Styx Turns In Outstanding Performance At Cable Dahmer Arena

While much of the country enjoyed Foreigner, Styx, and John Waite together on a summer tour, that wasn't the case for those in West Central Missouri and the Kansas City area. Foreigner graced the Missouri State Fair this summer with a solo headlining show, and they'll return for shows at the Ozarks Amphitheater and Azura Amphitheater this October. Styx and John Waite fans had to wait for the groups to play Cable Dahmer Arena in Independence this past weekend, and it was every bit worth the wait.

Styx fans were treated to the type of high-energy show the group is known for. They ran through a 14-song set heavy on hits, with three newer songs from the group's last two albums, 2017's "The Mission" and 2021's "Crash of The Crown."

The newer songs, "Crash of the Crown," "Our Wonderful Lives," and "Khedive," fit in well throughout the band's set, and I certainly didn't notice many people going for concession runs or bathroom breaks when they played the songs. "Khedive" was the perfect showcase for Lawrence Gowan's keyboard work and served as a great lead-up to the group's best-known and loved song, "Come Sail Away."

The rest of the setlist was a roller coaster through the Styx songbook of hits perfectly crafted to get the crowd into a frenzy and bring them back to earth before raising the energy level again.

The group opened with "The Grand Illusion," took it up a notch with "Too Much Time On My Hands," before bringing it back down with "Lady," up again with "Lorelei," before reaching a happy medium running through "Miss America," "Crash of the Crown," and "Crystal Ball" before launching into an up-and-down rollercoaster that included "Rockin The Paradise," "Blue Collar Man," "The Best of Times," "Our Wonderful Life," and Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)."

While the crowd was enthusiastic for all the band members, Tommy Shaw and James "JY" Young, the OG members, got the largest applause, followed by Gowan, who seemed like he could be an OG member based on how much energy, positivity and humor he added to the show.

The band wrapped up the show with a two-song encore: "Mr. Roboto," a relatively new addition to its setlist; it's not a band favorite, and "Renegade" from 1978's "Pieces of Eight." While Roboto might not be the band's favorite, it's a nod to fans who have been asking the band to perform the song.

"Renegade," a tune by Tommy Shaw, seemed the perfect way to end the night. It's an uptempo rocker featuring Shaw's vocals that left the crowd wanting more.

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Opener John Waite performed a short set of his hits, including "Missing You," Change" from the "Vision Quest" soundtrack, his hit with Bad English "When I See You Smile," and some hits from his band The Baby's including "Midnight Rendezvous," "Everytime I Think of You," "Head First," and "Back On My Feet Again" before wrapping it up with medley of Zepplin's "Whole Lotta Love" mashed up with Buddy Guy's "Let Me Love You Baby."

I love the power pop ear candy sound of John's music, so if there was one disappointing aspect about the whole experience, it was the sound during John's set. The sound was muddy, his vocals were a bit buried, and it seemed poorly mixed until the last three or four songs. One thing I took away from his performance, if I get a chance to see him do a headlining show sometime, I'll be there.