Perhaps they ought to rename the band Los Angeles.
Certainly the sleepy performance that the band Chicago played Saturday night at the Rosemont Theatre suggested that the group has been relaxing in the California sun a bit too long.
Having spent most of the past three decades based in L.A., the members of Chicago apparently have adopted that city’s laid-back tempo. Either that or Chicago, after 30 years on the road, has run out of gas.
Not that the fans who turned out to hear the band’s 30th anniversary show were displeased with what they heard. They roared their approval at the opening bars of all the familiar tunes, expressing their affection for musicians who appeared to greet them indifferently.
“Welcome to an evening of Chicago–in Chicago,” muttered veteran keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm, perhaps unaware that he was in Rosemont.
With those words, Lamm and friends lumbered into one lugubrious ballad after another, rarely changing tempo, texture or tone. With the musicians standing virtually motionless through most of this interminable evening, one did not get the sense that they were deeply involved in the proceedings.
Mention Chicago to any music lover, and chances are he’ll think of the edgy, jazz-tinged horn section that distinguished the band’s earlier work. On this occasion, alas, the brass sounded capable but dull.
Nothing summed up the sad state of affairs better than the band’s two newest songs, “Here in My Heart” and “The Only One.” Such quivering, sentimental fare would have seemed a bit light even in the ’70s, but at this late date it’s nearly comical.
The show included many of the band’s familiar hits, all dutifully performed. Still, the famous keyboard introduction to “Colour My World” seemed slower than ever, while “Saturday in the Park” never sounded more inane.
There were a few sparks along the way, notably when trombonist James Pankow and trumpeter Lee Loughnane (both original members) engaged in a mock horn battle. Finally, at least a couple of musicians were showing signs of life, riffing freely in response to one another.
That moment, alas, passed all too quickly, with Chicago going through the motions that led, inevitably, to “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
At this point, does anybody really care?
