Styx and Foreigner have teamed for their 2024 Renegades and Juke Box Heroes Tour, and recently a very large crowd at Jiffy Lube Live was ready to believe it was 1981 again.
These two hard-rocking and hard-working bands tackled the year from very different perspectives. In 1981, Styx released Paradise Theatre, their 10th studio album, and Foreigner published 4, the band’s fourth studio album. For Styx, a pair of original members were on stage at Jiffy Lube Live to present quite a few songs from Paradise Theatre and 1977’s The Grand Illusion. Frontman Tommy Shaw and guitarist JY Young rocked through “Too Much Time on My Hands,” “Rockin’ the Paradise,” and “The Best of Times” with vitality and grit alongside their bandmates. In the case of Foreigner, the band’s 21st century team, fronted by the energetic Kelly Hansen thundered through “Waiting for a Girl Like You,” “Urgent,” and “Juke Box Hero” to mad applause.
Before the two storied bands performed at Jiffy Lube Live, opener John Waite capably warmed up the crowd with his signature tunes, including “Change” (1982) and “Missing You” (1984). The commanding Mr. Waite effortlessly switched gears from hard rock to soft rock, presaging the monumental mix of songs that would follow him.
Foreigner performed next, and Kelly Hansen bounded across the stage, wielding his microphone stand like a part of his body. He sang clearly and powerfully, and he exploded with rock star charisma. I personally never had seen Foreigner perform live, and I was not sure what to expect. Anointed by founding member Mick Jones, Kelly and company have been flying the Foreigner flag for the past 20 years.
Kelly and the band ensnared the audience right out of the gate with Foreigner hits “Double Vision” (1978) and “Head Games” (1979), and then they continued to blow the crowd away. They closed the set on “Juke Box Hero” and Kelly emerged from behind the sound booth on a utility platform that elevated him high above the audience while he sang the song. It was a remarkable feat that honestly looked a little unsafe, but Hansen owned it.
Watch the official music video for “Juke Box Hero” by Foreigner on YouTube:
Foreigner returned for an encore of “I Want to Know What Love Is” (1984), which included impressive backing vocals from the local South Loudoun Youth Corale, and “Hot Blooded” (1978). For folks like myself who never saw Foreigner live, Kelly Hansen made us believers. It looked like he materialized out of our heads as the perfect picture of an arena rocker in 1978.
Under the guidance of two true originals, Tommy Shaw and JY Young, Styx also totally impressed the gathered masses at Jiffy Lube Live. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Styx a handful of times, but a few things had changed since I saw them last. First, the band embraced “Mr. Roboto” (1983), the signature tune from rock opera Kilroy Was Here, a concept they previously left to former member Dennis DeYoung. Styx added it to their encore at Jiffy Lube Live! Second, the band recruited a new member, bassist Terry Gowan, who rocked as hard as his bandmates throughout the 13-song set.
Terry Gowan, as you might surmise, is the younger brother of Mr. Lawrence Gowan, the highly entertaining showman who has been a staple of the Styx band since 1999. Anchored at his rotating keyboard, Gowan shined and strutted, occasionally seeming more like a magician than a musician! He impressed immediately with a clear and compelling vocal for “The Grand Illusion” (1977) to open the show. Gowan continued with a mighty voice through the end of the set and “Come Sail Away” (1978), sweeping the audience up in a potent singalong.
Styx closed their encore with “Renegade” (1979), delivering their end of the promise for their Renegades and Juke Box Heroes co-headlining bill.
Stream “Renegade” by Styx on YouTube:
It was electrifying to see that Styx have lost none of their power in recent years, and the entire band was in top form.
Catch Styx on tour throughout 2024!
Follow Foreigner on the road also all year long!
Here are a few photos of John Waite performing at Jiffy Lube Live on July 24, 2024. All pictures by Mickey McCarter.
Here are some photos of Foreigner performing at Jiffy Lube Live on July 24, 2024!
Here are some photos of Styx performing at Jiffy Lube Live on July 24, 2024!
