DDY in Orange County

[Toph]

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment ... tommy.html

Nothing compares to the genuine article.
For the past decade, Styx has featured singer/guitarists Tommy Shaw, James “J.Y.” Young and recurring bassist Chuck Panozzo. Those members were a big part of the rock band’s late ’70s/early ’80s heyday, when five consecutive albums went platinum or beyond.
Yet their current concerts -- like the Ontario one I caught at Citizens Business Bank Arena in ’09 with REO Speedwagon and Kansas -- are typically shaky at best. At some point, die-hard fans that enjoy all facets of Styx’s career inevitably think about founding lead vocalist, keyboardist and principal songwriter Dennis DeYoung, who exited acrimoniously in 1999.
Having concentrated on Broadway (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 101 Dalmatians) and classical-oriented music projects (the ambitious Music of Styx: Live with Symphony Orchestra album, tour and popular PBS Soundstage program) in the interim, DeYoung recently returned to his rock roots with latest studio effort One Hundred Years From Now, among his best solo releases. Highlights include several topical tunes (“I Don’t Believe in Anything,” “Private Jones,” “Turn Off CNN”) and a love song to his wife, “Breathe Again.”
But during an impressive, nearly two-hour show at the mostly-full City National Grove of Anaheim, DeYoung proved he really does the Styx catalog justice these days.
Last year, DeYoung recruited new players for his regular touring band. Key among them are amazing guitarist/vocalist August Zadra, known in SoCal for stints in Styx and Journey cover bands (he is still part of Lights: The Premiere Tribute to Journey, the opening act Saturday night). Several tracks originally handled by Shaw on record (“Too Much Time on My Hands,” “Renegade”) were added to the set once Zadra -- and his remarkably similar vocal timbre -- joined.
The tight six-piece band basically stuck to Styx classics, performing in front of a large backdrop of “Moonlit Merry-Go-Round,” a serigraph by late Chicago realist painter Robert Addison that also adorns the cover of One Hundred Years. (Addison also created another visual work familiar to Styx fans: Paradise Theater.)
Right from the start, DeYoung provided a keen theatrical flair with dramatic gestures and vibrant singing amid the galloping synths of “The Grand Illusion.” Except for various turns at the keyboards, he never stayed in one place too long. On the percolating, driving pace of “Lorelei,” DeYoung climbed up near the drums and mimed air guitar between Zadra and equally adept axeman Jimmy Leahey. The group falsettos were a wonder to behold. Zadra acquitted himself well on the first Shaw spotlight “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” fingering frets so vigorously a string broke.
Despite the often grandiose nature of Styx's music, DeYoung doesn’t take himself too seriously. “Nobody goes from sublime to ridiculous like this band,” he quipped. There were jokes about Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and aging: the veteran performer just turned 64, so naturally he briefly broke into the Beatles’ “When I’m 64” after a story about first listening to Sgt. Pepper with Styx’s Panozzo Brothers at Chicago State University.
“Mr. Roboto” might be dominated by ’80s electronic sounds, but the Kilroy Was Here selection didn’t really seem dated; lyrics such as “the problem’s plain to see / too much technology” could easily apply today. In Anaheim, it was just plain fun. DeYoung did robotic movements, moved his head in unison with the guitar guys and even brought out the Kilroy mask as a prop.
Inviting ballads like “Desert Moon” (a solo Top 10 hit from 1984), an acoustic “Don’t Let It End” and a high-flying “Babe” (prefaced by a story about how it was written) put the focus on DeYoung’s still-supple pipes.
As the band reached the final stretch, a majority of the Grove crowd in the first two tiers were standing and cheering loudly. A mesmerizing, ultra-dramatic “Suite Madame Blue” saw DeYoung hold a long sustained note, and “The Best of Times” was a true celebration. After the quick farewell-themed “A.D. 1958” and another Beatles nod in “The End,” the group closed with a truly exalting fan singalong, “Come Sail Away.”
Dennis DeYoung at City National Grove of Anaheim, Feb. 19, 2011
The Grand Illusion / Lady / Lorelei / Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) / Show Me the Way / Mr. Roboto / Desert Moon / Don’t Let It End / Too Much Time on My Hands / Rockin’ the Paradise / Babe / Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) / Suite Madame Blue / The Best of Times / A.D. 1958 / The End / Renegade / Come Sail Away

[cittadeeno23]

I was at this show. I'll post my review a bit later when I have time.
IT was fantastic. By the way, my daughter and I were 2 of the people in the first tier standing (for most of the show) and cheering loudly!
My daughter had a sign that read "YOU ARE STYX". Dennis saw it right when he got on stage and came over, squinted and read it aloud and then nodded and said Thanks!

[froy]

http://www.ocregister.com/entertainment/styx-289055-article-tommy.html

Nothing compares to the genuine article.
For the past decade, Styx has featured singer/guitarists Tommy Shaw, James “J.Y.” Young and recurring bassist Chuck Panozzo. Those members were a big part of the rock band’s late ’70s/early ’80s heyday, when five consecutive albums went platinum or beyond.
Yet their current concerts -- like the Ontario one I caught at Citizens Business Bank Arena in ’09 with REO Speedwagon and Kansas -- are typically shaky at best. At some point, die-hard fans that enjoy all facets of Styx’s career inevitably think about founding lead vocalist, keyboardist and principal songwriter Dennis DeYoung, who exited acrimoniously in 1999.
Having concentrated on Broadway (The Hunchback of Notre Dame, 101 Dalmatians) and classical-oriented music projects (the ambitious Music of Styx: Live with Symphony Orchestra album, tour and popular PBS Soundstage program) in the interim, DeYoung recently returned to his rock roots with latest studio effort One Hundred Years From Now, among his best solo releases. Highlights include several topical tunes (“I Don’t Believe in Anything,” “Private Jones,” “Turn Off CNN”) and a love song to his wife, “Breathe Again.”
But during an impressive, nearly two-hour show at the mostly-full City National Grove of Anaheim, DeYoung proved he really does the Styx catalog justice these days.
Last year, DeYoung recruited new players for his regular touring band. Key among them are amazing guitarist/vocalist August Zadra, known in SoCal for stints in Styx and Journey cover bands (he is still part of Lights: The Premiere Tribute to Journey, the opening act Saturday night). Several tracks originally handled by Shaw on record (“Too Much Time on My Hands,” “Renegade”) were added to the set once Zadra -- and his remarkably similar vocal timbre -- joined.
The tight six-piece band basically stuck to Styx classics, performing in front of a large backdrop of “Moonlit Merry-Go-Round,” a serigraph by late Chicago realist painter Robert Addison that also adorns the cover of One Hundred Years. (Addison also created another visual work familiar to Styx fans: Paradise Theater.)
Right from the start, DeYoung provided a keen theatrical flair with dramatic gestures and vibrant singing amid the galloping synths of “The Grand Illusion.” Except for various turns at the keyboards, he never stayed in one place too long. On the percolating, driving pace of “Lorelei,” DeYoung climbed up near the drums and mimed air guitar between Zadra and equally adept axeman Jimmy Leahey. The group falsettos were a wonder to behold. Zadra acquitted himself well on the first Shaw spotlight “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” fingering frets so vigorously a string broke.
Despite the often grandiose nature of Styx's music, DeYoung doesn’t take himself too seriously. “Nobody goes from sublime to ridiculous like this band,” he quipped. There were jokes about Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and aging: the veteran performer just turned 64, so naturally he briefly broke into the Beatles’ “When I’m 64” after a story about first listening to Sgt. Pepper with Styx’s Panozzo Brothers at Chicago State University.
“Mr. Roboto” might be dominated by ’80s electronic sounds, but the Kilroy Was Here selection didn’t really seem dated; lyrics such as “the problem’s plain to see / too much technology” could easily apply today. In Anaheim, it was just plain fun. DeYoung did robotic movements, moved his head in unison with the guitar guys and even brought out the Kilroy mask as a prop.
Inviting ballads like “Desert Moon” (a solo Top 10 hit from 1984), an acoustic “Don’t Let It End” and a high-flying “Babe” (prefaced by a story about how it was written) put the focus on DeYoung’s still-supple pipes.
As the band reached the final stretch, a majority of the Grove crowd in the first two tiers were standing and cheering loudly. A mesmerizing, ultra-dramatic “Suite Madame Blue” saw DeYoung hold a long sustained note, and “The Best of Times” was a true celebration. After the quick farewell-themed “A.D. 1958” and another Beatles nod in “The End,” the group closed with a truly exalting fan singalong, “Come Sail Away.”
Dennis DeYoung at City National Grove of Anaheim, Feb. 19, 2011
The Grand Illusion / Lady / Lorelei / Blue Collar Man (Long Nights) / Show Me the Way / Mr. Roboto / Desert Moon / Don’t Let It End / Too Much Time on My Hands / Rockin’ the Paradise / Babe / Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man) / Suite Madame Blue / The Best of Times / A.D. 1958 / The End / Renegade / Come Sail Away

Looks like a great show and a real review not a Pay Per Review

[Toph]

The best line in the article is the first one....nothing compares to the genuine article.

[Baron Von Bielski]

I was at this show. I'll post my review a bit later when I have time.
IT was fantastic. By the way, my daughter and I were 2 of the people in the first tier standing (for most of the show) and cheering loudly!
My daughter had a sign that read "YOU ARE STYX". Dennis saw it right when he got on stage and came over, squinted and read it aloud and then nodded and said Thanks!

Living in San Jose, you should have swung by Santa Cruz and picked me up on your way! Only kidding. Sounds like a great show. Wish he would come a bit closer.

[cittadeeno23]

He was in Coarsegold the next next which is a bit closer. But the closest he has come to the Bay Area since he went solo is Sacramento in 2004. He's worth the drive. I'm going to go see him again if he comes anywhere close to Cali this summer. My daughter cannot stop talking about the show!

[cittadeeno23]

So, Dennis' show on Saturday was fantastic. I have seen the classic Styx lineup live several dozen times and this show really felt like a Styx show. He took the stage at 9:15 and they took their final bows right around 11:15. So 2 solid hours and no break before the encore. They just stayed on stage and Dennis said "this is the part of the show where we go back and stand over there, and you scream for us to come back out...Let's just assume that has already happend!!"
And as I said my 8 year old daughter was holding a sign that read "You are Styx" (her idea, not mine! But I agree with her a thousand percent) and he came right over and acknowledeged it. He also came over several other times to acknowledge her. It really made her night and it was Really cool on Dennis' part. At one point he came over and was saying something to me, and was making gestures with his hands, but I couldn't figure out what he was trying to tell me! We were probably about 10-12 feet from the stage.
Playlist:
The Message
Grand Illusion
Lorelei
Keyboard solo (really cool)
Blue Collar Man
Show me the Way
Mr. Roboto (right after Roboto is when he made the comment about his band being able to go from sublime to Ridiculous! But Roboto really came off well and was fun and had the crowd going crazy.
Dessert Moon (Dennis said this was the only non-Styx song he was going to do, but that this absolutely should have been a Styx song).
Don't Let It End (Unplugged, Sounded great. Vocals were amazing)
Too Much Time on my Hands
Rockin the Paradise (Jimmy and August had a montrous guitar war at the end of this song. They both shredded and were going back and forth. I've never seen anything quite like it and it rocked really, really hard and it was really enjoyable. I think it took some of the old farts in the audience by surprise! It kicked serious ass though. And trust me, I've seen many heavy metal bands over the years.
Babe (Dennis got to the line "my train is leaving" but didn't say train. He said something else. So he completely stopped playing! He then looked at his band, looked at the audience, and then said "lets try this again, this time in Polish!" When he got to the word "Train" again, he kind of paused, looked up at the crowd and a bunch of us yelled "TRAIN!" And he nodded and smiled and kept going!
When I'm 64 (just a short version)
Fooling Yourself (towards the middle of this song, Dennis played the keyboard parts to "Sing For the Day". Really cool.
Suite Madam Blue (the show stopper by far. It rocked harder than any version I have ever heard Styx play, and Jimmy and August really stood out on this one. Also, Dennis did his long note at the beginning of the song and held it for what seemed like eons. My daughter said it was longer than on the RTP video. His voice is truley amazing.
The Best of Times
Renegade
Come Sail Away (the crowd pretty much sang the entire song)

First of all, the band is really, really good. The backing vocals are top notch. August sounds a lot like Tommy both on lead and background.
No, he is not Tommy Shaw and Tommy has a better voice. No question about it, but he is a great showman and absolutely shreds on Guitar.
Jimmy is damn good also, but I did miss JY's backing vocals. But there is no question in my mind that this band sounds a lot more like Styx than Tommy's band. And it feels a lot more like Styx, well, because Dennis is Styx! LOL!! (Don't argue with an 8 year old, especially when she is right!!).

Dennis also really joked around quite a bit. He had the audience laughing a LOT. At one point he was playing with the Mr. Roboto mask and said "He's just so happy to be in Los Angeles!!!!" His facial expressions and body language during that was really funny and had the crowd roaring.

He said Tommy's name once, But he talked about the Panozzo's multiple times. The first time he mentioned John and Chuck he got quite a loud, positive reaction from the crowd. I got the sense he still cares deeply about his former bandmates. I really did.

The place looked sold out to me. I did not see one empty seat. There were a lot of diehards there that I talked to. But there were a lot of newcomers too. Dennis asked the crowd at one point to raise their hands if this was the first time ever seeing him live. And quite a few people raised their hands. Dennis then singled out one older guy and said "where the hell have you been? I'm 64 for Christ's sake!!"

My Daughter and I got quite a few "thumbs up" the next day at Disneyland walking around in our matching Mr. Roboto Tee shirts!

It was a really, really enjoyable show. A Styx show has always been that. A SHOW. Music, comedy, energy. Crowd participation.
And that is what it was.
The DOCTOR still has it folks. Big Time!!

[cittadeeno23]

Oops! I forgot Lady. He sang Lady right after the Grand Illusion and before Lorelei.

[cittadeeno23]

Also, at the end of Babe, he introduced Suzanne (who was singing background all night) and had her come up to the microphone with him. And she said in reference to him flubbing up the beginning of Babe "Well, he IS 64 years old!" And that is when he sang 'When I'm 64.'
Also, at the end of the show, I beleive Carrie Ann came out and sang background with her mom. I am not sure it was Carrie Ann because I have never seen her, but I have a good feeling it was.
Whoever it was, she was quite beautiful! He let her stay on stage until the ending bow, so I assume it was her.

[Archetype]

What did he say about the Panozzos and Tommy? And It's very telling that he didn't mention the other Styx guitarist

I don't think Tommy's the bad guy in the "other" band

[bugsymalone]

Also, at the end of Babe, he introduced Suzanne (who was singing background all night) and had her come up to the microphone with him. And she said in reference to him flubbing up the beginning of Babe "Well, he IS 64 years old!" And that is when he sang 'When I'm 64.'
Also, at the end of the show, I beleive Carrie Ann came out and sang background with her mom. I am not sure it was Carrie Ann because I have never seen her, but I have a good feeling it was.
Whoever it was, she was quite beautiful! He let her stay on stage until the ending bow, so I assume it was her.

Loved your review. Sounds like you and your daughter had a very memorable experience.

I am wondering if it was Dawn-Marie Feusi (Suzanne's sister) who now lives in CA and used to sing in his band. She has an amazing voice and is quite lovely.

It also could have been his daughter, who also is just gorgeous, and sometimes comes on stage to join her parents.

Not sure.

Glad you had a great time!

Bugsy

[cittadeeno23]

Thanks Bugsy, we did have a really fun time.
It was not Dawn Marie. I have seen her before. I'm pretty sure it was Carrie Ann. She really is stunning.

Arche,
Dennis mentioned Tommy when he was talking about making Babe. He said they decided to go with his first Demo of the song because the re-recordings were not as good, and the only change they made to the demo was that "Tommy came in and did a wonderful solo". Infrormation we all knew, but it was nice to hear him mention Tommy's name.
He also said that the song was not intended to be on the album, but the record company loved it and insisted.

He talked about the Panozzo's a couple of times. Of course he mentioned how they started the band and he said something about John and himself also, but I am having a hard time recalling exactly what he said! I don't want to misquote him, but I think he said it was he and John who really started the band. I may be wrong, but that is what I thought I heard him say. He mentioned the brothers a few other times and If I remember what he said I will post it later. I Was having a lot of dialog with my daughter during the show and may have missed some of what he said! She was really excited to be there and to see Dennis actually standing live right in front of her!

I don't think he failed to mention JY on purpose. I really don't. He referred to Styx a lot and used the words "we" and "us". They are obviously still very important memories to him. He was VERY positive and looked very happy up on stage.

[gr8dane]

So, Dennis' show on Saturday was fantastic. I have seen the classic Styx lineup live several dozen times and this show really felt like a Styx show. He took the stage at 9:15 and they took their final bows right around 11:15. So 2 solid hours and no break before the encore. They just stayed on stage and Dennis said "this is the part of the show where we go back and stand over there, and you scream for us to come back out...Let's just assume that has already happend!!"
And as I said my 8 year old daughter was holding a sign that read "You are Styx" (her idea, not mine! But I agree with her a thousand percent) and he came right over and acknowledeged it. He also came over several other times to acknowledge her. It really made her night and it was Really cool on Dennis' part. At one point he came over and was saying something to me, and was making gestures with his hands, but I couldn't figure out what he was trying to tell me! We were probably about 10-12 feet from the stage.
Playlist:
The Message
Grand Illusion
Lorelei
Keyboard solo (really cool)
Blue Collar Man
Show me the Way
Mr. Roboto (right after Roboto is when he made the comment about his band being able to go from sublime to Ridiculous! But Roboto really came off well and was fun and had the crowd going crazy.
Dessert Moon (Dennis said this was the only non-Styx song he was going to do, but that this absolutely should have been a Styx song).
Don't Let It End (Unplugged, Sounded great. Vocals were amazing)
Too Much Time on my Hands
Rockin the Paradise (Jimmy and August had a montrous guitar war at the end of this song. They both shredded and were going back and forth. I've never seen anything quite like it and it rocked really, really hard and it was really enjoyable. I think it took some of the old farts in the audience by surprise! It kicked serious ass though. And trust me, I've seen many heavy metal bands over the years.
Babe (Dennis got to the line "my train is leaving" but didn't say train. He said something else. So he completely stopped playing! He then looked at his band, looked at the audience, and then said "lets try this again, this time in Polish!" When he got to the word "Train" again, he kind of paused, looked up at the crowd and a bunch of us yelled "TRAIN!" And he nodded and smiled and kept going!
When I'm 64 (just a short version)
Fooling Yourself (towards the middle of this song, Dennis played the keyboard parts to "Sing For the Day". Really cool.
Suite Madam Blue (the show stopper by far. It rocked harder than any version I have ever heard Styx play, and Jimmy and August really stood out on this one. Also, Dennis did his long note at the beginning of the song and held it for what seemed like eons. My daughter said it was longer than on the RTP video. His voice is truley amazing.
The Best of Times
Renegade
Come Sail Away (the crowd pretty much sang the entire song)

First of all, the band is really, really good. The backing vocals are top notch. August sounds a lot like Tommy both on lead and background.
No, he is not Tommy Shaw and Tommy has a better voice. No question about it, but he is a great showman and absolutely shreds on Guitar.
Jimmy is damn good also, but I did miss JY's backing vocals. But there is no question in my mind that this band sounds a lot more like Styx than Tommy's band. And it feels a lot more like Styx, well, because Dennis is Styx! LOL!! (Don't argue with an 8 year old, especially when she is right!!).

Dennis also really joked around quite a bit. He had the audience laughing a LOT. At one point he was playing with the Mr. Roboto mask and said "He's just so happy to be in Los Angeles!!!!" His facial expressions and body language during that was really funny and had the crowd roaring.

He said Tommy's name once, But he talked about the Panozzo's multiple times. The first time he mentioned John and Chuck he got quite a loud, positive reaction from the crowd. I got the sense he still cares deeply about his former bandmates. I really did.

The place looked sold out to me. I did not see one empty seat. There were a lot of diehards there that I talked to. But there were a lot of newcomers too. Dennis asked the crowd at one point to raise their hands if this was the first time ever seeing him live. And quite a few people raised their hands. Dennis then singled out one older guy and said "where the hell have you been? I'm 64 for Christ's sake!!"

My Daughter and I got quite a few "thumbs up" the next day at Disneyland walking around in our matching Mr. Roboto Tee shirts!

It was a really, really enjoyable show. A Styx show has always been that. A SHOW. Music, comedy, energy. Crowd participation.
And that is what it was.
The DOCTOR still has it folks. Big Time!!

Sounds like a great time for you two.
I was wondering if you read aloud for your daughter 'The Grand Delusion' Whittaker's book for bedtime,
where the rest of us would read Dora the Explorer,Blues Clues and such,hence her Dennis=Styx sign?

[cittadeeno23]

No, I've never read Sterling's book to my daughter. She got addicted to Dennis by watching the RTP video. She wants to watch it all the time!

[Archetype]

Thanks Bugsy, we did have a really fun time.
It was not Dawn Marie. I have seen her before. I'm pretty sure it was Carrie Ann. She really is stunning.

Arche,
Dennis mentioned Tommy when he was talking about making Babe. He said they decided to go with his first Demo of the song because the re-recordings were not as good, and the only change they made to the demo was that "Tommy came in and did a wonderful solo". Infrormation we all knew, but it was nice to hear him mention Tommy's name.
He also said that the song was not intended to be on the album, but the record company loved it and insisted.

He talked about the Panozzo's a couple of times. Of course he mentioned how they started the band and he said something about John and himself also, but I am having a hard time recalling exactly what he said! I don't want to misquote him, but I think he said it was he and John who really started the band. I may be wrong, but that is what I thought I heard him say. He mentioned the brothers a few other times and If I remember what he said I will post it later. I Was having a lot of dialog with my daughter during the show and may have missed some of what he said! She was really excited to be there and to see Dennis actually standing live right in front of her!

I don't think he failed to mention JY on purpose. I really don't. He referred to Styx a lot and used the words "we" and "us". They are obviously still very important memories to him. He was VERY positive and looked very happy up on stage.

Cool. Dennis deserves all the happiness and accolades he has been enjoying lately. His band is awesome.