Dennis DeYoung is one of the greatest vocalists in the history of music, and he’s currently on tour performing one of the best rock albums of all time – The Grand Illusion by STYX – in its entirety, along with a handful of classics fans know and love. I attended his recent concert in Philadelphia and it was excellent. From start to finish, it was a tour de force of musicianship and showmanship.

The night kicked off with “The Grand Illusion,” followed by the seven subsequent tracks on this timeless album, including “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man),” “Miss America,” “Castle Walls,” and, STYX’s most famous song, “Come Sail Away.” Dennis told the crowd that the first act was going to be the album, The Grand Illusion, from start to finish without him talking in between songs. The fans ate this up. Having the chance to see Dennis’ band perform deep cuts like “Superstars,” “Man In The Wilderness,” “The Grand Finale,” and the aforementioned tracks, resulting in numerous standing ovations.

The second act kicked off with “Lorelei,” followed by a keyboard solo that went into “Blue Collar Man (Long Nights).” The hits kept coming with “Lady,” “Mr. Roboto,” “Too Much Time On My Hands,” and “Babe.” Showing that his voice is still as magnificent as ever, Dennis performed the gorgeous “Suite Madame Blue” as only he can. This was followed by “The Best Of Times,” “A.D. 1958,” and “The End.”

For the encore, fans were treated to a blistering guitar solo that went into “Renegade,” followed by a reprise of “Come Sail Away” that had the entire audience on its feet singing along in blissful delight.Dennis DeYoung always puts on an excellent show, which is why I’ve seen him numerous times and continue to do so. He surrounds himself with the best musicians and puts on a show like no other, and this tour is one of his best. Don’t miss it.