Category: News

To say our farewell outdoor performance at Tonawanda’s Gateway Harbor was an emotional roller coaster is an understatement. Emotions ran from Zenith to Nadir and back again every few minutes as we felt the love from thousands upon thousands of hometown friends.

Over the past decade, the outdoor concerts in western New York have been the highlights of our summers. We are blessed to have been able to do what we love, and to bring some smiles to our audiences. We are truly going to miss it!

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for your support, your love, and for allowing us to do what we do!

With Love,
The Chicago Authority
Barry Arbogast
Kacy Dolan
Ryan Gentner
Dave Herr
Rick Johnston
Jim Mauck
Eladio Rodriguez
Tom Scime
Justin Sledz
Keith Spurlock

Hi Friends,

After 10 years of performing together, The Chicago Authority has decided to perform two “farewell” concerts in 2023. We are beyond happy that these concerts can be held at the venues who believed in us when we were starting out a decade ago.

July 12, 2023 at Tonawandas Gateway Harbor is the first …

October 28, 2023 at Lockport’s Palace Theatre is the second.

It has been quite a ride. We’ve traveled thousands of miles to perform hundreds of shows. We’ve weathered the storms of membership changes and health issues. And we’re fortunate that we accomplished what we set out to do: Celebrate the music of Chicago.

We all have our own careers, families, and lives that are bound spiritually and physically to Western New York, so it has been an honor and a privilege to also incorporate charitable elements into our performances through the years to give something back to the people who supported us.

Every single event at which we’ve performed over the years has been an absolute BLAST, and we look back on every one with loving, joyful memories. The guys in the band have formed a brotherly bond that will never be broken, and collectively we’ve formed a bond with all of you friends and fans — so much so that we consider you to be part of our family.

Thank you SO MUCH for accepting us, for supporting us, and for helping us relive our memories of one of the best bands on the planet: Chicago.

“Let’s all get together soon, before it is too late
“Forget about the past and let your feelings fade away
“If you do I’m sure you’ll see the end is not yet near

“Where do we go
“Where do we go
“Where do we go from here?”

We left it all on the stage last night at the Palace Theatre in Lockport, NY. The energy from the audience was so intense we could have cut it with a knife. We returned it with our performance of every phrase of every song, and the audience in turn returned it back to us. It was our best show so far, and the perfect ending to an amazing season!

Actually, harbor front property in Dunkirk, New York, at their Thursday Music on the Pier series. As the first band, The Untouchables, played their amazing high-energy set of Blues Brothers-influenced songs, the question we asked ourselves: “How are we going to follow THAT?!?” Good or bad, depending on your perspective, follow it we did, and the crowd seemed to love the entire night. We had fun both watching and performing!

… Town of Niagara Veterans Memorial Park. Nasty weather was forecast, so the crowd wasn’t as big as it has been in the past. It rained just as opener The USA Band was finishing their set, which thinned the audience even more. Still, several hundred people braved the storm (which lasted for only 20 minutes or so) and stayed for our show. A couple of technical issues with the sound and electronics due to the rain were dealt with quickly by our Production Manager, Justin Sledz and sound system engineer Scott Nichols. Before our show was over everyone got to witness one of the most beautiful sunsets of the summer at one of the area’s finest outdoor music venues.

Several hundred of our closest old & new friends spent their Saturday In The Park at Sportsmens on a picture-perfect western New York summer day. The food and bevs flowed easily and the music filled the air. One of the most enjoyable things the guys in the band love to do is help out charitable organizations. Yesterday we donated another $1,000 to the Sportsmens Americana Music Foundation, bringing the 8-year total to over $7,000! Thank you so much for helping us do this!

We performed here in 2018, but it poured rain so they moved the show indoors. Last night the weather turned out to be perfect for a show on the floating stage. We’re told it was one of the biggest crowds the series has ever hosted, and certainly the biggest this season. Thanks to Kasey and Shawn for their hard work putting this together, and for the “Toonies” who rafted their pontoon boats behind the stage in support of the band. See you next season!

There is a vibe that we felt last night the second we walked in to the venue. It was the anticipation of thousands of smiling people on a perfect Western New York evening. One of the largest crowds for the 6pm band, Mo Porter, set the tone for what was to come. (This photo shows only those who were standing in the main audience area. We don’t see the bridges, the boats packed in the entire harbor, or the crowds on the opposite bank on the Tonawanda side.) When we took the stage the anticipation became reality, and upwards of 5,000 people fed off our energy and returned it to us tenfold. Within a few songs the entire venue — including the staff, the performers, and our thousands of new friends — formed one big smile. As bassist Dave Herr said the morning after: “What a great night! When I woke up this morning the euphoria was still there!”

… is what they call the large outdoor music venue behind Chick’s Lanes in Angola. It was a new venue for us, and it was FUN. 90+ degree weather and no cooling wind didn’t deter hundreds of people from coming out to sample the music, the food, and the libations. Owners Joe and Carrie are really down-home great people to deal with, and we look forward to the next time!

… the DHU Strand Theatre is an unassuming building. You can drive right by and never notice it’s there at 540 Oliver Street in North Tonawanda, NY. But it was rockin’ on June 17th when The Chicago Authority presented the “Glorified Rehearsal” for about two and a half hours. The place was packed, and the vibe was amazing! Thank you all for supporting this wonderful, intimate venue — which is also our rehearsal hall.

To see upcoming shows at the DHU Strand, please click or touch to visit the Facebook Page. Thank you!