The Arie Crown Theater unveiled its $6 million facelift Friday with Baby-Boomer favorites Chicago and the Beach Boys. And while the concert wasn’t a complete artistic success, the much-maligned theater’s improved acoustics get a definite thumbs up.
Too big for intimate shows and too small for the blockbuster events, the under-utilized Arie Crown at McCormick Place has long been the white elephant of Chicago concert and theatrical venues. Its cavernous dimensions swallowed up sound, and acoustically the venue ranked only slightly above that notorious slag pit of bad sound, the Aragon Ballroom.
The ambitious renovation work included lowering the ceiling 35 feet and moving the side walls in through the clever deployment of acoustic panels, thus reducing the theater’s overall volume by 30 percent. The seats have been rebuilt and reupholstered, and eight new side boxes have been added. New sound and lighting systems have been installed as well as divider curtains to “downsize” the 4,249-seat theater to 2,741- and 2,034-seat configurations.
During the Beach Boys’ opening set, virtually each instrument and vocal could be discerned in the sound mix, not only on the main floor but in the nose-bleed reaches of the balcony as well. Then again, the Beach Boys and Chicago both played at a fairly low volume level. It remains to be seen how the Arie Crown fares with a loud act or with the complex sound required by a theatrical show.
As for the concert itself, a revitalized-sounding Chicago was the definite highlight. Currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, the band’s retains its original horn section of trumpeter Lee Loughnane, saxophonist Walt Parazaider and trombonist James Pankow, as well as original keyboardist/vocalist Robert Lamm.
In a set that leaned heavily on classics from the first few albums, Chicago’s horns were a jazzy delight on signature pieces like the “Ballet for a Girl in Buchanan” medley and on “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is” and “Beginnings.” The trio of strong lead vocalists (Lamm, Bill Champlin and Jason Scheff) all had ample time in the spotlight, but it was the ensemble instrumental work that sparkled most. To put it another way, some 30 years down the line, these aging jazz-rockers came through with the goods. And judging from the smiles and knowing looks exchanged between them, they knew it too.
If only the Beach Boys had half as much commitment to their music these days. With the lone remaining Wilson brother in the group, Carl, missing in action due to the after-effects of cancer treatment, this was the Beach Boys in name only. Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and their young sidemen performed the surf and car tunes with all the passion of a Vegas show band. Let’s hope Carl rejoins the fold soon.
