The Best of Times: Styx and Chicago Sail into a Sold-Out Allstate Arena

It's not easy to sell out the Allstate Arena. But when two chart-topping bands return to town for a hometown show, a packed house is almost guaranteed.

Styx and Chicago brought their appropriately named "Windy Cities" tour to Rosemont on August 1st, uniting the two Chicago-born bands for their first-ever co-headlining tour.

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With decades of hits between them, the pairing felt less like a standard concert bill and more like a homecoming celebration for two groups that helped place the city's unmistakable stamp on rock history.

Styx delivered the kind of powerful, guitar-driven performance that has made the band a staple of arena rock for decades. With soaring vocals, muscular guitar work, and a commanding stage presence, the group brought plenty of energy to Rosemont on Saturday night.

Their performance felt focused, confident, and unmistakably rock 'n' roll, reminding the hometown crowd why Styx continues to command major stages around the country.

Chicago offered a noticeably different experience, filling the stage with a larger ensemble of musicians and a rich, layered sound. The band's signature horn section, multiple vocalists, keyboards, percussion, and rhythm section created an almost big-band atmosphere while maintaining the rock, soul, and jazz influences that have always defined its music.

The contrast between the two performances became one of the evening's greatest strengths. Styx supplied the power and theatrical energy of classic arena rock, while Chicago delivered a sweeping, brass-driven performance built around the chemistry of its accomplished ensemble.

There was no grand illusion about it: for one sold-out Saturday night in Rosemont, Styx and Chicago made the old Rosemont Horizon feel like paradise again.

Photos by AJ Roccaforte.