Styx – Mayo Civic Center Arena – Rochester, MN – March 18th, 2023

Mayo Civic Center Arena presents Styx

Review and photos by Kate Klaus

It was a very chilly March evening in Rochester, MN when Styx made a stop on their Crash of the Crown tour at the Mayo Civic Center Arena. Large rock shows of this caliber are a rare event in Rochester, and the response to this show was overwhelming, with Taylor arena filled with fans who were excited to catch this iconic band after waiting nearly a year since the weather-postponed show.

Being the Crash of the Crown tour, named after their 2021 album, it was fitting that they opened their first set with “To Those”, an energetic track from that album that perfectly captured the classic rock of the Styx from years before, but with a modern feel to it.  This high-energy tune charged the crowd, and that energy exploded as they followed into “Blue Color Man (Long Nights)”.  The crowd was on their feet, trying to match the unbounded energy of Lawrence Gowan, who glimmered with enthusiasm, charisma, and the fastest fingers on the keys up on his keyboard pedestal. As they progressed through their set, jumping between old classics including “Lady” and “Rockin’ the Paradise” to hits from Crash of the Crown, including the title track and “Our Wonderful Lives”, featuring Tommy Shaw on banjo and vocals.  Shaw’s vocals were impeccable, strong and bright for the over 2-hour, 23-song set.  Styx has so much power and dimension added from each member of the band, showcased as they played favorites like “Miss America”, “Lorelei”, and of course “Come Sail Away”.    Guitarists J.Y. Young, WillEvankovich, and of course Shaw provided beautiful vocals, flawless harmonies, and dazzling riffs. Bassist Ricky Philips delivered powerful bass lines and fun energy and interactions with the other members.  It’s very apparent that these guys not only connect well musically, but genuinely enjoy playing together and performing. Drummer Todd Sucherman was the heartbeat of the dynamic group, with intense solos throughout the night, most strikingly as the finale of the show during the encore performance of Renegade., which brought the house down to close the night.  This show was filled with classic tunes, impeccable musicality, and powerful energy that was well worth the wait for the Minnesota fans.