Chicago was one of the first groups to perform at the Kennedy Center after it opened in September 1971. That historic concert has been newly re-mixed from the original multi-track tapes by Chicago founding member and trumpeter Lee Loughnane and engineer Tim Jessup and will debut in an upcoming collection from Rhino.
Chicago At The John. F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/1971) will be available on September 27 in 4LP, 3CD, and digital configurations. Pre-Order HERE.
This 26-track live collection was recorded on September 16, 1971, about a week after the John. F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts opened in the nation’s capital. For more than 50 years, the concert has remained unreleased except for the performance of “Goodbye,” which debuted in 2018 on Chicago: VI Decades Live.
The Kennedy Center performance includes more than two hours of live music by Robert Lamm (keyboard, vocals), Terry Kath (guitar, vocals), Peter Cetera (vocals, bass), Danny Seraphine (drums), Lee Loughnane (trumpet, vocals), James Pankow (trombone), and Walt Parazaider (woodwinds, vocals).
The show explores all three studio albums that Chicago released since their 1969 debut. The songs span a range of styles, underscoring the band’s ability to blend genres seamlessly. There are rockers (“25 Or 6 To 4” and “I’m A Man”), ballads (“Colour My World” and “Beginnings”), jazz-influenced tracks (“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”), and extended song suites (“Ballet For A Girl In Buchannon” and “It Better End Soon.”)
The band would begin recording Chicago V a few days after the Kennedy Center performance. Released in July 1972, the album marked a significant evolution in the band’s sound and would become Chicago’s first No. 1 album. To get ready for the studio, Loughnane says the band road-tested some new songs in D.C. “Case in point: we did ‘Saturday In The Park’ for the first time at the Kennedy Center show. You’ll notice that we hadn’t yet decided on who would sing the lead vocal. Also, Robert hadn’t written Part 2 of ‘Dialogue’ yet.”
Chicago is touring with Earth, Wind & Fire this summer on the Heart & Soul Tour. The band plays tonight in Camden, New Jersey, and will finish in Palm Desert, California, on September 7. Chicago will also be making stops in Japan and Hawaii this September. Tickets are on sale HERE.
Chicago 2024 Tour Dates
July 31- Camden, NJ – Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
August 2 – Bristow, VA – Jiffy Lube Live
August 3 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
August 12 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park
August 13 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
August 16 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
August 17 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
August 19 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
August 20 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
August 23 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
August 24 – The Woodlands, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
August 26 – North Little Rock, AR – Simmons Bank Arena
August 29 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
August 31 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
September 1 – Concord, CA – Concord Pavilion
September 3 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
September 6 – Inglewood, CA – Kia Forum
September 7 – Palm Desert, CA – Acrisure Arena
September 22 – Tokyo, Japan – Ariake Arena*
September 24 – Osaka, Japan – Osaka Grand Cube*
September 27 – Kahului, Hawaii – Maui Arts & Cultural Center*
September 29 – Honolulu, Hawaii – Tom Moffatt Waikiki Shell*
*Chicago Only
Chicago At The John. F. Kennedy Center For The Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/1971)
4LP Tracklist
LP One: Side One
Tune Up & Band Introduction *
“Dialogue” *
“Loneliness Is Just A Word” *
“In The Country” *
Side Two
“Poem For The People” *
“A Hit By Varèse” *
“A Song For Richard And His Friends” *
LP Two: Side One
“Lowdown” *
“Goodbye”
“Beginnings” *
Side Two
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” *
LP Three: Side One
“Fancy Colours” *
“Saturday In The Park” *
“Mother” *
Side Two
“It Better End Soon” *
“1st Movement”
“2nd Movement” (Flute Solo)
“3rd Movement” (Guitar Solo)
“4th Movement” (Preach)
“5th Movement”
LP Four: Side One
“I’m A Man” *
“Free” *
Side Two
“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” (Free Form Intro) *
“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” *
“25 Or 6 To 4” *
3CD Tracklist
Disc One
Tune Up & Band Introduction *
“Dialogue” *
“Loneliness Is Just A Word” *
“Poem For The People” *
“A Hit By Varèse” *
“Lowdown” *
“Goodbye”
“Beginnings” *
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” *
Disc Two
“Fancy Colours” *
“It Better End Soon” *
“1st Movement”
“2nd Movement” (Flute Solo)
“3rd Movement” (Guitar Solo)
“4th Movement” (Preach)
“5th Movement”
“Saturday In The Park” *
“Mother” *
“In The Country” *
Disc Three
“A Song For Richard And His Friends” *
“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” (Free Form Intro) *
“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” *
“I’m A Man” *
“Free” *
“25 Or 6 To 4” *
* Previously Unreleased
