This is my very first written concert review and I hope I'm able to convey a little bit of what happened that night at Jahrhunderthalle in Frankfurt/Höchst, Germany. I wish I would have had the idea of a review  at an earlier date so many German fans would have grabbed the chance to see an awesome show. One thing is for sure: This won´t be a short review...

Prefacing I must say that I haven´t paid too much attention to STYX as yet. This doesn´t mean that I didn´t like them. On the contrary, after all I have owned their brillant album "Equinox" for about 25 years which presents the outstanding vocalist Dennis de Young. But... since almost 20 years I hadn´t given that brillant album a listen... Yeah, I know...
Then one day that trivial guy that turned out as some Tommy Shaw came and monopolized Dennis´ vocals. Impudence... How I hated that pretty-faced lad for that. And my best friend Ulli, too, because regardless to my feelings she loved "Boat On The River" idolatrous. So for me the STYX were history...

It turned out that I didn´t know the first thing and another demonstration of my continual ignorance was the fact that I was delighted to see Dennis de Young on stage that night... I´m not kidding when I say that I´ve never seen Mr.
de Young before and I couldn´t help this guy up there sounded like Dennis de Young. Tommy Shaw, he of all people, was it that disabused me because he introduced that as fresh as a daisy and loud voiced gentleman as Lawrence Gowan. Man, I was relieved that no one had heard my astonished exclamation "Dennis?" This faux pás finally made me aware that it´s better to familiarize myself with the history of  STYX... But that´s another story.
This story here is going to be the concert review...

Some of you might ask now: "Why the hell does she want to visit a  STYX concert when she had forsworn them already in the 70´s?" The answer is that simple: Ricky Phillips. I loved Bad English right from the start and I still do. But I never had the chance to catch them live so it had to be Ricky at least. (No, I do not ignore The Babys, no way. They had already disbanded when I began to take an interest in them.)

So let´s go then:
KANSAS will be the first to perform. A bit disappointed my accompanist Christa and I look at each other. We have to get up very early and KANSAS is not really what we are here for. Granted, "Carry On Wayward Son" is a killer, "Dust In The Wind" even unforgotten and - surprise, surprise - I even recognized two other songs I wouldn´t have heard, would it have been the other way round. Christa and I would have left early then... Which would have been a mistake because KANSAS proved to be pretty good! Singer and keyboard player Steve Walsh seemed to be a bit over-motivated though while singing "Dust In The Wind" but in consideration of that he presented a classic tune what the fans have waited for and that they cheered high, he may be forgiven. But I´ve seen much more lighters being lit up at much less solemn occasions... Has Frankfurt mutated into a nation of non-smokers?

Crystal clear sound on a high level (a cheer for Jahrhunderthalle! And for the sound engineers, of course) and a perfect inter-balanced band made the ridicolous 60 minutes go by in no time even if the attention was led predominantly in the music itself  than in dithyrambic entertainment. No costly stage design as well (Please! Wizzes like KANSAS don´t need this) but a bodacious lightshow, that made them look good.
Only one drop of bitterness: The basses came so strongly, that it would have blown out every cardiac pacemaker... Conclusion: KANSAS convinced with an above average satisfactory show. But I was somewhat glad when they left the stage after two (?) encores...

Break for reconstruction.
By the way, we are sitting 10th row, center. Great view! Too far away for great shots. At least for my Ixus 40... Christa and I decide to wait a while and if applicable go down then, ideal case front row. Provided that STYX would reduce the noise level a bit. Otherwise I even would have got rid of the remaining earwax... But it turned out that there are more STYX fans round and in Frankfurt than expected (A cheer to the band, bullshit for our plans) so our chances for some first class standing rooms disappeared slowly but surely. But - seats at a rock concert. C'mon...

Turn off the light, STYX are coming!

Ricky Phillips, James Young, Tommy Shaw

And they really came...

Already the beginning of the intro reminded me painfully that I still wasn´t able to find the 2003 album "Cyclorama". First thing on my To Do list next day. (I failed. Backlog demand even at the big CD stores like MediaMarkt. Or do you think it´s funny to drive around in the blistering heat and no air-condition in my f***ing barrow to come back with my hands empty?) STYX  on stage and goosebumps all over my body. You can´t describe it, you have to feel it yourself. The crowd knows.
Round about 2700 fans - that´s what I was told - jump up and the seats are nothing else than decoration anymore.
(I told ya...) At least my prayers were heard and the basses have been reduced to an acceptable degree. Well, just take a female sound engineer and it works.

I´d like to tell you more about the setlist but hey - I´ve just begun to acquaint myself with the STYX music, so please be patient. But it is safe to say that they presented "Crystal Ball", "Lorelei", "Boat On The River", "Snowblind", "Miss America", "Too Much Time On My Hands", "I Am The Walrus" (exactly - the Beatles song), "Come Sail Away" (just incredible !) "Mr. Roboto" (in a Medley), a song that I was sure that it´s a Crosby, Stills, Nash tune, and which was - as far as I remember - intoned by Ricky Phillips with the fair and beautiful line: "Find the coast of freedom".
(It was "Find The Coast Of Freedom"....)
And there´s much more to come, no time to gather breath and the 18-songs-medley keeps us frisky. What a show!
In the beginning I was a bit sorrily, being aware to see some Dino´s of Rock and knowing almost nothing about their music but within a very short time they blew away my worries because... STYX know how to party!

Great live sound, not that clear like KANSAS maybe, but the reason to that possibly is the music itself. (STYX really rock, y´know...) Anyway, this is a professional, straight and solid, ass-kicking rock formation, my friends, and with ease STYX confirm the great reputation they have.

So Lawrence Gowan (keyboards, left) proves to be a great joker. A hilarious, rackety lad whose stagy behaviour somewhat grates on my nerves but regarding the reaction of the fans you feel - It does not work without him.
Moreover, he is a matchless combination of humour and virtuosity. He gallivants and jokes around like crazy without messing up a tone; he jumps, around and onto his turnable keyboards, bangs on it with increasing enthusiasm - without messing up a chord. But this doesn´t mean that the remaining band members are standing there like stuffed dummies because:
"Man, they rock..." gasps Christa after their first song applauding vehemently.
By the way, are STYX younger than KANSAS...? *grin*