The night was balmy; the excitement was high as the crowd gathered in front of security gates to enter the legendary Styx concert celebrating the 2025 release of their 18th album, Circling from Above, with opener Jay Psaros.
Jay Psaros
A man stepping out into a wide-open stage with a single spotlight, he has a guitar and a voice, and he sang about country living, whisky, and hot summer nights. But he is not a country artist; he adapts to whatever environment he is thrown into. At 34, he has already been in the music business for 10 years and played in barrooms to concert halls. His determination has gotten him a gig touring with Styx, so you know he has something going on to open for them. He is laying out a good future for himself, and on top of that, his wife recently had a baby. He is currently living the dream, and he will go far if he sticks with these top-notch bands like Styx, Mavericks, Three Dog Night, and Los Lonely Boys.
Here are links to his work. Go check him out:
https://www.jaypsarosmusic.com
https://www.facebook.com/JayPsarosMusic
https://www.instagram.com/jaypsaros
STYX
Can you imagine performing in a band for 54 years? The sheer determination, dedication, and love for music. Well, James “JY” Young can say he has done it and is still doing it day in and day out. Chuck Panozzo has been with the band for 54 years now in a part-time capacity. He had to stop in 1999 due to health problems related to his battle with HIV/AIDS, but he returned in 2003. Chuck and his brother John were the original members, along with James Young, Dennis DeYoung, and John Curulewski. John Panozzo left the band due to liver complications and tragically passed away in 1996. Even though members came and left, some returned, plus two major breaks, Styx continued to chart songs and maintain a solid presence in the music world.
Styx had eight songs that hit the top 10 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, as well as 16 top 40 singles. Styx sold over 20 million records for A&M between their signing in 1975 and 1984. Over the years, they have charted in the United States, Canada, Australia, and many other countries. They have four consecutive multi-platinum awards and have been nominated for multiple GRAMMY awards, but have yet to win a more than deserving title. The four multi-platinum awards were for these albums: The Grand Illusion (1977), Pieces of Eight (1978), Cornerstone (1979), and Paradise Theatre (1981).
The night they performed in El Paso at the beautiful Abraham Chavez Theater was an unseasonably warm night, and the theater was packed close to full capacity. The audience consisted mostly of people over 50 years old, but still a nice mix of 30- and 40-year-olds littered the room, couples and singles all taking in the memories of young love; many sang along with the band, and all cheered and clapped at the end of each song. When announcing all the members of the band, John Panozzo earned a standing ovation accompanied by cheers from the whole crowd for at least five minutes. I will not give you the full breakdown of 15 songs, but they opened the night with “Build and Destroy,” then launched into “Too Much Time on My Hands,” followed by “The Grand Illusion.” They ended the concert with two encores, the last song being “Renegade.”
On May 28, 2025, Styx announced the release of their 18th album, Circling from Above. If you attend their current tour, you may be able to pick up one of the new albums along with all kinds of merchandise. The current tour runs through October 2026, so don’t miss your chance to see these legends explode on stage.
Here are links to anything and everything you want to know about the legendary Styx:
https://www.facebook.com/styxtheband
https://www.instagram.com/styxtheband
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