Day three of the A to Z challenge brings us to the letter “C” and if you guessed Chicago yesterday, you were correct! First a side note to you my faithful followers. In profiling these groups I am not really going to give a history of the band or anything like that. I know during the A to Z some folks can write volumes about their specific topic and that’s wonderful but I also know that not everyone has time to read the whole thing, especially during the heart of the month so I’ve chosen to keep it simple and merely write about the show that I went to and tell the story mostly with pictures and videos I took from that show. The histories, if you are interested, can usually be found on the Internet somewhere.
Now for Chicago. I’ve mentioned that I won the tickets to this concert from a local radio station, no longer in business sadly. As you can imagine, the seats were not very close but the concert bug bit me anyway. I have scrapbooked that first show but the pictures are pretty bad because not only were we far away but my camera at the time was not the best. Still, it’s the memories, right? I can’t quite figure out what my husband was pointing to in that picture. My scrapbooking has evolved from those first pages as well.
I didn’t even get a setlist from that show and we didn’t take a selfie together. Honestly, Huey Lewis was the opening act and we thought he was better than they were. He came out and sang a few songs with them and that was the best part of the show. We actually left before the end. Not too many times we’ve done that. I think we really missed Peter Cetera’s voice.
In 2021 we were excited to get back into the concert scene after having to stay at home through the pandemic year of 2020. Since it was a shortened season at the Mountain Winery there were fewer options for us to choose from and we decided to give Chicago another try. We were significantly closer this time and it turned out to be a really good show. Their lead singer is still not Peter Cetera but he did a passable job and we enjoyed it much more than the first time. They played two sets with an intermission in between.
We decided to see them again last year and we weren’t as thrilled. We didn’t get up and leave early but it definitely made us realize we probably won’t pay to see them again. It may have had to do with the song selection. They were playing two consecutive nights and it seemed to us that they played a lot of songs that we didn’t know, which in reality is not surprising given the extent of their musical catalog. Still, it’s not as much fun when you can’t sing along!
Here’s a video from the 2021 show, part of “Just You And Me,” one of my personal favorites.
Show #1
- Date: 6/9/2006
- Venue: Concord Pavilion, Concord CA
- Artist/Tour: Chicago
- Setlist:
- ?
Show #2
- Date: 9/5/2021
- Venue: Mountain Winery, Saratoga CA
- Artist/Tour: Chicago
- Setlist:
- Questions 67 & 68
- Dialogue
- Wake Up Sunshine
- Call on Me
- I’ve Been Searchin’ So Long
- Mongonucleosis
- If You Leave Me Now
- Look Away
- Make Me Smile
- So Much to. Say, So Much to Give
- Anxiety’s Moment
- West Virginia Fantasies
- Color My World
- To Be Free
- Now More Than Ever
- Alive Again
- Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
- Old Days
- Hard Habit to Break
- You’re The Inspiration
- Beginnings.
- I’m A Man
- Just You ‘n’ Me
- Hard To Say I’m Sorry/Get Away
- Saturday In the Park
- Feelin’ Stronger Every Day
- Free
- 25 or 6 to 4
Show #3
- Date: 8/29/2023
- Venue: Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA
- Artist/Tour: Chicago
- Setlist: ?
I’m really kind of winging it this year. Although I had the bands in mind for each letter and did a draft with the titles, I haven’t added the pictures or written the stories yet. So far I’m able to keep up. Maybe this weekend I’ll try and get a little ahead. It means I haven’t had a chance to check out any new bloggers yet either but I promise I will! Any guesses for who my “D” will be? Hope to see you tomorrow.
Janet's Smiles 
Talking of Chicago it reminds me of our trip to America in 1976/77. I still remember a stylishly dressed young woman dashing out of a record shop with āChicagoāunder her arm. We bought the record as soon as we got home. We arenāt great concert goers but did see āWingsā in the 1970s and saw Paul McCartney again last year when he came to Sydney. We have all grown old but he certainly is an inspiration.
Iām visiting you on the Road Trip.
LikeLike
I’ve never been a concert goer. I would think that all bands would get tired of singing the same songs every time, even though they know that their fans want to hear their favorite songs.
https://findingeliza.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes I’m sure they do.
LikeLike
Chicago is a fun group. Though I would like to see them in Chicago sometime. They don’t get back here as much as they used too.
—
Tim Brannan
The Other Side, https://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/
LikeLiked by 1 person
That’s odd. You’d think they’d play there all the time!
LikeLike
I never won tickets from the radio. I think I tried once, but just missed it. I knew I wan’t going to be able to go to the concert in question, anyway.
Visting from the A to Z Road Trip:
https://jannghi.blogspot.com/2024/04/s-shani.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was so surprised! They were in the mail after I had spent a day waiting for jury duty!
LikeLike
I agree that concerts aren’t fun when you can’t sing along.
Ronel visiting for C: My Languishing TBR: C
Unsettling Changelings
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeah, it kind of loses something.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A favorite band of mine. “Colour My World” was the first slow song my late husband and I danced to and it still brings me to tears, almost 40 years later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Such a pretty song.
LikeLike
You are a real gig bunny Janet š I love how much enjoyment you get out of attending live music. Himself and I would struggle as our musical tastes only overlap a tiny bit sadly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hubby and I do have different tastes in music too. He likes some “heavy” metal rock stuff and I like some more pop-ish but we do both have a love for the 70’s groups.
LikeLike
One of my Favorites
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like their music too, just not so much their live performances.
LikeLike
Good post, great pictures. What could D be? Days of the New? Grateful Dead?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I wasn’t ever a Dead Head. You’ll just have to come and see, J Lenni!
LikeLike
I have never seen Chicago in concert. My wife saw Chicago in Chicago at Taste of Chicago.āWhich is 3 Chicagos at a time as opposed to seeing then thrice.āI know what you mean my struggling to stay caught up.āI have not had the chance today to look at too many other blogs, and now the specter of not having tomorrow fully ready to drop is hanging over me and preventing further browsing.āHere is what I created for today: https://dave-homeschooldad.blogspot.com/2024/04/a-to-z-2024-c-is-for-cinematic.html
LikeLiked by 1 person
So far I am only checking out the “regulars” and that’s because I get the emails. I am going to really try to catch some new folks on Sunday.
LikeLike
Looks like a good time was had. Have you seen Leonid and Friends yet?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Only the songs you’ve posted by them. I remember they sound just like the “real” guys.
LikeLike
You live a cool life!āFree tickets.āI’ve never seen Chicago, but am happy to know they’re going strong.ā
LikeLiked by 1 person
LOL I may give the appearance of living a cool life but except for these outings it’s pretty much blah. I blame those tickets for my concert addiction. Thanks for stopping by!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hi, Janet!
One would think that, by now, your blog gremlins would immediately recognize me as a friend rather than a foe.āMaybe the third time is the charm, and they will let this comment go through.
Thanks for flashing us back to 2006 when you and Bill went to a show featuring Huey Lewis and Chicago.āSorry the Chicago portion of the program was disappointing that year, but happy to know that they redeemed themselves in 2021 when you saw them perform again at your favorite venue, the Mountain Winery.āIf they lost you again in 2023 by playing too many unfamiliar songs, it was no doubt because they were trying to boost sales of their latest album released the previous year – Chicago XXXVIII: Born for This MomentĀ – the first album of new material in eight years.
Yessum, in spite of the tight, horn-driven musicianship exhibited at Chicago shows of recent years, the beautiful, distinctive, sensitive vocals of Peter Cetera are certainly missed.āAs much as I like the Cetera period of the band’s evolution, my favorite Chicago songs remain their early career hits featuring lead singer Terry Kath. A gun enthusiast, Kath made the fatal mistake of playing with a pistol in early 1978. In an attempt to impress a friend with his machismo, he put the weapon to his temple and pulled the trigger, tragically ending his life at age 31.āKnowing what happened to Kath makes it hard to listen to all those great songs he recorded with Chicago.āI noticed that several of those older songs from the Kath years were performed at that 2021 concert, including “Just You ‘n’ Me,” a 1973 hit that actually featured Cetera on lead vocals.
Once again, you took excellent pictures for your scrapbooks.
Well, that does it for me. I will now fade into the woodwork until April 30 when I return with a new post and help wave you across the finish line at the conclusion of this year’s A to Z Challenge. āPlease take good care of yourself and my buddy Benny until we meet again, dear friend Janet!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am so sorry that WP isn’t a fan of your comments dear friend! They mean so much to me! I knew of Terry Kath’s tragic ending. I watched a show about his daughter trying to find one of his favorite guitars that had gone missing over the years. It was a very interesting story. Have a great rest of your month! I will look for you again on the 30th!
LikeLike
Iāve won lots of things off the radio but never concert tickets. A cousin here won tickets for the IHeart music awards just recently. That must have been awesome. I bet that show still plays in your head In remembering it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Definitely one of those unforgettable moments.
LikeLike