The packed crowd was adorned with Styx shirts that spanned across decades. There was barely an empty seat in the house, with fans fervently awaiting the band’s first performance in Halifax since the 1980’s. I was expecting a solid rock and roll show, but I was not expecting the amount of energy the Styx brought to their show. With high kicks and stage antics aplenty, I could barely keep up with the energy within this band. Their setlist was stacked with fan favourites, including “Too Much Time On My Hands”, “A Criminal Mind”, and “Come Sail Away.” Lawrence Gowan, who rocked his keyboard on a swivel mount, took a moment halfway through their set to introduce the band, one of whom is his younger brother Terry on bass. Each member got their own standing ovation. It was incredible to see such an outpouring of love for one of the great rock bands I’ve ever seen. We were also treated to a few appearances of Chuck Panozzo, the band’s co-founder and original bassist, first joining the band to play “Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)” and closing out the show with them in an encore for the song “Renegade.”

I knew having the Styx in Halifax would be a special night, but I wasn’t prepared for how enthralling their show would be. It was an amazing night of classic rock that brought together lifelong fans and created new ones. Haligonians will be definitely be talking about this show for months to come.