Styx
Oakdale - June 18, 1997
from left: Tommy Shaw, Chuck Panozzo, James Young
Styx played to a sold-out audience at the Oakdale on Wednesday, June 18. Pat Benatar warmed up the crowd with a mix of old hits (Heartbreaker, Love Is A Battlefield, Hell Is For Children) and new songs off her latest release Innamorata (Strawberry Wine, River Of Love, Only You). Pat sang her heart out on every song. Lead guitarist Neil Giraldo played some heavy leads along with the rest of the band which included Allison Cornell on violin/keyboards, Mick Mahan on bass, and Ray Brinker on drums. Pat invited about six ladies from the audience up on stage to join her in singing Hit Me With Your Best Shot. The encore was Promises In The Dark which featured Neil’s rap session. He said that “love is stronger than hate,” and concluded that “we’re just happy to be apart of the living.”
Styx opened with the song Grand Illusion. Vocalist/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung commented on how nice the Oakdale was and asked, “do the grownups know we’re here?” which brought laughter from the aging audience. After all, these were people who enjoyed Styx twenty years ago when they released three consecutive triple platinum albums Grand Illusion, Cornerstone and Pieces Of Eight. Most of the performance was a tribute to those times in paradise including their hits Blue Collar Man, Babe, and Fooling Yourself. Lead guitarist/vocalist Tommy Shaw played slide guitar on their new cut On My Way. Guitarist/vocalist James Young had a big grin on his face as he strutted around jamming on his bright blue Kramer. Chuck Panozzo kept up the rhythym on bass along with newcomer Todd Sucherman on drums. They looked genuinely happy to be back on tour - they were energized and had fun with each other. Suite Madame Blue was played for the first time on this tour.
Tommy Shaw did a killer solo on his acoustic 12-string which segued into an all acoustic set including a medley of Crystal Ball and Man In The Wilderness with all five guys sitting on bar stools in front of the stage. Dennis did an acapella version of Show Me The Way. The band performed a touching song called Dear John which is a tribute to John Panozzo, drummer and founding member of Styx, who died last year. They then went back to their stations to do rousing versions of Lorelei and Blue Collar Man.
The final song of the set was Rockin' The Paradise and then the band came back out for two encore songs, Renegade and Come Sail Away. Overall Styx was in top form. The intricate melodies and vocals sounded perfect. Check out their latest release, aptly named Return To Paradise, on CMC International Records. Their next release is due out in early 1998. For more Styx info, visit their official website Paradise Theatre.
Review and Photograph by Stephanie Perry
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