“Mirror, mirror…“ the roars and screams went to a crescendo!

And with its unmistakable guitar riffs, he showed us why he is one of the best rock guitarists of all time.

Tommy Shaw then shared the story behind the haunting rock ballad “Crystal Ball“, the song that he composed in a bowling alley in Chicago while waiting for the call from STYX after he auditioned for them that would become the title of the first album on which he was featured as a new member of the group.

The new lead vocalist, Lawrence Gowan, although he can never equal the trademark voice of Kilroy, the erstwhile STYX Vocalist, he definitely can stand on his own merit and boy he can hit those notes not to mention the fact that he is a better piano player than his predecessor. He can play the piano with his hands behind his back putting to good use his degree in Classical Piano Performance from the Royal Conservatory of Toronto.

Todd Sucherman can bang the drums better than any other and he is certainly one of the best drummers around that can do justice to the playing of the band’s original drummer, the terribly missed and departed John Panozzo, while journeyman Ricky Philips formerly of Bad English (When I See You Smile fame) is a great addition to the band with his energetic Bass guitar playing prowess and he surely found a home with STYX even though original bassist and the band’s co -founder, Chuck Panozzo, who was stricken with HIV and Prostate Cancer would sometimes join them every now and then in some of their gigs and concert tours.

The band sang many of their rock classics made famous in their Paradise Theater years like Rockin’ the Paradise, Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man), Suite Madam Blue, Too Much Time on my Hands, Come Sail Away, Captain America and of course, Miss America!

They also performed an 18- song medley of their blasts from the past and several cuts from their latest album, Big Bang Theory, their cover versions of several classic rock songs like the Beatles‘ I am the Walrus, Jimi Hendrix’s Manic Depression, and Steve Marriot’s I Don’t Need No Doctor, just to name a few.

The band played with so much energy and gusto! The concert lasted more than two and a half hours of pure rock and roll and the fans could never ask for more. We all went home with good memories of STYX and their music.



*Posted in Lagalag- C2005