By John Johnson Photos by Chaz Dykes of Chaz D Photography

This past Saturday night, the Midflorida Credit Union Amphitheater in Tampa, was engulfed in a wave of nostalgia and rock ‘n’ roll energy as John Waite, Foreigner, and Styx took the stage for an unforgettable concert experience. The area was surrounded by dark ominous clouds and distant thunder, which kept the evening slightly cooler than a normal Florida night in July, clearly appreciated by the predominantly middle-aged (and beyond) mass in attendance.

Kicking off the evening, John Waite set a soulful tone with his classic tunes, mesmerizing the gallery with his powerful vocals and heartfelt lyrics. With brown hair and beard of gray, the still spry 72-year-old looked dapper in his black suit and cosmos inspired black and white scarf. Being a big fan of The Babys, I was particularly excited to see Mr. Waite, and although his cadence was slower than the original versions, the short but sweet eight song set was all recognizable, especially since half of them were by the aforementioned Babys. Those four being opener “Midnight Rendezvous”, “Every Time I think of You”, “Back on My Feet Again”, and personal favorite “Head First”, which he quipped about “Being deeply in love, but mostly about blowjobs”. His 3 piece back up band, also all in black ensembles, duly delivered on all fronts. His performance of hit single “Missing You” resonated deeply as the congregation sang along, transporting listeners to a place of timeless melodies. He thanked the audience for showing up to “such an early show” (6:55 Start) and ended his set with the raucous Led Zeppelin standard, “Whole Lotta Love”.

Following Waite’s emotive set, Foreigner exploded onto the stage with their trademark intensity and anthemic rock tunes. Not having any original members, I joked with my photog and concert cohort Chaz, that FOREIGNER is quite the appropriate name for them now. Incredible vocalist and charismatic frontman Kelly Hansen has been with the band since 2005, so I guess this is why we’re supposed to give them a pass and NOT refer to them as a tribute band. Opening with three hits from the late 70’s “Double Vision”, “Head Games” and “Cold as Ice” set the tone and energy for the remainder of their 11 song set.  At one point the seemingly tireless Hansen sang from a 30 foot riser in mid-arena as he dove into the crowd favorite “Jukebox Hero”. For the record, he didn’t dive off the riser. The second to last song had Plant High School Chorus joining the members on stage for the bands massive single “I Want to Know What Love Is” which had the audience on their feet, singing along at the top of their lungs. The six man group, although without a single original member, delivered a performance that captured the essence of Foreigner’s enduring legacy, so no one seemed to care that they were more “foreign” then Foreigner.

Closing the night, Styx took command with their progressive rock sound and theatrical flair. The “flair” largely belonging to singer and keyboardist Lawrence Gowan, who replaced Dennis DeYoung in 1999. Styx founder James “JY” Young, at 74, may move a tad slower on stage, but still plays and sings as he did 30 years ago. But it always seems to be 70-year-old, blonde locked guitarist and singer Tommy Shaw that gets the devotees most excited. The small in stature, but big on magnetism Mr. Shaw joined the band 5 years after their inception but is arguably the Styx poster boy. The groups 13 song set consisted of rockers “Grand Illusion” “Miss America” “Blue Collar Man” and “Come Sail Away” the passive hits “Lady” and “The Best of Times”, as well as the quirky standard “Mr Roboto”. However, it’s always the show stopping sweetheart of an anthem “Renegade” that gets all in attendance on their feet and singing along.

Together, these rock icons delivered a concert that was more than just a show—it was a journey through the soundtrack of a generation, my age demo specifically. The nearly sold out Amp witnessed a night where the spirit of rock ‘n’ roll thrived, proving once again why these bands remain essential to the fabric of classic rock history.