...Sometimes You Just Want to Start With the Dessert, Times Herald Record
CHICAGO, DOOBIE BROTHERS ROCK BETHEL WOODS
Sometimes you just want to start with the dessert, going right for the best.
As great as the twin bill show of the Doobie Brothers and Chicago was Sunday night at Bethel Woods, it was too bad the two 1970s mega-hit groups didn’t start where they ended, joining forces to erupt into an 16-piece rock and roll classic combo, playing six of some their greatest songs during a near 30-minute encore that reminded the estimated 8,000 who attended why these songs keep getting stronger every day.
The “surprise” extended ending - though it should not have really been a surprise for those who attended last year’s Chicago/America show and caught the joint effort on songs - was among several start-to finish surprises.
The first came with the the opening act, not The Doobies, but a young Italian singer named Nicola Congiu, who was billed as “Niko” and moved and crooned like Tom Jones. Saying he was making his American debut, Niko played for 25 minutes that included a unique rendition of “With or Without You,” thanking Chicago and the Doobie Brothers for the opportunity.
The second surprise was when Niko returned to the stage during Chicago’s set to sing their number one hit, “If You Leave Me Now.” Trombonist James Pankow said they even before Woodstock Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin had given Chicago a break by included them on tour and they were returning the favor.
When you have as many top hits as these two groups, allowing one song to get away seems like a small price. And few in the crowd, especially the whistling women, seemed to mind.
Not a surprise was the heart-pumping sounds from the Doobies, the California group who mix their own blend of 70s rock with 1950s blues and 1960s Motown as lead singer Patrick Simmons led them through classics “Jesus is Just Alright,” ”Take Me In Your Arms” and the familiar start to “Black Water with John McFee on the fiddle.
After about an hour and more than a dozen Doobie songs, Chicago had the unenviable task of trying to keep the energy going. What didn’t help was a fast moving thunderstorm as intermission was nearing the end. Robert Lamm gave the weather report and urged those sitting on the lawn, a good 4,000 or so, to try and find shelter. Good luck.
Unlike last year’s show when Chicago spend more time playing their prom-heavy 1980s hits, this year the group still kept “Hard to Say I’m Sorry,” “Hard Habit to Break” and “Look Away” but seemed more willing to offer the sassy, brass sound that made original Chicago Transit Authority so unique in early 70s.
Chicago ended with the popular pop hits “Saturday in the Park” and “Feelin’ Stronger Every Day,” but that turned into a warm-up for the encore that saw the Doobies join them on respective hits “Takin’ It To The Streets,” “Does Anybody Know What Time it is,” “Listen To The Music” and “25 or 6 to 4.”
Not a surprise was how much energy both groups put into the show, and how their music stays fresh nearly 40 years later.
