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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]

♪

♪