Tommy Shaw cuts himself off in conversation as he veers from the topic, “Sorry, I’ve gotten off the subject …”
“No!” we answer. “You ARE the subject.”
A rock star apt to share the unexpected, Shaw has returned to Las Vegas with the enduring rock band Styx for another series at The Venetian Theatre. The band is playing the triple-platinum release “Pieces of Eight” in its entirety.
The 1978 album is flanked by the band’s many classics, among them “You’re Fooling Yourself” “Blue Collar Man” and “Renegade.” Styx plays this weekend, through Wednesday and finishing Jan. 30-31 (info at Ticketmaster.com and VenetianLasVegas.com).
Highlights from our Friday chat with Shaw, hours before the band unleashed “Pieces of Eight” at the onetime Phantom Theatre:
He lives in a house once owned by Donna Summer. Shaw moved into the home in Nashville about 12 years ago, purchasing the property from Summer’s family after the disco legend died in 2012.
“She had a door set up, that when you press on it, you could go downstairs and that was her beauty shop where all of her clothes were, and she put in a wooden floor for dancing,” Shaw says. “We love Donna. Her spirit is there. You can absolutely feel her. She had a room upstairs that was turned it into a exercise room, and we use it for massages and that kind of stuff. It’s the highest room in this house. And we just love it.”
He was a ‘remedial’ reader as a kid. Shaw grew up in Montgomery, Alabama, where he says, “I didn’t even know what ‘narcissism’ meant until I joined a rock band.”
“I just I wanted to play music, and that’s, that’s what I did,” Shaw says. “I was in remedial reading school, but I was not a good reader. I filled my life with music. It’s only know that I’ve become an avid reader, to be honest. I’m reading like crazy.”
Shaw buys the physical books (he’s in a Kindle-free world), sometimes picking up new tomes at the airport. His current recommendations are “Immortal” by Sue Lynn Tan, “The Uncool,” rock filmmaker Cameron Crowe’s memoir; and “Who Knew,” by billionaire Fox co-founder Barry Diller.
There is a sibling in the band now. Bassist/ Terry Gowan joined in 2024. He’s the younger brother of keyboard and vocal great Lawrence Gowan.
“Well, Lawrence is a magnificent person and trustworthy and so talented,” Shaw says. “He’s the guy, of all the people I can think of, you would feel OK with your, your most prized possession. And his younger brother, he’s a music director himself, and God, these guys are just such serious musicians. I think you’re going to love this version of the band.”
Styx is still a small band. The band’s core is made up of longtime members Shaw, Lawrence Gowan, James “J.Y.” Young, original bassist Chuck Panozzo (who still plays select segments in the live show), longtime drummer Todd Sucherman and guitarist/vocalist Will Evankovich.
“The music bonds us and brings us all together, and we love it,” Shaw says. “It don’t want to call Styx a brand, because it’s always been a bunch of guys who are kind of there, who wouldn’t know what else to do but make music. Maybe J.Y would call it a brand (laughs) because he’s got a big brain.
“But yeah, Styx is a band. We just love to play, we love to write, we love to record and we love to do things like we’re doing now.”
Your VegasVille Moments
I saw two performances of Roy Orbison’s “Crying” at separate venues Thursday night.
The first was at Terry Fator’s performance at South Point Showroom, as the ventriloquial icon worked with the puppet Winston the Impersonating Turtle. The second was by Bucky Heard at Italian American Club Showroom, at the premiere of his new album “Breathless.”
Righteous Brothers co-founder Bill Medley joined Heard on stage for “Good Golly Miss Molly,” Stephanie Calvert crushed with “Over The Rainbow.” Then it was a swing through Nicholas Cole’s vintage lounge show on a night packed with live entertainment.
Those venues were packed. Fator sold abut 375 tickets at $40 a pop. One of those in attendance was hospitality legend and resort owner Michael Gaughan, seeing Fator perform for the first time.
Heard’s show was $75, buffet dinner included, with a capacity 220 in the showroom. Also, we had complimentary table visits from IAC GM Ben Spano.
Free parking at both places, legends everywhere. You can find value if you look, folks.
Cool Hang Alert
“The Happy Hours,” a new Millennial /Gen X nightclub, premieres 7-11 p.m. Saturday at Ken Henderson’s Notoriety Live at Neonopolis. this is a DJ spinning favorites from the 1980s, ’90s and 2000s. This is for folks who would rather leave a club at 11 p.m. than arrive at midnight. Tickets in advance are $12, or $18 at the door, all to support Positively Arts. This is a monthly launch, with the plan to go weekly depending on demand. Go to notorietylive.com for intel.
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at [email protected]. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.