Chicago Live in Concert...Saturday, May 18, 2019...at U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids. This concert was originally scheduled to take place outdoors at McGrath Amphitheatre, but due to impending bad weather, it has been moved indoors at U.S. Cellular Center.
Hailed as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era” by former President Bill Clinton, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, came in at #4, the highest charting American band in the chart’s history, in Billboard Magazine’s recent Top Bands And Duos. And Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six consecutive decades.
More than 40 years after its debut, Chicago II still sounds like nothing else. Released in 1970, Chicago’s second album brims with confidence and inspiration as it draws on everything from orchestral music to heavy rock. It spawned a trio of Top Ten hits, and the timeless classic has been remastered to reveal unprecedented clarity and definition. For the first time a new stereo remix, created by British musician and producer Steven Wilson from the 16-track multi-track tapes, made it possible to bring out elements that were muffled or submerged in the mix. The result is a new stereo version of CHICAGO II that boasts clearness, punch and definition that it didn’t have before. It has recently been released by Rhino Records on CD and vinyl.
Chicago’s newest record of new studio tracks, “NOW” CHICAGO XXXVI, was released on Frontiers Records. It includes eleven brand new songs, recorded on the road. Chicago has built a new recording system that is flexible, portable, powerful and musical. This new “recording rig” travels with the band. They have even created an online collaboration portal that allows even more performances to be worked on around the clock from remote locations. The CD package is a six-panel digipack with a beautiful 16-page full color lyric booklet.
Chicago have toured every year since the beginning – they’ve never missed a year. The original four band members are Robert Lamm on keyboards and vocals, Lee Loughnane on trumpet and vocals, James Pankow on trombone and Walt Parazaider on woodwinds. The band line-up also includes Wally Reyes, Jr. on drums, Keith Howland on guitar and vocals, Lou Pardini on keyboards and vocals, Ray Herrmann on sax and flute, Neil Donell on vocals, Brett Simons on bass and Ramon “Ray” Yslas on percussion.
From the signature sound of the Chicago horns, their iconic Vocalists, and a few dozen of ever-Classic Songs, this band’s concerts are celebrations. 2019 marks the band’s 52nd consecutive year of touring, without missing a single concert date!