Styx and Foreigner
Concord Pavilion, Concord
July 1, 2024
Photos by Raymond Ahner
Having last toured together way back in 2014, legendary classic rockers Styx and Foreigner announced the Renegades and JukeBox Heroes tour late last year, with the bands co-headlining dates throughout the summer, with British rocker John Waite opening the shows. With over twenty dates left on the tour, it promises to be quite a busy summer for everyone.
The bands rolled into the Concord Pavilion in Concord, Ca. on their scheduled Bay Area date of June 29, but approximately 15 minutes after John Waite was supposed to hit the stage an announcement was made that the show would be delayed to a power blackout in the area. While fans made the most of it as they anxiously awaited any signs that the power to the venue had been restored, the show was officially postponed around 8:15 pm. Less than 24 hours later it was announced that the official make-up date was scheduled for Monday, July 1st.
With a surprisingly packed venue of fans that had rescheduled their Monday plans and made their way back to the Pavilion, John Waite hit the stage at precisely 7PM, immediately launching into “Midnight Rendezvous,” a song he originally recorded with The Babys way back in 1980. From there, he played a brief, but career-spanning set, highlighted by “Change,” “When I See You Smile,” and “Back on My Feet Again.” Waite proved to be the perfect opener, bringing the crowd into the venue and to their seats.
Continuing their Farewell Tour, Foreigner hit the stage next, playing what very well may have been their final Bay Area show ever. The band wasted no time though, and opened their set with the 1-2-3 punch of “Double Vision,” “Head Games,” and “Cold as Ice.” Vocalist Kelly Hansen was all over the stage with his microphone stand, making sure to take time to interact with the fans in the first few rows. Although their set consisted of only eleven songs, it was all killer and no filler, with “I Want to Know What Love Is” being the clear fan favorite, partially due to the band bringing out a choir of local middle school students. By the time they wrapped up their set with their biggest hit, “Juke Box Hero,” it was quite clear that if this was their last Bay Area show, they definitely went out with a bang.
After a brief intermission it was time for Styx to rock the crowd, and they most certainly did not disappoint. Kicking off their set with a grandiose version of “The Grand Illusion,” the band were in top form and full of energy right out of the gate. Vocalist/keyboardist Lawrence Gowan sounded just as good as always, and commanded the stage as well as any frontman out there. Longtime guitarist and band leader Tommy Shaw still has the guitar and vocal chops, and as he led the band through “Too Much Time on My Hands,” he showed he has obviously visited the fountain of youth.
While a massive catalog of hit songs may make it tough to please 10,000 plus people simultaneously, Styx pretty much did just that, playing a set that included “Lady,” “Rockin’ the Paradise,” “The Best of Times,” and, of course, “Sailing Away.” After a short break, the band returned to the stage for an encore of both “Mr. Roboto” and “Renegade.”
Despite the last minute postponement of the show, the Concord stop of the Renegades and Jukebox Heroes tour was a smashing success, and the perfect way to spend a warm summer evening. This is definitely a show not to be missed when it hits your town.
Here’s a slideshow with more photos of all the performers by Raymond Ahner:
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