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May 8, 2023

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Chicago, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2016, made their nearly annual stop to the Cleveland area on Sunday night.  This time out they were at MGM's Center Stage where they performed before a sold-out crowd.

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Only three members remain from the original seven member outfit.  Robert Lamm (keys, vocals), Lee Loughnane (trumpet) and James Pankow (trombone) have been going at it since 1969's Chicago Transit Authority.

 

The rest of group are all fine musicians in their own right and are keeping the sound of Chicago alive, fifty plus years later.

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The show consisted of two sets.  The first set was mainly comprised of songs from the band's first two records, with a few other hits sprinkled in.

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Songs like "Wake Up Sunshine" and "(I've Been) Searching So Long" brought back a ton of memories from the mostly boomer audience.  

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"If You Leave Me Now" saw Neil Donnell take center stage and show off his high tenor voice.

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Jimmy Pankow and Lee Lougnane addressed the crowd at different times thanking them for coming out and and mentioning that they were still grateful to be playing this music.

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After a twenty minute intermission, the band came out rocking.

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Playing several hits from the '70s such as "Does Anyone Know What Time It is?" and "Old Days" had everyone singing along in their seats.

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A couple of hits from the '80s, "Hard Habit To Break" and "You're The Inspiration" had some couples slow dancing in the aisles. 

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The band invited fans in the first couple of rows to get closer to the stage and help them rock out to "Saturday In The Park" and "Feeling Stronger Everyday" to end their main set.

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Everyone remained on their feet as the band returned to encore with "Free" and the classic "25 or 6 to 4."

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After fifty-four years of being on the road.  The energy of the original three members is tremendous.  All of them are in their mid to late seventies but they show no signs of slowing down.  And after a performance like last night, there is no reason why they should! 

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Review and photos by Greg Drugan

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