Chicago Proves It Still Has the Magic After Nearly Six Decades
The lyrics of Chicago’s “Colour My World”, written in 1970 by original member James Pankow and sung on the album by the late Terry Kath, are an idyllic representation of how many long-time Chicago fans feel about the current status of their relationship with the band.
Way back, almost sixty years ago, before they chose the name ‘Chicago’, ‘The Big Thing’ was formed. It then became ‘Chicago Transit Authority’ in 1968 after a move to Los Angeles. Later, with attorneys sinking their teeth into a lawsuit from the real CTA, the band renamed itself ‘Chicago’ in 1969. Of the original seven members, only one remained on tour: Lee Loughnane on trumpet.
Social media is abuzz with the question of whether it is really Chicago on tour or simply a fancified cover band with one original member. Ah, the beauty of social media! If we had nothing else to argue about, surely we could find something new by scrolling through the pages of Facebook or Instagram.
Well, let the arguments fly, as Mr. Loughnane informed the crowd at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion that Chicago had toured every year for the past 59 years, only slowing down slightly in 2020 during the worst of the COVID pandemic. Show me a cover band with that kind of longevity!
Their show, which was part of a co-headlining tour with fellow rock stalwarts Styx, was clearly welcomed by the full house in Camden, New Jersey, where they played 25 songs, including such old hits as “Colour My World”, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is”, “Old Days”, “Just You ‘n’ Me”, “Saturday in the Park” and “Feeling Stronger Every Day”.
Horns have always been a signature part of the Chicago sound and remained so, with Nick Lane providing much joy and many smiles as he slid his trombone and interacted with Loughnane, the other players on stage, as well as saxophonist Ray Herrmann.
Lane, Herrmann and Loughnane continued the fine tradition established almost 60 years ago by offering listeners a bright, cheerful and distinctive musical approach alongside the typical guitar of Tony Obrohta, bass of Eric Baines and drums of Walfredo Reyes Jr. that define rock ‘n’ roll.
Rounding out the rest of the band were Justin Avery on keyboards, Rudy Cardenas on vocals, Ramon Yslas on percussion and Carlos Murguia on keyboards. The latter two musicians delivered a fiery percussion and drum solo towards the end of the show.
Also joining Chicago for this tour was The CoverGirls Violin Show, Chicago-based musicians who are described on their website as “Part Rock. Part Runway. All Talent.” They initially came out wearing brilliant shimmering magenta dresses and later changed into apparel representing Chicago’s local sports teams. Frankly, it was hard to hear the strings above the horns, but their addition did add a bit of fun and mirth to the proceedings.
The audience was treated to a two-song encore, featuring a hot and funky “Free” and a rousing “25 or 6 to 4”, which, by the way, is not a reference to drugs, a rumor that got the song banned in Singapore in 1970. Nor was it the odds at a horse race that cost a band member a fair chunk of money. It was something much simpler: the time in the wee hours of the morning that songwriter and band member Robert Lamm saw on the clock while trying to write the new song. Funny how rumors got started back then without the help of the Internet.
One last item to note: Chicago Transit Authority was playing as the house band at the famous Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles when a famous musician saw them, was so impressed with what he heard that he asked them to join him on tour, and the rest is rock and roll history. That famous musician was none other than Jimi Hendrix.
Photos (c) David Fang
