Music lovers who really know what time it is arrive early this Sunday, July 27, 2025 evening at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ for a 7pm concert by the world-famous rock and roll band, Chicago.
Inside the Hard Rock’s Etess Arena, images of Chicago album covers are projected onto a large screen before trumpeter Lee Loughnane, saxophonist Ray Herrmann, trombonist Nick Lane, guitarist Tony Obrohta, keyboardist Carlos Murguia, bassist Eric Baines, drummer Walfredo Reyes, Jr., and percussionist Ramon “Ray” Yslas take the stage along with vocalist Neil Donell.
Opening with “Introduction,” a funky horn-inspired number from the group’s debut album, Chicago Transit Authority, Donell sings with style and soul, “Sit back and let us groove/And let us work on you,” as he’s expertly accompanied by the rocking band.
Concertgoers cheer and founding member Lee Loughnane greets the audience, exclaiming, “Hello, Atlantic City! Welcome to Chicago!”
Bassist Eric Baines and keyboardist Carlos Murguia share the lead vocal on “Dialogue” before concertgoers clap along on the song’s uplifting “We can make it happen/We can change the world now” coda. Then, in his soaring tenor, Donell croons, “Can this feeling that we have together/Ooh, suddenly exist between?” to the sound of the rhythmic horns on “Questions 67 and 68.”
The audience hoots and hollers and Loughnane announces, “We’re going to play a lot of hits so have a good time and enjoy yourself!”
Moving on to the group’s Latin-influenced hit, “Call On Me,” tight harmony vocals accompany Donell’s lead on the catchy “I love you/You know I do/You love me, too” refrain before the arrangement shifts into a cool trumpet/tenor/trombone instrumental break and the song’s infectious “You can count on me, oh/You can count on me” samba coda.
Five-part vocal harmonies ring out on the group’s 1974 hit, “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long,” where fans nostalgically sing along on the “Good things in life/Take a long time” coda and guitarist Tony Obrohta renders a rocking guitar solo.
Hands clap on “Mongonucleosis,” a high-energy Latin-influenced instrumental which features Ray Herrmann on sax and Lee Loughnane on trumpet.
The mood changes on “If You Leave Me Now” where Donell and Obrohta strum their guitars to accompany the song’s well-known “If you leave me now/You’ll take away the biggest part of me” lyric. A fan calls out, “I love you!” as the number ends with animated cheers and applause.
To conclude Act I, the band performs “Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon,” a song cycle written for the group’s Chicago II album. Opening with the 1970 top ten hit, “Make Me Smile,” Donell and Co. sing with conviction, “Tell me you will stay/Make me smile.”
As the song cycle continues, Lee Loughnane handles the lead on the band’s popular ballad, “Colour My World.” After a Ray Herrmann flute solo, the suite eventually cycles back to “Make Me Smile” which elicits an enthusiastic standing ovation.
During intermission, several concertgoers comment on tonight’s performance thus far. “I love Chicago! They sound perfect, with lots of energy,” exclaims Sandy from Moosic, PA, adding, “We got our friend, Kathy, front-row tickets and we’re having a great time,” before revealing, “Our friend, Lisa, was even crying.”
Explains Lisa from Old Forge, PA, “I was crying because the music brought back so many memories for me,” prior to recalling, “As a group, we’ve seen Chicago before and they’re always fabulous!”
Sandy and Lisa’s friend, Kathy from Taylor, PA, agrees, insisting, “They’re fantastic,” acknowledging, “I’m not only thankful to be here because I’m turning ‘29’ tomorrow, but because I have such good friends!”
Shelley from Cape May Courthouse declares, “Chicago is awesome tonight! This is our second time seeing them here — we came last year and had such a great time we came back tonight and we’ll be here again next year, too.” Insists her husband, Dan, “They’re phenomenal! They still sound so good, just like the original line-up back in the day — you’d never know that was over 50 years ago.”
Lastly, whereas Michelle from Wall asserts, “They’re so amazing; I can’t believe they still rock the way they do!” her husband, Chris, contends, “So far, the show is awesome — I love it! It brought me back to 1997 when I first saw them, and they still sound just as great,” before concluding, “Now, I can’t wait for them to play their greatest hits!”
Act II opens with the group launching into “Alive Again,” a rhythmic rocker which features bassist Eric Baines and Neil Donell sharing the lead vocal. Segueing into the group’s 1970 Top Ten hit, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is,” music lovers sing along with Baines as he croons the pop tune’s well-known “As I was walking down the street one day” lyric prior to stretching out on bass.
Donell follows up by handling the vocal on “Old Days” where he effortlessly sings, “Old days, good times I remember,” deftly accompanied by the ensemble.
Loughnane inquires, “How do you like it so far?” before adding, “We’ve got plenty more!” and announcing, “We’re going to do a couple of hits from the ‘80s.” The crowd cheers as the group sails into its 1984 Top Five hit, “Hard Habit to Break,” where Baines and Donell trade lead vocals before the music builds in intensity and the horns enter on the bridge transforming this slow dance number into an electrifying power ballad.
Fans applaud when they recognize the introduction to the group’s 1984 single, “You’re the Inspiration.” Concertgoers happily sing along on the iconic “You’re the meaning in my life/You’re my inspiration” chorus and Donell enthralls the audience as he holds out an extraordinarily long note that inspires cheers and a standing ovation.
Donell plays guitar and sings lead on the 1971 Chicago smash, “Beginnings,” where the audience joins him on the scale-like “Wo-o-o-o-o-o” refrain before Baines plays a bass solo and Loughnane, Ray Herrmann, and Nick Lane are featured on trumpet, saxophone, and trombone to avid cheers and applause.
Loughnane reminisces about the late ’60s when Chicago first started out in clubs playing cover songs and invites the audience to stand and dance as Donell and Co. present a high-octane cover version of Jackie Wilson’s “(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher.”
The group segues into a smokin’ rendition of The Spencer Davis Group’s “I’m a Man,” where Baines and Murguia share the lead before the horn players play various percussion instruments while singing in harmony, “I’m a man/Yes I am/And I can’t help but love you so.”
The entire band leaves the stage except for drummer Walfredo Reyes, Jr. and percussionist Ramon “Ray” Yslas who dazzle the crowd with an extended percussion duet as fire blazes on the screen behind them.
When the band returns, Loughnane inquires, “Are you guys having fun? Do you want to hear some more?” Music lovers respond in the affirmative and the group launches into another audience favorite — the 1974 Top 5 Billboard hit, “Just You ’n’ Me” — which features Carlos Murguia serenading the crowd while accompanying himself on keyboard.
The mood mellows as Herrmann is spotlighted during the song’s instrumental interlude on a mystical soprano saxophone solo.
Concertgoers sway their cellphone lights back and forth to Chicago’s 1982 #1 hit, “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” as Donell croons the well-known “After all that we’ve been through/I will make it up to you/I promise you” lyric.
At the conclusion, the group segues into the rocking “Get Away” where audience members stand and clap while the horns wail triumphantly.
Cheers ensue as fans recognize the opening strains of the band’s 1972 million-seller, “Saturday in the Park.” Music lovers stand and sing along as Baines handles the famous “Saturday in the park/I think it was the Fourth of July” lyric before Donell takes over and images of New York City’s Central Park fill the screen.
The group wraps up its line-up of hits with Chicago’s 1973 Top Ten smash, “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day,” where the music energizes fans who joyfully stand, dance, and sing along to the music.
“Thank you, thank you! We love you! exclaims Loughnane as the musicians wave goodnight and exit the stage.
As concertgoers continue to cheer on their feet, the ensemble returns for an encore of their 1971 Top 20 hit, “Free,” where the band members cry, “I just wanna be free!” and music lovers dance freely on this stirring rock and roll anthem.
The evening culminates with a dance party on a rockin’ rendition of Chicago’s 1970 hit, “25 or 6 to 4.” At the conclusion, all nine band members take a group bow downstage as music lovers stand and cheer and Loughnane responds, “Thank you! You guys were great!”
While concertgoers make their way out of the Etess Arena, musician Carlos Murguia talks backstage about how it feels to be the newest member of Chicago when he exclaims, “It’s incredible — are you kidding?” recalling, “I grew up with this music and I’m a musician because of these guys!”
Explains Murguia, “I’ve come full circle. I’m from Mexico City and I went to my first concert at the L.A. Forum when Chicago was playing there back in 1974. Fast forward 50 years and in September, 2024 I was playing the Forum with Chicago, which was truly an amazing experience for me!”
Before joining Chicago, Murguia was a session singer in L.A. who did movie dates, revealing, “I did Happy Feet and Coco and Encanto, where I sang on ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno,’ prior to acknowledging, “When I saw it all finished, I actually got teary.”
With respect to his new position in Chicago, Murguia discloses, “One of the most amazing things that has happened to me involves the fans — they have been so embracing to me and have welcomed me with open arms,” before concluding, “As a band, we love to get the people going — the energy we put out reflects off the audience and bounces right back to us and makes things really exciting. As a result, we’re so happy we just want to do it better and better every single night!”
To learn more about Chicago, please go to chicagotheband.com. For information on great upcoming programming at Atlantic City’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino— including Train on August 15, Steve Winwood on September 26, Yes: The Fragile 2025 Tour on October 4, and Foreigner on October 10–11 — please go to hardrockcasino.com.
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