by John Johnson, Photos by Chaz Dykes of Chaz D Photography
It was an uncharacteristically cold night in Clearwater last Friday, but two faves from the 80’s brought the heat to the nearly sold out show. Canadian pop rock quintet Loverboy kicked off the night with high energy and a contagious sense of nostalgia as they warmed up the chilly Friday night faction at The Sound. Multi-instrumentalist Doug Johnson opened the set with a tasty keyboard selection that led into “Notorious”, a song actually written by Jon Bon Jovi. The charismatic singer Mike Reno, in sunglasses and trademark bandana, joked with the crowd about needing to “buy some vests from Walmart” because they’d only packed Florida weather attire.
Prodding the assemblage to stay warm by dancing, asked if anyone was feeling lucky, and the group jumped into “Lucky Ones” and “Queen of the Broken Hearts”. Reno, who celebrated his 70th birthday at the event, hasn’t lost much when it comes to his vocal ability. The entire evening, during their nine song set, he needed to hold his mic about 6 to 8 inches above his mouth due to his still powerful pipes. I quipped to my cohort that he probably has another mouth under that ever present bandana. Not to be outshined by Reno’s abilities, original members, drummer Matt Frenette and Paul Dean on guitar definitely held their own.
Frenette, who hasn’t aged much, still hits just as hard as he used to and Dean, in a pseudo military beret and jacket can still play those catchy riffs with ease. The only non-original member with Loverboy was Ken Sinnaeve on bass, who took over for Scott Smith, who sadly passed away in 2000. The extremely tight troupe from the great white north continued amping the congregation up with memorable, if almost nearly forgotten, gems like “Take me to the Top”, “Lovin’ Every Minute of It” and “The Kid is Hot Tonight”. The latter, Reno had warned the attendance, might make everyone “go ape shit”. He was partially correct.
Having invited the masses to come to the front and dance, causing many who paid extra for primo seats to “speak to the manager”. However upset a few may have been, the majority of the middle-aged (and above) mob were on their feet and singing along to “Hot Girls in Love” and “Turn Me Loose”. Once again showcasing Reno’s range as he aptly hit the high notes in the chorus of “Turn Me Loose”. After the frontman confirmed with the crowd that it was indeed a Friday night, they closed their performance with the obligatory “Working for the Weekend” to the delight of the freezing flock.
After a short intermission, the band mostly hailing from Chicago were about to hit the stage. At precisely 8:30, the progressive pop rock sextet, Styx greeted the gaggle with “The Grand Illusion”. Lawrence Gowan, lead vocalist and masterful keyboard player, had “warned” me in our interview the day prior that the band “would heat them up”, and he wasn’t lying. Gowan, who replaced original member Dennis DeYoung, has been commanding front man duties for Styx since 1999. Gowan, I learned from the aforementioned interview, is as warm and engaging as he is exceedingly talented as a musician. In short, he was absolutely born to be an entertainer. And due to our extensive and diverse chat, I referred to him throughout the concert as my best friend Larry, whether he’s aware of that moniker or not. Second song in and guitar slinger and vocalist Tommy Shaw took the mic for fan favorite “Too Much Time on My Hands”.
The ageless Shaw, at 71 years young, is clearly the Styx poster boy. His boyish, toothy grin and shoulder length blonde locks (peppered with some gray) always gets the gals swooning and makes the guys wish they had also started a band in the 70’s. The harmonies on the following two standards, “Lady” and “Lorelei” respectively, were flawless with all members singing different parts. The title track to 2021’s “Crash of the Crowns” came next. Although not familiar to most, the album entered that years Billboard Rock Charts at number one. The most recent studio release, “Crowns” may be followed up with new recordings later this year, as Gowan confided to me that “it’s done” and that it “needs to be mixed and artwork etcetera”. I’d love to throw my hat in the ring for album art design, that would be epic. I digress. Shaw, once again took center stage with 12 string in hand to perform a personal favorite of mine, “Crystal Ball”. Gowan then humorously introduced the six members with individual anecdotes, and at one point brought back original bassist and Florida resident Chuck Panozza.
Panozza’s fraternal twin brother John, passed away in 1996, has had drumming duties handed off to the amazing Todd Sucherman. Sucherman, a Styx skin thrasher since 1995 is, in my opinion, probably one of the most underrated drummers around. Will Evankovich handled third guitar and backing vocals, while Lawrence’s brother Terry Gowan has played bass on the last two tours. Founding member, and another discoverer of the fountain of youth, James “JY” Young (75) rounded out the introductions. Sadly, “Miss America” was missing from this tours setlist, a JY staple. They then tore in to “Rockin’ the Paradise”, “Castle Walls”, “The Grand Finale” and “Blue Collar Man”. The latter once again brought cherubic Shaw to the front for my personal pick off of 1979’s Pieces of Eight.
Shaw can still induce chills when he sings with great emotion, at roughly two minutes in, “Paradise, can it be all I heard it was?”. If the question has anything to do with his abilities and charisma, the answer is still, a resounding Yes. “The Best of Times”, “Fooling Yourself” and “Come Sail Away” wrapped up the set with an impressive piano concerto by Mr. Gowan seamlessly woven in between. Leaving the stage briefly, but knowing full well that arguably their biggest hit “Renegade” had yet to be performed, the group returned. But before the previously mentioned anthem closed the night, they dug up a gem they hadn’t performed live in quite some time. The quirky synth pop classic from the album Kilroy Was Here, “Mr Roboto”. The lead single from that 1983 release had all in attendance on their feet, singing and dancing along. But nothing compares to hearing the opening a cappella line “Oh mama I’m in fear for my life…” sung by Shaw live in concert.
The congregation backed him in full voice while clapping along to the drum beat, I’m sure the crisp night air carried the din all the way to Clearwater beach. The iconic Styx once again proved that, according to Mr. Gowan, that a steady diet of live music has “innumerable health benefits”. And judging by myself and the seemingly thrilled throng that filed out of The Sound, it can also keep you pretty warm. It was an exceptional show that celebrated the enduring legacy of these two exemplary bands, and it’s clear that the audience was elated to relive some of the best moments of 80s rock.
