Category: News

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!

Hi Friends,

May we blow our own horns for a minute? (No pun intended!)

Over the years The Chicago Authority has tried, whenever possible, to incorporate a charitable element into our shows. Brighton Place Library, AmVets, Sportsmens Americana Music Foundation, Ronald McDonald House, Music Is Art, the Arts Services Initiative of WNY, Lockport Santa’s Cottage, Gowanda’s Hollywood Theatre, North Tonawanda’s Riviera Theatre, and Lockport’s Palace Theatre have all been the recipients of the band’s charitable contributions.

We’ve calculated that these local, Western New York entities have received a total of more than $35,000 over the past 8 years in either cash donations, benefit (reduced-fee) performances, or in-kind giveaways. Why? Why not just take the money and pay the guys in the band?

Truth is, the guys in the band do indeed get paid for the performances. But we also have our own careers, families, and lives that are bound spiritually and physically to Western New York, so if 25% of our pay comes “off the top” for a charitable cause it’s because the members of our band want to give something back to the people who support us.

We know several other bands from WNY who regularly donate money and in-kind services for deserving local recipients.

That’s why it is important to support local music and venues that hire local musicians and bands.

That said, and with details coming soon, here is The Chicago Authority’s schedule for the Summer of 2022.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT!

… a better finish to our 2021 season! Thank you to the staff at the beautifully renovated Palace Theatre in Lockport, the technicians who worked so hard to create visual and audio excellence, and especially to all of our friends and fans who made this near sell-out performance a very special and dear-to-us event. We’ll see you all next Summer!