7 cool things about the Styx show: Big encore, 'Mr. Roboto,' Tommy Shaw and full moon fun

CANTON − A dazzling and triumphant three-song finale closed out Thursday night's Styx concert at the Stark County Fair.

Smoke billowed from the stage. Guitars, drums and bass reached decibel-throbbing levels. Musicianship was superb. Showmanship was stellar. And the closing trio of "Come Sail Away," "Mr. Roboto" and "Renegade" had fans singing along and clapping as if it were a 1980s arena rock concert.

That is just one of the many cool moments at the Styx show, which drew a big crowd, filling the grandstands and packing the track area in front of the stage.

In recognition of the band's lucky number, here's a look at seven other cool things about the Styx concert in Canton. ('The Grand Illusion,' the band's seventh album, was released in 1977 and launched the group on a string of multi-platinum records).

1. Mr. Roboto shows up!

The fun started before Styx even took the stage.

While checking out the merch booth, I spotted "Mr. Roboto"!

I promptly tracked down the dude behind the mask: Cohlman Arthur, 18, who was toting an improvised replica of the silvery "Mr. Roboto" mask seen in the 1983 MTV video.

So how did a teenager become a mega Styx fan? High school marching band, of course.

"We played 'Come Sail Away' and 'Blue Collar Man,'" Arthur said.

The Cuyahoga Falls resident was at the concert with his mother, Debbie Dingess, 45. And it's not what you'd expect. The teen is the bigger Styx fan of the two, and the son actually got his mom interested in the band.

Asked what he loves about Styx, Arthur answered eagerly: "Really, a lot of it has to do with the lyrics and the rhythms."

2. Tommy Shaw was awesome

The entire Styx seven-piece band was fabulous. Vocalist and singer Lawrence Gowan dazzled the audience with his spinning piano and dance moves. Shiny and glittery guitars powered the progressive rock and pop sound.

But Shaw was especially impressive, looking physically fit and sounding great when he helmed the vocals on multiple songs, including crowd favorites like "Blue Collar Man (Long Nights)," "Too Much Time on My Hands," "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)" and "Renegade."

Shaw's command of the stage was surprisingly understated. And that's high praise. Only occasionally did he veer to the center, instead anchoring one of the far ends of the stage. Other times he roamed the floor briefly or stood at the edge during guitar solos. No matter where he was, the eyes of fans followed.

3. Full moon fever

This was a full moon concert.

Behind the stage, there was a clear view of the lunar orb, perfectly aligned with the drum set, making a cool, crisp late summer night picturesque.

4. Who knew? 'Mr. Roboto' is a romantic.

Something curious happened during the opening of "Mr. Roboto."

Not on stage, but in the crowd. A man pulled his sweetie tight and planted a wet one on her lips, a moment that seemed more fitting for a big ballad like "Lady." But honestly, it was moderately epic in a fun, weird way.

5. Cool piano solo

Gowan is mesmerizing to watch when he plays the piano, his fingers moving feverishly while producing both elegant and spirited sounds.

His brief solo of the 2017 song "Khedive" was a prime example of his piano prowess, the piece reminiscent of classical music.

And Gowan revealed an interesting backstory, telling the audience the song was named after the ship his late father served on during World War II. The crowd roared in response.

"Hear that, dad," Gowan shouted with a grin. "Canton, Ohio's happy!"

6. Pretending to be Styx in the basement

Ronda Moorhead, 55, of Perry Township, was finally seeing Styx again in concert.

She was a teenager the first time. "They were my favorite band," she said with a big smile. "I used to put on concerts in the basement (pretending to be a member of Styx). I made a stage out of plywood on milk cartons."

"I can't believe they're at the Stark County Fairgrounds," Moorhead said of the band.

7. This concert was LOUD

During the Styx show, a friend who lives a few streets from the fairgrounds texted me: "The Styx concert is the loudest ever at the fairgrounds," he wrote. "I'm in my backyard and it's like the lawn at Blossom."

At first I thought it was a bit of an overstatement. Earlier this summer, I attended the Taylor Swift concert at the football stadium in downtown Pittsburgh. The pop sensation set the venue's record with roughly 73,000 fans at a memorably loud show.

A few weeks ago, I attended the Guns N' Roses concert at the baseball stadium in Pittsburgh. Another ear-ringing, banger of a show. Heavy metal.

But midway through the Styx concert, it struck me: My friend was spot on. This was loud, really loud. And my ears were still ringing early the next morning. Not untypical for a rock concert, but considering the size of the venue, and what I would estimate at around 4,000 people, it was a boomer.

Reach Ed at ebalint@gannett.com

On Twitter @ebalintREP

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Styx fans sail away with hit songs at Stark County Fair concert