| Local stages have witnessed a notable
absence of gigs by veteran singer/songwriter/all-around-rock-and-roll-type Cathy
Richardson and her band since the summer of 1999. After many moons spent in the bars
plying her trade and a great many CDs sold, Cathy was given the opportunity to take her
talents into a new segment of the business when she was cast to play Janis Joplin in the
Royal George Theater’s production of the play "Love, Janis". As a result,
the band was put on hold for a little while so Cathy could do her theatrical thing. The
show did so well that in May Cathy is going to New York to reprise her role as the singing
Janis. It is probably fair to say that there will again be an absence of CRB shows in
Chicago for quite a while after the NYC move takes place. This night at the Park West was
the last chance (at least for now) for Cathy and her fans to reconnect with each other in
a face-to-face way. It also gave Cathy a chance to prove that she is still among the top
original music draws in the city, whether she is performing here or not.
Backed by her longtime band (guitarist Joel Hoekstra,
drummer Ed Breckenfeld, and bassist Randy Reily), Cathy came out blazing with the bluesy
"All Night Long" and proceeded to tear through a set of new material intermixed
with old favorites. One of the best of the new songs was "This Town" in which
Cathy speaks to some fair weather friends and leaves them "…waving one finger
goodbye." The list of familiar tunes included her pop gem "Saturday", the
psychedelic "Fly", and the rousing set closer "Drink, Drink, Drink".
About halfway through the show Cathy turned the stage over to guitarist Hoekstra, who
traded his tele for a 5-string banjo to demonstrate what Eddie Van Halen might have
sounded like had he been born in Kentucky. Hoekstra is easily one of the best guitar
players in Chicago, and it was fun to hear him stretch out on another instrument. One of
the shows’ most humorous moments came after the banjo jam, when Cathy reemerged in a
full-on all-white Elvis suit to sing the rockabilly-influenced "Berwyn (Where have
You Gone?)". The set also included a nod to the "Love, Janis" material in
the form of a mini-set of Joplin tunes. For this, Cathy brought out the Horny Horns, a
three-piece horn section, to fill out the bands’ sound. Cathy looked totally at ease
fronting this bigger band, and it would be an interesting direction to see her move her
own music in.
More attention was paid to the staging and production of the show than is usual for
Cathy and the results added a new dimension to her performance. One of the most striking
production elements was the use of intelligent robotic lighting effects. It gave the show
the feeling of a concert, rather than that of a bar band on a big stage. One of the things
it seems Cathy is trying to do right now is to change the perception of her act from bar
band to that of a concert-level national. Putting on a multi-dimensional show like this in
front of an almost sold out Park West crowd is a big step down that road. The band is
playing out of town more now, spreading the word, and there is also an album of new
material being recorded as this is being written. Judging from the crowd response and
turnout at the Park West, this may be the size of room Cathy plays exclusively before too
much more time has past.
Cathy Richardson Band
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