Chicago band | Scene and Heard

Chicago & REO Speedwagon Set to Launch Co-Headlining Summer 2014 Tour

Posted in Entertainment by sceneandheardblog on January 14, 2014

RIVERBEND MUSIC CENTER

AUGUST 13, 2014

Tickets on sale January 17 at 10am

CINCINNATI, OH (January 13, 2014) – Legendary rock bands, REO Speedwagon and Chicago, announced today they will kick off a co-headlining tour this summer. The 15-date summer tour will take the bands through major metropolitan areas across the United States including a stop in Cincinnati, OH at Riverbend Music Center on Wednesday, August 13 at 7:30pm.

Tickets for the Cincinnati show, $37.50* – $87.50* Reserved Pavilion, $26.00* General Admission Lawn and $79.00* Lawn 4-Packs, go on sale to the public beginning 10am on Friday, January 17 at www.Ticketmaster.com, www.Riverbend.org, and all Ticketmaster outlets including select Kroger stores. Charge by phone at 800.745.3000.

SPECIAL $10* LAWN TICKET OFFER – ON SALE WEEKEND ONLY: A limited number of $10* Lawn tickets will be available beginning 10am on Friday, January 17^th thru 11:59am on Sunday, January 19^th.

*All tickets include parking and are subject to applicable fees. No refunds or exchanges. All events rain or shine. $10 Lawn tickets available during the on sale weekend only and while supplies last.

Citi® cardmembers will have access to presale tickets beginning Wednesday, January 15 at 10:00 AM local time through Citi’s Private Pass® Program. For complete presale details, visit www.citiprivatepass.com. All presales end at 10:00 PM EST on Thursday, January 16.

“It’s ironic, that these two legendary bands, who both have roots in Illinois, were label-mates (Columbia/Epic) in the 70’s, and experienced waves of immense success in the 80’s and 90’s, and have somehow continued to consistently make compelling music, both in-studio and on tour…. have never before performed together!” says Chicago’s Robert Lamm. “This situation is about to change, as Chicago and REO will perform together during the concert’s encore and present a finale that will thrill their audiences. As a musician who has always respected REO’s skills, I look forward to our first rehearsals early this summer. This will be fun!”

“With so many personal connections between various members of REO and Chicago, it is amazing that we have never actually toured together. I love it that the Chicago guys feel the way we do about truly playing together when you tour together,” says REO Speedwagon’s Kevin Cronin. “Can you imagine the Chicago horn section on ‘Roll With the Changes’? That would blow my mind! This tour promises to deliver some unique music from two bands who have made a ton of hit records, share that Midwest work ethic, and still refuse to sit back on their past accomplishments. We both keep raising the bar, challenging ourselves, and rocking hard… and the audience is the ultimate winner. We are psyched… I can’t wait for this tour.”

About Chicago

Hailed as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era” by President Bill Clinton, the legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six decades.

In March of 2013, Chicago’s multi-platinum two-disc bestseller, The Very Best Of Chicago, Only The Beginning charted at #1 on two Billboard charts: the Catalog Chart, and the Digital Catalog chart. In Billboard Magazine’s list of Top 100 artists of all time, Chicago came in at #13, the highest charting American band. Chicago will be performing on the GRAMMY stage for the first time in 2014, and their album The Chicago Transit Authority was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame this year.

Formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, the group produced a steady stream of hits Formed in 1967 in Chicago, Illinois, the group has produced a steady stream of hits throughout their career, including “25 or 6 to 4”, “Saturday In The Park”, “Hard Habit To Break”, “If You Leave Me Now” & many more. Lifetime achievements include a Grammy Award, multiple American Music Awards, a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, a Chicago street dedicated in their honor, and keys to and proclamations from an impressive list of US cities. Record sales top the 100,000,000 mark, and include 21 Top 10 singles, 5 consecutive Number One albums, 11 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles.

The line-up includes original band members Robert Lamm on keyboards, vocals, Lee Loughnane on trumpet, James Pankow on trombone and Walt Parazaider on woodwinds, as well as Jason Scheff on bass, vocals, Tris Imboden on drums, Keith Howland on guitar, Lou Pardini on keyboards, vocals and Wally Reyes 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. The band is now in their 46th consecutive year of touring, without missing a single concert date!

Chicago continue to be true ambassadors for their beloved hometown, carrying the city’s name with pride and dignity around the world. Chicago is currently recording new songs. Fans are being offered clips of works in progress on the band’s website, www.chicagotheband.com.

About REO Speedwagon

Formed in 1967, signed in 1971, and fronted by Kevin Cronin since 1972, REO SPEEDWAGON has rocked to the top of the charts with a RIAA-certified 22 million albums sold in the U.S., 40 million around the globe, and a string of gold and platinum records. The group’s nine-times certified platinum Hi Infidelity spent 15 weeks in the #1 slot. Thirty–plus years later, Cronin and bandmates Bruce Hall (bass), Neal Doughty (keyboards), Dave Amato (lead guitar) and Bryan Hitt (drums) are still electrifying concert audiences across the nation. Live at Moondance Jam – the band’s hit-filled performance from the country’s premier classic rock festival, was released in both a Blu-ray and a deluxe edition (containing a CD and DVD in a glossy digipak) on November 19^th. REO unveiled the band’s “Great Chicago Fire Hydrant” as part of a citywide Chicago public art installation project to benefit the 100 Club Chicago. Recently, REO SPEEDWAGON and STYX organized Rock To The Rescue Extends A Hand To Those In Need, a benefit concert to raise funds for central Illinois communities that were affected by the recent devastating tornadoes. This concert raised in excess of $400,000 and REO Speedwagon continues to raise funds for Rock To The Rescue at headlining shows in the Midwest.

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Tagged with: Chicago band, R E O Speedwagon, Riverbend Music center

Chicago returns to The Louisville Palace

Posted in Entertainment by sceneandheardblog on December 11, 2011

Chicago

In 1970, I suffered the most tragic event in my young life when I went to view the list posted for our school basketball team and found my name was not on it. I had spent up to that time, my ever waking minute playing sports and dreaming of even playing pro sports when I grew up. In my mind there was some question about would I make the starting line up, but had no thoughts about not making the team period!

I had a few other hobbies such as catching critters and riding mini bikes and I always followed music ever since my parents let me purchase the Beatles first album a few years earlier.

I was permitted to join the Columbia Music Record Club, which allowed me to get twelve free albums for only a penny and a commitment to buy several more in the next year.

I can’t remember all my choices but my favorites were “The Jimi Hendrix Experience”, “Grand Funk Railroad” and Chicago.

Since my sports career ended abruptly, I turned to music and began attending concerts before I could drive. The third concert I ever attended was Chicago at Freedom Hall in July of 1970. It cost me $6.00 and totally entrenched me in live music for the rest of my life.

Chicago was one of the first bands to fuse rock with brass instruments (Blood Sweat and Tears was the other) and aside from a few mellow songs, like my later prom theme ,”Color My World” they were mostly rock and jazz.

The original band featured Terry Kath an excellent guitar player who also sang many early songs for the group. In 1978, Kath died of an accidental, self inflicted gun shot wound playing russian roulette with a gun he thought was not loaded.

Bassist Peter Cetera began writing and singing lead on many of the bands albums and the music direction of the band shifted to more of a pop sound. Cetera left in 1985 to pursue a solo career.

Despite the personnel changes over the years, the group is still active four decades after its founding. They are one of the few major rock groups that have never broken up or even taken an extended hiatus. As of June 2010, four of the six surviving founding members (major songwriters Lamm and Pankow, plus Loughnane and Parazaider) remain providing continuity, while Jason Scheff has been with the band 25 years, Tris Imboden 20 years, and Keith Howland 15 years.

Many years have past since I first saw Chicago but when they visited The Louisville Palace on Wednesday evening the band proved that they are still a musical machine filled with experience and excitement. The entertained the nearly full venue with songs from every album adding four Christmas songs to the set for the holidays.

Although I lean to the earlier hits from the band, it was hard not to enjoy the pop numbers as the audience joined the band sing and dancing on most song choruses.

All songs sounded fresh with the encore, “25 to 6 to 4” highlighting a great show.

It was a special night filled with memories for the crowd, a majority of baby boomers.

My son and his fiancee attended surrounded by their parents, both of which grew up fans of Chicago. As we were leaving I was asked me, ”Dad do you remember when you gave me my first guitar? The only thing you could play was the first few chords of “Smoke on the Water” and “25 to 6 to 4”! “I can’t hear this song without thing that”.

It was the only guitar I ever learned but at least I taught him to love music and know a great song even if it’s for the wrong reason!