Okay before we get all bogged down in the old “how many original members are in that band?” conversation…
[Kansas =3; Foreigner = 1 (The guy with white hair... duh!); Styx = 3 (yes I consider Tommy Shaw an original member! And yes Chuck Panozzo only comes out for a few numbers).]
…lets consider this from another perspective: “Can those bands still perform at a top level?” That’s a much better question, and the answer is: heck yeah they can! And furthermore, if you want a great summer show full of hit songs and great energy, look no further.
Kansas started off playing to a one-third capacity crowd. Before they finished their first song, Point Of No Return, we were three-fourths full and on our feet! It was a fantastic beginning to what would ultimately be groove-alistic prog rock experience basking in the glow that is Dust In The Wind, Fight Fire With Fire, Hold On and of course – to round out a very tight and entertaining set - Carry On My Wayward Son. Steve Walsh, Phil Ehart and Rich Williams are the original members of Kansas (Billy Greer has been in the band for 25 years which hardly makes him a new member!), Let me tell you they did not disappoint the faithful who have undoubtedly followed them lo these many years. On this tour Foreigner and Styx will be co-headlining and taking turns in the top spot. On this particular night, Styx would be on top.
Foreigner has a new singer (well, new in 2005): Kelly Hansen. He is a rock star… seriously. He sings like Lou Gramm for the sake of Foreigner, but with more power (at this point Lou has lost a lot of range because umm… ’cause he’s really old and these songs are very hard to sing). That being said, there is no Foreigner without the amazing Lou Gramm, so bow down and show respect! The king is dead! Long live the king! Kelly Hanson is a local boy from Los Angeles; he commands the stage with pants that are way to tight for my liking (especially on a dude), but he does “bring it” full on for the entire set, savoring every moment of what I am sure is a life’s work; waiting to perform in front of so many people. The last guy standing is Mick Jones, who with Gramm is responsible for more hits than any one band should have. Though he has lost some mobility, his guitar playing is flawless as well as timelessly cool. Multi-instrumentalist Thom Gimbel plays rhythm guitar, some keys, and of course – where would we be without him burning up the saxophone solo in Urgent!? Jeff “the animal” Pilson (Dokken, Dio) is a thundergod on bass and a physical tyrant on stage. Michael Bluestein takes on most of the all-important synth duties (and was an incredibly cool guy backstage). The drummer was a very recent addition, and did a safe but good job. Foreigner has a new album called Can’t Slow Down which has three great songs on it Can’t Slow Down, In Pieces (both of which they played live) and – the best of the three - When It Comes To Love (which should be the third single). Sadly, the record also has inexcusably cheesy production. The new songs sounded more like rock when played live (than they do when I hear them playing in Walmart).
Foreigner had one more very cool trick up their sleeve: when they brought out a local high school choir to help them with their encore, I Want to Know What Love Is. Overall, they left me with two thoughts:
1) Wow – that Kelly Hanson can sing, and
2) Every song but two were hit songs… amazing!
Styx took the stage at approx 10:15pm, and the only problem I have with them is the set was not long enough! Speaking of rock stars, Tommy Shaw is one of the most underrated rock guitarists alive (you can thank Dennis De Young for that). Standing 5 foot nothing, he is a volcanic performer with seemingly endless energy and a kink of ethereal agelessness. (It’s getting kind of spooky: I’m getting older and he does not appear to be).
James “JY” Young was looking awesome in his tailored black suit, ripping nasty solos as always and doing his sort of goofy front man schtick while singing Miss America. On the revolving keyboard and sharing the bulk of lead vocals with Shaw is Lawrence Gowan (I think he is Canadian but we shan’t be holding that against him… ok?) I don’t know if it was because Styx was headlining, but Gowan was in rare form. When he was not pulverizing the keys, he was prowling the stage like a jungle cat.
His vocals really are fantastic, as evidenced on Come Sail Away. Ricky Phillips (The Babys, Bad English , Coverdale-Paige) Is the bass-man extraordinaire, and always seems to me like he really enjoys sharing the stage with the other members. For those of you who think that Styx is a soft rock outfit, you could not be more wrong. Just look at Todd Sucherman, one of the best drummers I have ever seen. He could easily play in the likes of Iron Maiden or something heavier! He gives Styx the edge that Tommy Shaw and JY have always been looking for. Styx is one of the best touring bands out there… go see them. The rumor is that the next Styx project is Regeneration, which will be classic tracks re-recorded in their new harder versions (a dangerous proposition indeed). All in all, the bar was set high from the first song by Kansas to the Styx encore, and everyone kept up their end of the deal, delivering a memorable experience for old and new fans alike.
I went to show with my good friend Gary and his 18 year old daughter Jessica (an aspiring songwriter); and to be honest, the best moment for me was when I looked over and saw a proud dad looking at his kid who was “getting” what all the fuss about classic rock is for. In case you’re not sure you want to make the show this summer a priority, let me tell you just some of the songs I heard last night: Point Of No Return, Dust In The Wind, Carry On My Wayward Son, Hot Blooded, Juke Box Hero, Cold As Ice, Urgent, Head Games, Blue Morning Blue Day, I Want to Know What Love Is, Starrider, The Grand Illusion, Madame Blue, Too Much Time on My Hands, Blue Collar Man and Come Sail Away. If that’s not enough for you, then you’re already dead or way to jaded to be any fun. United In Rock we are and United In Rock we stood.
4 out of 5 Anarchy Speakers
J.S.L