Styx transforms Indiana State Fair into Paradise Theater

Styx is a band who needs no introduction. Having been through it all, through the fire and back, Styx have withstood the test of time and they’re still around, going stronger than ever. Lately the band has been playing a lot of festivals and state fairs, a setting they enjoy immensely. Having battled death, drugs, near-breakups and firing their founding member, Styx have bounced back with great tenacity and become just as strong as ever. They hit the Indiana State Fair recently for a packed-house show that saw the band playing nearly every crowd favorite and classic Styx song in the catalogue in a high-octane classic rock performance. They hit the stage early with half the band entering the stage through the back LED screen and the rest coming from the side their veteran stage presence is unmatchable and impressive. There was no opening band, a rarity, so the stage was all theirs and they played the stage with extreme command and they didn’t look back. Blasting out classics “Fooling Yourself,” “Crystal Ball,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” “The Grand Illusion,” “Suite Madame Blue,” “Miss America,” “Lady” and more, Styx fans young and old were blown away with how good the band sounded. The band’s interaction with the crowd was the type of which you’d have to be there for- it’s hard to describe it in any words other than entertaining and gracious. They told stories of the early days of Styx, talked about the good old days of vinyl records, album-oriented radio and thanked the crowd time after time. Guitarists James “JY” Young and Tommy Shaw’s chemistry has grown and grown to become a powerful beast, bassist Ricky Phillips and drummer Sucherman have become dynamic additions to the band and keyboardist Lawrence Gowan sounds about as close to founder Dennis DeYoung as you can get while adding an element of energy and charisma that DeYoung could have never reached. This lineup of Styx, which has been together for over 10 years now, is by far the best lineup the band has ever had and they’ve shown that over the years, just like fine wine, some bands improve amazingly well with time. Original bassist Chuck Panozzo made a few guest appearances at the Indiana State Fair as well, just like he tends to do from time to time, to join the band on two or three songs, gathering an overwhelming roar of excitement from the diehard Styx fans in the crowd. To top it off the band ended the night with some of their biggest songs ever- no, not “Mr. Roboto-” don’t be surprised if you never hear them play that song live. No, we’re talking about “Rockin the Paradise,” “Come Sail Away” and “Renegade.” Any Styx fan- whether they’ve been there for just a portion of the band’s career or if they’ve been there since day one and been with the band through every up and down- would be proud to see the band where they are today. Styx is here to stay and the end is nowhere in sight. -Reggie Edwards Click here for more up close photos of Styx