The Windy Cities Tour rolled into St. Louis with two legendary bands, Chicago and Styx, sharing co-headlining duties for a night packed with decades of hits, powerhouse musicianship and the kind of nostalgia that only comes from artists whose catalogs have become part of the soundtrack of generations.
For me, it was my first time seeing Chicago live, and they did not disappoint.
After 59 years of touring, Chicago is nothing short of a well-oiled machine. Their musicianship was tight, polished and effortless, with those unmistakable horns filling Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre and harmonies that have clearly been perfected through nearly six decades of performing together.
New lead vocalist Rudy Cardenas brought strong stage presence and handled some difficult upper-register vocals with ease, while the brass section kept that classic Chicago sound SHARP, vibrant and unmistakable. And with founding trumpeter Lee Loughnane still leading that powerhouse horn section, the band’s enduring legacy was impossible to miss.
Song after song, Chicago moved through a catalog packed with classics, reminding everyone exactly why they have remained one of the most enduring bands in music history.
Then came Styx.
And as always, they delivered.
There is something about a Styx show that feels both familiar and exciting no matter how many times you have seen them. Tommy Shaw and Lawrence Gowan remain vocal powerhouses, while Gowan’s energetic keyboard playing and theatrical flair continue to be one of the band’s most entertaining live elements.
Styx knows how to give fans exactly what they came for, delivering the favorites while still finding ways to keep things interesting. The band has built a reputation for occasionally digging into deeper cuts and unexpected additions, but the classics are where the crowd truly comes alive.
And somehow, no matter how many times I hear it live, “Mr. Roboto” gets me every single time.
The conversation surrounding this tour may have included opinions about the use of AI generated backgrounds, but honestly, when you have two bands with catalogs and careers like Chicago and Styx, the music overpowers the visuals anyway. We aren’t here for the backgrounds.
We are here for the songs.
And if two bands that have collectively been doing this longer than most critics have been walking the earth want to experiment with AI, video screens or whatever else they feel like incorporating into their production, they have certainly earned the right to do whatever they want.
The music is what remains.
Chicago brought precision, powerhouse harmonies, a vibrant horn section and nearly six decades of timeless songs. Styx brought the energy, theatrics and rock-and-roll spectacle they have perfected over the years.
Two legendary bands. One stage. Decades of music history.
And for one night in St. Louis, the Windy Cities Tour proved that when the songs are this good, the rest is just background.
Melissa O’Rourke aka WickedWitchofSTL is a jack of all trades. By day she’s an established tattooist and piercer, by night a mother to her amazing son (who is a hell of a guitarist). Melissa has a musical background and can often be found at a local karaoke joint, or a concert when she’s not driving across the country for an adventure. This social butterfly always welcomes conversation so come say hi! See y’all at the next gig!
