Editorial
Front Page - Friday, November 5, 2010
River City Roundabout
Classic rock done right
Erica Tuggle
The Tivoli Theatre was packed all the way to the very last row of the upper balcony when the classic rock band, Styx, came back to Chattanooga for a powerful performance.
I first saw Styx at Riverbend when I was 16 years old, and was mildly impressed in my teenage way with their sound. Having had a few years of musical experience since then, I was absolutely floored by the Styx performance at the Tivoli.
Classic rock has become such a loose term that it’s hard to attach any real meaning to it anymore, but I think if a definition should be remade, Styx will be the epitome of the classic rock era. The stage presence alone of these five men was awe-inspiring. Today’s bands looking for a way to fill auditoriums could take a few pointers from these guys. Even as a supposedly “older band,” the musicians were doing stage tricks I have not seen younger groups even attempt. Granted, most of the younger bands today stay in one spot and bob their head to the music. There is no telling what they could accomplish if they get as fired up about performing as Styx was.
Lawrence Gowar, on vocals and keyboard, was a real treat to watch in action. He spun his keyboard around, danced all over the stage in his black suit and Beatle style boots, and at one point he jumped on top of his keyboard (about four feet up) and belted out his lyrics from there.
Tommy Shaw, on vocals and guitar, also entertained the crowd with a story of how his adaptation from being a young man in Montgomery, Ala., to a superstar with Styx inspired the song “Man in the Wilderness.”
In all honestly, every member of the band played a vital role in establishing the excitement of the crowd. You could tell these men were playing with enthusiasm and excitement, even though they have probably played hits like “Come Sail Away” more than a few times.
This show was a different kind than audiences are familiar with, because on this tour Styx was playing every song in order from the albums, “The Grand Illusion” and “Pieces of Eight.” This means that some of the songs played live at this show had never been played live before this tour, and even better, no one had to wait for their favorite songs till the encore. The hits were all there, with “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)” and “Renegade” blowing the roof off the auditorium in fan response.
The way these albums were presented was something unique as well. The show began with the “Star Wars” movie opening scroll of text, except that this text detailed the trip back in time we were about to make to the years when these albums were released. Then on the screen, a boy flipped through a stack of records to pick out “The Grand Illusion,” put it on the record player and start it spinning. This started the band’s set, and similarly, when one side of the album was done from the live performance, the screen would show the record being flipped over to play the remaining tracks. It was a little piece of nostalgia brought through the wonders of modern technology that everyone in the audience loved.
Although, some may think the traveling back in time bit may have come off hokey, they would be surprised at how it made the audience respond. Women and men alike were whooping, cheering and dancing in a fashion that you could almost see the long haired hippie children they were inside bursting out at last.
There was one man, in the front row of the auditorium, who was miming playing the drum beats in all of the songs. At first, I thought he was just mimicking the melody of the music in his air drumming, but on closer inspection this guy was actually playing all the drum beats and cymbal beats right alongside Todd Sucherman on drums onstage! It was fascinating to see a dedicated fan that had actually learned the notes to Styx’s music, out there supporting
his band.
When the show came to an end, the on-screen record was at its end, and the boy listening to the record on-screen was zoomed away from, out of his house, his state, his world and into space where Styx still softly played the last notes of their final song.
The crowd wasn’t going to let them go so easily though, and called the band back for an encore cover of “I Am the Walrus” and the song “Too Much Time On My Hands,” where confetti and streamers were vaulted into the crowd. One thing is for sure:these classic rockers have set the bar again for future generations of musicians aiming to please crowds.
Email Erica Tuggle at reporter@hamiltoncountyherald.com.
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