STYX, Foreigner, John Waite

The teaming up of classic rockers STYX, Foreigner and John Waite (who earned his classic rock stripes when fronting both The Babys and Bad English) has been a great pairing for lovers of late '70s and early '80s rock music.

STYX and Foreigner's music was, and is, still in heavy rotation on radio stations and streaming platforms. Waite's 1984 smash, "Missing You", remains very present to this day, as its post-relationship heartbreak themes has aided in those recovering from heartaches for 40 years now.

STYX, Foreigner and Waite performed at the Xfinity Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts on August 2, 2024.

Waite opened with an energetic 45-minute set starting with The Babys' "Midnight Rendezvous" and a cover of the group Spider's "Change" (the video for "Change" was once in very heavy rotation on MTV in 1982).

"When I See You Smile" was the only Bad English song that Waite revisited, but it was quickly overshadowed by a killer version of The Babys' biggest hit, "Every Time I Think of You".

Waite took the crowd on a nostalgic trip back to the summer of 1984 with a smooth rendering of his mega-hit, "Missing You".

After churning out two more songs from The Babys ("Head First" and "Back on My Feet Again"), Waite ended with a medley of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" and Buddy Guy's "Let Me Love You Baby".

After a short break, Foreigner opened strongly with "Double Vision", "Head Games", and "Cold as Ice". Lead singer Kelly Hansen (who has been singing with the band since 2005) was a non-stop bundle of energy all night (most impressive, as it was one of the hottest days of this summer so far). He only got to relax when a balled popped up and, "Waiting for a Girl Like You", was the perfect song to slow things down a bit.

The downtime did not last long as the band followed with "Dirty White Boy", "Feels Like The First Time" (Foreigner's first hit in 1977) and 1981's "Urgent" (which features, on the studio recording, a saxophone solo from late Motown artist, Jr. Walker).

Hansen addressed the crowd about calling this Foreigner's final tour. He explained that the group is on the road nine months every year, and they want to end their career before seeing any dip in quality in their performances (which there was no hint of this night).

Ending with "Juke Box Hero", (during which Hansen went into the middle of the crowd and was lifted approximately 30 feet in the air on a perch), Foreigner returned for an encore of "I Want to Know What Love Is", and a spectacular "Hot Blooded".

STYX came out amazingly strong with the superb "Grand Illusion", "Too Much Time on My Hands" and the glorious, "Lady".

Being led since 1999 by Tommy Shaw and J.Y. Young (Lance Gowan was also added that same year to replace Dennis DeYoung), STYX is a touring powerhouse. It was mentioned that the band was formed 53 years ago (with Young the only member onstage who was there from the beginning). He manned the lead vocal spot on "Miss America", a deep cut from the "Grand Illusion" album.

Harking back to 1981, the group played two songs from their "Paradise Theater" record, "Rockin' The Paradise" and "The Best of Times", (with "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" breaking up the pair of the "Paradise Theater" cuts).

While the entire band was fantastic, Shaw was the standout. Tearing off some spectacular guitar leads and sounding just as he did in the '70s and '80s, Shaw was a wonder to behold.

Finishing with "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" and "Come Sail Away", they returned for an encore of "Mr. Roboto" (the only song STYX played from the 1983 "Kilroy was Here" LP) and ended with Shaw taking the lead vocals for "Renegade", the perfect ending for a STYX concert.


Photo credit: Jason Powell