When it comes to music, the word schlock may be hard to define but I know it when I hear it…
That’s how I’d characterize Sunday’s Peter Cetera concert at the Kauffman Center. The tip off should have been the ready availability of the free ducats I’d been treated to. That and the Lawrence Welk look and hairdo sported by the former Chicago bandmate in promotional pics for the show.
Did Cetera deliver the goods to his aging audience of concertgoers who in some cases looked more like retirees saddling up for a holiday wine and dine at John Knox Village?
Of course he did.
However as one reviewer noted for a Cetera show in Valley Forge three years back, his “show sometimes seemed somehow flat, the room’s energy stilted.”
Might have been the plastic “drum shield” surrounding the drummer that muted the lone, consistently hard driving member of Cetera’s dialed back backup band.
“Don’t do it… even if only for aesthetics,” cautioned one drummer on an online discussion board on the use of drum shields. “You aren’t a back up band for Britney Spears, nor are you playing at church. Rock bands dont use ****************ing plexi- shields.”
Therein lies a large part of Cetera’s problem.
Chicago was most definitely a rock band. Cetera’s current crew? Absent Chicago’s hard driving horns and talented musicians, Cetera’s laid back group did its best to (unintentionally?) turn the old hits into schlock rock.
Not that Cetera’s faltering at times voice combined with an unwise decision to take a mid concert bathroom break for two songs while the backups choked out Beatles covers (“Come Together,” anyone?) helped.
Which made me wonder towards concert’s end – and for the record, I left early – just how old this oldies show progenitor was.
Having been snidely cautioned by an announcer prior to the show about the use of cellphones, I politely waited until I got outside to carbon 14 Cetera…only to learn that he will turn age 74 this year!
Small world, schlockmeister Welk performed until the age of 79 and at some point in his career surely must have been considered something approaching “cutting edge” as well.
Whatever.
So am I guilty of “senior shaming”?
If so, my bad.
I however prefer to think of Cetera as the guilty party.
Guilty of ripping off a great band. Chicago – where once-upon-a-time he’d been an important member – and then robbing those decades old hits of their vitality, energy and edge.
And that one’s on Cetera.
you’re just grumpy hearne. That’s what happens when you go see guys
like this. Oh…wayne newtons in town next week. I’m sure you’ll be on the
john knox village bus to see him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don’t hold your breath, wild man!
just ran first 5 k…gettting ready to do half mara…then full
by end of summer.
Come run with me…you’d be laying on the asphalt
calling 911 with your medic alert around your neck before
I got a sweat.
And to go see ths old fart in this 60’s coat. Get real.
You’re old…your stories are old….you look old…and worst of
Come with boom boom….see what life was meant to be.
Seriously, boomy?
I was captain of the track and cross country team, prolly weigh half of what you weigh, besides…
I don’t think that was a 60s coat…that what you wore back then? Good grief!
too big for me in the 60’s. What track team
hearne.
I’m 168…work out 4-5 times a week. Would love to
see you run now. Hahahahahahahahahaa
“his faltering at times voice and an unwise decision to take a mid concert bathroom break for two songs”
– ‘when the voice breaks the octave will fall, and down will come Peter’, overhype and all. The bigger they were, the harder they fall. All that was missing ‘guy with cane pull him off stage the neck’, sound of it. The parlance, not knowing ‘when to say when’ (or, cry uncle.); as Stram-era Chiefs grew old but refused to acknowledge it, Peter Cetera.
An younger world, one my peers embraced Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Grand Funk Railroad, Deep Purple, Creedence Clearwater Revival – even a thence last legs Beatles and coming Black Sabbath – was no bigger fan of Chicago Transit Authority/CTA and later simply ‘Chicago’, then Kerouac.
I never liked Peter Cetera.
Early, perhaps a preference drums, guitar & horns to bass, predilection vocal stylings his band mates, Cetera was always the ugly duckling the group for me, an ‘you’re only as strong as your weakest link’ nod (of note, forerunner the name ‘Chicago’ an earlier incarnation was ‘The Missing Links’… presage.)
When Cetera went solo years later, came out he was ‘never a big fan’ Chicago’s horns – which reminds me, Kobe Bryant never met an assist the basketball court he preferred to a jump shot, his own. I never liked Cetera; still don’t. All’s fair love & war, nothing ends better than it began, Chicago lost their mojo as well (spelled ‘Terry Kath’) many years ago; getting old & past your prime is, if not war, hell the oldies circuit.
‘Chicago’ today can more legitimately be referred to as ‘Willie Mays stumbling around the outfield’ his last days… Cetera, once considered among the ‘best’ singers the world according some, was always the seventh member a seven-piece unit, my estimation.
That ‘Chicago’ chose faceless anonymity album covers contrast tradition of the time, one of the most iconic ‘logos’ in lieu posed lineup, part & parcel what made ‘Chicago’ unique late 1960’s era (one too soon gave way to schlock became their ballad-schtick, same 1970’s devolved disco, plaid pants, leisure suits, Donny & Marie… to each their own. Give Cetera his thumbs-due nod ‘Chicago’s redo Steve Winwood’s classic ‘I’m A Man’… otherwise, Peter was miscast as a complimentary piece from the start.
K-Man, you and I couldn’t be farther apart politically or socially. But, based upon your expressed music preferences, you and I could spin the vinyl all night long and enjoy the living hell out of it.
Here’s to common ground, friend.
One of my friends then who would not listen to them, insisting ‘Chicago s*cks!’, came around years later… “I didn’t know they were such great musicians.” Funny how time can change some folks perspective, while only reinforcing others, nod Kerouac… have no use for today’s remnants once was CTA.
they didnt much like him either in the end. but he wasnt miscast at first… great voice, passable keyboard skills. they saw themselves as a rock band first, horn band second, ballad band last. and he wrote some of their best. you’re right about kath… he was the primary force but worked as an ensemble…. even when he could take credit, he didnt.
i met kath at his home in the hollywood hills in 1972… funny story for another time…. same for don everly… even funnier in stupid way.
Reportedly, Cetera’s ‘voice’ as became the result his getting his a** kicked at a 1968 Dodgers baseball game courtesy a Marine did not appreciate the band member’s long tresses. Wired shut jaw result, took to singing through clenched teeth, and liked the result better than that preceded it, so, continued thus.
As for Kath, underrated/underappreciated… price to pay/one of the limitations part & parcel being in an ensemble; had he lived longer in lieu dying young, band mates guess that he might have eventually gone solo.
I read that that one hit they had, “Baby What A Big Surprise” was originally going to be called.”Hey dumbass, that gun is loaded”.
Still, pretty good band.
they ranamed it for chuck….’ONE SHOVEL OF DIRT AND MY BACK GOES BACK”…
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!
EXCUSE ME.;..my back goes bad”…….ol man shoveling dirt.
Their first record was their best, back when they were known as Chicago Transit Authority. Back when Hendrix was a fan of Kath. Back when they opened for the Velvet Underground.
BTW, The Who’s most recent show employed the shields. Say what you want about what the years – the decades – have done to their legacy, I at least still consider them an authentic rock band.
The Who guys are losing their hearing though…trust me, this was not that sort of show!