Nobody asked me, but … (#63)
It has been a few years since I last attended a concert, as, to be honest, there are very few performers that I’d be willing to pay to see these days. But that string was broken on Saturday night, when we went with a couple of friends to see the group Styx in concert with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra. It was … OK.
I have never been a big fan of Styx, although a couple of their songs were decent enough. Their time came a while after the era that means the most to me (Beatles, Blind Faith, Moody Blues, Crosby/Stills/Nash, etc.), but it seemed like it could be a good mix to see the group with a full orchestra behind them, as some of their songs seem well suited for that. And the venue was Metropolitan Park – an outdoor facility adjacent to the St. Johns River. Add in a reasonable ticket price ($20 for lawn seating, bring your own chairs), and it became acceptable.
Parking was convenient and cheap. We had a decent location on the lawn, although binoculars might have made the view a little more personal (the reserved seating area, for $50 or more per ticket, was available, but Styx wasn’t worth that to me). The evening was a bit on the cool side, but tolerable. The seats, which we brought, were comfortable. The wine sold on site was both drinkable and affordable. The munchies that our friends provided were great.
The music was, as I said above, OK. The Symphony did a couple of pieces to start, and they were quite good. After a break (not sure why they needed it, but it happened), the orchestra returned and Styx took the stage. They performed probably about eight of their songs, half of which I recognized, and did one song that I knew quite well wasn’t a Styx original – “I Am The Walrus”. I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone other than the Beatles do that. But it was probably the best use of the JSO all evening. For most of the rest, it was an effort to distinguish the orchestral sounds from the loud guitar and keyboards.
The last song they played before the obviously contracted encore was “Come Sail Away”. If that’s not their biggest hit, it certainly is the one I know best. That also was true for the audience, as most people were singing along. Following that number, they left the stage, waiting for the automatic applause, and returned for their encore. We expected “Mr. Roboto”, but instead they played something else, and then we, and they, left.
I was struck by a couple of things. First of all, those guys are getting old. Not that we’re not too, of course. And I have great admiration for musicians in their 50′s and 60′s who can still bring the energy to the stage, none better than Mick Jagger. But at some point, I don’t know, it seems like hanging on to what you used to be. Second, they were too obvious in seeking cheap applause. The “Hello, Jacksonville” shout at the beginning, and similar references throughout the concert made me think that their cue cards were just simply updated for each concert each night. “It’s great to be here in Jacksonville.” “It’s great to be here in Atlanta.” “It’s great to be here in Charleston.” “It’s great to be here in … where the heck are we tonight, anyway?”
Maybe what it all means is that I’ve outgrown the concert scene. But there are a couple of artists that I’d still pay to see. Paul McCartney. Billy Joel. The ones I mentioned above. As for Styx, domo arigato, but I’ve seen enough.
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