It's a way of life and the band-Styx-love every minute of it.
Styx, known for their hits "Lady," "Come Sail Away," "Babe," and "Too Much Time on My Hands," will make their headliner-appearance on the Lakes Jam stage at 10 p.m. Saturday at Brainerd International Raceway, off Highway 371 north of Baxter.
"You will hear the songs performed live with great attention to detail," Styx member Ricky Phillips said in a phone interview last week about what Lakes Jam fans can expect. Phillips was calling from a hotel in Appleton, Wis., and was in-between shows. He was doing interviews with media outlets and also working on a song.
Styx perform in Joliet, Ill., Friday, Brainerd on Saturday and at the Mystic Lake Casino in Prior Lake on Sunday.
Styx, a 1970s rock and roll band originating from Chicago, is on tour about 200 days out of the year and they travel all over the country.
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Phillips, who has been a member of Styx since 2003 and plays bass, guitar and vocals, said when they do shows, there are always fans who hold up signs to let the band know how many times they've seen Styx. Phillips said he has seen signs in the 30s to signs in the 200s.
"We sing all the songs in the keys they were written," Phillips said of their shows. "We don't fudge on anything. We don't use any electronic devices, everyone's voices are top notch. We make sure all the harmonies are just the way you heard them on the radio. Guitar solos are the same thing. We're not going to invent a new solo.
"It's a pet peeve of ours, when you go see a band and the singer doesn't go for the note you've been waiting for him to hit and he falls off or the guitar player decides to play something completely different, we don't do that."
Phillips said it's been proven and seems to be a trend, that people who come to see Styx walk away with smiles on their faces and have been "rocked out."
"We take our live shows seriously," Phillips said. "It's no longer a recording industry it's a touring industry. The bands who are out there doing it have to have their A games together, and it's not just Styx. Most bands are better than back in the day. ... It's fun for us and we get along on and off stage."
Band members have come and gone over the past four decades. Current members include James "JY" Young, lead vocals, guitars; Tommy Shaw, lead vocals, guitars; Todd Sucherman, drums, percussion; Lawrence Gowan, lead vocals, keyboards; and Phillips. Phillips said Chuck Panozzo, the original bass player, is also part of the band's shows.
The band had five consecutive albums certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America and 16 Top 40 singles in the United States. According to Wikipedia, Styx has sold more than 54 million records. Their albums include "Regeneration, Volumes 1 and 2," "Big Bang Theory," "Cyclorama," "Brave New World," "Edge of the Century," "Kilroy Was Here," "The Grand Illusion," "Equinox" and "The Serpent is Rising."
Phillips said Styx is a band of brothers. Phillips met Shaw in 1979 when he was in the band The Babys. He said the two bands toured together and they became and remained friends. Phillips, who also was in Bad English and played with Sammy Hagar and Denny Carmassi, said looking back at his career, he never envisioned he would be where he is today. He said he loves producing.
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Phillips said his favorite song to perform always changes, but said "Snowblind" is a "killer Styx song."
"It's not the first song you think of, but when you hear it on the radio you're like 'I really dig this song,'" Phillips said. "'Fooling Yourself' is another. I wish I would have written that song, it's genius. ... When you think of the big songs, like 'Renegade,' 'Come Sail Away' and 'Too Much Time on my Hands,' yeah these are cool songs, but some of the songs are a little more, the deep cuts are my favorite."
When asked if there is anything fans don't know about Styx, Phillips said, "Everyone is pretty insane, certifiably and I think that is why we like each other. There is a lot of humor involved with the band on a daily basis. I think that is part of the secret of the success because as long as you can keep each other entertained on the road for 200 days a year you want to keep doing it."
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 218-855-5851. Follow me at www.twitter.com/jennewsgirl on Twitter.
