Jul 062008
I couldn’t help but watch the first song of this Styx concert on VH1 Classic. We’ve already discussed the bewildering, inherent contradictions of the classic Styx lineup. This recent Styx iteration — Tommy Shaw, James “J.Y.” Young, and hired hands — raises some new questions. Pay very close attention to the keyboardist’s innovative accoutrement. You’ll first see it 24 seconds into the video. Where can I get one of those?
I’m embarrassed. I don’t know why. Or am I jealous? Knowing that if I had access to a SPINNING KEYBOARD, I would use it. If only it shot lasers as it spun. If there is a God, then surely He must love Styx. God bless little Tommy Shaw.
It’s jealousy. It has to be.
TB
PS–At least they’re doing it for the kids.
Hey, waitaminnit — did he just say: “HEY CLEVELAND!”?
And does new spinning keyboard facelift guy mean that Dennis DeYoung has gone on to a solo career?
I think you guys need to be cautious about going much further down this road of perverse fascination with Styx and how much they suck. You’ll go right from enjoying yourself laughing about how much they suck to finding “new ways to read all this” and thinking there’s something great about how much they suck. Beware this overthinking. There’s too much of that on this list already.
We almost need a blog post about it: bands you’ve spent so much time hating that you start to think you like them, in some “campy” way or other.
I could confess here, but I won’t.
There are so many wedgies I want to give out for that performance that it’s not funny. Nice find, Oats.
Mwall, there’s a sure cure for the malady you describe: Actually go see them. Seriously, even on their own terms, even if you liked them in 1981, if you’re honest you’ll say they suck now. That clip is actually way better than the show I saw earlier this year – a plodding, wheezing, way-too-slow glop. The one thing I’ll say for it is they didn’t do “Babe.”
I gotta give props to the idea of using a youth orchestra, though. Way cheaper than a professional orchestra and beats hell out of synth strings. Hopefully some classic soul groups will pick this idea up.