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Chicago in San Francisco

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Chicago
Toyota Pavilion at Concord — Concord, CA
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About Chicago

Chicago spent the 1970s and 80s proving that a rock band could also be genuinely great at writing pop songs. They showed up with horns—lots of them—and used them to create this weird alchemy where massive orchestration felt natural instead of pretentious. "25 or 6 to 4" became the template for how to write a three-minute rock song that somehow feels both urgent and thoughtful. The band shifted between harder rock material and smoother ballads with a facility that shouldn't have worked but did. By the time "If You Leave Me Now" and "Hard to Say I'm Sorry" hit, they'd mastered the art of making people care about mid-tempo songs about relationships. They weren't reinventing anything, but they did what mattered more: they made a lot of people feel something specific in a very well-crafted way.

Professional and polished, sometimes to a fault. The horn section is tighter than it has any right to be. Crowds sing along to the ballads more than the rockers. It's the kind of show where people actually sit down in the middle sections.

Known for 25 or 6 to 4, Saturday in the Park, Make Me Smile, If You Leave Me Now, Hard to Say I'm Sorry

Chicago + San Francisco

Chicago rolled through Hopmonk Tavern in July 2019 for a lean, focused set that leaned into their catalog's quieter corners. They opened with 'Real Midnight' and 'Lodestar,' setting a reflective tone before working through material that felt deliberately chosen rather than obligatory. 'Love In Wartime' and 'American Flowers' sat comfortably alongside deeper cuts like 'Barley,' while 'Superlover' and 'Sugar Dumplin'' kept things from getting too introspective. They closed on 'Estrella Goodbye,' which felt appropriately valedictory for the venue's intimate scale. Thirteen songs in, it was the kind of show that rewarded people who actually knew the band.

Chicago in San Francisco News

Live Music in San Francisco

San Francisco's indie and alternative rock scene has always had room for bands that think sideways about melody and arrangement. The city's venues, from larger theaters down to taverns, have historically supported artists working in more subdued registers—musicians interested in texture and restraint over immediate impact. That sensibility suits Chicago's approach, where experimentation and subtlety matter as much as hooks.

San Francisco road trip to see Chicago?

Stay in Hayes Valley or the Mission—both neighborhoods have the kind of restaurants and bars that make a weekend feel deliberate rather than touristy. Head to State Bird Provisions for dinner if you can get in; it's precise and inventive without being pretentious. Spend a day in Muir Woods or hiking around Twin Peaks for actual views of the city. The de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park is worth a couple hours if the weather holds. Hit up a coffee place on Valencia Street in the Mission just to sit and watch the neighborhood move around you.

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