{"id":327,"date":"2014-05-18T19:00:46","date_gmt":"2014-05-18T19:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/216.71.127.204\/wordpress\/?p=327"},"modified":"2015-10-07T18:59:17","modified_gmt":"2015-10-07T18:59:17","slug":"styx-w-foreigner-and-don-felder-woodlands-pavilion-spring-tx","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/houstonmusicreview.com\/wordpress\/2014\/05\/18\/styx-w-foreigner-and-don-felder-woodlands-pavilion-spring-tx\/","title":{"rendered":"Styx w\/ Foreigner and Don Felder – Woodlands Pavilion – Spring, TX"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n\n
Written by Kevin Black <\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\"Image\"A Headliner Opening for a Headliner Opening for a Headliner\u2026 Third-on-the-bill is typically reserved for \u201cup and coming\u201d acts that have a song on the chart\u2019s Top 100, or for a forgotten rocker that you thought might have played with someone famous for a few years and now desperately needs to trade in the spandex for some Dockers. \u201cBut let me tell you, I\u2019ve got some news for you\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

Listening to Don Felder stay true to every note– vocally and musically \u2013 I could feel the Eagles\u2019 presence. That\u2019s probably because Felder wrote and arranged songs with Henley, Frey and Schmit from 1974 through 2000, with the exception of some downtime due to the breakup of the band. With an unusual calm and cool sense, Felder appeared at peace with himself.<\/p>\n

When the show kicked off with \u201cTake It Easy,\u201d the crowd did just the opposite– kicking back was not an option! Rising up as if it were the \u201cNational Anthem,\u201d the crowd appeared to have come to see Don Felder.<\/p>\n

\"Image\"Then the unexpected happened– Don made the announcement that he was bringing up an old friend to help with a song. Suddenly, a stagehand unites Felder with his 6-string\/12-string, double-neck Gibson EDS-1265, which could only mean one thing– \u201cHotel California!\u201d The curiosity reverberated throughout the Pavilion, \u201cWHO CAN IT BE?\u201d The next person you saw enter the stage was Styx member Tommy Shaw. The crowd erupted as if the Texans had just won the Super Bowl! Felder\u2019s entire performance had me wondering, \u201cWhy isn\u2019t THIS guy the headliner?!\u201d<\/p>\n

What followed next was nothing short of the intricate workings of the inside of a Swiss watch. Seventeen stagehands removed the first of three layers of band equipment, transforming the stage into another rock backdrop. Within 20 minutes, the lights go down, the band emerges and BAM! \u201cDouble Vision,\u201d \u201cHead Games,\u201d followed by \u201cCold as Ice.\u201d The whole time I\u2019m thinking, \u201cHoly Cow! THESE guys should be the headliners!\u201d<\/p>\n

All the while, lead singer Kelly Hansen takes full advantage of the spacious stage, absolutely rockin\u2019 The Woodlands Pavilion. After slowing down the tempo with \u201cWaiting for a Girl Like You,\u201d Hansen invites Foreigner\u2019s founder, writer and guitarist Mick Jones, to join in. ANOTHER CHAMPIONSHIP VICTORY FOR THE TEXANS! Now loaded with Mick Jones, Kelly Hansen and multitalented sax man Tom Gimble, the rest is history!<\/p>\n

(By the way, did you notice I didn\u2019t mention what\u2019s-his-name, um, um\u2026 you know\u2026 Oh yeah, Lou Gramm. I may be \u201cbooed\u201d for this one, but I didn\u2019t miss him. At this point, I\u2019m totally musically satisfied.)<\/p>\n

\"Image\"OMG! At first I thought it was just an illusion– until I realized it was \u201cThe Grand Illusion.\u201d Before I could get my footing, they hit us with \u201cToo Much Time on My Hands\u201d and it was then I knew why Styx was THE headliner. Multiple lead vocals, two of the best guitarists still rockin\u2019– flavored with keyboards, synthesizer and a stage full of harmony\u2014collectively, Tommy Shaw, James \u201cJ Y\u201d Young, Lawrence Gowan, Todd Sucherman and Ricky Phillip managed to transport everyone to a magical, mystical, musical place. I was looking for the wizard behind the curtain when he was right in front of me the whole time. Every member knew every other member\u2019s every move.<\/p>\n

Like I said, \u201cA Headliner Opening for a Headliner Opening for a Headliner.\u201d<\/p>\n

I applaud all that made this rock-n-roll evening possible. I have been a professional musician for three-and-a-half decades; this concert made me ask myself, “What the hell am I doing in country music?!” I now know I’m a rocker at heart.<\/p>\n

Until next time\u2026 KB<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Written by Kevin Black A Headliner Opening for a Headliner Opening for a Headliner\u2026 Third-on-the-bill is typically reserved for \u201cup and coming\u201d acts that have a song on the chart\u2019s Top 100, or for a forgotten rocker that you thought might have played with someone famous for a few years and now desperately needs to… <\/p>\n

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