It started with this crackling sound — the kind of crackle that happened when a needle first hit a piece of vinyl as it spun on a turntable. A familiar sound from my teenage years, and then a recorded track began to play over the speakers at the Bell Auditorium Aug. 6.
It had been more than two years since I’d been to a concert at the Bell. The last one was REO Speedwagon in June 2019 with my friend Julie.
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This time, my husband went with me to see Styx, even though Julie texted me a couple of days before the show asking me if I wanted to see the band with her. I’d purchased my tickets in March, hopeful that the Styx concert would be an improvement over REO Speedwagon, who fell a little flat in my memory.
I came from a certain era of Styx. The band will celebrate its 50th anniversary in February 2022, so fans span a couple of generations. My introduction to the band came from the 1981 triple-platinum album “Paradise Theatre.” I was 13 at the time, and I loved that art deco-inspired cover, the music and the place the album took me in my imagination.
A few weeks ago, I’d interviewed Lawrence Gowan, the band’s current keyboardist and singer, for an advance article, so I had an idea of how things might go. And the concert didn’t disappoint.
The band hit it hard for more than two hours with a 20-minute intermission.
“We’re going to time travel through the universe of Styx,” said Tommy Shaw, the 67-year-old singer and guitarist who has been with Styx since 1975. He still sports the bushy, frizzy blonde hair style that I remember from the 80s, and his vocals still have the power they’ve always had.
Shaw didn’t lie about time travel.
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When Shaw sang the 1976 song “Crystal Ball,” I heard the man behind me say, “That takes me back.”
After singing the final note, Shaw and Styx seamlessly moved into the title track of “Crash of the Crown” from the band’s newest album released in June.
Gowan exuded energy as he not only played the keys and belted out tunes such as “Rockin’ the Paradise” and “Come Sail Away,” but he danced and spun the keyboard around on his platform throughout the entire concert.
Old met new all night, and Shaw even added in a song not usually on the Styx setlist.
“It’s cool to be here in the home of the King of Soul,” said Shaw, who related his meeting of James Brown in 1987 while part of a Dick Clark special.
From there, he sang a few bars of “I Feel Good” in homage to the Godfather of Soul before transitioning to a Styx song.
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The concert ended on a high note for Styx fans as the band played all-time favorites “Mr. Roboto” and “Renegade” before members came together for a final bow.
As I look at the Bell’s upcoming concert schedule, the GenXer that I am can’t wait to see Foreigner, Chicago and Pat Benatar in concert. And I really want to see the Donna Summer musical in January 2022.
Charmain Z. Brackett ,GenXer and 80s music lover, is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com.
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