Styx & REO Speedwagon: United We Rock in Tinley Park

TINLEY PARK, IL — Starting off as a few teenagers in a garage, Styx rose to fame after originally making a name for themselves here in Chicago.

Now 45 years after their first album, Styx is set to return to town while celebrating the release of their 16th studio album, The Mission. Their summer tour with REO Speedwagon and Don Felder will bring them to Tinley Park’s Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre on Saturday, July 1.

Despite a few breaks and lineup changes in the 80s and 90s, Styx has been actively on the road since 1996, still selling out venues to this day.

Scottish-born Canadian keyboardist and vocalist, Lawrence Gowan, has been connecting the classical dots for Styx since 1999, joining the band at that time to replace founding member Dennis DeYoung.

The group’s first tour with their newly-appointed member was in 2000 with fellow Illinois heroes REO Speedwagon, which ended up being the start of a successful, long-lasting relationship between the two bands.

"We just got along really well right away," said Gowan, noting the first of many tours with REO Speedwagon.

While catching up with Lawrence Gowan via phone before a show, he also emphasized the importance of the younger generation and how they’ve been an inspiration for the band to continue performing and creating new music.

“We noticed the audience kept getting younger and younger, so we wanted to make a record for them.”

Styx’s new album, The Mission, is their first studio album in 14 years. The group’s idea of a conceptual album was ultimately brought to life following a visit with NASA in 2015.

“We’ve been playing at a pace of around 120 shows a year, and with that schedule, all kinds of ideas are popping up.”

So after dropping down to just 101 shows last year, Styx found the time to record and perfect their newest and much anticipated treasure. To tackle the challenge of catering to the younger generation and longtime fans at the same time, the band aimed to put a modern twist on the classic style that brought them to fame.

"We said let’s make a record as if it’s 1979. We’ll record analog and we’ll do the opposite of what we’ve all been pursuing in the digital age to make this sound as much as the classic Styx as we can.”

In less than three weeks following its liftoff, The Mission has sprung to the top of numerous Billboard charts, confirming the well-received response the band has gotten while on the road.

“It’s been so gratifying to hear the response come back from these songs. This is something brand new that we believe in, that we labored over, and that we hoped the audience could enjoy to the degree that we do.”

Tickets are still available on Live Nation for Saturday's show in Tinley Park. The "United We Rock" tour is going on through the end of August.

Photo by AJ Roccaforte.