20. JIMMY BUFFETT
OK. I admit it. I'm a Parrott-Head. I have seen Jimmy Buffett at least ten times. I was first turned on to the "Margaritaville" state of mind in 1993, when I attended a concert at Pine Knob. I have since seen him perform in Cincinnati, Atlanta, Orlando, and Chicago.
I've grouped them all together as one because they were all virtually identical concerts.
Some of the most memorable moments took place in the parking lots before the concerts. In 1996, we took some clueless friends to their first parrot-head gig in Detroit. As we were pulling into the venue, two guys standing beside our car stripped naked, threw their clothes on our hood, and disappeared into the menagerie of beach chairs and beer kegs. Our guests were traumatized. I laughed so hard that I cried.
Throughout the 2000s, Buffett concerts evolved more into family affairs, with just a whiff of the risqué (i.e. Why Don't We Get Drunk And Screw). For our kids, going to a Jimmy Buffett concert was like going to a celebration.
The performances were completely predictable. The songs were the same every year. The cheap stage sets were virtually the same every year. The same sophomoric behavior every year. And the audience was the same every year. But I think that was just the point.
Jimmy Buffett Concert Road Trip
Tweeter Center, Chicago (2004)
The last Buffett concert I attended was Amway Arena on February 4, 2012. It was great but the most memorable ones were the those vintage performances in 1993, 1994, 1995, and 1996, at the peak of his vaudeville irreverence.
Domino College Tour
Riverbend Music Center, Cincinnati (1995)
Concert review and setlist from Cincinnati concert ...
Postscript: We happened to travel to Key West days after Jimmy's death in September 2023. His loss was palpable. Shrimp Boat Sound recording studio became a makeshift memorial, where fans left Landshark beer, Junior Mints, and Juicy Fruit gum. His passing left a big hole in this world.
"Pure And Simple"August 1, 2015
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
When tickets went on sale for Dolly Parton's "Pure and Simple" charity concert scheduled for July 31, 2015 (her first in thirteen years in Nashville) at Ryman Auditorium, they sold out in less than ten seconds ... a record for the venue. So she graciously announced a second charity performance benefitting the Opry Trust Fund, and that too, sold out in mere seconds.
Dolly Parton is the most celebrated female in country music. She was recently recognized by the RIAA for selling more than 100 million albums worldwide. She has had 25 number one songs on the Billboard Country charts. She has been nominated for 46 Grammy awards, winning seven of them. She has won the Country Music Association's Entertainer of the Year Award. She has been inducted into the Songwriter's Hall of Fame, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
She has received two Academy Award nominations and acted in hugely-popular motion pictures such as Nine to Five, Steel Magnolias, and The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. She is also an astute business person, serving as an operating partner at Dollywood, the popular theme park and resort that bears her name. To put it simply, Dolly Parton is a force ... and her magnetic personality has earned her the respect and admiration of many people.
Dolly Parton at the Ryman Auditorium
Dozens of Nashville's celebrities and industry insiders came to witness and pay tribute to the legend ... including Reba McEntire, The Judds, Alison Krauss, Martina McBride, John Rich, Jeannie Sealy, Bill Anderson, Imelda May, T.G. Sheppard, the cast of the TV show Nashville, and legendary record producer T. Bone Burnett.
A brief, but lavish introduction by WSM disc-jockey Bill Cody teased the packed house ... and then the curtain opened and there was Dolly Parton, center stage, in a short sequined dress. Powerful. Few people on earth command that kind of attention. The rapturous audience leapt to their feet as she bowed gratefully in response. Then she burst out, "I don't know why I did a second charity concert, you know, it takes a lot of money to look this cheap!!" The audience erupted into laughter. Classic Dolly, and the evening only got better from there!
The concert itself was half gospel revival and half Hee Haw. She enjoyed telling stories and sharing good humor as much as she did singing. She would reel-off a raunchy knee-slapper before launching into Applejack and then immediately follow it with a tear-jerker introduction for Coat of Many Colors.
Her twenty-one song performance was flawless. She never missed a note, both vocally and while playing a multitude of instruments: guitar, piano, banjo, dulcimer, auto harp, recorder, and harmonica. Her backing band was spare (four low-key musicians) as was her stage; entirely black with only three white satin-draped curtains as a backdrop.
There was one huge star on that stage ... and that was more than enough. Pure and simple.
Setlist photographed from
Ryman Auditorium soundboard.
18. FLEETWOOD MAC
"Tusk Tour"November 7, 1979
Cincinnati, Ohio
October 4, 1997
Palace Of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Michigan
These two Fleetwood Mac performances were not only decades, but worlds apart. They marked the evolution of the band from the height of rock and roll debauchery to the perfecting of their musical legacy.
There was not a bigger band in the land when Fleetwood Mac launched their massive 112 stop world tour in support of the long-anticipated Tusk double album in 1979. Their seventh show at Cincinnati Riverfront Coliseum was not sold out. Still, getting into the arena seemed problematic, as only half of the entry doors were opened, creating bottlenecks at each entry point. (Little did we know that this would portend the events that would happen here twenty-seven days later, when eleven people would be trampled to death trying to get into a Who concert at this venue).
Once the concert started, the first thing we noticed was that Lindsey Buckingham looked bizarre. His hair was very short and features were gaunt. He looked like Herman Munster in his dark grey Armani suit. He had also dumped his Gibson Les Paul in favor of a Turner custom guitar that stylistically emulated a violin. The group had lost some of the energy and enthusiasm we remembered from Rumours and assumed a darker, heavier posture.
It was clear that they were moving in a new direction. But as they plowed through their setlist, the music was the same great stuff. That is ... until they played works from their new album, Tusk. They were weird, avant-garde pieces, that often featured Lindsey screaming gibberish at the top of his lungs. Unfortunately, they also jammed on these numbers at great length.
-----
Eighteen years later, in 1997, Fleetwood Mac made a heroic return with the issue of a live "semi-acoustic" greatest hits album entitled The Dance.
Our seats were front row, center, purchased through my west-coast ticket broker. Lindsay and Stevie were right in our face, maybe ten feet away. I could clearly see a 'bindi' marker on Stevie's forehead as well as the sweat that ran down Lindsay's cheeks. I would have killed to have a camera cell-phone, but they weren't invented until 1999. The stage was low, compared to Elton John/Billy Joel, thus the impression was that Fleetwood Mac was playing right to us. It was incredible.
Their performance at the Palace of Auburn Hills was tight and flawless. The band played forty years of music, including new and solo material along with the hits. Their semi-acoustic arrangements gave their well-known songs a rich and more complex patina. They had honed their show to a polished diamond and they loved performing for us.
It was not the haughty Fleetwood Mac of the glory days ... but it was a mature Fleetwood Mac at their musical peak.
1997 SETLIST:
The Chain
Dreams
Everywhere
Gold Dust Woman
I'm So Afraid
Temporary One
Bleed To Love Her
Gypsy
Big Love
Go Insane
Landslide
Say You Love Me
Sweet Girl
You Make Lovin' Fun
My Little Demon
Stand Back
Oh Daddy
Not That Funny
Rhiannon
Second Hand News
Silver Springs
Tusk
Go Your Own Way
Don't Stop
Songbird
Farmer's Daughter
17. ELTON JOHN
"The One Tour"September 2, 1992
Fiddler's Green
Denver, Colorado
This was a big one. As an Elton John fan, I had heard that this tour was among his best. He had finally cleaned himself up and was writing some powerful new music. As a surprise wedding anniversary gift, I secretly purchased two front-row tickets to this concert weeks in advance and made travel arrangements. On the day of the show, I pretended to go to work and had a limousine ambush Tam at the house, where it picked her up and took her to the airport. We flew from Kalamazoo to Denver just in time to arrive for the concert.
Our seats were probably among the best we've ever experienced, five feet from the stage and maybe ten feet from his piano, slightly left of center. Elton and band walked out precisely at 7:30 and launched into Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me.
The stage smoke blew left to right through us. At his piano, Elton frequently looked right at us. We were so close that we noted a tiny green pinpoint laser bouncing off the top of his head throughout the gig.
Elton was more subdued than previous concerts that we had experienced. He had a gravitas that clearly resonated from the stage. He was back ... and better than ever!!
SETLIST:
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me
I'm Still Standing
I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues
Philadelphia Freedom
Burn Down The Mission
Tiny Dancer
The One
I Don't Wanna Go On With You Like That
Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word
Daniel
The Last Song
Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding
When A Woman Doesn't Want You
Rocket Man
All The Young Girls Love Alice
Sad Songs Say So Much
The Show Must Go On (Tribute To Freddie Mercury)
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
The Bitch Is Back
Candle In The Wind
Your Song
16. PAUL McCARTNEY
"Friends Of The Earth Tour"
December 4, 1989
Rosemont Horizon
Chicago, Illinois
Rosemont Horizon
Chicago, Illinois
By 1989, Paul McCartney had not been on the road for ten years. However, with the release of his new album Flowers In The Dirt, he announced a world tour. including a limited number of dates in Los Angeles (5), Chicago (3), and New York City (4). I pulled out all the stops and got tickets for his second sold-out night at the Rosemont Horizon in Chicago. Tickets cost a fortune.
This was a major event. News media were swarming the venue, including a crew from CBS 48 Hours, who were producing a major television segment on the tour. Celebrities were swarming the arena as well, hoping to rub elbows with a Beatle.
Paul McCartney, Rosemont Horizon, CBS "48 Hours" (December 1989)
Indeed, the word was out that McCartney was including several Beatles hits in his setlist. Pre-internet rumors about his concerts in L.A. were incredible. The stage was set. We were given a free concert program and escorted to our (nosebleed) seats. The house lights dimmed ... and a film started.
The short opening film created by director Richard Lester began with the famous Hard Days Night chord, and was saturated in Beatlemania, just as the crowd had hoped. It closed with a low continuous bass note that became louder and louder. Then out stepped Paul McCartney in a tailored black stiff-collared suit, holding his hand overhead in a victory sign ... one of the frickin' Beatles!! The crowd went wild.
For the next two and half hours, he and his band (Hamish Stuart, Robbie McIntosh, Wix Wickens, Chris Whitten, and wife Linda) performed thirty-one songs, more than half of which were Beatles hits.
The thing I remember most about this gig was that McCartney was still fairly pretentious at this time. There was a sense of self-importance to the show, perhaps deserved, that he relinquished in later years. But there was no denying the power of his presence. We all knew this was a concert for the ages.
For me, this was about being star-struck. Witnessing a Beatle in the flesh. My emotions ran so high that it was difficult to recall many details about the show (I was so fixated on the man himself). I would see McCartney three more times, and I would say the last two were certainly more fun, but none were more important than this.
SETLIST:
Figure Of Eight
Jet
Rough Ride
Got To Get To Into My Life
Band On The Run
Ebony And Ivory
We Got Married
Maybe I'm Amazed
The Long And Winding Road
Fool On The Hill
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Good Day Sunshine
Can't Buy Me Love
Put It There
Things We Said Today
Eleanor Rigby
This One
My Brave Face
Back In The U.S.S.R.
I Saw Her Standing There
Twenty Flight Rock
Coming Up
Let It Be
Ain't That A Shame
Live And Let Die
Hey Jude
Yesterday
Get Back
Golden Slumbers
Carry That Weight
The End
15. BRIAN WILSON
"Smile Tour"Meadowbrook Music Festival
Oakland, Michigan
September 16, 2016 (Added Show)
Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
Attending a Brian Wilson concert is akin to rolling the dice. Brian is notorious for wild mood swings due, in large part, to a schizoaffective mental state accentuated by decades of drug abuse. I've attended three of his concerts. Two of them were incredible. One was a major disappointment. All of them were memorable.
Brian Wilson's 2005 concert was a surreal experience. We had purchased premium tickets for a Brian Wilson concert scheduled to take place on August 20th at a small venue near Midland, Michigan. After we received the tickets, we learned that the concert had been canceled. Then on August 19th, a surprise announcement was made that Wilson would be performing the next day at the Meadowbrook Music Festival at Oakland University. We grabbed tickets on the fly and drove across the state to see the show. When we arrived, the venue was nearly empty, maybe three hundred people were there. As a classy gesture, Brian personally signed each of the concert programs that were for sale that night. Brian came out with his band ten minutes early and played a full set, including the entire Smile album, and had the time of his life. He seemed to enjoy joking with the small but enthusiastic crowd. He even came down front and danced with us!
2005 SETLIST:
Do It Again
Dance, Dance, Dance
Then He Kissed Me
In My Room
Surfer Girl
When I Grow Up To Be A Man
Do You Want To Dance
Please Let Me Wonder
Little Saint Nick
Breakaway
Add Some Music To Your Day
Darlin'
Help Me Rhonda
California Girls
Sloop John B
Wouldn't It Be Nice
Pet Sounds
God Only Knows
Sail On Sailor
Marcella
(The Entire Smile Album)
Johnny B Goode
I Get Around
Barbara Ann
Surfin' USA
Fun, Fun, Fun
Walkin' Down The Path Of Life
Love And Mercy
-----
Eleven years later at the Ryman Auditorium ... We entered Brian Wilson’s stream of consciousness at 8:02 pm, when he and his nine member band took the stage. Dressed in black shirt and pants and seated behind a black studio grand piano that faced the audience, he responded to the standing ovation by stoically raising his hands, making “ok” hand signs and then began directing the cheers as if he were conducting in 4/4 time. The adoring crowd ate it up. Then Brian enthusiastically yelled into the microphone, “I know we’re in a church, but tonight we’re really gonna ROCK!!”
Brian Wilson at Ryman Auditorium
Standing beside Brian at center stage was another Beach Boys legend, Al Jardine, who helped with song introductions and half of the vocal leads (much as he did on many of the Beach Boys classics). The band hammered through a plethora of them right from the start … including I Get Around, Shutdown, Little Deuce Coupe, In My Room, and Surfer Girl. Matt Jardine (Al Jardine’s son) carried virtually all of the high harmony parts once sung by Brian, and his solo performance of Don’t Worry Baby was superlative. In fact, it was one of the highlights of the show.
For the last three numbers before the intermission, Brian introduced Blondie Chaplin, a vagabond guitarist who had recorded with an assortment of bands over the years, including the Beach Boys, during the late 1960s. Blondie was actually the lead vocal on the hit Sail On Sailor. He joined the band and launched into three slightly 'over-the-top’ renditions of later selections, Sail Away (a duet from Brians’s latest album), Wild Honey, and Sail On Sailor. His microphone was too hot, as was his overdriven guitar. He ran around the stage during his solos and at one point, knocked over one of Al’s stage monitors. In my opinion, his addition was a subtraction.
After a brief intermission, the boys returned to the stage and Brian led the mostly septuagenarian audience in an a-capella rendition of Row Row Row Your Boat for several minutes, which admittedly was great fun. Then he suddenly stopped and blurted, “Time to get serious. Here is Pet Sounds in its entirety. It is arty music, so sit back and relax, and then later we’re gonna ROCK!!”. Another awkward pregnant pause.
Then the legendary pseudo-calliope opening of Wouldn’t It Be Nice sprung out of the silence, and for the next half-hour, we were treated to a mesmerizing performance of what many in the music industry believe is the greatest album ever made. Ryman Auditorium was awash in lush (often purposefully discordant) harmonies and avant-garde key changes, punctuated by glockenspiels, ukuleles, harpsichords, bicycle bells, sliding whistles, and barking dogs. The band’s performance of You Still Believe In Me, God Only Knows, and the two instrumental tracks, Let’s Go Away For A While and Pet Sounds were standouts. The stage then turned dark, with the exception of one small spotlight on Brian Wilson. “Where did your long hair go … where is the girl I used to know” he haltingly sang. With Al providing a vocal double-track and Matt offering a soaring falsetto, the melancholy ballad slowly floated to a close as Brian stiffly waved and waddled off stage … and as the stage lights dimmed, followed the original recorded version of a passing train as a crescendo to the masterpiece.
The audience monolithically rose in a giant cheer as the band left the stage, and chanted for their return. They did, and blasted through Good Vibrations, Help Me Rhonda, Barbara Ann, Surfing USA, and Fun, Fun, Fun. The arthritic audience romped in the aisles, some of them doing dance moves not seen at the Ryman since the early 1960s.
As a final encore, Brian’s plaintive closer, Love And Mercy, seemed particularly poignant … “love and mercy is what we need tonight."
14. ELTON JOHN / BILLY JOEL
"Face To Face Tour"August 4, 1994 (Postponed - Elton respiratory infection)
August 18, 1994Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac, Michigan
Two legends. Four hours of music. Playing separately and together. Can you get any better than that? The concept of this production from beginning to end was brilliant. Half of the huge (and quite elevated) stage was decorated with stars and bars and the other half with the Union Jack graphics. The front of the stage had a round 'keyboard' platform that dropped down several feet, enabling the artists to better access the crowd.The show opened with Billy Joel marching out to Yankee Doodle and Elton walking out to Rule Britannia. They met in the center, exchanged greetings and retreated to opposing pianos.
After playing a few opening numbers together, starting with Your Song, Elton took the stage with his band for the next two hours, playing his own hits. Then Billy performed with his band for ninety minutes. The final half hour was a two-band jam session, alternating between Elton and Billy's biggest hits, and finishing with Piano Man.
We had front-row seats, dead center. Pricey seats, no doubt. We were as close as we could get, but with the stage height and platform extension, the performers were at least twenty feet away from us. We felt like we were slightly below the stage.
Still, in the middle of the concert, the person seated next to us had managed to climb the platform and suddenly appeared on stage to shake hands with Elton (who immediately backed off) while Billy came over, shook his hand and whacked him on the back before the roadies got to him. Unbelievably, he was back in his seat and high-fiving us before the encores.
During the concert, there was a lot of joking between the two musicians; Billy poked fun at Elton's dressing room ... the plush custom drapes, antique furnishings with doily coverings, candles and lavish food service. Elton retorted with his own comments about Billy's room ... the folding chair and salami sandwich. Then Elton described what it was like to look into Billy's wardrobe case, "Hmmm, what will I wear today? Black, black, black, black, black or black?" Billy responded, "Well, pink doesn't go well with scotch and mustard."
This was absolutely one of the most memorable and fun concerts I ever attended. Two legendary musicians, both sharing mutual respect and appreciation for each other. Great show!!
SETLIST:
Your Song (Both)
Honesty (Both)
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Both)
Philadelphia Freedom
Take Me To The Pilot
Levon
Rocket Man
Simple Life
The One
New York State Of Mind (performed by Elton)
Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
I Guess That's Why The Call It The Blues (Both)
Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
Pinball Wizard
INTERMISSION
I Go To Extremes
Pressure
The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (performed by Billy)
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
My Life (Both)
Allentown
Lullabye
River Of Dreams
We Didn't Start The Fire
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
Only The Good Die Young
Big Shot
The Bitch Is Back (Both)
You May Be Right (Both)
Bennie And The Jets (Both)
A Hard Day's Night (Both)
Candle In The Wind (Both)
Piano Man (Both)
SETLIST:
Your Song (Both)
Honesty (Both)
Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me (Both)
Philadelphia Freedom
Take Me To The Pilot
Levon
Rocket Man
Simple Life
The One
New York State Of Mind (performed by Elton)
Funeral For A Friend / Love Lies Bleeding
I Guess That's Why The Call It The Blues (Both)
Can You Feel The Love Tonight
Saturday Night's Alright For Fighting
Pinball Wizard
INTERMISSION
I Go To Extremes
Pressure
The Ballad Of Billy The Kid
Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (performed by Billy)
Scenes From An Italian Restaurant
My Life (Both)
Allentown
Lullabye
River Of Dreams
We Didn't Start The Fire
It's Still Rock And Roll To Me
Only The Good Die Young
Big Shot
The Bitch Is Back (Both)
You May Be Right (Both)
Bennie And The Jets (Both)
A Hard Day's Night (Both)
Candle In The Wind (Both)
Piano Man (Both)
13. PAUL McCARTNEY
"The US Tour"
October 15, 2005
The Palace of Auburn Hills
Auburn Hills, Michigan
Twelfth row. Dead center. This was our fourth McCartney gig, so we knew what to expect (flash bombs, encores, Hey Jude in the round, etc). But just when you think you've got it all figured out, he throws in a little beauty like I'll Get You or Please Please Me, and suddenly you remember why you came.
As with all of his concerts, Macca began with a pre-show film ...
Paul was very loose and joked with the audience extensively. He mentioned how he helped a guy propose at the previous night's concert. The band also added bonus licks, like a Foxy Lady jam at the end of Let Me Roll It. Paul got everybody rolling in the aisles when he kept repeating a false ending to I'll Follow The Sun until it got ridiculous.
I noticed a few more gray hairs and his appearance seemed slightly softer compared to the last time I saw him in 2002. His voice had weakened slightly too, especially when he strained to hit the high notes. These 'human' moments brought him closer to us, and its what made the 2005 version of McCartney so much better than the 1989 version.
SETLIST:
Magical Mystery Tour
Flaming Pie
Jet
I'll Get You
Drive My Car
Till There Was You
Let Me Roll It
Got To Get You Into My Life
Fine Line
Maybe I'm Amazed
The Long And Winding Road
In Spite Of All The Danger
I Will
Jenny Wren
For No One
Fixing A Hole
English Tea
I'll Follow The Sun
Follow Me
Blackbird
Eleanor Rigby
Too Many People
She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
Good Day Sunshine
Band On The Run
Penny Lane
I've Got A Feeling
Back In The U.S.S.R.
Hey Jude
Live And Let Die
Yesterday
Get back
Helter Skelter
Please Please Me
Let It Be
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
The End
12. SIMON & GARFUNKEL
"Summer Evening Tour"July 19, 1983
Akron Rubber Bowl
Akron, Ohio
This was the opening night of the Simon & Garfunkel "Summer Evening Tour" (their first U.S. tour in a dozen years) and they could not have picked a better night for it. Cloudless and cool with a full moon overhead. The stadium had been converted into a drive-in theater, with a huge movie screen above the stage (first of its kind). It took the road crew four days to assemble the stage and lighting.
With ten minutes before the performance, the screen began to show typical drive-in footage of a guy making pizzas ... as well as the ubiquitous cartoon dancing popcorn box. Then the screen began a countdown ... 10 - 9 - 8. At zero, the stage lights came up and the band struck up Cecilia. The concert was a musical tour-de-force with both artists performing their own material as well as their duo hits.
For this concert at least, the two of them seemed very happy to be together. Both were in high spirits and good voice. They made truly beautiful music that night. We knew we were in the presence of greatness. It was a very rare and unforgettable experience!
Here are Simon & Garfunkel with David Letterman
talking about their upcoming Akron concert ...
talking about their upcoming Akron concert ...
SETLIST:
Cecilia
Mrs. Robinson
America
My Little Town
Me & Julio Down By The School Yard
Scarborough Fair
Song About The Moon
Allergies
I Only Have Eyes For You
Homeward Bound
50 Ways To Leave Your Lover
Late In The Evening
The Late Great Johnny Ace
El Condor Pasa
Think Too Much
Still Crazy After All These Years
Kodachrome
Maybellene
Bridge Over Troubled Waters
The Boxer
American Tune
59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
Old Friends / Bookends
Wake Up Little Susie
One Summer Night
Late In The Evening
Sounds Of Silence
11. CHICAGO
September 28, 2014Ryman Auditorium
Nashville, TenneseeThere are many reasons why concerts are memorable. Often it is because the artist is so significant. On occasion, it is because the venue is so special. Many times, it is the people you are with. And sometimes, it just comes down to something as simple as great seats. The 2014 Chicago concert at the Ryman Auditorium was one that we will never forget ... for all of those reasons!!
Admittedly, we are fans of Chicago not only for their massive repertoire of top-selling hits, but also for their unique brass jazz-infused sound. Our daughter, Laura, is an accomplished trombonist, and for years we had listened to old Chicago tracks and heard Jim Pankow ripping his trombone beside Terry Kath on 25 or 6 to 4, Make Me Smile, and Wake Up Sunshine at least a hundred times. I promised her that if the opportunity arose, we would see them in person.
Over the decades, we had learned a few tricks in the concert game. One way to get difficult-to-obtain seats is to join the artist's fan club for a nominal fee, which gains you access to their private allocation of tickets. We joined the Chicago Fan Club Worldwide (probably should have done it a long time ago) and worked with Renee and Kelley to get the best seats possible. When the tickets arrived, we knew they were good ... we just didn't know how good. They were front-row dead center. When we arrived at our seats, I could literally read the setlist taped to the floor. This was gonna be incredibly good!!
The entire Ryman stage was filled with risers and instrumentation for the nine member band. A huge backdrop with the familiar Chicago logo hung on the back wall.
At 8:05 pm, the band walked out and after a brief jazz introduction, Lee Loughnane announced that because of the historic importance of Nashville, and particularly the venue (Ryman Auditorium), they were going to play a full three hour concert, including intermission. He said that no one would be disappointed. Then came the onslaught of hits ... Questions 67 and 68, Dialogue, If You Leave Me Now, Old Days, Call On Me ...
Jason Scheff and Robert Lamm took center stage for a three-song acoustic interlude that included Will You Still Love Me, Wake Up Sunshine, and Look Away.
At one point, they paused the show to introduce their first manager, James William Guercio, who was sitting in the first row of the balcony.
With our elbows on the stage, the musicians were literally within inches of us during the entire performance. From this vantage point, we could easily see how much fun these guys were having. After forty years, they were still really enjoying performing ... and they were also still good!! James Pankow was his old theatric self, leading the brass section through the band's iconic catalog of smashes ... Make Me Smile, Colour My World, Alive Again, Hard Habit To Break, You're The Inspiration, Beginnings, Hard To Say I'm Sorry, Saturday In The Park ...
We were permitted to take non-flash photography during the concert and I obliged, using my cell-phone to take more than 100 pictures. They were incredible!! During the final number ... 25 or 6 to 4 ... guitarist Keith Howland walked directly up to me during his solo and posed for several close-up shots.
At the conclusion of the concert, the entire band high-fived each of us and Tris Imboden gave Laura one of his used drumsticks. The setlist came home with us too ...
Tam at the Ryman stage
The entire Ryman stage was filled with risers and instrumentation for the nine member band. A huge backdrop with the familiar Chicago logo hung on the back wall.
At 8:05 pm, the band walked out and after a brief jazz introduction, Lee Loughnane announced that because of the historic importance of Nashville, and particularly the venue (Ryman Auditorium), they were going to play a full three hour concert, including intermission. He said that no one would be disappointed. Then came the onslaught of hits ... Questions 67 and 68, Dialogue, If You Leave Me Now, Old Days, Call On Me ...
Jason Scheff and Robert Lamm took center stage for a three-song acoustic interlude that included Will You Still Love Me, Wake Up Sunshine, and Look Away.
At one point, they paused the show to introduce their first manager, James William Guercio, who was sitting in the first row of the balcony.
With our elbows on the stage, the musicians were literally within inches of us during the entire performance. From this vantage point, we could easily see how much fun these guys were having. After forty years, they were still really enjoying performing ... and they were also still good!! James Pankow was his old theatric self, leading the brass section through the band's iconic catalog of smashes ... Make Me Smile, Colour My World, Alive Again, Hard Habit To Break, You're The Inspiration, Beginnings, Hard To Say I'm Sorry, Saturday In The Park ...
We were permitted to take non-flash photography during the concert and I obliged, using my cell-phone to take more than 100 pictures. They were incredible!! During the final number ... 25 or 6 to 4 ... guitarist Keith Howland walked directly up to me during his solo and posed for several close-up shots.
At the conclusion of the concert, the entire band high-fived each of us and Tris Imboden gave Laura one of his used drumsticks. The setlist came home with us too ...
2014 Chicago at Ryman Auditorium setlist from a stage monitor ...