Greetings from Toronto,
We arrived here at 10:00 AM this morning after another all night drive from Quebec City. The show last night at the Coliseum was a transcendental experience for STYX and 7,500 of their closest friends who filled the arena to the rafters. The glow of lighters from the fans reminded us of our tours in the 1980s just as the standing ovation when we performed Gowan's "A Criminal Mind" as a STYX song.
The roar of the crowd from the mnoment the lights went down for the beginning of the show was unbelievable. It will be a night we will all remember for a long, long time, steeling our desire to return next year for a more extended tour of Canada. Here is a review in this morning's paper in Quebec City.
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The new Styx stands tall Gowan – like a fish in the water within the group
By: Michel Bilodeau – Special collaboration
For many, the Styx concert at the Quebec Coliseum last night had a little "something special." For the first time, they were able to see the new member at work. An association that made a lot of people curious.
Well over 7000 people were able to see how Gowan is like a fish in the water in his "adopted group." Tommy Shaw and James Young won their bet. The new Styx passes the test with high scores.
It is a strange situation in a way since in the 80’s, Larry Gowan stole the heart of the Quebec public with his Criminal Mind, Strange Animal and Moonlight Desires. There he is now singer keyboardist of Styx, a band who always had a special place in the heart of the Quebecois as well. In fact, Tommy Shaw’s band is still the only group to have presented 3 sold-out shows within a year at the Quebec Coliseum.
Many fans were curious to see how Gowan would do in his new role. It was quite a challenge to fill Dennis DeYoung’s shoes. It is exactly the kind of situation that can be fatal for any bands. Even more when a group like Styx can be fragile because only 2 original members are still there from the Suite Madame Blue era: James Young and Tommy Shaw. It is usually hard to survive when more than half of the group are newcomers.
But it seems that Shaw and Young won their bet because the new Styx conquered the fans last night. And by judging from the crowd's reaction during Criminal Mind, the presence of Gowan does not feel strange at all, at least not in our neck of the woods.
At the beginning of the show, it is mostly Young and Shaw who take control (especially Shaw), they do not hesitate to delegate as they play songs after songs. After Criminal Mind, Gowan did the classic Suite Madame Blue accompanied by a crowd who knew the song by heart. The singer passes the test too.
A little bit before the recall, the singer, alone on stage, pushed the complicity with the public a little further by telling them that he can speak French and that the other members cannot understand what he says. A great sense of humor that was appreciated by the public, a bit to the image of the concert as a matter of fact.
For this concert, Shaw and company went for simplicity. No big effects, no sophisticated lighting, no animation movies. No, the group essentially went for the music. And we must say that the quintet did very well. Of course they presented great hit songs: Grand Illusion, Lorelei, Blue Collar Man, Brave New World, Miss America, Come Sail Away ... and that with cohesion and efficiency. The skeptics had to admit it: the new Styx stands tall. Now the only thing left to do for this new lineup is see how they can do in studio.
