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Chicago @ Red Butte Garden 8/4/09
Live Shows
(Click for video)
As anyone who knew me as a kid I LOVE this band! There is no band or musical artist that thrilled and seduced me as much as a
youngster than Chicago. My first exposure to Chicago was when my father bought a brand new '73 Osmobile Toronado which came
with a complimentary 8-track tape. One of the songs on the tape (it was a mix of several artists) was "Make Me Smile," arguably there
most notable early hit. I was mesmerized from my first listen. Already a big fan of a variety of music at the ripe old age of 8 years old, I
had never heard anything like "Make Me Smile." Great rockin' guitar, bluesy vocals, and several sections of soaring horns made for a
really unique sound! I've been a Chicago fan ever since. Over the next 8 years or so I purchased every Chicago album (13 total by
then), covered my bedroom walls with Chicago posters, and memorized most every chorus, verse, and riff Chicago had ever recorded.

I also had to deal with the surreal experience of being notified of the death of Chicago's guitarist and heart/soul Terry Kath in 1977.
Terry's death changed Chicago and it's sound forever, and truth be told, I've never been able to fully accept just how tragic his untimely
death was. Besides the beautiful  blending of rock and jazz via it's energetic horn section, there is nothing that Chicago did better than
produce grinding, bluesy, soulful ROCK music when Terry's guitar and vocals were being featured. For those who think of Chicago as
the soft-rock/romantic ballad band, it's important for me to insist that "MY" Chicago (prior to Terry's death), despite it's similar
personnel lineup, has very little in terms of sound with the sappy love-song Chicago so many associate with the vocals of Peter Cetera
and there hits from the early '80s. By the time Chicago had entered the love ballad era of their career I had already been a hard core
fan for several years, so despite not being thrilled at the direction they were taking post-Kath I continued to buy their albums and hope
for an eventual return to a grittier rock and horn based form. Unfortunately, that was never to be realized. Instead, Peter Cetera ended
up permanently leaving the band in the mid-80's in order to pursue a solo career that the sappy, love song machine he had created  
had now made possible. Danny Seraphine, Chicago's life-long drummer also quite the band during this time. Although Chicago still
was now left with 4 or it's original 7 members, the band was now merely a faint shadow of it's former self.

Just a couple of years before Chicago's ultimate decent into superficial pop I was able to see my childhood musical idols in concert. It
was the summer of 1983. Chicago played what was then called 'Symphony Hall' (now 'Abravanel Hall') and I was able to secure a
center seat on the second row. I took my then girlfriend Alison Tucker with me and had an almost surreal experience while watching
these guys who I had listened to so intensely for so many years play an entire concert mere feet in front of me. What a thrill! But the
concert itself was not the only highlight that night. Even more thrilling was finding a way to meet the band after the show.

Once the show was over I was determined to at least give myself a chance of meeting (or seeing up close) some of the band members
as they left the venue. Alison and I waited near the backstage doors and driveways well after the show had ended. I suspected that my
chance of actually seeing any of the guys was terribly small. I also figured that even if I did sneak a peak of the band members leaving
the building it would be brief and from a distance. You can only imagine then my astonishment when the band members emerged from
one of the back doors, carrying their own garment bags and small suitcases and approached a couple of modest looking rental cars
right next to where we were standing! No one else was around and I felt I had been struck partially dumb and mute. Because of this
state of mind (and the fact that it happened almost 30 years ago!) I can't really say exactly what was said, but the guys were surprisingly
relaxed and casual with us.

We spoke for several minutes as they gathered up their things and loaded their cars. There were a couple of guys who weren't with
them in the parking lot, including James Pankow and Lee Loughnane. But the guys we met were super cool and relaxed. They seemed
happy doing their thing, something they had been very successful at doing for a long time by then. It was all quite a thrill for me and
Alison at the time. This was just before they were to break big AGAIN with the following year's release "Chicago XXXVI," the album
that would set their ballad, love song laden, Pete Cetera driven "'80s" sound.  I lost interest in Chicago's output quickly at this point, but
always holding a special place in my heart for them and the influence they had on me during the '70s.

I was in line up at Red Butte Gardens by 4:00. It was very sunny and quite hot. Luckily a guy next to me had a huge beach umbrella
which he invited me to share. Tee, Kurt, and Anne met me about 30 mins before the gates opened. We were able to secure a good
spot and had an amazing spread of drinks and food. It's always great at this venue to be able to drink and snack at will throughout the
show!
It was particularly nice to have Kurt there because he is such a big and knowledgeable fan of early Chicago music. We've talked
many times about Chicago in detail and I've always been surprised that his level of passion for their earlier output is equal to mine! It
was also great to have Tee there so that she could see my boyhood heroes along side me. The only problem with that was that as
the show progressed she became irritated with how much I commented on the various songs, band members, and history of the
band. She basically told me to "shut up." I felt bad when I realized how irritated she had become. My bad.

The band sounded great, though it was difficult at times for me to really relate to the band as being "Chicago" due to the addition of
some younger replacement members over the years. At the same time, the guy who replaced Peter Cetera many years ago (I forget
his name) really is a great asset. It was also nice to see Bill Chaplin still playing with the band, though he became a member at the
time Chicago was diving headlong into sappy ballad land.

As for the playlist, I really can't complain. I was fully prepared for having to endure the poppy love songs of the early 80's (If You Leave
Me Now, Hard Habit To Break, You're The Inspiration, Hard To Say I'm Sorry), so they weren't so torturous when they came up. But
fortunately they also gave us some generous servings of earlier, jazz/horn oriented tunes (Questions 67 and 68, Wake Up Sunshine,
Stone of Sysiphus, Call On Me, Beginnings), along with a few grittier rock numbers (CTR, Make Me Smile, 25 or 6 to 4). I was also
pleased with the length of the show, with the total number of songs at 23! We certainly felt we had gotten our money's worth!
It was a lot of fun seeing these guys after so many years. I truly enjoyed the show, the atmosphere, and the company. It brought back
great memories, and allowed me to see up close and personal how my favorite boyhood band has fared after all these many years.
That being said, I think I could easily go another many years without being too tempted to plop down $65 to see them again. I wish
them continued success (they deserve it), but I've accepted the fact that the music they made which truly inspired me as a kid is now
well and truly a part of the past.