All language subtitles for The Last Band On Stage

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♪ And if this ends tonight
If this ends tonight ♪

♪ You can save your tears
For the other guys ♪

♪ I'll see you
In another life ♪

♪ Goodbye ♪

♪ And maybe
If the stars align ♪

♪ I'll see you
In another life ♪

♪ You're missing all
The time to cry ♪

♪ We have one more night
Goodbye ♪

[James] Yeah.
We're playin' that.

Yeah, that's in the track.

I was thinking
that we could entitle

the album Goodbye.

Nothing Lasts Forever.

Chicago
is a finite experience.

♪

There's a lot of bands
that go through things.

And, at some point,
people have to say goodbye.

[Joe Mantegna]
How many bands last 55 years,

never stop recording
and never stop touring?

Only one.

-[announcer] Chicago!
-[announcer 2] Chicago.

[announcer 3]
Ladies and gentlemen, Chicago.

It was just like normal.

We played the show
and we were going to travel

to California
and play the next two.

♪

[cheering and applause]

I was keeping
my pulse on the news.

I'm told
California's all shut down.

You knew something was up.

I thought, we'll start
the spring tour in April.

We'll be back
workin' again in a,

you know, a month or two.

I was so disappointed

that we were gonna have,
maybe, a few weeks off.

You know, really,
it was kind of like,

okay, what's--
what's really going on here?

-It all felt very surreal.
-It was surreal.

I was thinking,
what next?

Who would've thought
that the world would shut down?

It really hadn't sunk in,
at that point,

when we were taking a bow.

Maybe this could be
the very last show

we ever do.

[Joe] Everything changes.

And this is
the end of Chicago

as we know them.

Let's rewind.

It's 1967,

we're in the windy city.

The cold and windy city.

There are at least
four different bands failing,

breaking up, or both.

Bobby Charles
and the Wanderers.

The Missing Links.

Ross and the Magestics.

And the Jivetette.

♪

[Joe] Walt, Terry, and Danny
from The Missing Links

recruit Lee from Ross
and the Majestics,

and Jimmy from the Jivetette.

And then
they see Robert Lamm

playing bass pedals
with Bobby Charles

and the Wanderers.

Until they add Peter Cetera
from The Exceptions,

and voila,
they're The Big Thing.

Terry Kath, Robert Lamm,
Lee Loughnane, James Pankow,

Walt Parazaider,
Danny Seraphine, Peter Cetera.

This is the end
of their lives

as they know it.

Now, it's 1968.

The Big Thing
is playing shows,

making a name
for themselves,

Tearing off the suits
and drying off the pommade.

Getting signed
to a record contract.

Renaming themselves

The Chicago Transit Authority.

And this is the end
of their lives

as they know it.

Cut to the Whisky a Go Go
on the Sunset Strip.

Jimi Hendrix is there.
He says...

[Joe] Before they know it,
they're touring with Hendrix,

and before they know that,
they're recording

the first album
and that was

the end of their lives
as they knew it

because now they're changing
their name again.

[announcer] Chicago.

[Joe] Because this is
just the beginning

and you can
still change things.

And now the years are passing
and for almost a decade,

they're releasing hit album
after hit album.

And hit song

after hit song.

They're Chicago

and everybody knows
their music

and nothing will ever change
unless they want it to.

Everything is happening
right here and right now.

And tomorrow is another day
to think about later.

But, sometimes,

a "see you around"

turns out to be a goodbye
you never expected.

And everything changes.

And you're faced
with the question,

"Is this it?

Is this the end
of Chicago?"

No.
It's not the end of Chicago.

They're gonna keep going
because that's what you do.

So, they start again,
but no one is listening.

And they're having trouble
finding a fit on guitar.

And their record label
axes them

and this is the end
of Chicago as they knew it

until, oh my God,

it's 1982
and they're back on the radio

in a big way.

Some people are saying,

"That's not
the Chicago I know."

[man on radio]
It's a whole other Chicago.

[Joe] And the years
are passing again.

And for almost a decade,
they're releasing hit album

after hit album
and hit song after hit song.

And there's
more changes to the band

with goodbyes that
could've never been predicted.

And before you know it,

Chicago is at once
a whole new band

and exactly
as it should be.

And the years
are passing

just as they did before.

And they're recording
new albums

and touring city after city
and country after country.

And things are changing
and before they know it,

they're being inducted into
the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

And things
will never change

Yeah, baby.

[Joe] But things do change.

And they're always happening
right now.

["If You Leave Me Now"
by Chicago playing]

♪

♪ If you leave me now ♪

♪ You'll take away
The biggest part of me ♪

♪

[Lee] I mean,
we've had so many times

where we could've broken up.

The band could've
somehow imploded

and it hasn't,
and we still get to do this,

so I'm lovin' life.

[Walfredo] A lot of people
don't know that,

but Chicago never
stopped touring.

I didn't even know that.

And I actually said,

"Are you kiddin' me?
Like, never ever?"

Never ever.

Never.

♪ Ooh-ooh-hoo, no, Baby ♪

♪ Please don't go ♪

[James] I get on that stage
and it carries me.

I don't think about it.
I just go for the ride.

[Lou] Right now,
when people come

to our concerts,
it's a memory filled experience

for so many people.

When they were in college.

When they were growing up.

They're all tremendous
musicians.

And that's somethin'
that you can't fake.

[Peter] How many people
start out at 18,

19 years old,
doing what they love,

being able to do it
their entire life?

[Joe] It's early 2016
and Jason Scheff

is leaving Chicago.

♪ To leave it all behind ♪

[Lee] Jason said
that he needed some time off.

♪ How can we end it all
This way ♪

Yeah, yeah sure, I know.

How much time do you need?

And he-- he said,
like, three months

or four months.

Are you kidding?
We got shows booked.

♪

So, we got
a replacement for him.

[Joe] Almost 31 years
touring with the group

and it's coming
to an end in an instant.

[tv journalist] The guy
who replaced Peter Cetera

way back in 1985,

has now been
replaced himself.

We had, uh,
Jeff and, uh,

Neil--
They had both came in.

[Jeff] We did the audition,
it was

a three and a half hour
audition.

We basically went through
the entire show.

And we sang
all the tenor stuff.

Once for myself and once for--
Neil Donell was there.

I spent some time in Ohio
with the band

uh, and went through
a whole day

of running the entire show.

♪ Spinning room
Is sinking deep ♪

I thought Neil,
hands down,

was the way better singer,
but Neil didn't play bass.

[Neil] At the end of the day,
the decision was made.

It wasn't--
it wasn't gonna work

this time around with me
and the band.

They kinda felt

it's better
to have one guy doin' both,

so we went with Jeff.

[Jeff] They offered me the gig,
and off and running we went.

[Joe] It's May 22nd, 2016.

We're in Findlay, Ohio
and Jeff Coffey is playing

his first show with Chicago.

["25 or 6 to 4"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Feeling like
I ought to sleep ♪

♪

[Joe] And before you know it,

he's playing
his second and third

and thirtieth shows
with Chicago.

And the band is touring
with Earth, Wind and Fire.

♪ Searching for something
To say ♪

[cheering and applause]

[Joe] 2017 is ringing in.

And before long,
it's February

and it's announced
that Robert Lamm

and James Pankow
have been inducted

into
the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

[host]
Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis.

Robert Lamm and James Pankow.

And Peter Cetera
of the band Chicago.

[Joe] Fifty years
of work as songwriters

and the honor
must feel great, right?

It was really rewarding

to be recognized...

for the songs that we wrote.

♪

[Robert] Obviously, the--
the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

is a-- is a group...

uh, honor.

But, the-- the Songwriters

Hall of Fame meant
so much more to me personally

because I really have
always considered myself

first a songwriter.

So, that was--
for me that was the--

the one to get.

[James] The songs
that Robert and I wrote,

in the beginning,
are what set the stage

and what created

the beginning
of this longevity.

He's always, uh,

uh, motivated me
to get better.

For me, it starts
with a musical idea.

The music expresses a feeling.

[Joe] It's October, 2017

and the band
is at Notre Dame University

rehearsing a new project.

A complete recreation

of their second album,
Chicago.

Most well known asChicago II.

[Robert] There were many songs
that we were relearning

that were so unfamiliar

because, really,

we hadn't played them
for 40 years.

♪

♪

It was no small task.

Holy cow.

We did that?

I was hearing--
uh-- uh-- uh, yours is in G.

["Memories of Love"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Now I kneel and pray ♪

♪

There was this feast
of Terry Kath songs

that I got to sing,

and that was exciting for me

because it was very R&B,

which is what I love.

So, I just was,
kind of, chomping

at the bit at the thought
of doing all those great songs

like, "In the Country."

♪ It's all here ♪

♪ For you and me ♪

♪

For me there was no problem
because we had played the songs

so often when the album
came out,

that I had--

And historically
I've never had a problem

remembering music.

Everything else,
I have a problem with.

♪ Let me tell you now ♪

♪ I do love you ♪

Chicago II
has so many incredible songs

that a lot of the folks,

when we played Chicago II
on the road,

thought that
we were playing new material.

♪ I do love you ♪

This album has
a little of everything.

It's got pop songs.

♪

It's got introspective
jazz approaches.

♪

♪

[Robert]
I personally had a little--

a conversation going on

in my mind
for many of the songs,

like, "What was I thinking
when I wrote that?"

Why did I do that?

You know,
you know what Chicago is.

Musically.

After listening to Chicago II.

[crowd cheering]

[Joe]
The band is better than ever,

but things,
as ever, are changing.

After less than two years,

Jeff Coffey
is leaving the band.

After 27 years,

the drummer Tris Imboden
is also leaving.

27 years instilled
into rapid fire memories.

Before having
to be turned into new memories

with new people.

Band manager
Peter Schivarelli

needs to act quick
as the band's touring schedule

is full through
the following year.

Replacements need
to be found immediately.

For drums,
the choice is easy.

The first thing I did
was call Wally and said,

"Are you ready
to play drums?"

He said,
"I've been ready since I came."

"Learn the songs,
I'll see you at the down beat."

[Joe] When it comes to finding
the bass player...

I got called from my old friend
Steve Brumbach,

the tour manager, whom
I've known for quite some time.

Brett Simons has been
a replacement guy with, uh,

Fiona Apple,
who I was tour managing.

Here's one guy
I would put forward.

[Joe] For lead vocals,
a familiar face

from Canada gets a call.

Then I called Neil,
up in Canada.

And I said,
this is not an audition.

♪ Really smilin' ♪

The cool thing was

I had already gotten
to know the guys a little bit.

You know, it's not just
about your actually--

your ability to perform,

it's just to perform the songs,
but it's also

your personality has to mesh.

And I knew that that wasn't
going to be an issue.

[Joe] It's January, 2018

and the new Chicago
is rehearsing

and taking pictures
for their upcoming tour.

Robert Lamm,

Lee Loughnane,

James Pankow,

Keith Howland,

Lou Pardini,

Walfredo Reyes Jr.,
Neil Donell,

Brett Simons

and saxophonist,
Ray Hermann.

Flashback.

It's 2016
and Ray Hermann is asked

to become an official member
to replace Walt Parazaider

who will be retiring.

[Ray] It came to pass

that he was unable
to do any shows

because of his heart condition.

And, so,

that's when the guys came
and said,

"Would you like
to do this on a--

you know, permanent basis?"

♪

[James] We don't have
a crystal ball.

When are they gonna take
my driving privileges away?

When am I not gonna
be able to do that?

When am I not gonna
be able to do that?

When is my lifestyle
going to be severely limited

because of my limitations?

♪

Again, you know,
we're not--

uh, we're not...

kids anymore.

[Lee]
I used to see him everyday,

then all of a sudden,
I wasn't seein' him everyday.

Y'know,
now I don't see him at all.

[Ray] The sad part
is the human part

of humanity
where people get older,

they're unable to do
what they used to do, you know.

And so, I know
I'm going that way too,

but I'm glad I'm able
to take care of the music

and sort of preserve

that tradition
and the history,

you know, that Walt,
Jimmy and Lee did--

They would--

That I could continue to,

sort of, put them great music
out there and keep--

keep playin' it for people.

♪

[Joe] It's January, 2018

and the band
has been formed.

Yet again,
Chicago is on the road.

[cheering]

♪

The band starts
its first residency

at the Venetian
in Las Vegas.

♪

Residencies have been rare
for the group,

but they will become
a yearly tradition.

♪

♪ If you'd like
To get together ♪

♪ Come right over to me ♪

♪ Ooh
We can do anything ♪

♪ That you like to do ♪

♪

[Joe] It's May, 2018

and percussionist Ray Yslas
is added to the group

to play alongside Wally Reyes.

Ow.

[Walfredo]
♪ Ooowa oowa ♪

[drumming]

♪ Ooowa oowa
Ooowa oowa ♪

[Raymon] You know,
I was a Chicago fan

since I was a kid.

[drumming]

I became a musician

because of CTA.

I'm the youngest of seven

and my brothers and sisters
would put that album on,

put Chicago II on,
put Chicago III,

and I just told myself,
I wanna do that.

[drumming]

[drumming continues]

[audience cheering]

[Lee] Oh yeah. Give it up.
Wally Reyes on the drums.

[cheering]

Ray Yslas on percussion.

♪

[Joe] Another year rings in,

and the band
is on the road again.

But, this year,

they're not only going
to be playing shows,

but also trying
to record a new album

while traveling
from town to town.

[Lee]
That was a new experirence

and we didn't know
how well it was gonna work.

[Peter]
We'd have a day off in a hotel,

we'd rent a suite,
set everything up

and, um,
they would record, right there.

[Joe] In the old days,
you'd rent out a studio

and you'd record
for weeks at a time.

But,
with the non-stop touring,

there's no other choice

but to record
on the bus and in hotel rooms.

[Ray] Can you take that
f7 back down because I'm--

The melody is...
♪ Bam, bam, bam, bam, bam ♪

That's the melody.

♪

That-- that's it.

We could only fit a few guys
at a time in the back of a bus.

So often our playback was just
on the headphones.

We did two
or three takes and we'd go,

"Oh, I think
the third one was the best."

♪

So, it was
a real performance

in a lot of ways
on all the tracks.

That was a first for me

because, you know, we're--

The schedule is busy enough
with the traveling

and the shows.

And then, you know,

recording in the back
of the tour bus,

and cutting a lead vocal
in Lee's hotel room.

♪ Ooo Ooo
A Merry Christmas ♪

♪ And a happy New Year ♪

♪ Ooo Ooo yeah ♪

There were challenges.

You're in a hotel room
recording

and a Harley goes by.

[imitates motorcycle engine]

♪ Carolin' Carolin'♪

♪ Carolin' Carolin'
Carolin' Carolin' ♪

We had a motorcycle.

Caroline's outside.

That's sound effects.
[laughing]

Yeah, we have
street cars, right.

It's great, right?

I remember being
down the hall,

and I would, you know,
goin' to get a cup of coffee

and I could hear down the hall,
I could hear the guys,

the horn guys cutting,
you know, Jimmy

and Ray and Lee
cutting the horn parts.

And, like, literally
for eight hours.

♪

The manager's comin'
to the room.

"Hey, what's goin on?"

[knocking on table]

You know,
because we're making noise.

♪

But just shows,
you know, the work ethic...

is phenomenal.

This is what I do.
I don't do anything else.

And you know,
I don't have another hobby.

[cheering]

[Joe] The band
is traveling non-stop.

And there's no end in sight.

And before they know it,
it's October

and the Christmas album
is coming out and the band

is in New York City
to promote the album.

♪ Carolin' Carolin'
Carolin' Carolin' ♪

We got on to Macy's parade,

and that was gonna be
our big kick

for the next year.

♪ Here we come a-caroling ♪

♪ Among the leaves so green ♪

Looking back,

I was just thrilled,
it was a beautiful day.

Uh, we hadn't always had
beautiful days,

uh, the previous times
we were part

of the Thanksgiving
Day Parade.

♪ A happy new year ♪

♪ And God send you
A happy New Year ♪

[Robert] As it turns out,

one of the Thanksgiving
traditions, uh,

in this band
is to get on a float.

[woman] Well, now we welcome
one of the best selling bands

of all time, Chicago.

♪ Here we come a-caroling ♪

♪ Among the leaves so green ♪

♪ Here we come a wand'ring ♪

♪ So fair to be seen ♪

♪ Love and joy come to you
And a Merry Christmas too ♪

That was
an absolutely magical week.

We were j--
we were kind of floating on air

for the whole thing.

It was just--
You know being in New York

at that time
of the year as well.

I was just happy
to be in New York.

Period.

♪

I was not prepared
for how I'd feel about it.

We're riding the float,
and I'm seeing,

probably two million people
in New York on the streets.

I was absolutely blown away.

I said, this is
the most amazing experience

I've ever had.

♪

[Joe] The snow flies,
and it's November

turning into December

and the experience is joyful

and there's no predicting
what's about to happen.

[Peter] We played Thursday
for the Macy's Parade,

Monday for the Today Show,

and then Wednesday night,

we did the big Rockefeller
tree lighting show.

And I thought,
this is gonna be great

to launch--
to launch the next year.

♪

Looking back,
you know, a few months later,

umm, it makes those memories

all that much more precious.

[Joe] Change is inevitable,

and it's all happening
right now.

[Lee] Our ninth album was
the first greatest hits album,

and normally, most careers
are on the downslope

when they put out
a greatest hits album.

And, it's like,
that signals the end as well.

We've had
many ends signaled

during the course
of our career

and none of them
have panned out.

[Joe] The new year rings in.

It's 2020.

Everything's the same,

but it's going
to get different somehow.

Even though now
the band is in Las Vegas

for their third residency.

But this year,
something much bigger

is in the news.

[Lester Holt]
Breaking news tonight.

The coronavirus declared

a public health
emergency in the US.

Watching the news,
tripping out on everything

going on world wide.

So this pandemic,
of course,

has created
a major health scare.

It's threatening
main streets

across the country now.

From big companies
to small mom and pop shops.

[Joe]
The entire world, it seems,

is toppling
all around the bend.

And the unease is palpable.

We could see already
the last couple of shows,

that the audience was gettin'
thinner and thinner.

There's so much
anxiety out there,

we're going to try
to walk everybody through

what's going on this morning.

It kept building
this momentum of the worry,

and you know,
it really was, kinda like,

okay,
what's really going on here.

[woman] The list of closing
and activities being suspended

has grown
from coast to coast.

We were told
that we're going home

the next day instead of
continuing on with the tour.

We were supposed to go
to California to do--

to do, I think,
two or three more

and they got-- they got--
obviously got cancelled, but...

It was before the show that I--
I really premeditated, like,

I'm gonna enjoy the hell
out of this show

cuz it's--
it might very well be

the last show for--
for a bit.

♪ Saturday in the park ♪

♪ I think it was
The Fourth of July ♪

That was the last show done

before the pandemic started

because the very next day,
everything shut down.

♪

I thought, well, we'll start
the spring tour in April.

I actually thought that, uh,

we would back out working

within 60 to 90 days.

We had no idea.

We thought,
you know this was...

two weeks
to slow the spread.

Remember that one?

And uh... [laughing]

♪

It turned out that we were,

uh, the last in Las Vegas
to be playing a live show.

If not the last in America,
or possibly the world.

We were the last performance
that happened

before they shut down
everything.

♪

[audience cheering]

[Joe] It's March 2020,

and Chicago

is the last band on stage.

[Robert] It really
hadn't sunk in at that point,

when we were taking a bow.

Uh, I think, uh,

usually at the end of a show,
we're all,

you know,
excited anyway.

So regardless of what else
is going on in the world,

you know,
we're still kinda responding

to the audience's applause, so.

I'm looking out
at the audience and thinking,

maybe this could be
the very last show we ever do.

[cheering and applause]

[woman] It's a city
that never sleeps,

but now, the main strip
in Las Vegas,

is at a standstill.

[James] I got in the car
to go to the airport

the next morning,
and the limo driver looks--

uh, looks at me

in the rearview mirror,
he goes,

[sighs]

"Sorry to see you guys leaving

because you're the last thing
that happened on the strip."

[gloomy ambient music]

Who would've thought
that the world would shut down?

[Steve] I was concerned,
'cause it's my livelihood.

I had a fear that, um,

at the utmost--

Optimistically, you know,
we'll be back working together

in, you know,
a month or two.

Man, I was so disappointed

that we were gonna have
maybe a few weeks off.

[Joe] The band heads home
on different paths.

Robert Lamm, Ray Yslas,
and Brett Simons

go to California.

Lee Loughnane goes to Arizona.

James Pankow,
Keith Howland, and Lou Pardini

go to Tennessee.

Neil Donell goes to the
Great White North in Canada.

Ray Herrmann goes
to South Carolina,

and Walfredo Reyes Jr.
heads home to Ohio,

where he originally
had other plans.

I got married March 21st,

and I had
to cancel everything,

but we still got married
and walked into a lockdown.

[Joe]
The only thing in 53 years

that could stop Chicago
from touring,

is a worldwide pandemic
that stopped everybody.

Two weeks turned
into a month,

turned into two months.

Will we ever play
in front of people again?

[Joe] And just like that,

this is the end of Chicago
as we know them.

[upbeat drum playing]

[Joe] The original members
are about to do something

they've never done before
in their whole life.

Stay home longer
than three months.

[Robert] I discovered
that I liked being home.

I've always been a traveler,
but in this situation

where I had to stay home

and with Joy,
my wife,

uh-- uh, I found
that I really, really liked it.

Being home
during the pandemic was dismal.

I haven't been home that long
in a half a century,

it was driving me crazy.

Yeah, I mean,
once a, you know,

pandemic's not gonna happen,
are you kidding?

How's that gonna happen?

That was
a hundred years ago!

Oh, it's happening now?

[laughs]

[Joe] Everything changes,
but this is different.

Uncharted territory.

Everything is on hold until
they can go back on stage

and play in front of
an audience again.

Until then,
the perspective has shifted

for everybody because things
are no longer happening.

[drum playing]

"Now" has been put on hold.

It's affected our business

more than any business

because audiences
are the definition

of social gathering.

And whether we were wanting
to go back out and work...

was only possible

if they were ready
to come enjoy what we do.

Nobody went anywhere...

for anything.

All jobs stopped.

[Joe]
There was a lot to figure out

in terms of everyone's
economic survival,

from band members,

to the touring crew
and staff.

[Steve] Chicago took care
of their crew people.

I mean, they'd get,
you know,

the PPP, you know.

And I think at first
they were reticent to do that.

I didn't want to take
stimulus money

and have it be
where someone says,

"Hey, the rock band Chicago,

they've been playing
for all these years,

and they took stimulus money."

But then we found out
that numerous other,

you know,
bands were doing that.

We made sure
that everyone got a portion

of what their salary was,

uh, every week.

The three originals
and myself.

They wanted
to make sure that anyone

who couldn't get
any state money

or anything
on their own,

whether in the band
or the crew,

we virtually paid

a good portion
of their salary

all the way
till the end of this.

Some of the bands
took money

and just gave it to the,
you know, principal members

and didn't take care
of the staff or crew.

And Chicago
absolutely did take care

of their staff and crew.

Even to the extent,
some of the people

who were contract employees
through our vendors

that had been with us
for, you know,

a long time.

You know,
we tried to give them

some sort of
a stipend as well

to help--
help them along, so.

[Joe] In Sedona,
Arizona, Lee Loughnane

found plenty
to work on.

In December of 2019,

he had bought a house

with the goal
of turning it

into a state-of-the-art
studio,

in the vein
of a modern-day Caribou Ranch

for the band.

Little did he know,

he'd have the time
to work on it

without needing
to go on tour.

I-- I bought
a second house.

I found a second house
before the pandemic started,

like two or three months
before the pandemic started.

And I was going
to build a studio

and I found a--
a board,

a-- an SSL console

that I could get
for a great price,

and then I find
a house to put it in,

and all of a sudden,

pandemic happens
and I had plenty of time

to-- to build it
and put it together.

So here we are working

in one of the most beautiful
places on the planet.

We just felt like
it would be

the ideal situation

regardless of the project
that came up.

I'm using it
to record anything

and everything
that comes up.

♪

[Joe]
Another project was brewing

with Rhino Records.

A complete restoration

of the band's
iconic performance

at Carnegie Hall.

♪

[trumpet music playing]

[Joe] Loughnane
and engineer Tim Jessup

were up
against remastering

all eight shows
from the band's April 1971 run

at the famed
New York Concert Hall.

[Lee]
These were all two inch tapes

that were transferred
to digital,

and there was just noise

throughout every tape.

["Does Anybody Really Know
What Time It Is" by Chicago]

♪ As I was walking down
The street one day ♪

[Lee] We were trying
to get as much of Carnegie Hall

out of our way.

We knew
that there would be

still plenty
of ambient sound left.

[Joe]
April 5th to April 10th, 1971.

Hogan's Heroes was airing
its final episodes.

The first Starbucks
was opening,

and Chicago was recording
their first live album

for a week
at Carnegie Hall.

The Carnegie Hall release
was always known

for being poorly mixed
and recorded.

And Loughnane's memory

told him
that probably meant

the band didn't sound
that good, either.

We always had
the recollection

that we didn't play
the shows that well, that week.

[Lee] When I listen back now,
I was wrong.

We had a lot of energy

and we just,
you know,

we started
playing freely,

whether we knew it
or not at the time.

[Tim] Chicago at Carnegie Hall

required ten months
of intensive work.

[saxophone playing]

And it really proved out
the new studio.

[soft piano playing]

[Lee] I knew
that this wasn't gonna end

very soon at all.

I didn't think
about that.

I knew
that eventually

we would probably go out.

I had no idea when,

but I just--
I just would wake up,

have a cup of coffee
and start practicing.

And then go over
to the studio

and see what was going on
with the construction.

First time since 1967

that I have been unable
to work.

My wife and I
were getting ready

to do a duel
in the front yard.

When are you going to work?

I have never, ever been

at home

for this length of time.

I am a professional musician,

and usually
you gotta go somewhere

to play your music.

[Joe]
With everything shut down,

and everyone at home,

the news dominated more
than it ever had before.

And to add insult to injury,

the hopes for touring
in 2020

were growing dimmer.

We just kept
not going out.

Not doing shows,
staying at home.

Okay,
we're thinking maybe June.

No, it's not gonna happen
in June, maybe September.

And then
they told us...

summer's gonna be gone.

No-- no tour.

This pandemic
was dragging on and on,

and people were trying
to figure out how can we--

how can we reach our fans?

And--
Because we're stuck at home.

In a way,
you sort of almost get lazy

because there was
no opportunity

to really do anything.

There were
a few people calling,

"Hey, could you put a solo

on this song
that I'm working on?"

[Joe] Towards the end
of June and heading into July,

the only way
they could reach their fans

was virtually,
and completely apart

from each other.

One of the solutions
became Zoom.

Zoom videos we did with--
uh, with the band.

[Joe]
Everyone used their phones

to film themselves
recording their greatest hits,

in order to put on
some semblance

of a home concert.

["25 Or 6 To 4"
by Chicago playing]

I mean, it was bizarre
knowing that there were

no live performances anywhere

by anyone.

Any artist.

So everyone was like,
you know,

setting up a camera
in their living room,

"I wanna sing
a couple of songs for you."

♪

We're supposed
to be recreating

this concert vibe.

You know,
be excited,

you know,
like you're on stage, okay.

♪

♪ Waiting for the break
Of day ♪

♪

♪ Searching for something
To say ♪

Doing the videos at home,
you know, initially was--

the novelty of it was, I guess,

a bit interesting,
and it was sort of exciting

to see the guys, you know,
even though it was through Zoom

or, you know, other--
other formats.

["Dialogue Part I & II"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Are you optimistic ♪

♪ 'Bout the way things
Are going ♪

♪ No, I never ever
Think of it at all ♪

That was as close
to working as we could get.

And it was better
than nothing...

but...

it wasn't
the real thing.

["You're the Inspiration"
by Chicago playing]

♪ You know our love
Was meant to be ♪

♪ The kind of love
That lasts forever ♪

♪

♪ And I want you here
With me ♪

♪ From tonight
Until the end of time ♪

We were connecting
and you know,

we didn't know for sure
if it was gonna come back,

or when.

We moved dates constantly,
um, and to--

We got to the point
where we realized, um,

you know, it--
this is not gonna happen.

I mean,
there was no way, uh,

to go out and perform
between all the unknowns.

Um, people were really,

um, in a quandary
about you know,

what actually
could cause this,

will the virus--

will the vaccine help
or whatever.

[Robert] And right now,
honestly,

it doesn't look like much,
you know,

much is gonna happen.

Maybe some-- something around
Christmas time,

but it all depends on

if-- if there's a vaccine,

if there-- if people can be--
Feel safe.

I'm going--
Am I gonna be doing Zoom shows

for the rest of my career?

You know. [chuckles]

[Joe] With doors closing
all around the bend,

Lee Loughnane
continued to work

on the Carnegie Hall project,

as well as
other side projects.

-Yeah, yeah.
-Yeah.

[Joe] The studio,
dubbed Studio 164,

would ultimately be used
for the recording

of new material
for the band.

To prepare for this,
Loughnane

and frequent collaborator
John Durill

worked together
on a new song

and animation project,
called "Robot Love."

[Lee] It was great
to be able to have

my own studio,
and no one else

being able to come in
and take the time away from us.

We were looking
for something else to work on,

and John Durill had
sent us a demo of a song

called "Robot Love."

"Robot Love" sounded
like a hit to me,

and I hadn't been
getting it right

with so many components.

[Lee] Being the only vocalist
in the studio at the time,

in fact,
the only human being

in the studio,
I recorded a demo vocal

that is turning out
to be the vocal of the song,

until I can get
someone else to sing it,

I had to have
a finished version of the vocal

for the animators
to produce the video.

♪ Robot love ♪

♪ Twenty-four hours a day ♪

♪

♪

But the question remains

as to whether
this will actually be used

by the group

or something
that I put out

on a separate website.

♪

When we record,
we hope that anyone else

besides us likes it as well.

Social media,
having all of their comments,

I've never listened
to Twitter once.

I see that it's there.

It doesn't...

seem real to me.

Being home for so long
during the pandemic,

I think
we started getting used

to having
a normal life again at home,

and we-- we had everything
that we needed.

The end of the video,
the character realizes

that what he has wanted
all along,

he already has.

[Robert] I realized that
I had married the right woman.

We had so much time

to talk about things

we had never,
you know, broached before.

I love being at home,
and I think my--

I think my wife enjoyed
me having-- being at home.

It was nice being
a dad and a husband,

but I'm also a musician.

And so,
I miss that aspect of my life.

[James] First of all,
we're really lucky people.

I can't wait
to get on stage.

How many people
can't wait to go to work?

Not many.

[Joe]
The summer turned into fall,

and then it was winter
and more music was being made,

when the band made
more at-home videos

to commemorate
the Christmas album.

["All is Right"
by Chicago plays]

♪ We'll all be singin'
Silent night ♪

♪ With a fire so bright ♪

♪ All is right with the world
At Christmas time ♪

♪ You know
It's just a state of mind ♪

♪ And I feel so alive ♪

♪ All is right with the world
At Christmas time ♪

♪

[Joe] It was almost
impossible to believe

that only a year earlier,
they were in New York City,

playing this in front of
millions of people.

A distant memory
of a world we all want back,

that only seemed normal
while it was happening.

When the New Year rang in,

everyone was happy
to say goodbye to 2020,

and there was finally
some hope

for shows to happen
in 2021.

After almost a year of dealing
with the Coronavirus,

the only thing
the band cared about

was getting
back on the road.

You know,
we talked to Live Nation,

you know, "We want to go
back on the road, okay?"

I feel so lucky
to be part of a team that

was really aggressive in
saying, "We want to do this."

I-- I know that
they worked hard at booking

and then had to cancel,
push back again and again.

Initially, it was May.

We were looking--
we were gonna go out in May

and start some shows.

And then that got
pushed back, so.

Live Nation said,
"Well, I don't know, you know.

It's different
from state to state.

We can't guarantee
that you'll be able

to do each show

as planned, as booked,

because there may be...

regulations that prevent it."

[Peter] Live Nation,
of course, took a big, big hit.

They lost
a tremendous amount of money,

not having all the shows.

We were approached again,

"Are you sure
you want to do this?"

We work every year.

Because that's what we do.

We wanna be back.
We wanna be back.

[Ray] Woke up,
opened my computer,

as we all do,
you know,

get a cup of coffee,
checking your email,

and there was an email
from Steve Brumbach

with a schedule.

Like, when we're starting,
when the rehearsal starts.

I cried, I was like,
"Wow, I didn't know

if I would ever
see this again."

And I'm sitting there like,
"Wow...

we're doing this."

[Joe] Just like that,
time had started again,

and the here and now
was back.

Dates are scheduled,

and the band
finally has plans.

When I have the ticket
in my hand,

the plane ticket
in my hand

and I know I'm heading
to the ar-- airport,

that-- I think that's the day
I'll really believe it.

["Old Days" by Chicago playing]

♪ Old days ♪

♪ Good times I remember ♪

♪ Fun days ♪

♪ Days I'll always treasure ♪

[Joe]
It's April, 2021.

Silver linings have turned
into clear positives,

but shocking news
comes through.

The band learns

that founding member
Walt Parazaider

has Alzheimer's disease.

[man] Yesterday, Walter
Parazaider posted a note.

He said, "So many of you have
been very kind over the years

with birthday
and well-wishes,

I want to share
some news with you,

before the rumors start
on the internet."

"Five months ago,
I was diagnosed

with Alzheimer's disease.

Needless to say,
my wife, daughter, and myself

were shocked and devastated."

Walt,
doing everything he can.

He's on the best medications.

He plays his horn
every day,

which he says is the best
medicine that he has,

because the horn
keeps him focused.

When I talked to him,
he was lucid.

He said,
"I'm gonna beat this thing.

It's not gonna--
it's gonna keep me down."

And I told Walt,
you know,

"You're gonna beat
this thing,

and you're gonna--
you're gonna have

many healthy years
ahead of you."

[Lee]
I know that Walt has been--

has had
a lot of health issues.

That's pretty much
all I know about Walt.

I haven't seen--
I haven't seen Walt

for-- for years.

I don't-- I don't remember
actually, how many years,

that's how long it's been,
and, uh--

I'll always miss Walt,
you know,

he's my soul brother,
I'll always miss him.

Uh, we went through
a lot together.

And he was part
of this signature,

which Ray has now become.

It's sort of--
it's sort of sad, actually,

because it's seeing
Walt's health deteriorate,

it's-- it's so human.

And it's a...

a fact that--
that we're all headed

in that-- that direction,

and, so,
I'm glad I'm here,

and, uh, it's--
it's been great.

[cheering and applause]

Put one in
the win column right here.

[Joe] Sedona, Arizona.

Lee Loughnane's
Studio 164 is complete.

Everyone in the band
is vaccinated

and can get together
to record.

It's gonna be fading
on the second time.

Me, Jimmy
and Ray Herrmann,

we're gonna record
the next few days...

on the album.

Right now we're doing,
uh, Chicago,

38, I think.

38. 38 albums.

That's insane.

[laughter]

[Joe] Over the months,
James and Ray

have only heard
about Studio 164.

But hearing about the studio
and actually seeing it,

are two
very different things.

We-- we got a Peeping Tom

in the horn section.

It's the trees--
no, I was looking at the trees.

[James] Oh, sure, Ray.

[Ray] It was just nice
to see Jimmy and Lee,

and just play
with some people again,

live, together,

you know,
and create together.

It was-- it was great.

You photographing
the fucking gum?

[Joe] This was
yet another new beginning

in the band's history.

A chance
to make music from home

without compromising quality.

Everything we needed
was good to go.

Uh,
and it was as professional

and as well-equipped

as any studio
we've ever been in.

[Joe] The studio
was even retrofitted

with a replica
of the door they used

at Caribou Ranch
in the 1970s.

This will be the first time
the band has granted

this much access in showing
their process in the studio.

[Lee] The stuff at the ranch,
that wasn't really recording.

That was a TV show
recording us

playing the songs
that were already recorded.

♪

This would be great
for someone to see.

I mean, for us to be able
to do this 55 years later

is a miracle in itself,

so I'm enjoying that fact
and the fact that...

we can do another album.

And beyond that,
I can do anything I want.

I mean, it's like I know
what I wanna do when I grow up.

[laughs]

[Joe] Multiple cameras
will run the entire time,

capturing every detail
of the creative process.

[James] We've been able,
through this project,

to record the brass, uh...

with optimal conditions.

You know, we're not on a bus,
we're not in a hotel room.

I don't know what to do,
like, I miss the bus.

-[laughs]
-[James] Not me!

[trumpet plays]

Maybe the motorcycle,
shut-- okay-- shut down.

Stop the track.

And then getting complaints
in the hotel

'cause we went too late.

[brass instruments playing]

[James]
We are in the process

of doing the first
original studio album

we've done
in many years.

This may be the last album.

Mortality is a reality.

You know, we don't know.

It's-- it's, uh,
it's anybody's guess.

But realistically...

this could be the last

serious original project.

So we're giving it
every ounce

of energy and thought
that we can,

because we want it to be
the best album we've ever done.

[brass instruments playing]

We should do it again because,
you know,

I gotta try to be ready

for that two-beat count off.

I'll bring a song in,
or, you know,

any one of us
will bring a song in

and as we're--
as we're recording the song,

individuals in the band
will add this--

their own personal touch
to the track.

And it'll inspire,
perhaps...

a better direction
for a section of the song,

because you didn't hear that
when you were writing it.

Or we could do
one, two, three--

[imitates brass instrument]

-We could really--
-[saxophone plays]

-We could do the Sam Butera.
-[laughs]

[saxophone playing]

[indistinct singing]

[imitates saxophone]

[saxophone plays]

That's the kind of shit
I want on the tag.

-[laughs]
-[trumpet playing]

[Joe] Being together
for the first time in a year

takes some getting used to.

And unavoidably,

the topic of the pandemic
makes its way

into nearly
every conversation.

-You wanna listen to it?

-Let's just play.
-[Ray] Okay.

You can't hear it
good enough anyway.

You're right, we don't have
the production cans.

[laughs]

-Our Covid--
-[indistinct]

Covid cans.

Covid cans!

Yeah, we gotta wear
a mask with a hole in it.

[Lee] Yeah.

Covid can.

[James] That's why they call us
the hole in the mask gang.

[laughing]

The brass room is beautiful

and gives us
all the isolation we need

between the three instruments.

Tim, the engineer,
had baffles set up

just to get some--
a little bit of isolation.

So yeah, it was--
it was built in--

built in social distancing.

And, so,
you had to go around,

sort of like
a sneeze guard and go,

"Hey-- hey, Lee,
is that an A-flat?",

you know, and so it--
but it was just--

it was great to see humans
and play with humans again.

[Joe] Even though
Ray Herrmann has been touring

with the band
for almost two decades...

James still snaps
right back into the old days

every now and then.

Okay, uh, Lee,
play Walt, uh-- oh shit.

-[laughs]
-Raised part, down an octave.

Raised part, down an octave.
I'm gonna play your part.

And, Ray, you're gonna play
the bone part in the scan.

-Okay.
-[James] Okay.

When somebody is, like,
changing a voicing or something

and then, you know,
Jimmy'll yell out a--

"Walt, you got an E,"
you know, or something,

and-- and it'll go,
"Oh, sorry, you're Ray."

It's an-- it's--
you know, it's no big deal.

I was thinking about this
just the other day.

They had played
with Walt forever.

It's just those--
those three guys, just forever.

When you've been in the saddle
with this, you know...

the same people
for so many years,

you know, uh, you know...

you get
so used to it that...

it's second nature.

I come along and, you know,

I've played with many people
in many horn sections,

but I've never played
with anybody

as long as I've played
with those two guys.

And those two guys
haven't played with me

as long as just Walt.

["Make A Man Outta Me"
by Chicago plays]

♪ Got a little friend
Looking up at me ♪

[James] I wrote a song
about all the feelings

going through me,
as I looked at my newborn son,

which were hugely powerful.

This little baby
is gonna have expectations.

And needs.

By fulfilling
those expectations

in this little boy...

by fulfilling those needs...

it will make
a man out of me.

It will--

make me grow up.

Much wisdom is gained
by parenthood.

[laughs]

Got a little guy
looking up at me.

Biggest little eyes
that I ever did see.

So much love
and dependency.

It's gonna make
a man out of me.

Parenthood
is a tremendous responsibility,

but it's also
the ultimate blessing.

I 100% agree,
and by the way,

I'm already tearing up
hearing those lyrics,

so if that's on an album,

uh, Jimmy Pardo's gonna be
a puddle of water

when that track ends,

and then hopefully
the next song takes me--

brings me back.

♪

[James] That's nice,
man, that's a wrap!

Just print that lick
the rest of the song,

-it's a wrap.
-[Ray] That's it, we're done!

♪ [indistinct] ♪

[Lou] That was
a big turning point for me,

going to Sedona,

recording with Lee
in his studio,

a really
state-of-the-art studio.

That was a real good
turning point for me because

I, uh, felt like
I was living life again,

and doing music.

There were phone conversations

and song files
flying back and forth

for months
and months and months.

["She's Right"
by Chicago playing]

♪ We've gotta take
This situation ♪

I'm in studio,
recording new Chicago songs,

and it was just a blast.

The files
would get sent to me.

The music files
would get sent to me,

up-- up in Toronto
where I live.

Kind of send me
basic things and go,

"You know,
do-- do your thing."

["Someone Needed Me The Most"
by Chicago playing]

We had a lot of fun,
I had-- you know,

'cause the creative process
is-- is exciting.

I found that--
that whole experience, uh...

uh, rewarding and exhilarating

on many levels.

[James]
Let's dig ourselves.

Let us see
how far off we are.

Oh, oh!
How close we are to perfection.

When we pulled up the sounds,

we went in the control room
and listened.

That was like going
back to the old days of...

what recording was like
in the beginning.

["If This Is Goodbye"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Look at all the things
We did ♪

♪ Never thought
It'd end like this ♪

When we finally got
to the song "Goodbye",

which is a sort of
upbeat ballad

about changes and farewells.

And you can really see
the emotional effect

it was having
on the guys.

I mean, they've been
through so many changes.

♪ To me and you
And every single show ♪

♪ Cheers, a toast ♪

♪ To living fast
But always dancing slow ♪

♪ Here's a toast ♪

♪ To saying yes
Whenever I said no ♪

♪ If this is goodbye ♪

♪ If this is goodbye ♪

♪ Let's take one more shot
For the memories ♪

♪ Life's too short
To be enemies ♪

♪ And if this ends tonight ♪

♪ If this ends tonight ♪

♪ You can save your tears
For the other guys ♪

♪ I'll see you
In another life ♪

♪ If this is goodbye ♪

♪ Let's sing one more song
For the memories ♪

♪ I'll see you
In another life ♪

-Maybe.
-[others laugh]

[indistinct]

If that even exists.

[laughs]
We might go nowhere.

[laughs]

I'll come back
as a fucking rat.

♪ I'll see you
In another life ♪

Terry wanted to be
an armadillo.

[others laugh]

[piano playing]

[Joe] In a career
spanning this much time,

changes and goodbyes
are inevitable.

But for now,
more is yet to happen.

It's June, 2021.

Tickets have been bought
and hotels have been reserved.

The band
is heading out on the road

to Lincoln, Nebraska,
to play their first show.

But before
they can get there...

We couldn't get
to Nebraska that night.

A delay
and then a tornado watch

while we were on the plane,

and the plane
was not leaving anywhere.

A thunderstorm rolled in.

The plane was shaking
on the tarmac,

you know,
the wind was so strong.

We're coming to Nebraska
to do our first show

-during the pandemic.
-[thunderclap]

I was ready to go,
"Look,

I'm not staying in this plane,
because you can tell

the tornado would have
turned the plane over.

So the whole band
was now there on the plane.

We sat on the tarmac
three hours.

It was just, like, really?
Really?

[laughs] You know.

One roadblock,
one gets removed

and another one
pops in its way, you know?

Finally,
the next day, we made it.

[Joe] The skies clear,
and the band arrived safely,

ready to play together
for the first time

in what feels like forever.

[upbeat instrumental plays]

[James] Everybody
was so happy to be back,

so grateful.

[Brett]
It was like I never left.

Because the minute
I got off the flight,

we're all vaccinated,
we have a teamwork.

We knew we were
kind of in a safe zone,

in our little bubble.

It was like
we just pressed pause

and then pressed play again.

♪

[Joe] The weather
is perfect in Nebraska,

and the venue was idyllic
for the first show back.

♪

Everybody...

was so happy
to see each other.

It was--
I mean, it was emotional.

Seeing the guys
at the airport was emotional.

Getting to see the crew.

[Joe]
The band hasn't seen the crew

since March, 2020.

The question
of whether they would

ever work
with each other again...

has finally been answered.

[in shaky voice] Yeah.

Yeah, I feel that because...

you know,
they probably thought...

that they weren't gonna be
working ever again, either.

I mean, I--
I gotta be, on some level,

that everybody knew
that this eventually would end.

I really like our crew.

I really like
the musicians in the band.

So it was nice
to see everybody healthy.

We were all happy
that we had all come through

a-- a very dangerous period,
uh, in-- in the world.

We actually rehearsed
for two days.

[presenter]
Ladies and gentlemen...

please welcome, Chicago!

["Make Me Smile"
by Chicago plays]

♪ Children play in the park ♪

♪ They don't know ♪

["So Much to Say, So Much
to Give" by Chicago playing]

♪ So much to give ♪

We were-- we were all
kind of struggling a bit

the first night.

We weren't used to it.

["Color my World"
by Chicago playing]

♪ I realize ♪

♪ Just what you mean ♪

♪ To me ♪

[Lee] The rehearsals
were the hardest part.

Being on top of your game,
you know?

And it's like a sports guy

coming back
from an injury,

the game is a little
faster than them initially.

[drum solo playing]

It's a study
in muscle memory.

It's amazing how you train
your muscle memory,

and if I make a mistake,

or I forget something,
that will be it.

And it's almost
like if-- you--

you count it out
and your arms

and your legs
start playing by themselves

and you're looking going,
"Oh, wow, this is incredible.

Oh,
they know where to go."

[laughs]

Automatic pilot.

["25 Or 6 To 4"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Staring blindly
Into space ♪

♪ Getting up
To splash my face ♪

♪ Wanting
just to stay awake ♪

♪ Wondering
how much I can take ♪

I have to give, uh,

endless admiration and kudos

to our manager,
Peter Schivarelli.

I feel real good
about everything that we did,

and I think
we really made

a-- a lot of
the right moves.

[Joe]
The reunion has commenced.

I mean, I just--
my face hurt from smiling.

[Joe] And there's
nothing left to do but play.

Everybody rock and roll!

Yo, man!
Show number one.

[upbeat instrumental]

For me, it's just great
to see the people back

and the-- the seats full.

Sheer excitement,
like nothing we'd ever seen.

And then all of a sudden,
it's a packed, sold-out venue.

It was surreal.

It was just
this one energy

that didn't exist
for over 15 months.

[Joe]
After 15 months, finally,

there's a chance for people
to forget everything,

if only for three hours.

[presenter]
Ladies and gentlemen...

please welcome, Chicago!

[applause]

["Introduction"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Hey there, everybody ♪

♪ Please don't romp or roam ♪

[Joe] Everything is back
to normal in an instant.

[Lee] In June of 2021,

the levels of cases
had dropped so dramatically,

everybody thought
it was gonna be--

"That's it,
all right, let's party.

Let's-- let's-- let's go."

♪

I think that
there was a bit of relief.

It was a tremendous relief,
being able to get back to work.

I think everybody
feels the same way.

["Dialogue [Parts I & II]"
by Chicago playing]

♪ 'Bout the way
Things are going? ♪

♪ No, I never ever
Think of it at all ♪

♪ Don't you ever worry ♪

You could see
that they're enjoying

being with each other.

[Neil] It was so much,
you know, pent-up,

um, emotion
and craving for it.

They were as ready
to go as we were.

The first show.

The people were just
so excited.

They know the words.

They're singing along
with the band.

♪ I love you ♪

The atmosphere was great.

Everyone was--
just the emotion there.

♪ You love me too ♪

No.
I can't see them crying.

Thank God, or I'd start crying,
too, probably.

[laughs]

The crowd was great
and we felt great.

I mean,
it was one of those nights

where everyone was happy

to be back
and be at a show.

We're so lucky
that we're above the ground,

making music.

Please feel this,

and smell it,
and taste it.

And don't forget
how it feels like-- it--

it's not--
don't take it for granted.

[cheering and applause]

[indistinct lyrics]

There's some beautiful trees

surrounding the whole venue.

The wind was kicking in
and I swear,

I could have sworn
the trees were dancing.

Like the-- nature
was just excited to hear music

as much as we were
to be playing it.

["Make Me Smile"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Feel the magic ♪

♪ When I hold you ♪

♪ Cry sweet tears of joy ♪

♪ Touch the sky ♪

[cheering and applause]

[Brett]
You know, I think it was, uh,

Ray Yslas,
the percussionist--

Ray Yslas that suggests,
"You know,

I was listening
to an old live recording.

Cetera, you know,
he-- he played a riff."

[bass guitar playing]

Just that kind of, that
thud of a bass riff up top.

[bass solo playing]

And I listened to a couple
different renditions of it,

and I was like,
"Thanks for the heads up, Ray.

that's what
I'm going to do."

Give any chance to him
to open a, you know,

in front of the stage,
and I'll be that guy.

♪

[Ray]
Doing the drum solo,

for the first time
in 15 months.

You know, of course,
we reviewed it.

We were like, okay--
backstage, we're like--

[imitates drum solo]

You know, playing the parts
with our sticks on chairs.

And-- and we're like,

"I think it's missing
something."

So we would go on YouTube

and watch ourselves
play the solo,

and then we started laughing,
"Oh, yeah, we got to--"

we forget that little part.

[drum solo plays]

The drum percussion solo

is not about drums
and percussion only.

We wanted to make it,
uh, an entertaining solo.

[drum solo plays]

It's like drinking water,
it just comes

right back to you,
it's a second nature.

It's just, you know,
it-- it hits you

and you're like,
"Okay, that's right."

♪

We actually want to put
everything together.

Entertain.
Audience participation.

A little bit of humor.

Make the audience clap.

Make the audience
enjoy themselves.

Make the audience laugh,

and maybe if you want to
get off your seat...

move and dance, too.

♪

[cheering and applause]

[indistinct]

["Feelin' Stronger Every Day"
by Chicago playing]

♪ Feeling stronger
Every day ♪

♪ You know
I'm all right now ♪

♪ Feeling stronger
Every day ♪

♪ You know
I'm all right now ♪

♪ Feeling stronger
Every day ♪

♪ You know
I'm all right now ♪

♪ Feeling stronger
Every day ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪

[cheering and applause]

It's immediate gratification.

Live music,
you're getting it immediately.

I mean,
that's the review.

You know,
I've never believed in...

you know,
somebody as a music critic

writing something
the next day,

you know,
when you've got people,

you know, standing up,
screaming and clapping.

That's your review.

[cheering and applause]

I really
truly believe that...

this is a press
the reset button

for everybody
in-- in the group.

[cheering and applause]

[Joe] The tour
has continued ever since

without missing any shows.

From June 23rd,

till, um, December 19th,

we'll play close to 80 shows
in a half a year.

So we're gonna be real busy,

but we wanna get
to a lot of markets

and places
that we bypassed

for several years
that we missed.

[presenter] Chicago!

[cheering and applause]

[Joe]
Now it's September, 2021.

The band is back
in Las Vegas again,

a year and a half
after the pandemic began.

Well, it's a--
it's a real joy to play here

and learn that we were
one of the first acts

to perform in the Venetian
since we closed it down.

[Joe] The Chicago
Fan Club convention

is taking place.

[Lee] It's great to be able
to have the fan club

get together again.

Without the fans,
we don't have a career either.

Here we are,
back in Vegas.

It's like that year
and a half of the pandemic

was a blip on the screen.

And we're back
in the saddle.

♪

We will never
take it for granted,

any second
that we're on stage,

because we know
how it feels

not to be able
to be onstage.

We all have
that same feeling like, "Wow,

let's just kick ass

as strong
and hard as we can.

-Are you feeling it?
-[cheering and applause]

Are you feeling it?

-Can you feel it?
-[crowd] Yeah!

One more time,
can you feel it?

["You're The Inspiration"
by Chicago playing]

♪ You're the inspiration ♪

♪ You bring feeling
To my life ♪

♪ You're the inspiration ♪

♪ I wanna have you near me ♪

♪ I wanna have you
Hear me sayin' ♪

♪ No one needs you
More than I ♪

♪ No one needs you
More than I ♪

♪ I wanna have you near me ♪

Next year
is gonna be probably

one of the best years ever,

because everyone
who's been kinda

held back the last--

especially, you could say
almost two years,

are all gonna be
going out next year.

[Lee]
We don't know what a--

what normal's gonna be anymore.

We keep trying
to get back to normal,

but no one knows
what normal is.

[cheering]

Twelve years
of being in this band

is about eleven years more

than most bands
stay together.

It's a fact that-- that...

most of the time,
kind of invades my thoughts.

But, then I think,

"Wow,
that's twelve years.

That's a long time."

Most bands maybe stay together
two or three years,

and, uh...

even though
the band's been together

for 55 years...

twelve years
is still a lot.

That's a long time
out of your life.

[melancholy music]

♪

[Tony] I basically
took a whole month,

every day,

and just diligently
studied this music,

because this isn't something
that you just pick up and play.

So I just worked
really, really hard, uh,

to make sure
that I was up to speed.

[Loren]
It's a thrill and an honor

to be playing this music,
which-- which I love.

And here we are at 55 years,

and it's hard to believe,
right?

Can't wrap your head
around that one.

First of all,
I love the new songs,

but it was great--

being on stage
with everyone

and we're all kind of just
trying to figure our way and...

what's gonna work,
who's going to play what.

And I love the process.

You have to put Chicago

as one of the greatest
American Rock'n'Roll bands

that's ever existed.

I mean,
this is American music.

[Ramon] All of us are so happy
to be back out.

I know I am--
and I know everybody is,

you feel that energy.

Everybody...

understands
now more than ever,

how fortunate we are...

to be able
to be doing this.

You know, making music.

And the new music
that's gonna come out is...

The creative force
of the group is...

is-- is astonishing.

[Rey] There's more tracks
than-- than space for an album.

So, we have enough,
probably for, like, two albums.

You know,
now that we're on tour,

it's challenging again, uh...

but, you know,
it's coming along

as we've done
some great tracks.

["If This Is Goodbye"
by Chicago playing]

♪ I know ♪

♪ Just a bunch of
Crazy kids ♪

♪ Look at
All the things we did ♪

♪ Never thought
It'd end like this ♪

♪ Oh, oh, wake up ♪

♪ Playing
In the high school band ♪

♪ Never really had a plan ♪

♪ Made it
To the promised land ♪

♪ So here's a toast ♪

♪ To me and you
And every single show ♪

♪ Cheers, a toast ♪

♪ To living fast ♪

We're gonna do this
as long as we can.

But at some point,

we're gonna have to
bid farewell.

And this song kind of
captures the feeling

of that eventuality.

♪ If this is goodbye ♪

♪ Goodbye
Goodbye, goodbye ♪

♪ Let's take one more shot
For the memories ♪

♪ Life's too short
To be enemies ♪

'Cause it felt like
it was, uh...

striking close to home.

At some point,
people have to say goodbye.

♪ I'll see you
In another life ♪

♪ Goodbye ♪

♪ And maybe
If the stars align ♪

♪ I'll see you
In another life ♪

♪ You're missing
All the time to cry ♪

♪ We have one more night
Goodbye ♪

[Lee] It's been magical.

For us to be able to do this,
this long, together,

the same three guys
that I started out with.

You know and...

like in a marriage,

we have
our ups and downs.

And we've learned
how to survive that

and the focus,
I think, is this.

The focus is the music
and we-- we still love it.

[Peter]
How many people get to call

how long
they wanna keep going?

You know,
usually it's an age thing.

If we were with a company,
we'd be thrown out.

You know, you're 62,
get out, you know.

So, now we're older
than that by far,

and we're still able to go,
and it's still their decision.

[man]
I see the amount of impact

that this music has had
on couples,

you know, families,
people listening to these songs

at their weddings,
their high school graduations.

And it's just nice to see,
you know,

Chicago's music has
such a beneficial impact.

You know, you talk
about the Hall of Fame,

the Songwriters' Hall of Fame,
you know,

the Lifetime Achievement
Grammy.

You know, if you stick around
long enough,

people are gonna go,
"Oh, yeah, those guys."

[Joe]
100 years from now,

how will they describe
Chicago?

A rock band with horns
that started in the Midwest

in the '70s,
or whatever the hell it was.

And I don't think
it'll change very much.

[Joe] Chicago wasn't just
a Midwest band with horns.

They were a band
that millions of people loved,

who never stopped touring
year after year

for 55 years and beyond.

They played
their hearts out

for every audience
just the same.

And if they had their choice,
they would have played

until they were
the last band on stage.

[cheering and applause]

["25 Or 6 To 4"
by Chicago playing]

♪

♪ Waiting
For the break of day ♪

♪ Searching
For something to say ♪

♪ Flashing lights
Against the sky ♪

♪ Giving up
I close my eyes ♪

♪ Sitting cross-legged
On the floor ♪

♪ 25 or 6 to 4 ♪

♪

♪ Staring blindly
Into space ♪

♪ Getting up
To splash my face ♪

♪ Wanting
Just to stay awake ♪

♪ Wondering
How much I can take ♪

♪ Should I try
To do some more ♪

♪ 25 or 6 to 4 ♪

♪

♪

♪ Feeling like
I ought to sleep ♪

♪ Spinning room
Is sinking deep ♪

♪ Searching
For something to say ♪

♪ Waiting
For the break of day ♪

♪ Ooh, yeah ♪

♪ 25 or 6 to 4 ♪

♪ 25 or 6 to 4 ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪

[cheering and applause]

[applause fades out]

["If This Is Goodbye"
instrumental by Chicago]

♪

♪