Alex Kluft/ Alex Kluft Photography
What American band has been around 57 years, has won five Grammys, a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, their debut album in the Grammy Hall of Fame, are Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame inductees, released nearly 40 studio, compilation, and live albums combined (five were at number one consecutively) and sold over 100 million albums worldwide? This would be none other than Chicago. For the third year in a row, Chicago has played the Fred Kavli Theater in Thousand Oaks, CA (2021 canceled from Covid-19 Pandemic) and played there every year between 2017 and 2020. For 57 years Chicago co-founders Robert Lamm (Co-lead vocals/Keys), James Pankow (Trombone), and Lee Loughnane (Trumpet) have been a part of the group. Original saxophonist Walter Parazaider officially retired in 2017 and Ray Hermann had been a substitute first starting in 2009 then became a touring member by 2012 then an official member a few years later. Walfredo Reyes Jr. became the percussionist in 2012 then drummer in 2018 when Tris Imboden, a member of nearly 30 years left, had been the second drummer of the group following original drummer Danny Seraphine. Ray Yslas became the percussionist in 2018. When Neil Donell who was part of a Chicago tribute became the vocalist for Peter Cetera’s parts in 2018 it was the first time in the band’s history that bass and Cetera’s vocals had been split across two members as Jason Scheff (1985-2016) and Jeff Coffey (2016-2018) had done both. Guitarist Tony Obrohta first became a substitute for Keith Howland who had been a member since 1995 then took over guitar duties all together in 2021. Bassist Eric Baines joined in 2022 as well as the Who’s keyboardist since 2012 Loren Gold who had begun filling in for Lou Pardini the year before.
Chicago played two sets of 19 songs combined which could also be considered 26 songs as the final song of set one is made up of seven songs. There was an intermission of 20 minutes in between. As expected every song was a major hit. The first set began with “Introduction” from their debut album when the band was Chicago Transit Authority. In total there were five songs from their debut album released in 1969 which were “Does Anybody Really Know What Time it Is?,” “Questions 67 and 68,” and “I’m A Man.” The end of set one which was “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon” makes up all but one song off the second side of Chicago II and three of the songs were originally sung by original guitarist Terry Kath.
Set two began with “Alive Again” which was from their 1978 album Hot Streets and the first single to be released after Kath’s untimely passing and the first to feature Donnie Dacus on guitar. Set two included more hits like “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?,””Old Days” which features a montage of the band’s 57 year history and Chicago the city, and “You’re the Inspiration.” “I’m A Man,” originally recorded by the Spencer Davis Group has always been a song to feature Chicago’s percussion section and Reyes Jr. and Yslas gave an incredible solo as they always do which included them switching between each other’s drum/percussion set up. Set two ended with “Saturday in the Park” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” before returning for an encore of “Free” and “25 or 6 to 4” their usual closer. Chicago will be back this summer with Earth Wind and Fire at the KIA Forum.
Setlist:
Set 1
- Introduction
- Dialogue (Part 1 & 2)
- Questions 67 & 68
- Call On Me
- (I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long/Mongonucleosis
- If You Leave Me Now
- Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon
- Make Me Smile
- So Much to Say, So Much to Give
- Anxiety’s Moment
- West Virginia Fantasies
- Colour My World
- To Be Free
- Now More Than Ever
Set 2
- 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 (Drum/Percussion solo)
- Just You ‘n’ Me
- Hard to Say I’m Sorry/Getaway
- Saturday in the Park
- Feelin’ Stronger Every Day
Encore
- Free/ 25 or 6 to 4
CALIFORNIA ROCK NEWS 
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