Styx – Treasure Island Resort & Casino – Welch, MN – November 6, 2026

STYX  – November 6, 2026 at Treasure Island Resort & Casino, Welch, MN

Review and photos by Jim Zons

I’ve been obsessed with seeing classic rock bands perform over the past few years, and there are some bands I never get tired of seeing.  And at the top of that list is Styx, so I was excited to see that they were bringing their lineup to Treasure Island this past Friday night!

First, some background.  Styx was founded 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 the Event Center at Treasure Island on Friday night 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.  The venue was SOLD OUT (all 2800 seats were filled) and it was awesome to see so many people on hand for one of rock music’s legendary bands.

Styx hit the ground running with their opening song, “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” from 1977’s Grand Illusion album, and never looked back through almost 90 minutes of classic rock staples. Concert goers got to hear music spanning over 50 years, from 1973’s “Lady” from Styx II, to 2025’s “Build and Destroy” from their latest album.

I’ve now seen Styx three times in the last year, and I felt that this show was perhaps one of their more loose, fun performances! The other performances had big, elaborate electronic backdrops (which was pretty awesome), whereas this show simply had the Styx logo behind the band the whole time, so it gave the impression of being a lot less scripted and more carefree.  Whether or not that was the case, it seemed like the entire band was having a blast performing, with lots of smiles!

As in the past, lead vocals went back and forth between Lawrence Gowan and Tommy Shaw, and both singers were pitch perfect, as were the harmonies with the rest of their bandmates … it brought goosebumps it was so good!  I grew up listening to WLS radio (the Big 89) in Chicago and hearing those same songs I heard on a scratchy AM radio performed live in front of me was a real treat!  We were transported back in time to 1977 for “The Grand Illusion” and “Blue Collar Man,” 1975 for “Lorelei,” and 1981 with three tracks from the Paradise Theatre concept album: “Rockin’ the Paradise,” “Too Much Time on My Hands,” and “The Best of Times.” At one point, Tommy Shaw brought out a banjo for the 2021 song “Our Wonderful Lives” which was an entirely different sound for Styx. The capacity crowd were on their feet through much of the show … it was that good!  After an obligatory short break, the band came out for an encore featured two of Styx’s biggest hits: 1983’s “Mr. Roboto” and 1978’s classic “Renegade.”  It was a great night of classic rock at Treasure Island … I’m glad I was there!  Styx will be continuing their tour into the new year, so if you haven’t had a chance to see them perform, make sure you add one of their upcoming concerts to your “must see” list!