Not the Beatles, but an Incredible Simulation: Citi Concerts

[Edgy MD]

Styx announcde for Saturday, August 13, following a Padres game.

Classick-era Styxers James Young (guitar, keys), and Tommy Shaw (guitars), and Chuck Panozzo (bass) are still banging it out, though health concerns have limited Panozzo's appearances. They are currently joined by long-term Styx additives Todd Sucherman (took over on drums from John Panozzo circa 1996), Lawrence Gowan (the Dennis DeYoung keyboards/vocals chair since 1999), and Ricky Phillips (formerly of the Babys and Bad English, bass and guitars since 2003).

DeYoung claims he's open for a chance to reunite with the old boys, but get this... in a total Cetera-level rock dick move, he's been touring with a Styx soundalike band and has deliberately hired guitarists that look like Young and Shaw.

To further weirdify the situation, he's been replaced in the Chicago-based band by a Canadian, while he's now based out of Canada.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Rock band feuds are funny stuff. I don't know the history behind the
Styx breakup but geez doesn't DeYoung sing like 90% of their most
popular songs? Going to see Styx sans him is like going to see Queen
without Mercury? Not that Styx was ever as good as Queen. Never
mind, bad example.

Gilmore and Waters are the only guys who have pulled this off with
any measure of validity? I've seen both Waterless Pink and Waters
solo and hot damn that's how to feud without the other guy.

[Edgy MD]

I saw a vid where Styx performed on a double bill with REO. For the encores, they fused the bands into one. And the audience, who was meh about this Gowan guy, was knocked out to hear Kevin Cronin singing "Come Sail Away."

I think that's a viable way for veteran bands to carry on without key members. Fuse with another band, and you get a good chance to get a star in every chair. You also can come up with cool mashup names ("REO Styxwagon"!) that make for a new marketing angle and avoid spats and lawsuits by absent members over use of the old standard name*. And you're free to switch back and forth between two or more catalogs without apology. All of the controversy over The New Cars never would have happened had they billed themselves as Cartopia!

*Dennis deYoung, after much legal wrangling, is allowed to bill himself as as "performing the music of Styx" or "formerly of Styx," but not "the voice of Styx." Who does that serve but a lot of Canadian and US lawyers?

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

I've read enough rock bios to understand that bands simply cannot last as units any better than marriages do, cuz that's sort of what they are, only without the reasons-for-being like kids and the sex with one another (Rod Stewart notwithstanding), and more people who need to be happy and fulfilled.

That said there's nothing worse than divorcees who can't get over one another or themselves and that's what you get from all the DeYoungs and Ceteras out there.

Edit: I like the above idea.

Would pay $$ to see Earth, Wind & Doobie Brothers

[Guest d'Kong76]

Trying to top it, but Earth, Wind & Doobies is a tough act to follow.

[TransMonk]

In the Midwest, Styx plays many county fairs in Illinois, Wisconsin and the surrounding area each year (usually with REO, Cheap Trick or other Midwest bands on the bill).

DeYoung does sing a majority of the hits (at least the ballads on Classic Rawk stations), but maybe only 50% of the band's catalog. I've had the opportunity to see Styx minus DeYoung many times and passed...but I would consider seeing a full reunion (unlikely as it may be).

[Guest d'Kong76]

Styx was the first real band I ever saw, warming up for Aerosmith back
in another life or so.

OE: I think Golden Earing played a few songs before Styx.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

CitiField Klassik Rawk Fantasy Concert Series

Kanstyx

The Jefferson Speedwagon

Cheap Cars

"Boston, America"

[Edgy MD]

Exactly. You're a veteran concert goer. You still love to get your freak on, but your life is complicated enough that your interest level has got to be at least a 7 in 10 to see an act. You may have a 5 to see a classick Doobies lineup, but a 3.5 to see the current one.

You're similarly at 5 to see EW&F, but Maurice White is dead, and now your enthusiasm drops to a 3.7 (and you're a fool, because their current incarnation roxxx!). So both bands are fighting an uphill battle keeping their audiences engaged. But they fuse, and BAM! both their fan bases are at a 7.2, and they're playing venues three times the size either had been rocking the year before. They play an after-game show at Citi and it's sold out two months in advance!

Purple Sabbath!

Fleetwood Tramp!

A Flock of Midnight Runners!

And if you don't get along, or suck eggs, you go your separate ways at the end of the tour and the legacy of the individual bands remain intact.

[Guest d'Kong76]

It's great to be back in NY, and it's great to be back in Corona... take it GROTE!!
[fimg=550]http://www.kcmets.com/CPF/ramets1.png[/fimg]
1, 2, 3, 4!

Edited February 26, 2016 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

Tom Scholz, Rich Williams, and Don Brewer ARE the BOSTON-KANSAS RAILROAD!

They could play only in towns where Trump rallies are occurring and keep all the fat old white dorks like me away from the Kool-Aid.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Do they have to be from the same era? I'd go see the Matthew Sweet, or, like, Agent Orange/Blue Cheer.

[Edgy MD]

One would assume there would be some cross-tolerance among their fanny bases.

[Guest sharpie]

James Young of Styx has married into the same family that I am married into. Have spent time with him at a few family events, though not in about 15 years. He is a very serious hearts player.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Long bus rides.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Blondie, Turner, Overdrive doing Let it Ride might be kool.

[Guest d'Kong76]

Cheap Funk Railroad!

[dgwphotography]

d'Kong76 wrote: OE: I think Golden Earing played a few songs before Styx.

Was that the show where they performed Radar Love twice because their catalog was so shallow?

[dgwphotography]

d'Kong76 wrote: Rock band feuds are funny stuff. I don't know the history behind the Styx breakup but geez doesn't DeYoung sing like 90% of their most popular songs? Going to see Styx sans him is like going to see Queen without Mercury? Not that Styx was ever as good as Queen. Never mind, bad example.

More like seeing Journey minus Steve Perry. Not that Journey was anywhere near as good as Queen, either.

[Edgy MD]

d'Kong76 wrote: Blondie, Turner, Overdrive doing Let it Ride might be kool.

d'Kong76 wrote: Cheap Funk Railroad!

Yeah, but as almost perfect contemporaries, Blondie would have to synthesize with Cheap Trick to form Cheap Blonde.

$$$! Right?

[Guest d'Kong76]

Not hard to picture her doing I Want You to Want Me!

[Edgy MD]

Or himself doing "One Way or Another."

Go to bank, deposit money.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Indeed.

Also, I would maybe give a finger or two to see Queen Prince.

[ashie62]

dgwphotography wrote: OE: I think Golden Earing played a few songs before Styx. Was that the show where they performed Radar Love twice because their catalog was so shallow?

Saw Meatloaf do his first album twice in one gig. He apologized and said that was all the material they knew.

[ashie62]

The Rolling Meatloafs.

[Guest d'Kong76]

M'loaf sings a pretty good rock ballad on Ted Nugent's Free for All album.
KhtZZa5ypzQ

[Edgy MD]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: Indeed. Also, I would maybe give a finger or two to see Queen Prince.

Yeah, but neither of them needs to recreate the act to pack in an audience. They could sure raise ticket prices to about $350, though.

[Vic Sage]

When i heard STYX was doing a post-game Citifield concert, I was mightily tempted, but I don't care what songs they play...Styx without DeYoung is not Styx. These guys need to just sail away.

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: CitiField Klassik Rawk Fantasy Concert Series Kanstyx The Jefferson Speedwagon Cheap Cars "Boston, America"

I would sleep out to get tickets for that lineup!
Also, The Meat Queen!

[Vic Sage]

If I had an IPOD during my middle-school/high school years (mid '70s era), this would have been the playlist of my adolescence:
MEATLOAF, STYX, KANSAS, FOREIGNER, BOSTON, YES, ELP, QUEEN, JETHRO TULL, PINK FLOYD, RENAISSANCE, SUPERTRAMP, THE WHO, BOWIE, P.GABRIEL

I also had a country-ish/ folk-ish side, too:
DYLAN, AMERICA, JORMA, CSN, CHARLIE DANIELS, CROCE, CCR, JACKSON BROWNE, J.TAYLOR, NILLSON

How about a YES/ELP group? YELP.
JETHRO FLOYD? MEATSTYX? RENAISSANCE QUEEN? FOREIGN AMERICA? PINK TRAMP?
CHARLIE BROWNE? FOREIGN TAYLOR? KANSAS QUEEN? SUPERLOAF? RENTULL?
how about "YES!...THE WHO!" or "the WHO?...YES!"

Edited February 29, 2016 by Guest

[Edgy MD]

I think there was a YES/ELP group.