Review: Chicago’s Hollywood Bowl Fireworks Finale

It was another glorious Sunday night at the Hollywood Bowl. We were scheduled to review Chicago. Christopher Cross was about to take the stage as the opening act. There was going to be a fireworks spectacular grand finale, but we had a lot of great music to enjoy before that time.

Hollywood Bowl Review Chicago & Christopher Cross

Christopher Cross

While the music of Christopher Cross was never on my playlist, I always appreciated his songs. He is an excellent vocalist, a skilled guitarist as well as a highly respected songwriter. He opened his set with the song “All Right”, featuring some powerful drumming which makes this song recognizable from the first few beats. As the song progressed, we got our first taste of Christopher‘s excellent guitar playing. His style is clean, precise and a bit understated. Cross has far more guitar chops than most people realize. He simply tends not to be a showoff.

Next up was “Never be the Same,” with Andy Suzuki featured on alto sax. The set progressed with hit after hit and numerous opportunities for each musician to showcase their individual talents. Cross’s band is tight, and each player is highly skilled. Of particular note for me, since I play sax, was Suzuki‘s unique style. He plays with an intensity that feels more like heavy rock and roll than yacht rock. He also performed several of the songs on his EWI electronic wind instrument. As expected, the band closed out their set with the hit song “Ride Like the Wind.” This was originally recorded with Michael McDonald.

Time for Chicago

After Christopher’s crowd-pleasing set, there was a short break before Chicago appeared on stage. They came out swinging with their unmistakable brass-driven powerhouse sound. The group presented a densely packed set of all the biggest hits. In the late 60’s Chicago described themselves as a “rock band with horns.” This was probably the perfect way to convey their unique sound back then. Over the decades however, they integrated elements of jazz, funk, R&B and classical into their music. So, their show took us on a journey through many styles and many moods.

They opened with a series of songs from the 1970’s, when they had a lot of commercial success. “If You Leave Me Now” had numerous people swaying in their seats and singing along. Chicago is one of those classic bands whose songs are like a soundtrack to the lives of so many people. As I looked around the audience, I wondered how many people out there might have had their first romantic moments with Chicago playing in the background. Chicago’s lyrics tend to be very accessible, relatable and easily understood.

More Chicago Hits

As the show progressed the band moved into the 80’s, a wildly successful decade for Chicago, when they had a strong resurgence. “Look Away,” “Hard Habit to Break” and “You’re the Inspiration” were just a few of the most popular songs in the set. “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” inspired the audience to turn their phone lights on, filling the venue with sparkling points of light. They blended beautifully with the stage lighting and video projections. Chicago’s powerful brass-driven sound made every song feel full and textured, while the hard-driving guitar shredding by Tony Obrohta kept the rock element front and center. The band treated us to a seemingly endless stream of impressive contributions from each band member throughout the performance. Of note of course were Lee Loughnane’s solos and his historic trumpet lines which helped define Chicago’s sound from day one.

Along with Chicago’s string of endless hits, the set included two covers. Jackie Wilson’s (Your love keeps lifting me) “Higher and Higher” gave us a solid dose of R&B, while “I’m a Man” by the Spencer Davis group brought the funk and also featured an extended and memorable drum solo in the middle. Drummer Wally Reyes Jr. and percussionist Ramon “Ray” Yslas made this moment a clear highlight of the show.

Fireworks at the Bowl

The drum solo was followed by a series of 4 consecutive hits with 2 additional favorites as the encore to close out the night. “Just You ‘n’ Me,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry/Get Away,” “Saturday in the Park,” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day” had half the audience on their feet. Then, I Just Want To Be Free was next with “25 or 6 to 4” as the grande finale. An impressive display of fireworks took it all over the top for the grand climax we all knew was coming.

Find out more about the Hollywood Bowl and all of its upcoming shows on the website – https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/

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