Mission accomplished with Styx concert at Pala

In 2017 Styx released their album The Mission, which is the band's most recent album and their first since 2005. The theme of The Mission is a mission to outer space, but Styx also had a mission July 26 when the band played at Pala Casino's Palomar Starlight Theater. That mission was to satisfy the audience, and Styx accomplished its mission.

Styx performed 15 songs during their 90 minutes onstage, not including the snippet from Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" keyboardist Lawrence Gowan played and sang after his keyboard solo "Key Guy," which is from The Mission.

Styx opened with "Gone, Gone, Gone" from The Mission and also performed "Radio Silence" from that album while delighting the audience with 12 of their classics from earlier albums.

In addition to playing the older songs, explanations behind some of them were provided. "As the elder statesman here I'm sort of the historian as well," said guitarist James "J.Y." Young.

Styx was founded by Chuck Panozzo, John Panozzo and Dennis DeYoung. Young joined Styx in 1970 and was on Styx's first album. Tommy Shaw joined the band in 1975 and the Crystal Ball album was Shaw's first with Styx. Todd Sucherman replaced John Panozzo on the drums in 1995. Gowan replaced DeYoung in May 1999. Ricky Phillips replaced Chuck Panozzo as the bassist in 2003.

The self-titled Styx album was released in 1972. The Grand Illusion album was released in 1977 and sold 6 million copies. "One million of those copies were on eight-track tapes," Young said.

The July 26 concert was the second Styx performance at Pala for the tour of The Mission. A February 2018 concert was held at Pala's Events Center; at the time renovations to the pool area rendered the outdoor theater just west of the pool area unsafe for the public and February weather also warranted an indoor venue. Shaw noted that the Palomar Starlight Theater also allows hotel guests with windows facing the theater to watch the concert.

"It's so good to be here on this beautiful night," Shaw said. "Tonight is a night of celebration. This band loves to play in California."

Styx gravitated toward their more rock-oriented melodies. "Babe," "Lorelei" and "The Best of Times" were among the songs omitted. "Lady" was the fourth song of the concert, following "Gone, Gone, Gone," "Blue Collar Man" and "Grand Illusion."

"We are what was called an album-oriented rock band," Shaw said.

Shaw explained that the comparison is top 40 bands for which singles were emphasized in record stores and by radio disc jockeys. "AOR radio would play the whole thing," Shaw said.

The harder rock songs included "Miss America," which was the seventh song. "I always wanted to do that song acoustically," Shaw said.

That was followed by Shaw beginning the Crystal Ball title track acoustically before the other band members joined. Shaw preceded the song with an explanation. He had written a version of that song in 1975 before he joined Styx, and he performed that when he was invited to audition for Styx and to bring a song. "J.Y. informed me it's a nice song, not a Styx song," Shaw said.

The revised version became the title track on Shaw's first album. "You don't get any more classic than Tommy Shaw's 'Crystal Ball'," Gowan said.

Styx promoted the new album while the classics satisfied the audience to the extent possible in a 90-minute show. As a Styx concert the mission was accomplished.