Picking Up Styx: Band to rock Wild Adventures

Apr. 18—VALDOSTA — Audiences can expect to hear "Grand Illusion," "Renegade," "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)," "Come Sail Away" and "Fooling Yourself" at a Styx concert.

But Lawrence Gowan adds it depends on the region what other Styx songs audiences will hear.

"The rest of the play list varies from place to place," the Styx vocalist and keyboardist said in a phone interview with The Valdosta Daily Times. "Our production manager always looks at past sets we played the last time we played a region and we change it up."

So an area that heard "Crystal Ball" last time might hear "Suite Madame Blue" this time, for example.

And playing the right playlist is important. Gowan said Styx still plays 100 shows annually.

This weekend, Styx returns to Wild Adventures Theme Park.

There are plenty of songs to choose from. Gowan said, quoting fellow Styx member James "JY" Young, vocals, guitar, the band "has an embarrassment of riches" from its 50-year history.

Styx also includes a mix of its original and early members along with more recent members. In addition to Young, Tommy Shaw, vocals, guitar, is still a member; original bass player Chuck Panozza shares the stage with newer bass player Ricky Phillips. Todd Sucherman is a newer member on drums. Gowan has been with the band since 1999.

In addition to touring, Styx remains creative in the recording studio. The band recorded and released the album "Crash of the Crown" in 2021. Styx released "The Mission" in 2017.

Gowan said the band plays some of the newer songs during its shows, adding younger audiences are more open to new songs than the older fans.

"It's understandable," he said of the reluctance of older fans to accept new Styx music. "We associate with the music of our youth and music is the quickest portal to connect to the time of our youth. We tend to be resistant to new songs becoming part of the soundtrack of our life because we already have the soundtrack to our lives."

As for Gowan, he said he never gets tired of playing the hits and creating new songs with Styx. He was a fan before he was a band member.

"Styx puts on a great rock show," he said. "When I first saw Styx, I was taken by it. It was easily one of the greatest Top 10 live shows I'd seen on stage.

"I invite people to the show and if they say they're not a Styx fan, I say come see us play, if you're not a fan in the beginning, you're gonna be."

Asked if there's any song the band doesn't play, Gowan said there were several years when the band refused to play "Mr. Roboto" or any of the songs from the "Kilroy Was Here" album.

Gowan said the band had nothing against the music from the albums. The music holds up, he added. Rather, the song and album represent a difficult time in the career of Styx. After all, there are even articles on the internet of how the 1983 concept album "tore Styx apart" as one such story claims.

Gowan said he constantly badgered his bandmates to revisit the album and song in the live shows.

"Mr. Roboto," he said, "is such a cultural reference. Everybody around knows that phrase" — "Domo arigato, Mr. Roboto."

Still, even with a half century as a band, multi-platinum albums, a deep catalog of hit songs, Styx doesn't seem to get its due from rock historians and critics.

Ask Google why Styx isn't in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and one answer is: "Because Styx was popular with millions of people who love rock and roll, but not with the dozens of people who write about rock and roll."

Mention to Gowan that Styx doesn't seem to get its proper due from some circles, he said, "I have to agree with you."

But he added that Styx still draws thousands upon thousands of fans at more than 100 shows a year to hear hit after hit, enough songs that the band has to change up the playlist from town to town.

An embarrassment of riches, indeed.

Styx plays 8 p.m. Saturday, April 22, Wild Adventures Theme Park, Old Clyattville Road. More information: Visit wildadventures.com.