There might never again be a musical era like the 70s, an era in which a select group of rock bands figured out how to pair stagecraft with their music to produce rock n’ roll theater the likes of which hadn’t been seen before. It’s not surprising then that many of the bands who ruled the 70s have spent the decades since trying to recapture the magic of the old days. Perhaps no band has been more successful at that than Styx, a big-arena rock band of the 70s and 80s that continues with its line-up largely intact and its music as pure as ever. Their Foellinger Theatre show last summer proved that the band can rock the house as hard as ever.
Since 1975, guitarist Tommy Shaw has stayed at the front of the stage along with fellow guitarist James “JY” Young, and both of them are still there. Bassist Chuck Panozzo, who is one of the band’s original members along with Young, is still on board as well, and the old-school trio are backed up by drummer Todd Sucherman, keyboardist Lawrence Gowan and guitarist/bassist Ricky Phillips.
With Shaw and Young eager to continue belting out “Too Much Time on My Hands,” “Renegade” and the rest of a classic set list night after night, Styx are keeping their share of the 70s magic alive.