A period where arena rock reigned supreme and where Styx was able to forge its place as the most commercial of progressive rock groups or, depending on it, the most progressive of commercial rock groups. And even without Dennis De Young, who performed most of the songs that the group placed in the top 10 of the charts, it still works even if the musical genre is no longer up to date. And there is a reason why it works, and that is the seriousness, professionalism and musical mastery of these seven musicians.
Let’s not forget that the group is playing in a sixth consecutive decade and that guitarists and singers James Young and Tommy Shaw are over 70, as is bassist Chuck Panozzo, who will appear on stage four or five times, he who still follows his band on tour despite significant challenges in terms of his health.
Young and Shaw always maintain the same perfectionism in the musical rendering with solos and riffs done to perfection. As for their voices, well preserved due to the fact that the work is always separated by three, there is nothing to complain about on this side either for the author of these lines, who had seen Styx for the first time during this glorious era of the arena rock at the Colisée de Québec on August 13, 1981 during the Paradise Theater tour.
Styx guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw. (Jocelyn Riendeau/Le Soleil)
Gowan
Even if they no longer attract such large crowds, the guys from Styx maintain the same ardor and the same passion for the profession. The presence of Lawrence Gowan on the microphone and behind the keyboards played a big role in their comeback of the last 25 years.
Casually, Gowan, who addressed the audience in French all evening, spent more time with Styx than De Young and renders all his pieces to perfection, whether The Grand Illusionwho kicked off the show on Saturday, Rockin’ The Paradise, Come Sail Away performed just before the encore or the essential Madame Blue Suite. We understand the other members of the group, who never really had good chemistry with De Young, to ignore the wishes of certain nostalgic people who would like to see the former singer who was fired in 1999.
And what’s more, Gowan is energetic, he still raises his paw, less high than in his music video Strange Animal, but all the same, it is worth highlighting two years before his 70th birthday. He also makes a nod to his solo period by performing Criminal Mind, which he noted was performing not for the first time at the Agora, but for the first time there as a member of Styx. And now on top of that, Lawrence has the company of his little brother Terrence who does most of the bass work and has just been officially welcomed as the seventh member of Styx.
Lawrence Gowan with original Styx bassist Chuck Panozzo, who appears on stage four or five times during the evening. (Jocelyn Riendeau/Le Soleil)
Styx has also always paid great attention to its sound environment and that was felt again on Saturday. The presence of the more self-effacing guitarist Will Evankovich and drummer Todd Sucherman have something to do with it. Evankovich also acts as producer of the group and it is he who ensures that Styx still sounds like it did in its heyday while Sucherman, who replaced the late John Panozzo, is a master of his instrument who was appointed to several times among the best in his profession by magazines like Modern Drummer And MusicRadar.
We would have taken more of James Young’s more hard rock pieces, like Great White Hope, Heavy Metal Poisoning, Double Life Or Put Me On, but the venerable “JY” still delivered a Miss America very solid. And Styx did not disappoint his fans on Saturday with a performance which only delivered classics, retaining the popular Mr. Roboto And Renegadeperformed by Shaw, for the encore.
Although he is friendly and talented, New Brunswick guitarist David Myles was perhaps not the best choice to open for an arena rock band like Styx. (Jocelyn Riendeau/Le Soleil)
David Myles
Even if he is more than friendly and his talent is undeniable, we can still ask ourselves questions about the choice of David Myles as the opening act for this Canadian tour.
The sound of the clean singer and guitarist from New Brunswick, who alternates between jazz, folk and sometimes borders on country in a three-piece formation including a keyboardist and a bassist, but no drummer, was perhaps not the best choice to kick off an evening dedicated to classic rock and, unfortunately, several spectators were doing other things and chatting among themselves during his short performance on this sunny early evening.
Myles, who also spoke to the spectators in French from the beginning to the end of his presence on stage, would probably have been better highlighted in another context even if he was very grateful to have been chosen by the American group for the to accompany on tour in Canada.
