At The Venetian Hotel Residency

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All Photos By Thomas Coffman/Coffman Rock Shots

When in Vegas bet on STYX residency...

STYX formed in 1972 and first hit fame with a ballad called "Lady" in 1974 from the album Styx 2 (released in 73'). STYX went on to become the first band ever to release 4 consecutive triple platinum albums. The band has stood the test of time even though they have had multiple band members leave or were asked to leave. The band added Tommy Shaw in 1975 and ever since then the band has reached levels of super stardom. The band's name, STYX wasn't picked at random. It's based on Greek mythology, specifically the river dividing the living world from the afterlife.

The current line up and has been the line up for quite sometime now is comprised of very talented musicians.

The first album starring Tommy Shaw saw low sales even though the album is a fan favorite to this day. Next up would be the masterpiece The Grand Illusion and that's when the ride to the top began. Following this album would be Pieces Of Eight and Cornerstone which are all landmark albums.

Friday, January 26th 2024 started a mini residency at The Venetian Hotel which was probably the most gorgeous venue that I have ever shot a concert at. It was like something out of beauty and the beast and STYX was perfect for the setting.

In STYX fashion they open the show with "The Grand Illusion" (appropriately) with the setting and that was the perfect beginning to a great night.

They played a lot of the many hits that we all know and love. The front man Lawrence Gowan, who replaced Dennis DeYoung many years ago, was outstanding on every level. Then to my delight James 'JY' Young performed my favorite song ever, "Miss America", and the hits just kept coming.

STYX brought out original bassist Chuck Panazzo for a few songs and it was great to see him having fun and playing bass with his legendary bandmates. Also sharing bass duties was Ricky Phillips who has been in the band for many years after playing in bands like THE BABYS and BAD ENGLISH just to mention a few.

STYX drummer Todd Sucherman, one of the best drummers in music today, was so technical and precise. He is such a sight to see play. Also a new edition to the band is another guitarist Will Evankovich and he fit in perfectly.

The never aging Tommy Shaw was on point as usual. Every song was sung to perfection and every guitar note played with ease as only Tommy can. The evening had a few surprises and one that was the ultimate highlight was when Lawrence announced they were loaned one of the great Liberace's pianos that had not been played by anyone since the man himself. The piano was navy blue and in Liberace fashion it had gold design that was made for a king and on top was a candlestick holder that totally matched the theme.

Lawrence started playing the all time favorite "Come Sail Away" and I immediately got goosebumps. I have seen STYX many times and this moment was one that I will never forget and was honored to capture.

The song list continued to amaze everyone but one of the best was "Queen of Spades" which I heard several people saying that it was the surprise song of the night. I had never seen STYX play it live and it had not been performed live since 2017.

Overall the night was a trip back in time with a few new hits sprinkled in. The encore consisted of two major hits with "Mr. Roboto" and "Renegade".

Whether it's Vegas or anywhere else do not miss the chance to see these legends live.

Setlist:

• "The Grand Illusion"
• "Too Much Time on My Hands"
• "Lady"
• "Lorelei"
• "Miss America"
• "The Outpost"
• "Light Up"
• "Sound the Alarm"
• "Crystal Ball"
• "Rockin' the Paradise"
• "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)"
• "Queen of Spades" (First Time Since 2017)
• "Our Wonderful Lives"
• "Fooling Yourself" (The Angry Young Man)
• "Khedive"
• "Come Sail Away"