Chicago

It seems ridiculous to have a Music category on my blog and not just tell you about my night with Chicago. If you know me, you’ve probably heard this story at least once, and if you’re my daughter, every time this topic comes up, you find a wall on which to bang your head.

Let’s start at the very beginning, a very fine place to start. My first recollection of hearing Chicago is the previously referenced KXOK-AM radio in St. Louis. Chicago was cranking out chart-topping singles all throughout my childhood. Their songs were literally the musical fabric of those of us that were kids in the 1970s.

In 1976, my next-door neighbor Kathy shared her love of Chicago with me (her big brother Floyd turned her on to them) and I took a deeper dive into their catalog. Their album Chicago X, recognized as the chocolate bar album, was released that year, and instead of just the hits, I began listening to this album as well as past albums and finding deep cuts that I loved.

The first time I saw them live was in 1982 at the beautiful Fox Theater in St. Louis. The band, who began in the late 60’s, was famous at this point for their live performances, and all I knew was that I wanted to see them whenever I could. We had our first wedding dance to “Colour My World.”  Their songs continued to be in my life, and even when their sound began to change as they gave the producer David Foster a try and took on some power ballads written by the great Diane Warren, I still loved what they were creating.

Flash to 2010. I was very involved in volunteering for American Cancer Society at the time and the band had begun a campaign to raise money for ACS CAN (American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network). For each of their concerts, they auctioned off an opportunity to sing with them at shows across the country. While I didn’t participate in the auction, I did have the opportunity to see them in Richmond with the local ACS staff in May, at what was my 25th Chicago concert. The fine folks at ACS took me backstage and made a huge deal of the milestone, and I got to meet the band and profess my love for them.

Then, a week later, I received a phone call from the local ACS coordinator. The band was scheduled to appear at what is now Jiffy Lube Live Pavilion in Bristow, VA (near Manassas). The auction to sing with them had closed for the show, and the highest bidder thought the concert was in BRISTOL, TN. He couldn’t make the show at Jiffy Lube Live, so the coordinator wanted to know if I’d like to sing with the band.

I was at work when I got the call, sitting at my desk speaking with my friend and co-worker Susan. When the question was posed to me, I screamed, prompting our base security officer and investigator who were across the hall to come running. I covered the phone, informed everyone of the invite, and Susan said do it! So I said yes.

If I’d had much time to think about it, I would’ve said no. Why, you ask? Because despite all my extreme wishes and dreams to be able to sing, I can’t. Like, even the shampoo bottles in the shower weep when I sing. It’s not pretty. And singing live, in front of an audience, with my favorite band that I’ve idolized forever? Oh hell no. But there I was. The concert was that night, about 90 minutes from where I live. I called my husband to tell him what was happening and he laughed and said, “That’s a good one!”  It took him a bit to believe me, but I soon had him convinced and after work we set out for the show.

I was given the band’s cell phone number to call when I arrived, and I was told I would be signing “If You Leave Me Now.” I’m not going to lie – I was mega disappointed. I dislike the song more than most Chicago songs. I decided that when I got there, I’d try to negotiate. Perhaps I could sing “Alive Again” or “Just You ‘n’ Me” or “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day.”

I made contact with Steve the Manager when I arrived, and we were invited to come into the green room to see the band. To my surprise, they remembered me from Richmond. I had a great conversation with them and the ACS CAN reps that were there and learned that many of the band members had been affected by cancer, and I had a chance to thank them again for all they were doing to bring awareness to ACS. I also completely chickened out about asking for a song change (LOL), so we left the green room and grabbed the tickets they’d left for us. Two seats – front row center! We were surrounded by members of Chicago’s national fan club from all over the country, and when they found out I was the singer for the evening, they got me totally hyped up.

The show featured the Doobie Brothers as the opening act (another band I love), and when the show started, it was amazing, to say the least. The Doobies were terrific. We’d seen them several times, but Tom Johnston was back as their lead singer (no Michael McDonald on this tour), and they sounded terrific. Those seats were spectacular for sure.

When Chicago came on, I thought I was going to hyperventilate with excitement. What the hell had I agreed to? I was going to get up in front of a full house of people and sing live, potentially causing rodents across the geographic area to evacuate at a rapid pace. I took a little comfort knowing that my husband was probably the only one there that I knew, and once it was over, it would be over. I was sitting next to fan club member Audrey Arturo, and she kept assuring me that I’d do great and she was so excited for me. It helped a lot. I was getting ready to live out a dream lots of people have but will never see.

As usual, they sounded fantastic. They opened with their infamous “The Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon,” one of my favorite mashups. I’d been instructed to head to the green room when they started “Call on Me,” and when it started, everyone around us knew that was my cue and they were so great, cheering me on as I headed back. Walking through the green room, the Doobies were sitting with their significant others, which was surreal, and then I headed to the stage. I was outfitted with a mike and given instructions where to stand. When “Call on Me” ended, band member Robert Lamm told the crowd about their work with ACS CAN and then introduced me. It was definitely an out-of-body moment. The crowd was cheering, and it didn’t even feel like my feet were touching the stage. I walked to the designated spot, the band clapping and welcoming me. The opening notes of “If You Leave Me Now” began and as I looked out at the crowd, I couldn’t see them because of all the stage lights! Yay! I was singing to no one! I took a deep breath and started in, and the crowd once again cheered. I looked over at then-bassist Jason Scheff and he was smiling at me, and I just totally relaxed and sang my heart out. There is a guitar solo midway through the song and during that little break, I took in my surroundings, admiring all the band members and then settling on that iconic Chicago logo behind Tris Imboden on the drums. I could not BELIEVE I was standing on this stage, in front of this logo, with this band singing. In my wildest dreams, I would never, ever have believed this could happen.

I finished the song (including those ad-libbed high notes at the end – eek!) and the band cheered, Jason hugged me, the crowd cheered, and I felt an adrenaline rush that I wish I could replicate.

They ushered me off stage, thanked me, and led me to the green room. The Doobies, minding their own business, were still chillaxing and in my first act of that surge of power, I stopped and yelled at all of them, “You guys were fucking awesome!!! You were my first concert at the Mississippi River Festival!”  Band member Patrick Simmons laughed and said, “You must be the singer tonight.”  I guess I wasn’t the only one amped by the experience.

When I exited the green room to the outdoor area, there were fans and vendors standing there that immediately broke into cheers and applause. A beer vendor handed me a tall boy and said, “It’s on me,” and I chugged the only beer I’ve ever chugged in my life. As I made my way back to my seat, everyone in the area of our seats stood up and cheered as they welcomed me back. For the rest of the concert, the guys in the band pointed at me, blew kisses at me, sent fist pumps and arm flexes my way, and made me feel like the most special human alive. When it was over, as they got in line to take a group bow, they all pointed to me and clapped and cheered, and the crowd joined them. We stayed in our seats for a bit as people came by to congratulate me and tell me what a great job I did. I’m aware many of them were pretty drunk, but I’ll take praise where I can get it!

When we left the venue, my adrenaline continued to flow. Even though it was pretty late, I called multiple people, and rapid fire shared the story, which I had to repeat later because I was talking so fast.

My husband, bless his heart, did the best he could with the technology he had and recorded the performance. There is a bit of a break during the recording because of mechanical issues but he caught most of it. I didn’t know it until after he did it, but he posted it to YouTube, where it remains until someone takes it down.

I am so grateful for that amazing opportunity. I’m grateful that band I’ve loved forever was so giving in the charitable endeavor for cancer research, and I’m thankful that the folks at ACS appreciated my fandom and gave me the opportunity. It was always my pleasure to volunteer with such a great organization. I can’t imagine if I’d told them no. I’d be forever kicking myself. It was one of the most amazing nights of my life, and I will always cherish the experience.

The video quality of the recording is not great, but the sound is just fine. You can solve all of your rodent problems by finding the video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6P6gqNs9xWc.