Styx at the Calvin Theater, Northampton MA

Photos and Review by Leslii Stevens
Show photos HERE
As a kid in grade school I remember summer vacations driving all over the country visiting family. My brother and I would each fill up a shoe box of cassette tapes to be played and shared in the car on our long drives. Well one summer in the early 80’s our family car was all packed up, including our dog Sarah, and ready to head out west for the yearly summer family gathering. It was Kansas City or bust, baby. I spent a lot of time in that back seat fighting with my little brother, Ben, over whose turn it was to listen to their music. Ben and Sarah hogged all the space, but we each got play time of for our music rotating between the four of us.
My parents taste in music was way different than Ben and mine’s, that’s for sure. I learned a lot about classical music on those drives. At the time I was not so into it. Later I would see how important that was to be added to my library of music. On these trips, I was armed with my shoe box of gloriously crazy mix collection of awesome rock heroes. The Police, Depeche mode, Tears for Fears, The Clash, Culture Club, Foreigner, Queen, David Bowie, AC/DC, Journey, Elton John and Led Zeppelin. Clearly my music in the 80’s was the perfect way to drive my parents crazy. Once, when it was Ben’s turn for tunes and he handed my Mother “Grand Illusion” by Styx. For the first time my parents were about to hear some pretty amazing music and with that “the stage was set” and they were cool with it! Both of us backseat riders were SHOCKED! We had finally found a band we all agreed on. Styx had become of part of my life that summer and never left. After that vacation I slowly started to collect every Styx’s album I could get my hands on.
Fast forward to High School freshman year 1983. Sept 26th, a Monday, and Styx was playing the Hartford Civic Center. I had saved all my babysitting money to buy a ticket for “Kilroy Was Here.” The Styx Show one of the biggest shows of the year and I was so excited to be going. Well, until my parents found out I was going to a rock show and not to a school function…major oops! Did I mentioned my father is a retired Minister? I was grounded. I was willing to take the chance of getting caught just to Styx, the band from Chicago coming to my home state of Connecticut. Of course, that was the tour that broke up the band. That would have been my 2nd concert of my life. (After my Dad took me to see Rick Springfield on April 2 1982, I was “NEVER EVER going to another rock show”. Those were my Dads first words after getting into the car to go home.)
I was a crushed sixteen-year-old girl. If only I had a crystal ball to see my future…33 years later, the 16 year old me is completely freaking out. Finally, I would get to see the show. Not just to watch it, but to be a part of it. Little did I know I would one day be a music photographer and would have the chance to photograph STYX.
Opening the show was that very first song that came through those car speakers many many summers ago. “Grand Illusion” from The Grand Illusion Album, 1977. taking me back to those carefree childhood days. Holy Crap this is real! It’s Styx up close and looking right down the barrel of my lens. Styx has shown they are a timeless band, a part of the pop rock culture. Their hard rock electric guitar and synthesizers mixed with acoustic piano had the packed Calvin Theater on their feet from the moment the guys hit the stage. The crowd was a sea of all ages. Their upbeat songs and powerful ballads will live on in American pop culture music forever.
Tommy Shaw picked up an acoustic and played a short tribute to David Bowie with “Space Oddity” before segueing into “Fooling Yourself”. The Original bass player Chuck Panozzo joined Tommy and the band to rock the end of the song. Hello Bowie glad you could make it to the party.
“Lady” had the crowd swaying and singing to every word. No one was in their seats. “Light Up” got everyone’s cell phone out and all lit up. I also saw one Bic lighter, bringing me back to when this song was a big hit on the radio and there were no cell phones. Oh yes, that was the way at all rock shows. Oh, my how the have times changed but the music is still the same. The room was full of dancing and singing happy souls. James “J.Y.” Young, Tommy Shaw, Todd Sucherman, Lawrence Gowan and Ricky Phillips were all on fire, and with that fire you felt the heat pour out over the Calvin turning the place a blaze with pure old school rock and roll!
“Crystal Ball” had me floating on a cloud. If I had a crystal ball telling me I would have this night of favorites pouring out at me by one of my all-time favorite bands I would never ever believe it.  My heart was soaring. And my body was dancing with my music heroes. I was witnessing magic that night. I was hearing all my favorite Styx songs that I longed to hear those many years back.
Playing through the array of their hits I didn’t want this night to end. I was transported back to days of my youth. Hearing my favorite Styx’s song “Suite Madame Blue” live was truly a gift indeed. I was that sixteen year old girl, goose bumps up my back. OMG am really hearing this live! Simply blew my mind. Wow, somethings really are well worth the wait!
Lawrence played tribute to some of my very favorite artists of all time. Belting out Rocket Man by Sir Elton John and taking on Freddy Mercury and Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. Paying tribute to Otis Redding with “Sitting on The Dock of The Bay.”
They ended the set with “Come Sail Away”, having this audience so wanting to sail away with more Styx. Returning to stage to please their awaiting diehard fans with an encore of “Rockin’ The Paradise” and leaving us with one hot tune “Renegade” (got me a speeding ticket because of this song once) and had this old chick dancing all the way back to the car. Dang, the power this band still has. Seriously could this night get any better? This is a show not to miss, rocking and rolling through 44 years of some of the most brilliant music ever written and performed. I was Rockin’ in Paradise for an evening.
Band Members

• Chuck Panozzo – bass, backing vocals, bass pedals
• James “J.Y.” Young – guitar, backing and lead vocals, keyboards
• Tommy Shaw – guitar, lead and backing vocals, mandolin, autoharp, keyboards
• Todd Sucherman – drums, percussion
• Lawrence Gowan – lead and backing vocals, keyboards, guitar
• Ricky Phillips – bass, backing vocals, guitar

Set List

• Grand Illusion – The Grand Illusion 1977
• Too Much Time – Paradise Theatre 1981
•  (David Bowie – Space Oddity)
• Fooling Yourself – The Grand Illusion 1977
• Lady – Styx: Greatest Hits 1975
• Light Up – Equinox 1975
• Man in The Wilderness – The Grand Illusion 1977
• Miss America – The Grand Illusion 1977
• Crystal Ball – Crystal Ball 1976
• I’m Ok – Pieces of Eight 1978
• Suite Madame Blue – Equinox 1975
• Blue Collar Man – Pieces of Eight 1978
• (Elton John – Rocket Man)
• (Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody)
• (Otis Redding – Sitting on the Dock Of The Bay)
• Come Sail Away – The Grand Illusion 1977

Encore

• Rockin’ The Paradise – Paradise Theatre 1981
• Renegade – Pieces of Eight 1978