Styx and Foreigner rock The Woodlands

Two of rock music's most iconic bands delivered red hot performances in the Texas summer heat this past weekend in the Houston-area.

Styx and Foreigner delivered what can only be described as a marathon of music and memories this past Saturday (June 22, 2024) at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands. The co-headlining trek across the U.S. by these two legendary acts gave fans all of the hits they could handle in one astounding night.

Styx was the closing act this night and had to follow a red-hot Foreigner performance that left fans screaming for more. The band set the tone early that this was going to be a energetic show with the opening track "The Grand Illusion," which was followed by "Too Much Time on My Hands."

The Styx setlist for The Woodlands featured several of the big radio hits that all fans might expect, but it offered a couple of nice surprises too with the songs "Lady" and "Best of Times," both of which were received with roaring approval from the audience.

The group also delivered some new music with a performance of the title track from its 2021 release, "Crash of the Crown," while guitarist and vocalist Tommy Shaw led an audience participation segment singing "Deep in the Heart of Texas" prior to performing "Fooling Yourself."

The band built up momentum perfectly toward the end of the set, as every person in the venue was standing for the final three songs, "Come Sail Away," "Mr. Roboto" and "Renegade." It was definitely a show to remember judging from the roar of approval given by the loyal fans in attendance.

Foreigner brought its farewell tour to the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion for the second time in just under one year and this performance was even better than the last.

Like Styx, Foreigner has so many hit songs that it is hard to choose what songs to perform and what songs to omit on any given night. However, since this is a co-headlining tour and time is at a premium, less time means less songs to perform.

Despite that obstacle, the men in Foreigner delivered a sizzling 10-song, 70 minute set that was nothing short of fantastic.

Vocalist Kelly Hansen and company opened the concert just minutes before 8 p.m., with the song "Double Vision." They then moved on to other well-known tracks like "Head Games" and "Cold as Ice," while bassist, Jeff Pilson, and guitarists, Bruce Watson and Luis Maldonado, expertly worked the crowd during each song.

There was no shortage of hit songs, only a shortage of the time the band could perform, and Foreigner made every moment count with songs "Dirty White Boy" and "Urgent."

The first encore featured an assist from the Montgomery Madrigals choir from Montgomery High School on the song "I Want to Know What Love Is" and the second encore was the huge rock hit, "Hot Blooded."

Foreigner may be on a farewell tour, but this group is still a true rock and roll machine on stage and the fans knew it.

The opening act for the evening was veteran musician John Waite and his band. The British-born, but now American citizen Waite started his set a few minutes early in order to get some extra time in on stage and the fans responded accordingly.

Waite touched on nearly every segment of his career, which included songs "Midnight Rendezous" and "Back on My Feet Again" from his time with The Babys, "Missing You" from his solo career and "When I See You Smile" and "Best of What I Got" from Bad English.

Waite and his band concluded the brief 40-minute set with a smoking rendition of Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" that just oozed sex appeal and pure attitude.

Styx setlist

The Grand Illusion

Too Much Time on My Hands

Lady

Lorelei

Crash of the Crown

Miss America

Rockin' the Paradise

Blue Collar Man

Best of Times

Fooling Yourself (Angry Young Man)

Come Sail Away

Mr. Roboto

Renegade

Foreigner setlist

Double Vision

Head Games

Cold as Ice

Waiting For a Girl Like You

Dirty White Boy

Feels Like the First Time

Urgent

(drum solo)

Juke Box Hero

I Want to Know What Love Is

Hot Blooded