Think of your favorite song. Where were you when you first heard it? Who were you with? What were you doing?
I imagine you have some specific memories that include the song.
While the original artist may no longer be performing, each time you hear the song come up on a playlist, hear it in a restaurant or bar —it probably takes you back to some of those memories.
Wouldn’t it be great to hear that song live, just one more time? No, I’m not talking about some awful karaoke version of the song. Tribute bands help to bring our favorite music back to life.
Tribute bands often get a bad rep — all you have to do is watch “The Wedding Singer” with Adam Sandler and you’ll get the idea. But these bands can and usually do excel at not just performing the music of well-known artists, but recreating the feeling those bands originally sparked in their fans. And, they tend to be top-notch performers in their own right.
One such group is Brass Transit, who will perform at the WYO Performing Arts and Education Center Feb. 9, featuring eight award-winning musicians and singers who have a common love for the classic rock band Chicago.
Chicago originally formed in 1967, calling themselves Chicago Transit Authority (the name of the city’s public transportation system). They shortened the name a few years later, but what set the band’s music apart was the rock-and-roll style highlighted by horns. The combination melded elements of classical music, jazz, rock and pop music.
Chicago has earned scores of recognition, and has a spot in history as one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time. At one point, in 1974, Chicago had seven of its albums on the Billboard 200 simultaneously.
Needless to say, many people — particularly those growing up in the 1970s and 1980s — have memories of the band Chicago and the songs the band created. While some members of the original group still tour, tribute bands help fans of the rockstars enjoy live performances of the famous songs over and over again in a live setting.
Whether you knew the music of Chicago or not — and you probably do, even if you don’t realize it — take a chance to enjoy spot-on live renditions of the famous music recreated by Brass Transit. It’ll be a trip down memory lane or an introduction to one of the best bands of all time.
Erin Butler is executive director of the WYO Performing Arts and Education Center.
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