A tribute to the music of Chicago the band!
… 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!
The weather cleared up last night at the Town of Niagara’s Music Mania Mondays series just in time for our friends in “Fabulous USA Band” to open the show. We took the stage at 8 to a crowd of about three thousand. People were dancing in front of the stage. People were dancing in their lawn chairs. And people stayed to the end. In fact, we played nearly a half hour past quitting time because the vibe was so perfect!
Thank you so much for attending the show yesterday at Sportsmens Park in Black Rock (Buffalo) NY! We donated $1,000 to the Sportsmens Americana Music Foundation, and our friend Paula donated a guitar! Moving the show from the inside stage to the outdoor “Park” venue was a great idea (thanks to the Hall family) because we were able to sell more tickets. We figured about 350 attended the event.
July 14, 2021, Tonawandas Gateway Harbor. The place was packed. The opening band, AllyKat, KILLED it with an amazing set. The weather cooperated with a beautiful summer evening. And the crowd seemed to savor every second. When a staff member at the venue tells you it was the best concert he has seen and the vibe was amazing (and he’s been there 20 years!), there’s something going on. We left it all on the stage just after ten o’clock and couldn’t wind down until the wee hours of the morning. To everyone who came out and participated in the vibe: THANK YOU!!!
Our July 8th (2021) show at Samuel’s Grande Manor was beyond expectations. Not only did the staff treat us like kings, we also got to sample some of the incredible food for which this place is famous. The main room seems formal, but the atmosphere is actually casual and friendly. Our friends and fans seemed to really love the venue and the band. All in all, it was a great time and we look forward to next year!
Because the band sold out yesterday’s show just a few hours after it was announced, they decided to live-stream the show. Four-time Emmy winner Dave Perry mixed the sound for the live stream, and the multi-camera production was provided by Gary Johnston. The show was streamed on Facebook in a group called French Onion Soup Society WNY Chapter.
Hi Friends,
We are staying local in Western New York this season and looking forward to some great new-to-us venues including Samuel’s Grande Manor in Clarence, and The Stage in Williamsville! Details are still coming in — including one more show in October at Lockport’s Historic Palace Theatre — and we’ll post them as we learn more on our Shows page.