COLORADO SPRINGS, CO — Legendary Rock & Roll Hall of Fame band Chicago will light up the Ford Amphitheater this Saturday night, bringing their signature horns, deep catalog of hits, and nearly six decades of music history to fans in Colorado Springs.
A Tour Backed by History
Chicago’s 2025 tour supports the release of “Chicago at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Washington D.C. (9/16/71)”, a four-LP/three-CD set capturing the band’s historic performance at the newly opened Kennedy Center more than 50 years ago.
Founding trombonist James Pankow reflected on the milestone: “We were one of the first artists to perform there… it was a brand-new venue, and they were looking at inaugurating the venue with acts that were meaningful and exciting. We were invited to perform and we did.”
That concert marked the first live performance of “Saturday in the Park” — before it was even recorded. At the Kennedy Center show, Peter Cetera sang the lead, though it would later be re-recorded with Robert Lamm handling vocals on Chicago V.
From Chicago Roots to Rock Legends
The band’s origins trace back to friends at DePaul University in Chicago during the late 1960s. Starting as a nightclub act playing Top 40 covers, the group soon embraced originals, moved to Los Angeles, and became the house band at the Whisky a Go Go. That leap led to their signing with Columbia Records and the beginning of a run that has spanned nearly 60 years…