Back by popular demand

EARTH WIND AND FIRE AND CHICAGO
RETURN FOR A SUMMER OF 2005 TOUR


"What happens when you cross Chicago with Earth,Wind and Fire? You get a big,raucous,happy band,supercharging a packed housse of fans"---Denver Rocky Mountain News

MARCH 17,2005---Clear Channel announced today that,due to the overwhelming popularity of last year's tour,once again this summer R&B superstars Earth Wind and Fire will team up once again with legendary rock band Chicago to deliver yet another spectacular run of shows.Lauded as one of the most successful and creative tours of 2004,the 2005 summer run of the Earth Wind and Fire/Chicago shows promise to be even more electrifying.Fans can once again expect to hear more than 3 hours of hits including a full-length set from each band,with two incredible jam sessions at the opening and closing of the show,with both bands playing onstage together.

Legendary band Earth Wind and Fire is simply one of the most important,influential,innovative and commercially omniportant contemporary pop music bands of the 20th century.Check their 34-year Curriculum Vitae: millions and millions of albums sold worldwide (including eight double-platinum albums,two platinum albums and three gold albums).Eight Grammy Awards,four American Music Awards,honors from the NAACP and BET and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.The coup de grace: Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2000.Earth Wind and Fire remain to this day one of the top globally popular touring attractions with a rich catalog of mega-hits spanning over three decades.

Chicago has written,recorded and performed some of the most popular and best loved songs in rock history.Through it all,they have remained a working band,releasing 29 albums and touring continually since forming in 1967.This Grammy-Award winning band has sold a record number of albums,and had 20 Top 10 hits,5 Number One albums,and 5 Gold singles.Chicago has also won American Music Awards,received a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame and had a downtown Chicago street remaned in their honor.

The tour will kickoff on Friday,June 24th in the city of Chicago,where both bands launched their prestigious careers over 3 decades ago.This is the must-see tour of the year for music lovers of all ages.


June 24 Chicago,Illinois (venue to be determined)
June 26 St.Louis,MO (UMB Bank Pavilion)
June 28 Cleveland,Ohio (Tower City Amphitheatre)
June 29 Detroit,MI (DTE Energy Music Theatre)
July 1 Holmdel,NJ (PNC Bank Arts Center)
July 2 Scranton,PA (Ford Pavilion at Montage Mountain)
July 3 Wantagh,NY (Tommy Hilfiger Jones Beach)
July 4 Hershey,PA (Hershey Park Pavilion)
July 8-9 Atlantic City,NJ (Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa)
July 10 Pittsburgh,PA (Post Gazette Pavilion)
July 13 Wallingford,CT (Oakdale Theatre)
July 15 Manchester,NH (Verizon Wireless Arena)
July 16 Boston,MA (Tweeter Center)
July 17 Saratoga Springs,NY (Saratoga Performing Arts Center)
July 19 Cincinatti,OH (Riverbend Amphitheatre)
July 20 Columbus,OH (Germain Amphitheatre)
July 22 Camden,NJ (Tweeter Watefront)
July 23 Raleigh,NC (ALLTEL Pavilion)
July 24-25 Atlanta,GA (Chastain Park)
August 5 Virginia Beach (Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre)
August 6 Charlotte,NC (Verizon Wirless Amphitheatre Charlotte)
August 9 Nashville,TN (Starwood Amphitheatre)
August 12 West Palm Beach,FL (Sound Advice Amphitheatre)
August 13 Tampa,FL (Ford Amphitheatre)
August 16 Indianapolis,IN (Verizon Wireless Music Center)
August 19 San Antonio,TX (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)
August 20 Dallas,TX (Smirnoff Music Center)
August 21 Houston,TX (Cynthia J Woods Mitchell Pavilion)
August 23 Oklahoma City,OK (Zoo Amphitheatre)
August 25 Denver,CO (Red Rocks Amphitheatre)
August 26 Albuquerque,NM (Journal Pavilion)
August 27 Phoenix,AZ (Cricket Pavilion)
August 31 Seattle,WA (White River Amphitheatre)
September 2 Concord,CA (Chronicle Pavilion)
September 3 Mountain View,CA (Shoreline Amphitheatre)
September 4 Santa Barbara,CA (Santa Barbara Bowl)
September 6 Los Angeles,CA (Greek Theatre)
September 7 Los Angeles,CA (Greek Theatre)
September 9 San Diego,CA (Embarcadero)
September 10 Irvine,CA (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre)


I plan to catch at least two of these shows.Anyone else going?

A concert DVD from last year's tour will be released on June 28...

Chicago/EWF: Live At The Greek Theatre DVD

they're not coming to minneapolis?????

Handclapsfingasnapz said:

I guess you could catch them in Chicago.Opening night....should be exciting
[Edited 3/28/05 5:31am]

Looks like ClearChannel is giving us something good for the first time.

Is there anyone in the Bay Area who is planning to go? They perform here on Friday (Sept.2) and Saturday (Sep.3) and I'm gonna go to both shows.

[Edited 3/28/05 6:21am]

I missed them here in Mpls last year, and now they won't be here. lol

RipHer2Shreds said:

I just want to know when EWF's new album is coming out.

I'm a little surprised that people here on the org are excited about this tour. It's not like Maurice White and Peter Cetera will be with the bands. My family saw this tour in Tampa last year. I declined and went to a Devil Rays game instead.

AL-RIIIIIGHT!!!!!

I'm definitely bringin my people.


Yep.
[Edited 3/28/05 10:14am]

I saw them last year and they were in bad shape, and I mean BAAAAAD

Phillip Bailey is still sangin' his butt off up untill he tries to hit his signature falsetto note which doesn't work these days.

Verdine White is the only youthful cat among them IMHO!

Harlepolis said:

This is what I'm talkin' about. I doubt either band can rock it anywhere close to how they used to à la Prince during last year's Musiclogy tour.

I saw the show last summer in Camden, and it was so much fun!

I think Phil must have had an off night, 'cause I caught them in AC in October last year and he had it going on.

Now, I will agree that Verdine is the ONLY one who is as animated as he used to be back in the day...(hell, he damn near picks up the slack for everyone), but you know, the songs mean so much to me that I just love to see them do their thing even if they move a little slower than they used to. I mean, can't nobody reach back into the fountain of youth, and as longs as acts like EWF and other legends of back in the day do not embarass themselves, then let 'em rip.

sextonseven said:

I've seen EW&F many times in concert without Maurice,and they still put on a spectacular show.As for Peter Cetera....many longtime Chicago fans blame him (unfairly or not) for their early-80s move toward adult-contemporary.Without Cetera,the band has put the focus back on their original style of music.

okaypimpn said:

The date keeps changing (lol).The latest word is that it will be released sometime in June.I'll keep you posted.

Harlepolis said:

I agree,Verdine is so energetic.That guy can't stand still! He plays with ALOT of enthusiasm.As for Philip....I still insist that it was a huge mistake for them to let guitarist Sheldon Reynolds go.He was able to handle Maurices' parts and he is a great vocalist.With him onstage,Philip didn't have to strain his vocal cords by trying to do too much.Sheldon was able to share the duties.

DavidEye said:

Dancelot said:

what's the problem?

DavidEye said:

that I am probably 5000 miles and 1000 dollars away from the nearest venue

Make a trip to the States! You and your wife are due for a vacation anyway

DavidEye said:

vacation?! oh yes we are!! and actually we WILL be visiting my wife's family in Canada(Quebec) in June... but not in time for the concerts, cause the 23rd we'll be already heading back home

Dancelot said:

well,you'll just have to settle for the DVD,which comes out June 28

speaking of the upcoming DVD,it will contain these tracks...

Earth Wind and Fire set--
"Magic Mind"
"Boogie Wonderland"
"System Of Survival"
"Jupiter"
"Getaway"
"Serpentine Fire"
"Kalimba Story"
"Got To Get You Into My Life"
"The Way You Move"
"After The Love Has Gone" (with Chicago member Bill Champlin on lead vocals)
"That's The Way Of The World"
"Reasons"
"Fantasy"
"Let's Groove"
"Mighty Mighty"

Chicago set---
"Make Me Smile"
"Colour My World"
"If You Leave Me Now" (with EW&F member Philip Bailey on lead vocals)
"Call On Me"
"Alive Again"
"Hard Habit To Break"
"Mongonucleosis"
"Old Days"
"Just You And Me"
"Saturday In The Park"
"Feelin' Stronger"
"I'm A Man"
"Hard To Say I'm Sorry"


Chicago/Earth Wind and Fire finale (both bands onstage together)
"September"
"Free"
"Singasong"
"Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?"
"Shining Star"
"25 or 6 to 4"



a few observations....


***To those of you who pay attention to album credits,you will know that Chicago member Bill Champlin is the co-writer of EW&F's "After The Love Has Gone".

***Outkast's song "The Way You Move" is basically a rip-off of EW&F's old sound,so it's fitting that they have "re-claimed" the song as their own (it appears on their upcoming album,and as you can see,they perform it in concert too).

UPDATES---


***VENUE ANNOUNCED: Northerly Island (Meigs Field) Chicago,IL (JUNE 24,2005)

***Cancelled: Tower City Amphitheatre Cleveland,Ohio (JUNE 28,2005)

***Show Added: Borgota Hotel Casino and Spa,Atlantic City,NJ (JULY 7,2005)

***Cancelled: Zoo Amphitheatre,Oklahoma City,OK (AUG.23,2005)

***Show Added: Sleep Train Amphitheatre,Marysville,CA (SEP 11,2005)


get your tickets,y'all!