“Someone took my guitar. They don’t want me… they are afraid I’m gonna do my scoot. I’m gonna try to do my scoot for you anyway.” And with that, air guitar and all, rock ‘n’ roll pioneer Chuck Berry closed the Winter Dance doing his signature “duck walk.” A staple move that was first coined by NY journalists in the mid-fifties is still a requirement for a man that turned eighty four in October. The Chicago date should have been a celebration of the New Year and a sort of home coming for the singer songwriter, who began his career on the south side of Chicago with Chess Records in 1955. Instead, it has turned into a media blitz focusing on the elder legend with a show that had some highs and many lows.
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Chuck Berry
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 Entertainment
 Living Legend
Congress Theater
Chicago, IL
January 1, 2011
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Anyone who has seen Chuck Berry perform in the last decade or two shouldn’t be too surprised by Saturday’s show. Yes, it was more erratic and less focused than usual. However, seeing Chuck Berry live has always been a crap shoot. Chuck has always been known for doing things his own way and his way is always a rollercoaster. There are peaks and valleys to his live show and you just have to let him take you on that ride. Chuck has toured for some time now solo, showing up only with his guitar in hand and requiring the promoter to provide him with a backing band. The Congress Theater show was no different on Saturday. Chuck only rehearsed briefly with the band earlier in the day and the players weren’t an actual full-time band. With that mind, from one city to the next and with each new band, the results are anybody’s guess. Basically if the band is prepared and knows their stuff, it can be a great night of classic rock ‘n’ roll. If not, Chuck has no problems embarrassing each member of the band on stage. One could say Chuck’s setting up the show to fail, or you could say that if you are going to get on a stage with the man who invented the musical genre, then you better be prepared or you get what you deserve. Of course most fan goers are unaware of what is happening behind the scenes and if the show is bad it solely reflects on the man of the hour.
Saturday’s show on the first day of the New Year was one of those shows that can surely tarnish one’s legacy. The promoters did their job setting the stage for a great evening of music and fun at an almost sold out capacity. Fans of all ages were in attendance with some dressed for an old school fifties sock hop. Fans came early to see the opener Deal’s Gone Bad and even with it being the day after New Year’s Eve, lines were six or seven people deep for libations. The buzz and the excitement clearly was for the man that changed the musical map forever when he fused country music and the blues. Since then, every major artist in the last fifty years has owed their career in some way to the headliner of the evening.
Dressed in his signature white captain’s hat and a red sequined sparkly shirt, Chuck Berry enters the stage with his beat up Gibson Es-335 in hand and looking happy as he is greeted to a standing ovation. Chuck quickly delivers one of his signature riffs as the band opens the night with “Roll Over Beethoven.” What should have been the beginning to a wonderful night was bitter sweet due to one major factor. It is pretty obvious Chuck’s guitar is out of tune and as can often be the case live, he continues to play the next several songs with it that way. If that isn’t enough it is pretty clear he is not very happy with the band of the evening. He stops continuously song after song to complain to them off mic and even at one point takes his guitar off altogether to take over the keys. Sitting down he proceeds to show how it is done briefly entertaining us with “Let it Rock.”
Back at the mic, Chuck actually apologizes for his guitar being out of tune for the set so far but quickly points a finger stage left, stating it wasn’t however his fault for the piano. Chuck does manage to get through his only number one on the Billboard charts, the novelty track “My Ding-A-Ling,” that has become an audience sing-a-along through the years. Soon though Chuck again decides to sit down at the piano and this time delivers a wonderful instrumental version of what sounded to be his classic “We Wee Hours.” In all the years and shows I’ve seen Chuck Berry play, he has never played the piano. Tonight he proves it’s not the instrument but the person playing the notes that count. The sound is flawless and it’s almost as if he is channeling his late piano player Johnnie Johnson for the special moment. This most certainly is a high moment that quickly vanishes when Chuck places his elbows onto the piano and collapses into his hands. Within seconds, people arrive from side stage to escort the frail artist off. At first it’s hard to gauge whether the artist was ill or just fed up with the band.
Fifteen minutes past when Chuck once again appears on stage and starts tuning his guitar. However, a man quickly arrives and once again walks him off stage. It would be another ten minutes before Chuck again appears with no assistance to address the crowd. “I had to lay my head on the piano. I had no strength at all,” he proceeds to explain to the fans who have quickly gathered to the front of the stage. Looking obviously a little weak he proves his humor is still intact stating, “Ten minutes in there with blood pressure and all that stuff. I feel like I’m about sixty five or seventy.” With that Chuck forces his “duck walk” and the legend leaves the stage.
For many, this may be the one and only time these fans may see their living idol. Was it a great show? No. Did fans get a chance to see the man that change music forever? Absolutely, and for good or for bad there were a few special moments to take in and cherish. Did the band do a solid backing performance? No, but whose fault is that could be a descent argument. I suppose that’s the pros and cons of not having a full-time touring band or even taking the time to rehearse with them properly before the show. Of course playing two shows the night before in New York didn’t help things either. Chuck Berry may be a rock ‘n’ roll god that is transcending his age but Saturday’s show proved he’s not immortal.
It has been written that he walked into the venue at the last minute and that he arrived ill and was checked out before the show, but both are not true. In fact he was at the venue by 5 PM where he stayed until it was time to go on stage and was in fine spirits. In the end, Chuck refused any further medical assistance insisting he felt better. However, exiting fans were greeted outside by the flashing lights of an ambulance reminding fans the seriousness of what they had witnessed.
Chuck Berry is schedule to play his next show in St. Louis at Blueberry Hill on January 19th, a gig that he plays every month. Owner Joe Edwards was interviewed on Newsradio 780 and although was surprised to hear the news of the show, he did add, “Playing as often as he does it’s bound to happen sometime. But luckily he’s in great health and doing just fine.”
John Lennon who often cited Chuck Berry as one of his idols once stated "if you tried to give rock and roll another name, you might call it 'Chuck Berry'." Never has there been a truer statement about someone who has changed the face of music forever.
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