Oregon Music News

Maryhill Amphitheater before Styx took the stage.

The U.S. Progressive Rock Tour featuring Styx and Yes passed through Maryhill Winery in the Columbia River Gorge on July 30th. It was a scorching day on top of the hill located between The Dalles, OR and Goldendale, WA, but by showtime the temperature was very comfortable and concertgoers were ready for take off.

For those that aren’t aware, Styx no longer features Dennis DeYoung on keys. DeYoung departed the band in 1999 due to trigeminal nerve-related issues that left him sensitive to stage lighting and made him incapable of performing. But, surprisingly DeYoung is currently touring and playing Styx material with his solo band. To fill the void left by DeYoung, Styx enlisted the services of Canadian Lawrence Gowan who has been in the band since 1999 and handles DeYoung’s role in the band soundly. Gowan has injected new life into the harmonious rock outfit with his stage presence and powerful, melodic vocals. This was evident early on with his first chance to sing on the song “The Grand Illusion,” which was the second selection of the evening.

Photography by Steve Stolzoff.

Styx hit the stage to cleverly edited background music by The Who and the band broke into “Blue Collar Man (Lonely Nights)” in front of a very enthusiastic audience. The Styx of 2011 is a different animal than the Styx that recorded the classics The Grand Illusion and Pieces of Eight. This incarnation of Styx has a beefy, tight and booming sound that can compete with anybody out there right now. This due in part by the addition of bassist Ricky Phillips, drummer Todd Sucherman and Lawrence Gowan who all pulled their own weight and then some.

The Styx set was heavy on Tommy Shaw tunes, including “Crystal Ball,” “Too Much Time of My Hands,” “Blue Collar Man (Lonely Nights),” and “Renegade.” Shaw is a fit and trim, 57 years young, and his flowing, dirty blonde mane blew in the wind as he stopped to address the audience three-fourths of the way through the set. Shaw said, “Styx and Yes back in the ’70s were bands that weren’t driven by singles. We are both album-oriented rock bands, prog-rock bands and we play good music.”

Styx show off their patriotic side

Shaw’s vocals were comparable to his abilities back in the ’70s and ’80s; he hasn’t lost much there. Plus, the guitar team of James “JY” Young and Tommy Shaw worked together seamlessly; they complemented one another brilliantly and while they are both very skilled, they didn’t stray far from the studio recordings. The key was that they didn’t overplay and that speaks volumes. Lawrence Gowan was dead-on on “Lady,” and “Suite Madam Blue” was an absolutely surreal experience.

The band even drew out the deep cut of the set when Styx rolled out “Man in the Wilderness” to the roar of the crowd who were aware of this rarity. The last quarter of the set ended with “Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man),” James “JY” Young’s “Miss America,” complete with patriotic themed backdrop on the titanic LED screen, their signature track “Come Sail Away,” and the encore “Renegade,” complete with Western-themed imagery projected on the LED. Great songs, loud music, great visuals: This was what rock ‘n’ roll is all about.