Styx, Foreigner and John Waite at the Woodlands Pavilion

Ah, summer. It’s a favorite time of year for classic rock fans. Because that means it’s time for the Shed’s annual season, with several artists embarking on package tours of the biggest outdoor venues and delivering setlists that stick mostly to big hits and crowd pleasers.

Venerable road warriors Styx and Foreigner, along with opener John Waite, brought their “Renegades and Juke Box Heroes” tour to the Woodlands on (what else?) a blistering Saturday in Houston.

How hot is it? Times reached the mid-90s. And that didn’t escape the attention of the performers either.

“This bastard is hot! But I’m going to let you in on a little secret! » declared foreign singer Kelly Hansen to the crowd, before devilishly extending her middle finger. “We have air conditioner here!”

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Lawrence Gowan of Styx

Photo by Eric Sauseda

As headliners Styx took the stage, it was with a few new members, including one with a brotherly bond, as vocalist/keyboardist Lawrence Gowan told the Houston Press last month, when the band welcomed his brother Terry on bass.

But founding members James “JY” Young (guitar) and Chuck Panozzo (bass), as well as classic member Tommy Shaw (vocals/guitar) are still there. However, Panozzo, due to ongoing health issues, only played three songs last night, as has been the case for years. Todd Sucherman (drums) and Will Evankovich (guitar) complete the greatest lineup in the band’s history.

Styx have always had one river to paddle in Prog and the other in Mainstream Rock, and their set opened that way with a grandiose “The Grand Illusion”. The title track from their album of well-received new material in 2021, Crown crashwere also in this vein, and both were highlights.

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Tommy Shaw of Styx

Photo by Eric Sauseda

Gowan’s frenetic, elfin energy makes him the focal point, whether he’s kicking, dancing, standing on his spinning keyboard, or expressing emotion with showbiz dazzle (i.e. (say his sparkly gold and black shirt, jacket and hat). He added that X factor to a nicely chaotic “Rockin’ the Paradise” and a theatrical “Mr.” Robot. The latter may be responsible for the only Japanese phrase that 90% of Gen Xers know.

“The Best of Times” is a new addition to this tour’s setlist. And with their more current lyrics and Gowan’s earnest phrasing, it actually outdid the love song workhorse “Lady” to win the Ballad of the Night award.

Although the majority of Styx’s hits and album tracks for their commercial peak were written by former singer/keyboardist Dennis DeYoung, Tommy Shaw has always had the most reliable rockers with themes particularly identifiable to their core audience at the time (re: young males).

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James “JY” Young, founding member of Styx

Photo by Eric Sauseda

Its highlights include the Everyman anthems “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights),” “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” and, closer, the outlaw epic “Renegade.”

Shaw’s voice remains incredibly pure and piercing and he, Young and Evankovich democratically traded guitar solos throughout the night. Shaw even broke out “Deep in the Heart of Texas” as the audience sang along on acoustic guitar for the Houstonians, the same way he did the night before for the Dallasites.

And on “Fooling Yourself,” Gowan played the famous keyboard solo opposite far of his instrument, thus trumping the skill and dexterity of all those guitarists behind the head. And to these ears, he didn’t seem to miss a note.

Finally, “Come Sail Away”, a regular track, remains one of classic rock’s greatest anthems. And what Gowan billed as “a little sea shanty” (albeit one involving UFOs and extraterrestrial visitors) proved to be the emotional highlight of Styx’s set.

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Chuck Panozzo, founding bassist of Styx

Photo by Eric Sauseda

Sharing equal stage time with Styx but playing in the middle, Foreigner’s high-energy set was filled with hit after hit and garnered the most audience engagement of the three acts.

Houston-area Foreigner fans could be excused for thinking that their headlining show at The Woodlands last August would indeed be the last time they visited the city, as part of their farewell tour. Although none of the current members on stage have played or sung a note on all of these classic hits (guitarist Mick Jones, the last original member, is essentially retired due to health issues).

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Kelly Hansen from abroad

Photo by Eric Sauseda

And, as singer Kelly Hansen lamented at Houston Press, this extremely popular group was not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and had never even been placed on the ballot.

What a difference a year makes, as Foreigner has not only returned, but is now slated to be inducted into this glass pyramid on the shores of Lake Erie this fall.

Hansen and bandmates Jeff Pilson (bass), Bruce Watson and Luis Maldonado (guitars), Chris Frazier (drums) and Michael Bluestein (keyboards and keyboards) made athletic sprinting part of the show (and with sweaty hair for prove it ).

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Bruce Watson and Jeff Pilson of Foreigner

Photo by Eric Sauseda

Hansen is undoubtedly one of the great frontmen of classic rock today with an incredible voice. And he only dropped two F-bombs are circulating, compared to dozens last year.

“Head Games,” “Cold as Ice,” “Urgent,” “Feels Like the First Time” and spectacle closer “Hot Blooded” broke out with breathtaking fury. Although crowd favorites were clearly the rocket-propelled “Juke Box Hero” (which saw Hansen appear out of nowhere on a rising circular platform near the soundboard) and the heartbreaking ballad “I Want to Know What Love Is.”

As usual for this spot in Foreigner shows, the group brings in a local school choir to reproduce the gospel choir’s backing vocals on record. This time, it was more than a dozen Montgomery Madrigals students from nearby Montgomery High School who stood behind Hansen.

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Kelly Hansen from abroad

Photo by Eric Sauseda

The teenagers were clearly delighted (with a boy Really using his arms to express the words). Afterwards, Hansen thanked them and reminded the audience that music and arts programs are the first things usually cut when school budgets tighten and urged advocacy and action to maintain them.

The band’s jams and solos ate up a few precious minutes that could have been used to add another hit or a deeper track, but who could blame them for wanting to show off their talents one last time. At least during extended live tours, Hansen told the crowd that Foreigner would not disappear and would remain active, which seemed to push back on some earlier claims or at least insinuations.

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John Waite

Photo by Eric Sauseda

John Waite opened the show with a short but very strong set and a three-piece band that took him into not only his solo catalog, but also previous bands Bad English and cult favorites The Babys.

It was definitely a rockier set than his last appearance in Houston opening for Men and Work and Rick Springfield. The Babys’ double dose of “Midnight Rendezvous” and “Head First” (the latter memorably billed by Waite as “Here’s a song about a Blow Job”) were highlights.

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See! Twenty-somethings also love Classic Rock! Robert Fiore, Vincent Ruggiero and Lexi Douvier.

Photo by Bob Ruggiero

And while Bad English’s “When I See You Smile” got hearts racing as Waite had the audience singing along, it was his version of their “Best of What I Got” that may have been his best song of the year. the evening. Although the solo hit “Missing You” is probably the most familiar to Pavilion’s ears. And Waite’s voice, like Tommy Shaw’s, seems unaffected by age.

Overall, this show went 3-for-3 with a batting average better than Houston Astro Lance Berkman in his prime. And these Boys of Summer still know how to hit. And this writer does not hesitate to incorporate overused sports metaphors and analogies into his writing to achieve his goal. GOOOOOAAAALLLL!

Random notebook dump
Look, I realize that the omnipresent presence of cell phones at concerts is now a given and expected presence. And I don’t even mind if people take a few quick photos or a brief video as a souvenir. I made it myself. But on this show, I saw something I’d never seen before: filmmaker couples.

No less than three couples in my immediate area boringly filmed a considerable portion of the series. But what made it strange was that I saw them filming the same shots from the same angle. Even weirder, the couple next to me was filming the movie. video stream of the show on the giant screens and not the real show himself. Video they will probably never watch or use. No words, boppers… no words.

SETLISTS
Styx
The great illusion
Too much free time
Lady
Lorelei
Crown crash
Miss America
Rockin’ heaven
Blue collar male (long nights)
The best of times
In the heart of Texas
Getting it Wrong (The Angry Young Man)
Come sail

bis
Mr. Roboto
Renegade

Stranger
Dual vision
Head games
Cold as ice
Waiting for a girl like you
Dirty white boy
It’s like it’s the first time
Group jam
Urgent
Drum Solo
Jukebox hero

bis
I want to know what love is
hot-blooded

John Waite
midnight meeting
Change
When I see you smile
The best I’ve had
I miss you
Head first
Back on my feet
Whole Lotta Love > Let me love you baby