Final Classic Rock Show of the Year

Friday, November 12, 2010
Hard Rock Casino and Hotel – Biloxi, MS
Styx

(L-R) Tommy Shaw, James "JY" Young and Ricky Phillips of Styx.

I know. This is typically a blog about hard rock music. I guess everyone has their vices and Styx just happens to be mine. I can think of worse things.

So before I start with this entry, let's get a few things straight. Don't bother asking how I got into their music. That's a story for another time. Don't ask how many shows I've been to. I lost count after 30. Don't comment just to tell me that you think Styx sucks without Dennis DeYoung. I really don't care. And don't ask me for tickets or backstage passes. Just because I've been to a crap-load of shows does not, in fact, mean that I actually know the band. Now on to the show...

After missing last year’s show at the Hard Rock Casino in Biloxi (and missing the band’s DVD filming just earlier in the week in my hometown of Memphis), I got from the airport to the venue just in time to walk in the doors as Styx took the stage. Luckily my partners in crime saved me a spot up front. After the day of traveling I’d had, I was more than ready to let loose to great songs like “Blue Collar Man” and “Too Much Time on My Hands.”

While I was bummed about missing the DVD filming and subsequently the “Pieces of Eight” tour, I still got a great show. This is to be expected of Styx, who are true professionals in every sense. They love what they do AND they take it seriously. Let’s face it, that’s a rare combination. Vocals are always great and you can’t help but sing along. The lighting is spectacular, making for colorful photos. And the band makes sure to highlight each member individually and showcase their talents at some point during the night.

But to me, the best part of a Styx show isn’t just the music. Maybe I’ve been to too many shows or maybe I have a short attention span. Regardless, it’s sometimes the non-music related happenings that enhance the experience even more.

Like wishing I had access to Tommy Shaw’s stylist because those scarves are killer! Or rolling my eyes (repeatedly) at the drunk guy behind me who keeps saying “That’s not Dennis DeYoung!” (repeatedly).

Dodging flying elbows as people scramble to catch a guitar pick. Quirking an eyebrow at the middle aged women who probably looked good in their too-tight outfits back in the 80’s. But now? Oh, and my personal favorite – hearing stories of how the band has influenced people's lives. From the good (like the woman who told me how Styx's music got her through some of the toughest times of her life)... to the bad (like people who have named their kids after the band and song lyrics like Tommy, Hannah and Lorelie.) Or perhaps that's just dedication.

It’s all to be expected. Styx has a long standing history of making music, considering they were at their peak (as far as record sales go) the year I was born. It makes me wonder which, if any, bands I follow today will still be alive and kicking twenty years from now? Who are those future “classic” bands? Who will I connect with enough to want to follow again and again (and perhaps keep wearing my concert clothes for even after they start cutting off my circulation?)