Styx Rocks The Fox Theatre

For all their enduring history, this was the first time for Styx to play Atlanta’s Fox Theatre, the most visually epic venue for hundreds of miles. It’s a big stage physically, and the band brought the staging the sold out crowd would expect for a major act.

The concert began with “To Those,” one of four songs they would include from their 2021 album, Crash of the Crown. Instrumentally and vocally, this was a good entry as it harkens to their classic era… which was followed up by “Blue Collar Man,” one the songs that define their classic era. The audience, already standing, was bought and sold from there on out.

Like most classic rock bands, Styx no longer consists of the musicians in their heyday, but they’re nowhere close to being a cover band of themselves either. Two of their most dynamic forces, guitarists James Young (JY) and Tommy Shaw remain, along with bassist Chuck Panozzo who sits in on selected songs due to health reasons. Elsewhere, the band is loaded with talent: keyboards/vocalist Lawrence Gowan who has a lengthy solo recording career and the voice/talent needed for the Dennis DeYoung songs, drummer Todd Sucherman who played in Spinal Tap and recorded with many other artists, bassist Ricky Phillips (Coverdale/Page, Modern English), and newest member/guitarist Will Evankovich who has been a session musician, producer and a creative contributor to their last two albums.

The set included the expected and desired hits and would demonstrate that they remain in strong voice. Highlights included James Young revisiting “Miss America,” Tommy Shaw’s acoustic intro to “Crystal Ball,” which was his first major contribution to the band, “Our Wonderful Lives,” a newer song that deserves a listen for those unfamiliar, and really anything off The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight, which is telling in the “hard rock” vs. “broadway/pop” division that would afterwards form within the band. The earlier material wins hands down.

Dennis DeYoung’s influence still resonates in the band’s hits, of course. Lawrence Gowan pretty much owned the stage musically and vocally with “The Grand Illusion” and “Lady,” one of the most demonstrative singers you’ll find today, regardless of the age of the material. He was a whirlwind to watch, kicking into the air, rotating his keyboard so the audience can watch the keys, playing solos behind his back, and racing across to the stage to engage the audience whenever possible.

The set may change a little on the tour, but, along with Gowan’s energy, this show was anything but a static performance. Whether practiced and/or of the moment, the band was set to entertain and knows how to play to the crowd, exploring the stage, striking guitar hero poses, flicking guitar picks into the audience, etc. Good stuff!

The encore began with “Mr. Roboto,” a song which remains as much a beloved oddity today as it did in 1983. And then… “Renegade.” The audience, having already warmed their pipes to set closer “Come Sail Away,” was all over this one. And while about any song from their classic era might close the night well, it’s appropriate to have the Tommy Shaw moment as a last memory.