L.A. Com Review
Posted: Thu Jul 03, 2008 9:52 pmhttp://www.la.com/music/Boston_Styx_bri ... _past.html
Boston, Styx bring blasts from rock 'n' roll's past
New singers don't quite evoke old feelings at Gibson Amphitheatre
By Gerry Gittelson, LA.com
Classic rock should always be about the classics, and by that measure Boston and Styx succeeded Tuesday in a twin-bill concert before a sold-out crowd at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City.
But even though both were well-received while playing sets that mostly stuck to their greatest hits, there was something missing – and not just the lead singers, as Boston’s Brad Delp took his own life 16 months ago and Styx’s Dennis DeYoung has long been replaced.
Boston unveiled two new singers, Michael Sweet (ex-Stryper) and Tommy DeCarlo, the latest in a line of fluke myspace phenomenons. They shared duties, with DeCarlo handling most of the high notes and doing a fine job even though he stood in one place all night and, not surprisingly, offered little in the way of showmanship or panache.
Boston’s songs always will always pass the test of time – few compatriots from the 1970s have as many long-lasting radio staples such as “More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” “Rock N’ Roll Band” and “Don’t Look Back” – and gangly guitarist/mastermind Tom Scholz was his usual brilliant self. But the tempo was noticeably slow on many of the songs during the 90-minute set, and that was shocking considering Scholz’s notorious bend toward perfection.
At this point, Scholz is the only original member from Boston’s prime era, and after all these years it’s time to admit the band has slipped.
And it wasn’t just me. About an hour into Boston’s set, as the clock neared 11 p.m. on a week night, the place was thinning out a bit.
Styx was tight, and expectedly so considering the Chicago band plays more shows nowadays than they ever did when “Come Sail Away,” “Renegade” and “Blue Collar Man” were the soundtracks of the lives of millions of suburban Baby Boomers.
Styx was my favorite band back in my Birmingham High days, but as I’ve written before, the fivesome will never will be the same without DeYoung, who was the Styx’s dominant force before an acrimonious split nine years ago. Replacement Lawrence Gowan has a beautiful voice, but he’s a bit too manic in concert and proved a distraction Tuesday by running around the stage like a nut and swinging around his keyboards instead of simply focusing on the task at hand.
Except for the inexcusable absence of Styx’s best song, “Lady,” it was a strong performance, as the crowd loved it, which, when it comes down to it, is really the whole idea.
“Miss America” and “Come Sail Away” were the highlights.
The bottom line: A good night of rock but not as good as it could have been. But nothing lasts forever, except maybe the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, but we knew that going in.
E-mail: Gerry Gittelson
Images of Styx from the band's official Web site.
Boston, Styx bring blasts from rock 'n' roll's past
New singers don't quite evoke old feelings at Gibson Amphitheatre
By Gerry Gittelson, LA.com
Classic rock should always be about the classics, and by that measure Boston and Styx succeeded Tuesday in a twin-bill concert before a sold-out crowd at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City.
But even though both were well-received while playing sets that mostly stuck to their greatest hits, there was something missing – and not just the lead singers, as Boston’s Brad Delp took his own life 16 months ago and Styx’s Dennis DeYoung has long been replaced.
Boston unveiled two new singers, Michael Sweet (ex-Stryper) and Tommy DeCarlo, the latest in a line of fluke myspace phenomenons. They shared duties, with DeCarlo handling most of the high notes and doing a fine job even though he stood in one place all night and, not surprisingly, offered little in the way of showmanship or panache.
Boston’s songs always will always pass the test of time – few compatriots from the 1970s have as many long-lasting radio staples such as “More Than a Feeling,” “Peace of Mind,” “Rock N’ Roll Band” and “Don’t Look Back” – and gangly guitarist/mastermind Tom Scholz was his usual brilliant self. But the tempo was noticeably slow on many of the songs during the 90-minute set, and that was shocking considering Scholz’s notorious bend toward perfection.
At this point, Scholz is the only original member from Boston’s prime era, and after all these years it’s time to admit the band has slipped.
And it wasn’t just me. About an hour into Boston’s set, as the clock neared 11 p.m. on a week night, the place was thinning out a bit.
Styx was tight, and expectedly so considering the Chicago band plays more shows nowadays than they ever did when “Come Sail Away,” “Renegade” and “Blue Collar Man” were the soundtracks of the lives of millions of suburban Baby Boomers.
Styx was my favorite band back in my Birmingham High days, but as I’ve written before, the fivesome will never will be the same without DeYoung, who was the Styx’s dominant force before an acrimonious split nine years ago. Replacement Lawrence Gowan has a beautiful voice, but he’s a bit too manic in concert and proved a distraction Tuesday by running around the stage like a nut and swinging around his keyboards instead of simply focusing on the task at hand.
Except for the inexcusable absence of Styx’s best song, “Lady,” it was a strong performance, as the crowd loved it, which, when it comes down to it, is really the whole idea.
“Miss America” and “Come Sail Away” were the highlights.
The bottom line: A good night of rock but not as good as it could have been. But nothing lasts forever, except maybe the Rolling Stones and Aerosmith, but we knew that going in.
E-mail: Gerry Gittelson
Images of Styx from the band's official Web site.
