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Rock Music Menu: 'Music of Styx' at House of Blues
By MICHAEL CHRISTOPHER, rockmusicmenu@hotmail.com04/21/2006
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You have to give credit to Dennis DeYoung for trying. The former Styx singer and head songwriter was essentially thrown out the band he co-founded, and has remained vocal in his displeasure in not fronting the band to the point of whining about it during interviews.
Always theatrical in his music, DeYoung led Styx into the rock stratosphere with the hit "Come Sail Away" in 1978, but left fans befuddled and lost by the '80s, penning concept albums and veering into prog-rock detours like the enduringly hilarious "Mr. Roboto."
Add that to the soap-opera-worthy list of band fractures: internal fighting, jealousy, drugs, the bass player coming out of the closet and DeYoung's battle with "light sensitivity," and there isn't much choice but for someone to be shown the door.
"Domo arigato" indeed.
Now that the lawsuit haze has cleared, DeYoung comes to the House of Blues tonight performing a three-hour concert showcasing "The Music of Styx," albeit with an almost show tune slant, despite the five-piece rock band he is bringing along. Therein lies the problem with the frontman; his heart is pulling him in two different directions, and unfortunately, you can't be King Crimson and Led Zeppelin at the same time.
The current incarnation of Styx, on tour with Foreigner (another band missing its real singer), has managed to stay true to its roots, with simple tunes, in structure at least. DeYoung on the other hand, relies on his name and deserved status in Styx history, but would much rather join an Andrew Lloyd Webber opera than sell his soul to rock and roll.
Wait - he already did that when he played Pontius Pilate in "Jesus Christ Superstar."
This leaves fans of "Lady" and "Babe" with two choices this summer: hired guns mixed with one or two original members in the name of remaining true to form, or tonight in Atlantic City where Dennis DeYoung does the equivalent of Styx: The Musical.

