By Liz Lincoln Steiner Editorial Assistant Published Jul 01, 2016 at 3:24 AM Photography: David Bernacchi

The OnMilwaukee Summer Festivals Guide is presented by Potawatomi Hotel & Casino. Create your summer story by participating in casino wide promotions with the chance to win big. This summer I will own it! Click here for more details.

On our way home from seeing Styx at the BMO Harris Pavilion tonight at Summerfest, I asked my husband what he thought of the show. "It was great. They're always great." And I have to say, he's right.

Before we got bogged down with kids, my cousins and our respective significant others used to have an annual CousinFest, where we did the Sprecher Brewery Tour, had dinner at Hoffbrau Haus and then headed to an Admirals game. We always picked a game with a band similar to Styx giving a post-game concert.

We've seen Foreigner, REO Speedwagon and, of course, Styx (Journey and Kansas are still on the must-see list). All were good concerts, but Styx was my favorite. So when my husband and I saw that Styx was playing at Summerfest, we didn't hesitate to start looking for a babysitter.

Of the six current members of Styx, two – James "JY" Young and Chuck Panozzo – were founding members, with Tommy Shaw joining four years later in 1976. For a band that's been recording albums and performing for almost 45 years, that's an impressive feat. Even the newest member, Ricky Phillips on bass, has been with them for 13 years. Which explains why they consistently put on such a kick-ass show.

Since 1999, Panozzo only joins the band when his health permits, as he battles HIV. Fortunately, he was able to join the rest of the band in Milwaukee, though he only played for a handful of songs.

Despite heavy rain blowing in through the back and onto the stage, the band came out playing "The Grand Illusion," which immediately got the crowd on their feet and cheering. There's no doubt that they are all talented musicians, but watching them, it quickly becomes apparent that they are just as much performers.

Young and Shaw mugged and posed for the cameras the most, but they are all showmen who clearly love being in the spotlight. At times, while pounding out an incredible guitar solo, Shaw would toss his head back, his long blond waves falling down his back (sidebar: I have complete hair envy of Shaw) and a look of elation on his face.

I mean, that is some beautiful hair, am I right?

For the third song, "Fooling Yourself," Panozzo joined the rest of the band on stage. While he is noticeably slower moving than his bandmates, and only remained on stage for the one song, the respect and camaraderie the men share was apparent. And while he couldn't strut around the stage like the rest of the band, from the grin on his face, it was clear he enjoys the lights and the crowd as much as the rest of them. And as a personal bonus, at the end of the set he tossed his guitar pick into the crowd, and it landed at my feet. Souvenir!

So this was pretty awesome.

Two especially poignant moments occurred later on when the band played "Space Oddity" in tribute to David Bowie, then later part of "1999" in honor of Prince. As keyboard player and vocalist Lawrence Gowan said while introducing "1999," this year has reminded us just how vulnerable some of the greats are.

Perennial favorite "Crystal Ball" had the crowd singing along, but it wasn't until Styx pulled out "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)" that everyone got back on their feet. Most stayed that way through "Come Sail Away," during which Panozzo was again able to join them, and the two-song encore.

Once the music was over, again showing they have more than four decades as performers able to connect with their fans and bring them back for the next concert, they spread to the edges of the stage, high fiving the audience and tossing guitar picks deeper into the crowd.

As we headed back to the car, the downpour thankfully having ended – thanks for that Mother Nature – my husband and I agreed that we'd made the right choice to get a sitter and spend the night with Styx.

As he said, "They were great. They're always great."

Set List:

"The Grand Illusion"
"Too Much Time on My Hands"
"Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)"
"Lady"
"Light Up"
"Man in the Wilderness"
"Miss America"
"Space Oddity" (David Bowie cover)
"Crystal Ball"
"Suite Madame Blue"
"Lights"
"Suite Madame Blue" encore
"Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)"
"1999" (Prince cover)
"Come Sail Away" 

Encore:
"Rockin' the Paradise"
"Renegade"

Liz Lincoln Steiner Editorial Assistant
Liz has been in Milwaukee for almost a decade, after growing up in Madison. It's possible she might like her adopted hometown better, but she would never admit that to her mom. When she's not slaving away at OnMilwaukee, she's probably watching a football game, cross stitching something profane, writing one of the romance novels she publishes under the highly secret nome de plume, Eliza Madison, or some combination thereof. Whatever she's doing, she's drinking Diet Coke.