Twice as Legendary: Earth, Wind & Fire Add Something Elemental to Twin Bill with (and in) Chicago -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Chicago
Earth, Wind & Fire
United Center, Chicago
April 1, 2016
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(@@@@1/2 for each act separately)

Last August at Ravinia, I saw the band Chicago for the first time, despite their being an active entity for the entirety of my existence.

With a lot of great songs, and a handful a tad too schmaltzy for my tastes, they delivered a fine show that felt a bit too by-the-book to be exceedingly exciting.

In my @@@@ (out of 5) review, I opined that while I was glad to have added Chicago to my concert roster, I probably should have attended one of their numerous outings with Earth, Wind & Fire, another legendary band with Chicago roots that I had never seen.

Little did I know that opportunity would come, in Chicago album title parlance, just VII months later.

And with my friend Paolo, who has been telling me for years how great Earth, Wind & Fire is live, we got rather decent seats to the United Center for a face value of just $39.50, far less than the $100 face for pavilion seats at Ravinia for Chicago alone--and though I paid only $29 through StubHub for that show, this one was still a relative bargain.

EWF, which Maurice White--who passed away in February after a long battle with Parkinson's Disease--formed with brother Verdine back in 1969-70 after Maurice had been a session drummer with (the city of) Chicago's fabled Chess Records, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the year 2000.

Chicago, whose origins date to 1967 at DePaul University, will finally enter the Hall next Friday after being overlooked through many years of eligibility.

With this honor, and the recent loss of Maurice White, Friday's homecoming show of sorts had the specter of being particularly sentimental and special, especially as Chicago still includes four original members (singer/keyboardist Robert Lamm and horn players Lee Loughnane, James Pankow & Walter Parazaider) while bassist Verdine White, singer Philip Bailey and percussionist/vocalist Ralph Johnson remain from Earth, Wind and Fire's early days.

At the United Center, Lamm thanked the "36 million people who voted to put us in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," and a photo of Maurice White adorned the video backdrop during an EWF song, but for the most part, both bands were content to let the music speak for their legacies.

And it did so quite powerful, individually and especially when both acts tag-teamed onstage.

Twenty-one combined musicians initially took the stage and began, appropriately, with "Beginnings," from Chicago Transit Authority, the debut album under Chicago's original name (before the real CTA put the kibbosh on it).

The joined forces then played Earth, Wind & Fire's wonderful "In the Stone," demonstrating that this concert pairing makes musical sense, with both bands being forerunners in employing near-orchestral soundscapes with horn sections, multiple percussionists and lead vocal duties split among band members.

Although it's a shame this merits mentioning, there was also something beautiful about seeing the all-white Chicago and mostly-black Earth, Wind & Fire sharing the stage in such harmony and obvious camaraderie, echoed by one of the more diverse concert audiences I've ever been part of.

After Chicago's "Dialogue (Parts I & II)" was done in unison--with Philip Bailey singing some lines, as Lamm and other Chicago vocalists did on "In the Stone"--the stage was ceded to EWF alone for about 75 minutes.

Other than the accurately-titled "Boogie Wonderland," great ballad "After the Love is Gone" and Beatles cover "Got to Get You Into My Life," I admittedly knew most of the songs in the set due to pre-show Spotifamiliarization rather than Paolo's deep-seated fandom, but everything sounded fantastic. 

Even when shown on the video screens--and this was the first concert of dozens attended at the United Center where the Bulls/Blackhawks scoreboard was utilized to show live video; seems an idea other acts should replicate--the soon-to-turn-65 Philip Bailey looked at least 20 years younger, sang terrifically and was a most amiable front man.

"Jupiter," "Serpentine Fire," "Let's Groove" and a wicked bass solo from Verdine White were among the highlights before a brief intermission and Chicago's set.

With Lamm splitting vocal duties with bassist Jason Scheff (who sings the ballads originally sung by Peter Cetera), keyboardist Lou Pardini and assorted others, the setlist was somewhat akin to what I'd heard at Ravinia, including "Introduction," "Questions 67 & 68" and the Ballet for a Girl in Buchanon suite, comprising "Make Me Smile" and "Colour My World" among others.

Including those done in conjunction with EWF, 24 Chicago songs--counting a fine cover of Spencer Davis Group's "I'm A Man"--were performed, as opposed to 32 at Ravinia. But while I missed "Old Days" and "Alive Again," I had no problem with sugary hits "If You Leave Me Now" and "Look Away" being left on the locker room floor. ("Hard Habit to Break," "You're the Inspiration," "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" and "Just You & Me" more than adequately represented the band's penchant for popular yet cloying ballads.)

And Earth, Wind & Fire being on the bill didn't just mean I got to hear another great band and nearly 3-1/2 hours worth of terrific music; I think EWF helped to make Chicago a bit more vibrant, certainly when literally sharing the stage, but even independently.

As noted in my Ravinia review, I've never owned any Chicago albums and that I'd seen over 650 concerts before I got around to seeing them also bespeaks rather middling fandom.

But at the United Center, not only did Chicago reiterate the uniqueness of their horn laden sound in a rock vein--excepting of course their tour mates--along with impressive professionalism, staying power and many a swell tune, they showed why they should have entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame long ago.

I've oft read references to punk rock rising in the mid-'70s as a rejection of arena acts like Chicago--as well as Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Yes, Elton John, Led Zeppelin and others--but while I will forever love the Ramones, Clash, Sex Pistols, etc., etc., the sparsity of exciting new rock 'n roll helps me better appreciate good music of any type.

And Chicago, like Earth, Wind & Fire, made plenty of it.

As many reading this blog likely know, I'm a huge Bruce Springsteen fan, and have long known that his earliest tour of arenas (in mid-1973, supporting Greetings From Asbury Park, NJ) came opening for Chicago.

But Friday, more than I ever thought about before, I noted--and mentioned to Paolo--how likely it was that Springsteen gleaned much from the experience, as the soundscape of his subsequent albums, The Wild, The Innocent and The E Street Shuffle and especially Born to Run, is far grander than that of Greetings, and makes greater use of Clarence Clemons' sax playing.

On recent tours--though not his current one--Springsteen has employed a full horn section and extra percussionists, and even just the art of ensuring arena acoustics accommodate such instrumental expanse properly owes an intrinsic debt to what Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire have been doing for decades.

And the 6-song encore Friday night, with both bands romping through some of their biggest and best songs--"September," "Free," "Sing a Song," "Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?," "Shining Star," "25 or 6 to 4"--with festive bouts of dueling sax solos, guitar solos, lead vocal interplay and more, was one of the more ebullient concert experiences I've ever encountered.

I thought it might have been nice if Philip Bailey--his son Philip Bailey, Jr. is now also in the band--openly congratulated Chicago on their Hall induction, and touchingly appropriate for Lamm to voice a sympathetic tribute to Maurice White, but I would assume such sentiments have more earnestly shared in private.

Unlike other co-headlining tours that have seemed mainly driven by commerce--Rod Stewart and Santana--or have intrigued due to the unlikeliness of the pairings--Paul Simon and Sting, the latter soon touring with Peter Gabriel--the Chicago + Earth, Wind & Fire coupling dating back to 2004 seems steeped in genuine musical convergence...and interpersonal affinity.

Though both acts also continue to successfully tour separately, the Heart and Soul 2.0 tour showcased plenty of both while seemingly bringing out the best in one another.

All the more so in the city for which one is named and where both got started. 

Alejandro Escovedo and Peter Buck Join Forces for a Good But Not R.E.M.arkable Show -- Chicago Concert Review

Concert Review

Alejandro Escovedo

w/ Peter Buck & band

as opening act & backing band

Lincoln Hall, Chicago

February 22, 2013

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I love Alejandro Escovedo.

Ever since becoming acquainted around the release of his excellent 1996 album, With These Hands, I have bought virtually all of his solo albums as well as a compilation from True Believers, one of his preceding bands (along with The Nuns and Rank and File).

I have consistently recommended Escovedo's music to friends, whether directly or online, and including Saturday night have now him live seven times in a variety of venues.

But while I will always be open to seeing Alejandro on additional occasions--and given that he is now 63 and survived a life-threatening scare from hepatitis, I can only hope he will continue to swing through Chicago for years to come--especially without a brand new album, I didn't acutely feel the need to catch another of his gigs at this point.

Yet the moment I was alerted to the Lincoln Hall show by email--despite meandering around Las Vegas at the time--I instantly bought a ticket.

This was because the show was promoted as Alejandro Escovedo and Peter Buck.

I didn't initially know if they would be playing together or separately, but it didn't matter.

Though it's possible he could have walked down Lincoln Avenue largely unrecognized, Buck was--for the entirety of their amazing 31-year run--the guitarist for R.E.M.

With Buck's jangly guitar style being a defining element of the Athens, GA band's early sound, R.E.M. progressed from being the prime example of "college rock" to worldwide superstardom.

I don't think I'm saying anything controversial to suggest that R.E.M. was crucial to the birth of the alternative rock genre, and not only was I a big fan, but Bruce Springsteen and the Beatles are the only two rock artists I definitively like more.

Buck never sang in R.E.M., with vocalist Michael Stipe also being the chief lyricist, but fans like me know how central he was to the band's collaborative songwriting approach and, thus, numerous great songs and albums.

Since R.E.M. officially split in 2011, I've noted that Buck has stayed somewhat musically active in various low-key ensembles, but I had only really paid attention on the couple occasions when R.E.M. bassist (and sporadic lead singer) Mike Mills joined him on stage for old times sake--such as in this clip that also features original drummer Bill Berry.

I know Buck just last week released a solo album--titled I Am Back To Blow Your Mind Once Again--but had not sought it out before Saturday's show (so far it seems to only be available on vinyl). I also didn't pay much attention to his 2012 solo disc. But having learned that he would open the concert with his band, who would then back Escovedo, I was admittedly as excited to see him as I was the headliner.

Now, before I get to my somewhat disappointed take on both performances, let me state that I was not expecting an ersatz R.E.M. show.

But I doubt that I was the only one in attendance drawn--at least in part--by Buck's legacy, and I don't think hoping for perhaps one classic R.E.M.embrance in each or either set equates me with a boor who constantly screams, "Begin the Begin!" (That was only in my head.)

As it was, over nearly 3 hours of music there were no obvious R.E.M.inders of Peter Buck, the groundbreaking guitarist and co-songwriter for one of rock's most inventive bands.

Even in his own set, he primarily played rhythm guitar with no lead fills; my guess is that even serious R.E.M. fans may well have been unaware of his presence had they strictly heard the show. 

That said, I valued seeing the man and his trademark Rickenbacker guitar.

Although it was clear early in his set why Peter Buck never sang with R.E.M., he was an amiable presence--often addressing the crowd in Spanish, poorly, for some odd reason--and his strong band included Scott McCaughey and Bill Rieflin, longtime sidemen with his former group, as well as Kurt Bloch, who played much more lead guitar than Buck.

It was fun to watch Buck's hourlong set, which was comprised almost entirely of songs from his two solo albums including "Life Is Short," "10 Million BC," "Vaso Loco," "Monkey Mask," "I'm Alive," "On the Planet of the Apes," "West of Sunset," a blues cover of Hound Dog Taylor's "Give Me Back My Wig" and a Ramonesque romp through "Gotta Get Outta the House."

Had I no clue who was onstage, I sense I would have entertained but not wowed, so while it was nice to see Peter Buck back in action, I can't profess to have been overly impressed with anything I heard in particular.

After a brief break, Buck and this three bandmates served as the backing band for Escovedo, along with Chicago violinist Susan Voelz, an old collaborator of Alejandro's from Austin, Texas.

Escovedo has always been an excellent, evocative songwriter and nothing he performed contradicted this. Opening with "Can't Make Me Run" from 2012's Big Station, he proceeded to run through a 10-song main set balancing sparse ballads and gritty rockers from across his solo career.

Highlights included "Tender Heart," "Sensitive Boys"--nicely dedicated to Alejandro's brother Javier, Jeffrey Lee Pierce of the '80s band The Gun Club and all touring musicians who have spent much time riding around in vans--"Chelsea Hotel '78," "Castanets," "Always a Friend" and a terrific set-closing cover of Neil Young's "Like A Hurricane."

For his encore, Escovedo came onstage with just violinist Voelz for a sweet take on his own "Rosalie" and the Velvet Underground's "Pale Blue Eyes." The latter was a song R.E.M. had covered--it's on Dead Letter Office, a 1987 collection of outtakes--so not having Buck also onstage seemed strange to me.

As did ending the night with a full band version of Mott the Hoople's "All the Young Dudes," a terrific song to be sure, but would it have killed anyone to rip through R.E.M.'s vaguely Texas-sounding "Driver 8," or "The One I Love," which would seem to suit Escovedo's range and style?

Again, perhaps I'm overly stuck on R.E.M. and not intending to demean Escovedo as the night's deserved headliner nor Buck's attempts to do something new.

But it felt to me that Alejandro Escovedo failed to fully capitalize on the legend onstage with him.

Does anyone think that if Alejandro was ever accompanied by Keith Richards, he wouldn't play "Sway" or "Beast of Burden"--Rolling Stones songs Escovedo has often covered--and/or blaze through other Rolling Stones classics?

I'm not suggesting--nor I doubt would he--that Peter Buck is anywhere near as good a guitarist as Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton or Eddie Van Halen, but in his own realm, he has been nearly as important and influential.

So not to even throw the audience a blast-from-his-past bone or two--especially as his promoted presence helped sell out a venue Escovedo hasn't always on his own--seems meriting of my disappointment and mild chagrin.

Especially as, even taking Escovedo's set for what it was, I didn't feel he was as terrific as I've seen in the past, including at the same place in 2010.

Perhaps he and Buck's band are still in the early stages of feeling each other out on this brief tour, but to me that's all the more reason to keep things from seeming perfunctory by surprising me with "Strange" (an R.E.M. song that itself is a Wire cover).  

Am I glad I went? Sure.

Would hearing an R.E.M. chestnut or two really have made the show that much better or changed my life? I doubt it.

But devoid of anything overtly special, was it truly a R.E.M.arkable evening? Per the great "So. Central Rain," "I'm sorry," but, no.