In order to achieve a collectively mutual goal of live excellence, a band must have a time-tested arsenal of aurally rigorous and rewarding material to get it there, and STYX draws from over four decades of barnburning chart hits, joyous singalongs, and hard-driving deep cuts to do so. Like a symphony that builds to a satisfying crescendo, a STYX set covers a wide range of stylistic cornerstones. From the progressively sweeping splendor that is “The Grand Illusion” to the hunker-down fortitude of all that is the “Blue Collar Man,” from the majestic spiritual love for a special “Lady” to the poignant rumination on the fleeting nature of fame in “Miss America,” from an individual yearning for true connection as a “Man in the Wilderness” to a soul-deep quest to achieve what’s at the heart of one’s personal vision in “Crystal Ball,” from the regal reach-for-the-stars bravado of “Come Sail Away” to the grainy all-in gallop of that rugged “Renegade” who had it made, the band draws on an unlimited cache of ways to immerse one’s mind and body in their signature sound. 

In addition to the enduring power of that live experience, this indelibly interlocked incarnation of STYX is deftly represented on high-definition DVD and Blu-ray video. With a little help from their many friends in Cleveland’s Contemporary Youth Orchestra, One With Everything (2006) is a hybrid orchestral rock blend for the ages, while Live at the Orleans Arena Las Vegas (2016) documents their present-day prowess. And on The Grand Illusion / Pieces of Eight Live (2011), the band performs at its peak when tackling every track from a pair of their finest triple-platinum albums back to back. The inherent quality of these releases is paramount, reasons JY: “I insisted on the highest level of production, both visually and sonically. I believe that everything we do — whether it’s a visual element shown onscreen behind us onstage, how we appear on home video, or what we do in the recording studio — should be done 110 percent. This band is supremely talented, and we have to consistently create something that is going to be great over the test of time.” 

Not only that, but the band re-recorded two discs’ worth of its classic material with much finesse and musculature, aptly known as Regeneration Volume I & II (2011 & 2012). Observes Tommy, “Now you have something you can take home with you and go, ‘Yeah, that’s the band I saw last night.’ We contributed openly to one another’s songs to help make them all bigger and more exciting. With this incarnation of the band, the pursuit of excellence is more intense than ever, except now our approach is much more nuanced.”