Styx / Loverboy – Mayo Civic Center – Mankato MN – November 3rd 2025

Styx (with Loverboy) – November 13, 2025 at Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato, MN

Review and photos by Jim Zons

I sure do love classic rock!  And I never get tired of seeing some of my favorite classic rock bands on stage, especially in a venue with great sound, and that’s just what the Mayo Clinic Health System Event Center in Mankato served up on a cool Thursday night in November as two rock staples of the 1970s and 80s took the stage:  Loverboy and Styx!  This was only my second time experiencing a concert at this venue (the last time was KISS in 2016) so I was really looking forward to seeing two legendary bands in Mankato!

First up, one of my all-time favorite bands:  Loverboy. Loverboy is a Canadian band that was formed in 1979 and still features most of the original founding bandmates: Doug Johnson on keys, guitarist Paul Dean, drummer Matt Frenette and lead singer Mike Reno. Bassist Ken “Spider” Sinnaeve has been with the band since 2000 when he replaced original bass player Scott Smith who died in 2000 during a boating accident.

I have probably seen Loverboy more than a dozen times (I told you they are one of my all-time favorite bands!) and I am always impressed by how much fun the band seems to have performing, especially lead singer Mike Reno.  And man:  the dude can still hit those high notes!  Loverboy had their biggest hits back in the early 1980s, and looking around at the audience in the arena, I’m sure most of the people there remembered those hits from high school and college … I know that I do!  I’m sure that a lot of concert goers were there to see Styx primarily, but as soon as they heard some rock radio staples like “Notorious,” “Lucky Ones,” “Queen of the Broken Hearts,” they were singing along with Loverboy.  As Loverboy went through their set, I could feel the crowd getting more and more engaged, with hits like “The Kid is Hot Tonight,” “Lovin’ Every Minute of It,” “Hot Girls in Love,” and of course their biggest hit, “Working for the Weekend.”  An hour-long set seemed way too short!

After a short break, it was time for the headliner: Styx!  Styx started in Chicago in 1972 and scored their first big hit “Lady” in 1975 (two years after it was released!) Since then, the band has gone through a few lineup changes, but some recognizable names from the early days are still playing today.  The lineup that took the stage in Mankato on Thursday featured longtime members James “J.Y.” Young on guitar (the only continuous member of the band dating back to 1972), Tommy Shaw on guitar and vocals (member since 1975), along with Todd Sucherman on drums, Lawrence Gowan on keys and vocals, Terry Gowan (Lawrence’s brother) on bass, and Will Evankovich on guitar and vocals.

From the first song in their set, 2025’s “Build and Destroy” from their latest album, through the rest of their 90 minute set, we heard over 50 years of some of the most memorable music in rock radio!  Lead vocals shifted back and forth between Lawrence Gowan and Tommy Shaw, and both singers were pitch perfect, as were the harmonies.  What a treat to hear the music I grew up listening to on WLS (the Big 89) radio in Chicago performed live on stage!  Great songs like 1977’s “The Grand Illusion,” and “Blue Collar Man,” the aforementioned “Lady” and “Lorelei” from 1975, plus some deeper tracks that only true Styx fans know well, like “I’m O.K.” and “Crystal Ball.” I was especially happy to hear three cuts from the 1981 Paradise Theatre concept album: the title track, “Rockin’ the Paradise,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” and “The Best of Times.” The music mix was absolutely perfect, and the light show really complimented the performance.  I was impressed with venue as well … it was a great place to see a show!  After a short break, the encore featured two of Styx’s most enduring hits: 1983’s “Mr. Roboto” and ending with the 1978 classic “Renegade.”  It was the perfect ending for a night of classic rock in Mankato!