Saturday ... er, Friday in the park ...

ASHEBORO — If you’re a Chicago fan, you’ll recognize that the headline is just having a little fun with the song title of one of the band’s first hits, “Saturday in the Park.” 

In this case, it’s “Friday in the Park”, as in Bicentennial Park, when Chicago Rewired will bring back memories of the 1960s-1970s salad days of the Chicago experience.

And that Friday is this Friday, Aug. 15, when the group headlines the final Rock’n the Park concert of the summer provided by the City of Asheboro and Asheboro Downtown Inc.

Leading into the concert will be local talents Jesse Fox and then Colin Cutler & Hot Pepper Jam. They’ll kick off the 6 to 10 p.m. block with Chicago Rewired coming on stage around 8 p.m. 

The original band Chicago was in existence in the 1960s, but under one of several different names. According to bestclassicbands.com, it was originally known as The Missing Links, and later The Big Thing, based in the Windy City.

In 1968, the group moved to LA and changed its name again to Chicago Transit Authority. That group launched its first album in 1969, which included two Top 10 hits, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” and “Beginnings.”

In 1970, the band shortened its name to Chicago and that’s when a career spawned that made it so famous that it, like so many others, has sowed a crop of tribute bands to keep its music alive for generations to come.

Members of Chicago Rewired include Kerry Craig (Lead Vocals), David Miller (Keyboards/Synths & Lead Vocals), Mike Graci (Drums & Percussion), Freddie Banner (Bass & Vocals), Robert Bussey (Lead Guitars & Vocals), Doug Norton (Saxophone, Flute & Lead Vocals), Simon Brooker (Trumpet & Flugelhorn) and Allen Beck (Trombone).

They have a nice catalog of songs to choose from as Chicago produced 21 top 10 singles as 25 of their 36 albums earned platinum sales status. In all, Chicago sold more than 100 million albums.

Among fan favorites are: 

“25 or 6 to 4”

“Hard To Say I’m Sorry” 

“If You Leave Me Now”

“Colour My World”

“You’re the Inspiration” 

“Questions 67 & 68”

“Just You ‘N Me”

“Look Away”

“Hard Habit to Break” 

“Wishing You Were Here”

“Along Comes A Woman,” 

“Call On Me,” 

“Make Me Smile” 

and more.

As always at Rock’n The Park events, food trucks will be on site, and local restaurants and drinking establishments within easy walking distance will be open beforehand and many during the concert. The Zoo City Social District will be in effect, so drinks purchased from downtown businesses in the district and marked properly may be taken and consumed in the park area.

It is an outdoor concert so bring your own chair or blanket. And there’s a platform area for dancing, though many just dance and sing along from where they are among the crowds, which in these concerts often stretch to Academy Street at the back of the grassy outdoor area and number in the thousands.

The concert is free and open to all.