Chicago is as much a force of nature as it is a band. That’s the feeling I got after seeing the “legendary rock and roll band with horns” for the first time the other night. Now, I’ve been a lover of the music of Chicago throughout my life, their hits are many: “Saturday in the Park,” “You’re the Inspiration,” “If You Leave Me Now,” “Hard Habit to Break” to name a few at the top of my head.
Chicago is celebrating 55 years
Founding Chicago members Robert Lamm (keyboard/vocals), James Pankow (trombone) and Lee Loughnane (trumpet) have kept quite a momentum. Consider that Chicago is celebrating an incredible 55 years of touring and recording. Try to think of American rock bands in that ballpark of longevity. Of course there’s the Beach Boys. Little Feat and Eagles come to mind, although they took significant breaks. Chicago is in very good and exclusive company.
Billboard Magazine cited Chicago as the highest charting band on their “Top 125 Artists of All Time.” They’re also the first American rock and roll band to chart Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades. In 2016, Chicago was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Chicago performed at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center
On a warm May evening in South Carolina, I had the opportunity to finally see Chicago, along with a packed house at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center. The audience was as energized as the band, which is saying a lot. There were all ages present. As founding member James Pankow told the crowd: people of all ages come up to him and tell him that they grew up with his music. He quipped: “Me too, man!”
The energy of the band is unparalleled
Now, The first set was very enjoyable, and as I would learn, compared to the second set a more mellow experience . I guess you could call me “the uninitiated.” Little did I know, the musicians were only getting warmed up. I’ve seen many acts famous for putting on a high energy show, you name ‘em. But, Chicago? Chicago surpassed all of them.
I was already satisfied when they finished the first set to take a 20-minute intermission. Nobody was late getting back to their seats though. The second set was unrelenting intensity. I could see the look on almost everyone’s face, because it was pretty much a completely unmasked crowd. The band really brought the celebration.
The band perform at the highest level
Including the founding members, the band is 10 musicians strong. The Lead vocalist Neil Donell was outstanding. Ray Hermann (saxophone and flute), Walfredo Reyes, Jr. (drums), Ramon Yslas (percussion), Loren Gold (keyboard/vocals), Tony Obrohta (guitar/vocals) and Eric Baines (bass, vocals) all performed at the highest level.
Every time I thought the vigor of the show was going to come down, the melody of the next song would get a rise out of the audience. That’s what’s incredible about Chicago’s music. Just a couple of seconds into the song, you know what it is.
The band has big plans
I left the show with a smile, and I look forward to seeing them again. There was good news disclosed that night. Chicago will be touring all over the place with the Beach Boys this summer. Now, that’s not a show to miss. They also announced a new album with original songs coming out.
There is a strong bond between band and the fans
What was my biggest takeaway from seeing Chicago? Gratitude. Of course, I felt grateful to see such a great, storied band perform. But the gratitude coming from Chicago to the crowd was heartfelt and in great abundance. James Pankow described what goes on between songwriter and listener as a “commune.”
The musicians in Chicago made sure to point out that there’s more on the way and no signs of slowing down. In addition to the upcoming record, there will be more shows of their classic songs.
Seeing Chicago is an inspiring experience
What’s one word that summed up the night? To borrow a word from their hit song “You’re the Inspiration,” I would say: “Inspiration.”
And, it was contagious. From band to audience, from the audience to the band. I walked away feeling inspired. Some of you who have seen the band know exactly what I mean.
