Styx - Concert Review

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Styx is currently on the road promoting their latest album "Circling From Above", taking the "Brotherhood of Rock" tour to North American cities and bringing along The Kevin Cronin Band and Don Felder.  On Friday night August 8 the tour stopped at the Freedom Mortagage Pavilion in Camden, NJ.

For this tour, Styx is performing the 1977 hit album "The Grand Illusion" in its entirety, along with other hits from the band's 50+ year career.  From the first notes of the larger than life title track "The Grand Illusion" through massive hits "Fooling Yourself" and "Come Sail Away" to the final notes of "The Grand Finale", Styx performed their hit album with fire and precision, bringing the Camden crowd to their feet dancing and singing word for word.

If hearing "The Grand Illusion" be performed live wasn't enough, Styx then went on and brought out fan favs "Too Much Time on My Hands", "Lady", "The Best of Times" and "Blue Collar Man" before coming back on stage for two massive encore tunes, "Mr. Roboto" and their signature "Renegade".

The "Brotherhood of Rock" tour is about one thing....having a damn good time!!!  Don Felder and The Kevin Cronin Band had the crowd singing to many well-known songs and it all hit the next level with Styx performing as solidly as I've ever seen them.  They have perfected the art of giving the fan their monies worth.  Great stage show, amazing songs, stellar musicianship is what you get when you see STYX live in concert.

Head over to styxworld.com for the latest tour dates and band news and don't forget to pick up the band's latest album "Circling From Above".

Set List

The Grand Illusion

Fooling Yourself

Superstars

Come Sail Away

Miss America

Man in the Wilderness

Castle Walls

The Grand Finale

Rockin' the Paradise

Too Much Time on My Hands

Lady

Build and Destroy

The Best of Times

Blue Collar Man

Mr. Roboto

Renegade

Lineup

James "JY" Young

Tommy Shaw

Lawrence Gowan

Todd Sucherman

Terry Gowan

Will Evankovich

Rock legends STYX made their return to Parx Casino in Bensalem, PA Friday night on Cinco de Mayo.  This SOLD OUT show comes just over a year from their last appearance at Parx.  Photos from the show follow this review.

STYX have been at the music game for over 50 years and yet their current album, 2021's "Crash of the Crown" made it to #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Album Charts in July 2021.  Seeing such a monumental band such as STYX perform live the concert goer is treated to a high energy, extremely fun set of hits played with the timing and precision these musicians have honed on stage throughout the years of performing together.

Long time guitarist Tommy Shaw and founding member and guitarist James 'JY" Young are a powerful duo on stage.  Hearing the icon riffs in "Renegade" or "Blue Collar Man" performed live...instant goosebumps.  Guitarist Will Evankovich is a newer member of STYX and when the three come together on a tune like "Come Sail Away" (after the soft opening) the sound is monstrous!!  

Founding member and bassist Chuck Panozzo joined the band on several songs, including the 39 second "Lost At Sea" which leads in to the aforementined classic "Come Sail Away".  Keyboardist and singer Lawrence Gowan fuels the show with his boundless energy, rotating keyboard, and masterful vocals.  The guy is simply fun to watch!  His solo performance of "Khedive" is a stunner as are those impactful spots in such STYX hits as  "Too Much Time on My Hands", "Mr. Roboto", "The Grand Illusion" and of course "Come Sail Away" and "Blue Collar Man".

Drummer Todd Sucherman celebrated his birthday this evening at Parx and with Shaw on acoustic guitar the Bensalem, PA crowd joined the band in singing "Happy Birthday" to Todd.  Yes, a birthday cake was brought out but wasn't big enough for the SOLD OUT crowd...LOL.  Bassist Ricky Phillips (formerly of The Babys, Bad English, and Coverdale/Page) doesn't get that spotlight moment during the show but he sure sounds phenomenal and on a tune like "Renegade" adds the low end that live sounds dirty and mean!

The current STYX tour has them on the road for most of the year so go to styxworld.com to find when they're coming to your town.  A tremendous show that wil have you singing and dancing to the songs you have enjoyed for many years from STYX.

Set List

To Those

Blue Collar Man

The Grand Illusion

Lady

Lorelei

Crash of the Crown

Miss America

Crystal Ball

Our Wonderful Lives

Rockin' the Paradise

Fooling Yourself

Too Much Time on My Hands

Khedive

Lost at Sea

Come Sail Away

Mr. Roboto

Renegade

Lineup

James "JY" Young

Tommy Shaw

Lawrence Gowan

Todd Sucherman

Ricky Phillips

Will Evankovich

Chuck Panozzo