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, will play the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center on Saturday, October 17 at 8 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday, September 11 at 10 a.m. at the Wicomico Youth & Civic Center Box Office, online at www.WicomicoCivicCenter.org and by phone at 410-548-4911.
Chicago came in at #13, the highest charting American band in Billboard Magazine’s list of Top 100 artists of all time. And Chicago is the first American rock band to chart Top 40 albums in six decades.
Chicago’s album, Chicago Transit authority, was inducted into the GRAMMY Hall Of Fame in 2014, and that year, the band performed on the Grammy stage for the first time, playing four songs with Grammy nominee Robin Thicke.
In 2014, a record of new studio tracks, “NOW” CHICAGO XXXVI, was released on July 8, 2014 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.
Also in 2014, Chicago performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra for the first time ever, and also played with numerous Symphony Orchestras across the country.
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. An incredible 25 of their 36 albums have been certified platinum, and the band has a total of 47 gold and platinum awards.
Chicago have toured every year since the beginning – they’ve never missed a year.
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 Walfredo Reyes, Jr. on percussion.
For the past four years, Chicago have raised over a quarter of a million dollars to fight breast cancer for the American Cancer Society by having a winning bidder come on stage and sing “If You Leave Me Now” in concert. The band has been doing it in honor of their friend, Paqui Kelly, the wife of Notre Dame head football coach Brian Kelly, who is a breast cancer survivor.
Chicago generously support other charitable causes, donating a portion of ticket sales to the Ara Parseghian Medical Research Foundation, which seeks a cure for a fatal children’s disease, Niemann-Pick Type C, and Hannah & Friends, an organization that serves children and adults with special needs. Hannah & Friends is the personal mission of Maura Weis and her husband, Charlie Weis, the current coach at the University of Kansas.
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 48th 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.
Some of Chicago’s hits:
Make Me Smile
Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?
25 or 6 to 4
Saturday In The Park
Beginnings
Questions 67 and 68
Just You ‘N’ Me
Feelin’ Stronger Every Day
If You Leave Me Now
Old Days
Baby, What A Big Surprise
Hard Habit To Break
You’re The Inspiration
Colour My World
I’m A Man
Free
Call On Me
Dialogue (Part I and II)
Look Away
Wake Up Sunshine
Happy Man
(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long
Hard To Say I’m Sorry
Another Rainy Day In New York City
