Photos by AJ Roccaforte

The classic rock groups who were the latest to land on the sizable stage of the BMO Center in Rockford, Styx and Loverboy, are certainly no strangers to one other.

Not only did they recently finish a short tour together after crossing paths many times since the 1970s, but Loverboy was also on the bill for the first-annual “Rockin’ In Paradise With Styx + Friends” that took place in Florida this fall.

Kicking off the crowded show was Loverboy, featuring front man Mike Reno gliding through an hour-long, nine-song set of classics with ease. 

“Notorious” and “Lucky Ones” were amongst the well-known earlier tunes, while “Turn Me Loose” and “Working For The Weekend” brought it all to a climatic close, the latter of which was an especially solid choice for a Friday night.

Headliners Styx greeted the crowd shortly thereafter, opening with “Build And Destroy,” a sturdy new single off its latest and eighteenth overall studio album, “Circling From Above.”

Another tune off the already popular project, “Michigan,” was sprinkled amongst Styx’s 16 tracks about halfway into the evening, though the rest was dedicated to the radio anthems that vaulted the Chicago-bred band to fame. 

Styx is currently made up of the Windy City’s own founding member/guitarist James “JY” Young, guitarist and vocalist Tommy Shaw, keyboardist and vocalist Lawrence Gowan, Lincolnwood native/drummer Todd Sucherman, guitarist Will Evankovich and bassist Terry Gowan, who is the newest addition and younger brother of Lawerence.

Together, they tore through “Too Much Time on My Hands” and “The Grand Illusion” as part of an exhilarating entrance, alongside such later signatures as “Lady,” “Lorelei,” “Miss America,” “Crystal Ball” and “Blue Collar Man.”

An encore of “Mr. Roboto” and “Renegade” included plenty of participation from the excited crowd, plus November 14th was the perfect day for the guys to return home considering it just so happened to be Young’s 76th birthday.

Fans even got to join Styx in singing “Happy Birthday,” accompanied by a candlelit cake being brought out, yet it truly turned out to be a gift for everyone and will hopefully hold them over until the legends return to the area on April 16, 2026 at the Blue Gate Theatre in Shipshewana, Indiana.

For additional information on Styx and Loverboy, visit StyxWorld.com and LoverboyBand.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at the BMO Center include Gabriel Iglesias (Nov. 22); The Harlem Globetrotters (Dec. 29); Disney On Ice: “Frozen” & “Encanto” (Jan. 29-Feb. 1); Nate Bargatze (Feb. 19); Hot Wheels Monster Trucks (Mar. 6-8) and MercyMe (Mar. 21). For additional details, visit BMOCenter.ASMRockford.com.

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