Home

Displaying items by tag: Casey McDonough

Saturday, 28 October 2017 12:56

NRBQ Makes Big Splash at Fitzgerald's

NRBQ is a fun band. “New Rhythm and Blues Quartet”. I find the name slightly misleading. When I think of R&B, I think of something completely different. This is more like old Rock and Roll with a little Vaudeville. They do have a bit of a cult following. I don’t think they ever had anything resembling a hit record but they do have a loyal fan base that keeps them existing as a working band stretching back to 1966.

Founding member Terry Adams keeps the torch burning as the last original cast member. The rest of the current band is just amazing. These guys are musical AND fun!!!!! It is possible. Their songs…well...I didn’t actually know one of them. I can see the reason why this band stays working. They are a live band. The songs themselves are good but unless you are one of the people that were walking around the club with NRBQ T Shirts, you would never know them at all.

This is show biz as they say. Hit records or not, these guys are fun band. They come out in pastel suits and goofy hats. A touch of that era of putting on a show. Some songs are tongue in cheek. That’s entertainment. These guys are also pretty solid musicians. They pulled their show at Fitzgerald’s in Berwyn off without a hitch.

Playing guitar and singing was Scott Ligon. I really thought he had a great voice. His harmonies with bassist Casey McDonough were straight of the book. Both of them did lead vocal duty along with Adams. Drummer John Perrin rounds out the band. There have been a lot of members through the years. Joey Spampinato and Al Anderson are legendary. Regardless of the lineup, the band lives on.

NRBQ’s set is diverse, including something for everyone, including many fan favorites including:

Keep This Love Goin'
Not Tonight, Hon
Little Floater
Dr. Howard, Dr. Fine, Dr. Howard
Don't Worry Baby
Boozoo, That's Who!
It's Not Too Late
Advice for Teenagers
It'll Be Alright
Daddy's Gonna Tell You No Lie
Wild Weekend
Ain't It All Right
Wacky Tobacky
RC Cola and a Moon Pie
Green Lights
Everybody's Out of Town
Get on the Right Track, Baby
Everyone Says I Love You
Chicken Hearted
Ridin' in My Car
I Want You Bad
Sleepless Nights
Honey Hush
Magnet
Dummy
Talk to Me
The Music Goes Round and Round
Get Rhythm
Me and the Boys
Do You Feel It?
Howard Johnson's Got His Ho-Jo Working

Now available on CD and Digital, NRBQ's new EP Happy Talk contains two originals and the Q’s spontaneous take on Roy Orbison’s “Only the Lonely,” along with the band’s years-in-the-making arrangement of Rogers & Hammerstein’s South Pacific tune “Happy Talk,” which serves as the EP’s title track.

NRBQ is the kind of a band tough to capture on a recording. This a club band. I am not sure they would ever do well in arenas. You don’t want to see Terry Adams make those faces on a forty-foot monitor…with that hat on……it just might be more than you can handle with a straight face…but seriously…NRBQ is a band worth seeing. Don’t watch the videos, go see the band.

Published in In Concert

CLUE On Sale Now

18 December 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce that individual tickets for CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the Hasbro board game…

Three-time Jeff Award winner Ron OJ Parson to direct Hymn

17 December 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces renowned Chicago director Ron OJ Parson will helm the North American premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti's Hymn, making his CST directorial debut.…

Trap Door Theatre Presents: The Mannequins Ball, Opening January 23rd

16 December 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to continue its 31st season with a production of the renowned play, The Mannequins' Ball. Written by Bruno…

Teatro ZinZanni's Love, Chaos, and Dinner: A Spectacular Romantic Journey of Joy and Laughter

13 December 2024 in Theatre in Review

Upon entering the beautifully decorated lobby of Teatro Zinzanni theater on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel, you are…

This Charles Dickens Gets to the Heart of 'Christmas Carol' In Spectacular Performance

11 December 2024 in Theatre in Review

Just as there are many Santa’s around town, this time of year we have a wide selection of Christmas and…

HUBBARD STREET DANCE CHICAGO RETURNS TO THE HARRIS WITH A WORLD PREMIERE FOR SEASON 47 WINTER SERIES

10 December 2024 in Upcoming Dance

Today, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago (HSDC) unveiled the full program for the second performance series of its 2024/2025 season, Season 47: Winter Series.…

An Evening with David Sedaris: The best-selling author and humorist to appear live at Aurora’s Paramount Theatre on April 12

10 December 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

David Sedaris, author of the previous bestsellers Calypso, Naked, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, and regular…

Hell in a Handbag Productions Hosts Special Weekend of Benefit Performances During Holiday Run of Rudolph THE RED-HOSED REINDEER An Unauthorized Musical Parody

10 December 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Hell in Handbag is pleased to host a special weekend of benefit performances during its upcoming 25th anniversary edition of Rudolph the Red-Hosed…

The Hip Hop Nutcracker is Now Playing

10 December 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

The Hip Hop Nutcracker has returned to Chicago by popular demand and is now playing at Broadway In Chicago’s CIBC Theatre…

Join Sweet DeLa and Spicy Jinkx in their irreverent shenanigans

10 December 2024 in Theatre in Review

[Reviewer’s Note: I’ve been reading a book whose main character is inveigled by Word of the Day; hence, I’ve striven…

Finally, A Fresh and Fitting Take on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women

07 December 2024 in Theatre in Review

Like a lot of people, Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women has been mostly a cultural curiosity for much of my…

An AfFAIR to Remember; Joffrey's The Nutcracker A Must See This Holiday Season

06 December 2024 in Theatre Reviews

There is something magical about Chicago at Christmastime. Even if there is no snow on the ground, there is an…

Broadway in Chicago’s Production of & Juliet is a Jaw-Dropping Blast from Start to Finish

05 December 2024 in Theatre in Review

Lights come down at the top of the show. We are clearly in a rehearsal hall as the ensemble lets…

A cop & a night watchman get tangled between right & wrong in Shattered Globe's revival of Kenneth Lonergan’s Lobby Hero, January 24 through March 1 at Theater Wit

04 December 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Charm, romance and humor abound in the 2001 comedic masterpiece Lobby Hero by Kenneth Lonergan, the Academy Award-winning screenwriter of…

Thornton Wilder’s The Long Christmas Dinner Radiant Throughout at Bramble Arts Loft

02 December 2024 in Theatre in Review

Immediately following the gastronomical excesses of Thanksgiving are the monetary investments and personal sacrifices we make for Christmas.  At the…

Review: It's a Wonderful Life: Live in Chicago! at American Blues Theater

02 December 2024 in Theatre in Review

“No man is a failure who has friends,” is to film what “God bless us everyone” is to literature. Frank…

Porchlight Hosts FUN HOME: BEHIND THE SHOW BACKSTORY, Dec. 10 at Ruth Page Center

28 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Porchlight Music Theatre is proud to announce Fun Home: Behind the Show Backstory with Artistic Director Michael Weber, Tuesday, Dec. 10 at 7…

MEAN GIRLS is Now Playing

26 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Broadway In Chicago is thrilled to announce MEAN GIRLS – the record-breaking new musical comedy adapted from the hit Paramount Pictures film…

Lookingglass Welcomes Founding Ensemble Member David Schwimmer and Chicago Attorney James (Jimmy) Oh to its Board of Directors

25 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

After pausing its operations last year to reorganize and create a new business model, Chicago's Tony-Award winning Lookingglass Theatre Company is proud…

Cast and production team announced for Chicago Premiere of Reina Hardy’s GLASSHEART, January 10 – February 23

25 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

City Lit Theater has announced its cast and creative team for the Chicago Premiere of GLASSHEART, by Chicago-based playwright Reina…

Hubbard Street Dance Chicago's 'Season 47 Fall Series' is Sexy Romantic and Powerful

25 November 2024 in Dance in Review

Steppenwolf's cozy downstairs theater provided the ideal setting for an evening of outstanding and expressive dance by the highly acclaimed…

Goodman Theatre’s “A Christmas Carol” Warms Hearts as It Rings in a Joyful Holiday Season

25 November 2024 in Theatre in Review

I arrived at the Goodman Theatre for the opening of its 47th annual production of A Christmas Carol, directed by…

Don’t Miss this Rollicking Rendition of “Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus”

25 November 2024 in Theatre in Review

If you’re looking for a way to entertain the children (or grandchildren) this holiday season that doesn’t involve long lines,…

A Lovely Night; Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella revives magic at Marriott Theatre

24 November 2024 in Theatre Reviews

In 1997, Disney came out with the most magnificent adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella that has ever been made.…

Throbbin’ Wood, complete with Merry Men? Count me in!

21 November 2024 in Theatre in Review

What the hell is pantomime anyway?  Will I be reviewing a game of Charades?   Google to the rescue! But I…

Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival returns January 15-26, 2025

21 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

The Chicago International Puppet Theater Festival is pulling strings to raise funds this fall, offering three exclusive sneak peeks of…

Oil Lamp Theater Announces the Cast for its 2025 Season Opener: THE COMPLETE WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE (ABRIDGED), Jan. 24 - Feb. 16, 2025

21 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Oil Lamp Theater is proud to announce the cast and creative team for its first production of the 2025 season, The Complete…

Half-Price Holidays return to Hot Tix as Chicago theatres get festive for the 2024 holiday season

21 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Chicago theatres will present a wide variety of festive plays, musicals, dance, and comedy offerings this holiday season. In support,…

Steep Theatre Back Early 2025 with A Slow Air

20 November 2024 in Upcoming Theatre

Steep Theatre will kick off the new year with the Chicago Premiere of David Harrower's A Slow Air, directed by Steep…

 

 

         17 Years and counting!

Register

     

Latest Articles

  • Trap Door Theatre Presents: The Mannequins Ball, Opening January 23rd
    Trap Door Theatre is thrilled to continue its 31st season with a production of the renowned play, The Mannequins' Ball. Written by Bruno Jasieński, The Mannequins' Ball will be directed by Resident Choreographer Miguel Long, and Managing Director Nicole Wiesner. The Mannequins' Ball will play January 23 – March 1,…
  • Three-time Jeff Award winner Ron OJ Parson to direct Hymn
    Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) announces renowned Chicago director Ron OJ Parson will helm the North American premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti's Hymn, making his CST directorial debut. Chakrabarti has re-imagined her play in the South Side of Chicago, following an acclaimed premiere at London's Almeida Theatre. The…
  • CLUE On Sale Now
    Broadway In Chicago is delighted to announce that individual tickets for CLUE, the hilarious murder mystery comedy inspired by the Hasbro board game and adapted from the fan-favorite film, will go on sale today, Wednesday, December 18. The show will play at the CIBC…
  • Teatro ZinZanni's Love, Chaos, and Dinner: A Spectacular Romantic Journey of Joy and Laughter
    Written by
    Upon entering the beautifully decorated lobby of Teatro Zinzanni theater on the 14th floor of the Cambria Hotel, you are instantly transported to an exquisite, romantic art deco speakeasy. The theater itself is housed under a stunning 100-year-old Belgian Spiegeltent,…

Guests Online

We have 837 guests and no members online

Buzz Chicago on Facebook Buzz Chicago on Twitter 

Does your theatre company want to connect with Buzz Center Stage or would you like to reach out and say "hello"? Message us through facebook or shoot us an email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

*This disclaimer informs readers that the views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to Buzz Center Stage. Buzz Center Stage is a non-profit, volunteer-based platform that enables, and encourages, staff members to post their own honest thoughts on a particular production.