How does one encapsulate a 40 plus year career into one evening? Especially when that band has had historical accomplishments such as playing the pre-game show of Super Bowl XXXV, had a moon named after them by NASA themselves, and have sold millions of records, had chart topping singles and continue to release critically acclaimed albums such as their most recent effort “Crash of the Crown?” I mean, what else needs to be said about Styx. They continue to wow audiences and they delivered an amazing performance at the Five Flags Event Center in Dubuque, Iowa on Saturday, July 3rd.
After I got through the gate, I stood there for a moment and just took in the atmosphere that we’ve all dearly missed due to the Covid pandemic. It was like people took their problems and concerns and casted them away and paid homage to one legendary band. Cell phones were raised during the slow tempo parts of “Lady” and the band moved around with such energy like they still had a lot left to prove. I would say the venue was about 3/4’s full and every lyric was heard loudly during the hits and the audience listened intently as they played the songs “Crash of the Crown” and “Reveries” off of their latest album.
In terms of musicianship, there are few bands that can match Styx’s level in musicianship. Tommy Shaw and James Young are the most underrated guitarists in rock history, Lawrence Gowan is a master craftsman as a keyboardist/vocalist and Todd Sucherman plays some of the most complicated time signatures in music. Plus, Styx is a band of class. During their 20 minute intermission, they were selling CD’s and raffle tickets for $20 to benefit a local veterans charity in Dubuque. The winner of the raffle received a guitar autographed by the six members of Styx. It is always very cool to me to see a legendary band give back to a local charity.
The night was legendary, the music brought back so many memories. For example, I can remember when my father and a friend of mine from college first introduced me to Styx and I was blown away by the harmonies and the musicianship of the band. It is definitely a night I won’t soon forget especially as we are coming out of the trials and tribulations of the pandemic. Here is the setlist below:
- The Fight of Our Lives
- Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)
- The Grand Illusion
- Lady
- Reveries
- Light Up
- Red Storm
- Rockin’ The Paradise
- Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)
- Suite Madame Blue
- Gone Gone Gone
- Miss America
- Pieces of Eight
- Crash of the Crown
- Too Much Time On My Hands
- Come Sail Away
- Mr. Roboto
- Renegade
Styx will be performing live at the dates listed below:
Friday, July 9th- Lakefront Music Fest in Prior Lake, Minnesota
Saturday, July 10th- Catfish Festival in Greenville, Wisconsin
Sunday, July 11th- Red River Valley Fair in West Fargo, North Dakota
Thursday, July 22nd- Performance Pavilion at Sweetwater in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Friday, July 23rd- Fraze Pavilion in Kettering, Ohio
Saturday, July 24th- York Fair Grandstand in York, Pennsylvania
Sunday, July 25th- New Jersey Lottery Festival of Ballooning in Whitehouse Station, New Jersey
Wednesday, July 28th- Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Hartford, Connecticut
Thursday, July 29th- Youngstown Foundation Amphitheater in Youngstown, Ohio
Friday, July 30th- Barnyard Entertainment Venue in Sharpsburg, Kentucky
Saturday, July 31st- Penn’s Peak in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania
Thursday, August 5th- Ruth Eckard Hall in Clearwater, Florida
Friday, August 6th- Bell Auditorium in Augusta, Georgia
Saturday, August 7th- North Charleston Coliseum in North Charleston, South Carolina
Sunday, August 8th- Sweetland Amphitheater in Lagrange, Georgia
Tuesday, August 10th- Chartway Arena in Norfolk, Virginia
Wednesday, August 11th- Durham Performing Arts Center in Durham, North Carolina
Friday, August 13th- Centennial Terrace & Quarry in Sylvania, Ohio
Sunday, August 15th- State Fair of West Virginia in Lewisburg, West Virginia
Wednesday, August 18th- Iowa State Fair in Des Moines, Iowa
Thursday, August 19th- Old National Events Plaza in Evansville, Indiana
Saturday, August 21st- McHenry County Fairgrounds in Woodstock, Illinois
Saturday, September 4th- Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Wednesday, September 8th- Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona
Thursday, September 9th- Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona
Saturday, September 11th- Adams County Fairgrounds in Brighton, Colorado
Tuesday, September 14th- Utah State Fairpark in Salt Lake City, Utah
Friday, September 17th- Ironstone Vineyards in Murphys, California
Saturday, September 18th- Agua Caliente Casino Resort & Spa in Rancho Mirage, California
Wednesday, September 22nd- Washington State Fair in Puyallup, Washington
Friday, September 24th through Sunday, September 26th- The Venetian in Las Vegas, Nevada
Friday, October 1st- Tropicana Showroom in Atlantic City, New Jersey
Saturday, October 2nd- del Lago Resort & Casino in Waterloo, New York
Wednesday, October 6th- Hampton Beach Casino & Ballroom in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Saturday, October 9th- Parx Casino in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Friday, October 15th- Golden Nugget Lake Charles Hotel & Casino in Lake Charles, Louisiana
Saturday, October 16th- Levett Pavilion in Arlington, Texas
Thursday, October 21st- Amarillo Civic Center Complex in Amarillo, Texas
Saturday, October 23rd- Nutty Brown Amphitheater in Austin, Texas
Sunday, October 24th- John T. Floore Country Store in Helotes, Texas
Friday, November 12th- Choctaw Grand Theater in Durant, Oklahoma
Thursday, November 18th- Ralston Arena in Ralston, Nebraska
Friday, November 19th- Stiefel Theater for the Performing Arts in Salina, Kansas
Saturday, November 20th- UIS Performing Arts Center in Springfield, Illinois
Thursday, January 6th- Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee
Monday, February 14th- Rock Legends Cruise in Orlando, Florida
For tickets and further information on any of the shows listed above, go to their official website here.
