05/18/2007
Jim Peterik & World Stage
Hemmens Center
Elgin, IL
Opening Band: None
We look forward to this show every year! This year, the show was a bit later than usual and in a different venue. But it was just as incredible as all of the previous versions. The concert started at 8:00 PM, and concluded at right around midnight (with a short intermission). Wow! What a lineup! Special guests this year included Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), Anthony Gomes, Kevin Chalfant (The Storm), Kip Winger (Winger), Rik Emmett (Triumph), Lobster Newberg, Toby Hitchcock (Pride of Lions), and of course, the Ides of March...and the ringmaster, Jim Peterik.
All of this was backed up by the most incredible band...Mike Aquino and Joel Hoekstra on guitars, Christian Cullen on keyboards, Klem Hayes on bass, and Ed Breckenfeld on drums. Backup singers were Lisa McClowry and Thom Griffin (as well as some of the special guests such as Kevin Chalfant and Kip Winger jumping in from time to time). Every song that was played was so incredibly on par or better than the original. Most of the time, there were between 12 and 20 people on stage at one time.
On the way home, we tried to figure out what our favorite part was, but it was all so good. One of my favorite parts was the encore, when Kelly Keagy and Ed Breckenfeld came out before the others and played an incredible drum duet before everyone joined them for a 38 Special song. We are so incredibly lucky to have such an event here in our backyard every year!
I don't have a lot of pics, because we took Bryon's camera and weren't too familiar with it. Needless to say, most of the pics turned out blurry. Here's one of the only ones that turned out...left to right...Jim Peterik, Kevin Chalfant, Joel Hoekstra, and Scott May (Ides of March).
