By Jess Daninhirsch
Two iconic rock bands from the 1970s and ‘80s, Styx and Foreigner, stopped at the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, PA on July 31 during their joint Renegades and Juke Box Heroes tour – which is also Foreigner’s farewell tour.
John Waite opened Wednesday’s show with some of his songs from the ‘80s, including his most popular song, “Missing You.” Waite was joined by a bassist, guitarist, and drummer in a simple setup, but he really warmed the audience up.
The two headlining bands switch who goes first each night, so Foreigner went first in Pittsburgh. The 47-year-old band played all their classics, including “Head Games” and “Cold As Ice.”
Kelly Hansen has been the lead singer of Foreigner since 2005 in place of Lou Gramm. The only original member that is still active in the band is Mick Jones. However, Jones was not present at Wednesday’s show. The other current members include Bruce Watson on guitar, Jeff Pilson on bass and keyboard, Luis Maldonado on guitar, Michael Bluestein on keyboard, and Chris Frazier on drums.
Hansen was quite the character onstage in his Y2K-inspired yellow pants and vest. “Take a deep breath because I’m about to blow some minds,” he said before singing one of their songs.
The band loved to connect with the audience throughout the concert, especially in a venue as large as Star Lake. Hansen and Watson interacted with the live cameras – and the photographers’ cameras – to make audience members in the lawn feel closer to the front and make it feel as if they were playing their music for individual people.
In each city on their tour, Foreigner brings out singers from local high schools to raise awareness for the lack of funding in music education and the arts in American school systems. In Burgettstown, the Thomas Jefferson High School A Cappella Choir came out to sing “I Want To Know What Love Is” with the band.
It was a beautiful display of community, and I can only imagine what those students were feeling onstage. Each one of them was beaming, and it made their iconic song that much more beautiful.
After that, the band sang the song everyone knows and loves, the namesake of the tour, “Juke Box Hero.” Hansen sang the song from a raised platform in the middle of the crowd in true rockstar fashion.
Styx took the stage next, coming out strong with “The Grand Illusion” to signify that what the audience was about to see would be nothing short of magical. The stage exploded with color as the band came out with their classic synth chords and dramatic anthems.
Tommy Shaw and James “JY” Young were the only two members onstage who have been active in the band since the ‘70s. The band members that took the stage on this tour included the two of them, Todd Sucherman, Will Evankovich, and brothers Lawrence and Terry Gowan.
Lawrence took over as keyboardist lead singer in place of Dennis DeYoung in 1999, and he did a stellar job at the show. He had a spinning keyboard and sported an Alice in Wonderland-themed jacket which was later replaced with a coat adorned in sequins.
Despite the changes in membership over their 50+ years as a band, Styx still sounded like Styx. Every song felt authentic. They are one of my favorite classic rock bands because of their unique instrumentation and vocal techniques. They are masters of storytelling through music.
One of my favorite songs of all time is Styx’s “Come Sail Away.” I bought The Grand Illusion on vinyl when I first got my record player, and hearing that song on vinyl for the first time was a transformative experience, but it was almost nothing compared to hearing that song live.
The entire audience stood up and sang every word. Laser lights shone from the back of the stage onto the roof of the pavilion, flowing like waves. “Let it out, Pittsburgh!” Lawrence shouted before the song shifted into high gear at around two minutes and 20 seconds. Clouds of fog appeared in the back of the stage towards the end of the song.
Styx ended their encore with “Renegade,” their most popular song. The entire audience screamed along with the classic “Renegade scream” that comes at about 40 seconds into the song. It was such an iconic way to end the show.
While neither band has their original lead singer and both have experienced shifts in membership throughout their careers, they both maintained their sounds and brought rock and roll back into the spotlight. Each band took the time to introduce each member individually so that the audience could get to know them better.
They both had great dynamics onstage between each other and with the audience. It was clear that everyone who took the stage that night truly enjoyed what they were doing, and it is impressive that they’re still physically able to do it.
It’s no secret that these bands are getting older. Although this may be Foreigner’s farewell tour, don’t pass up the opportunity to see them and/or Styx if you ever get the chance.
Click the link below to see more photos.
Live from the Pitt 