Chicago- Introduction -LIVE 1972

This was filmed live in Tokyo June, 1972. "Introduction" was written by Terry Kath. The video quality is a little poor due to the age of this video. But, it's a rare glimpse at the original Chicago performing this classic. Enjoy!

Chicago - Introduction

According to Billboard chart statistics, Chicago is second only to the Beach Boys as the most successful American rock band of all time, in terms of both albums and singles. Judged by album sales, as certified by the RIAA, the band does not rank quite so high, but it is still among the Top Ten best-selling US groups ever. If such statements of fact surprise, that's because Chicago has been singularly underrated since the beginning of its long career, both because of its musical ambitions (to the musicians, rock is only one of several styles of music to be used and blended, along with classical, jazz, R&B, and pop) and because of its refusal to emphasize celebrity over the music. The result has been that fundamentalist rock critics have consistently failed to appreciate its music and that its media profile has always been low. At the same time, however, Chicago has succeeded in the ways it intended to. From the beginning of its emergence as a national act, it has been able to fill arenas with satisfied fans. And beyond the impressive sales and chart statistics, its music has endured, played constantly on the radio and instantly familiar to tens of millions. When, in 2002, Chicago's biggest hits were assembled together on the two-disc set The Very Best of Chicago: Only the Beginning and the album debuted in the Top 50, giving the band the distinction of having had chart albums in five consecutive decades, the music industry and some music journalists may have been startled ...

The Terry Kath Tribute Concert Part 1 - Introduction

More than 32 years after his untimely death in a gun accident, friends, fans, bandmates and other musicians gathered at William H. Taft High School in Chicago, IL on May 27, 2010 to stage a concert in tribute to Terry Kath, former guitarist, singer and composer with the jazz-rock band Chicago. Headliners included: Danny Seraphine, original drummer with Chicago; James William Guercio, Chicago's first producer and manager; and Kenny Cetera, brother of Chicago bassist and now solo artist Peter Cetera. They were joined by Chicago cover bands 25 or 6 to 4 and the 95th Street Band, as well as guitarist Tom Vienna and drummer Nick Morrone. Kath's solo on the Chicago hit 25 or 6 to 4 is perhaps his best-known guitar work, while vocally he sang on the hits Make Me Smile, Color My World and Wishing You Were Here. However, his true talents came through best on several Chicago album cuts -- on guitar in songs such as Free Form Guitar, Poem 58, Liberation, Sing a Mean Tune, Kid, Oh, Thank You, Great Spirit and Uptown and on vocals in songs such as Introduction, Movin' In, Make Me Smile, It Better End Soon, An Hour in the Shower, Now That You've Gone, Dialogue, Alma Mater and Hope for Love. Here, Danny Seraphine and 25 or 6 to 4 appropriately begin the tribute with the first song on the first Chicago album (Chicago Transit Authority): Introduction, written and sung by Kath.

An Introduction to New York's Subway and Buses

Image : http://www.flickr.com

New York City has a very comprehensive public transit system. Run by the Metropolitan Transit Authority, also known as the MTA, there are very few areas within the city limits that are not served by trains or buses. In fact, many people find that it is easier to visit Manhattan when they leave their car at home, and there are quite a few life-long New Yorkers who have never had a driver's license. Using this system is easy -- all you need is a map and a MetroCard.

You should never pay for an MTA subway or bus map. These maps are available for free at several locations, including LaGuardia and JFK airports. You can also obtain a subway map at the token booths located in the subway stations. Bus maps of the borough you're in should be available as well. These maps are also posted in each subway station by the token booth, as well as a map of the immediate area. In addition, subway maps are normally posted on the platforms, and in each car. A bus' route and schedule is normally posted at each bus stop.

Regular subway and bus fare is $2.25 a ride, with free transfers between the subway and bus, bus to subway, or between one bus and another, within 2 hours. A reduced fare is available to seniors 65 years old and over. To buy a reduced fare card, seniors need to bring a photo ID to 3 Stone Street in lower Manhattan. Bus fare can be paid with a MetroCard or exact fare in coins, but to take the subway you need a MetroCard.

There are an assortment of MetroCards available for purchase. A one-day "Fun Pass" costs $8.25, and gives the user almost unlimited access to the subway and buses. It expires at 3 am the morning after the first time it's used. For example, if you swipe the one-day Fun Pass for the first time at 8 am on Thursday morning, you can use it as many times as you wish until 3 am on Friday. Other unlimited ride MetroCards are a 7 day pass for $27.00, a 14 day pass for $51.50, and a 30 day pass for $89.00. These cards expire at midnight on the 7th, 14th or 30th day respectively. Unlimited ride cards are for use by one person only. Because of that, they are limited to one swipe every 18 minutes, meaning you'll need to wait 18 minutes after using it before you can use it again.

Pay-per-Ride MetroCards are also available. You can buy or add any dollar amount between $4.50 and $80.00. If you add at least $8.00 at a time, you will gain a 15% bonus on your card. These cards are refillable, and can be swiped up to four times, for four different people at one time. There is no extra cost to purchase a card. Any of the above cards and passes may be purchased at a MetroCard vending machine located at the subway entrances. They are available for purchase elsewhere, but as a visitor to New York City, that will be the easiest place to buy and refill your card. Subway stations with a green ball on the post by the entrance have MetroCard machines, while entrances with a red ball on the post do not.

All MetroCard vending machines take cash, debit or credit. Be aware that if using cash, the vending machine will only return $6.00 in change, and it will be the dollar coins. Except for reduced fare and 30 day unlimited MetroCards, you should treat your card like cash, since it cannot be replaced. You cannot buy a MetroCard on a bus.

You can check the remaining balance, or remaining days, on your MetroCard at the token booths. There will be a card reader on the front of the booth, and you just swipe your card through it to see your remaining balance. No money will be removed from your card when you do this. The remaining balance on your card will also be displayed every time you use it at the turnstile, or on the bus. Pay-per-Ride MetroCards do expire -- the date will be printed on the back of the card -- but it is possible to transfer the remaining balance onto a new card. Just bring it to a token booth clerk within a year after the expiration date.

When using your card at a turnstile, you may see the message, "Swipe card again at this turnstile." Just swipe your card again, and it should take your fare, and let you through. If you move to another turnstile, you may lose that fare, or if your're using an unlimited card, you will need to wait 18 minutes before you can use it again. If it shows the message "Please swipe again," then you may move to a different turnstile without repercussions. If you get the message "See agent," you'll need to go see the token booth clerk to find out what's wrong with your card. Check to make sure you're going in the correct direction before using the turnstile. The entrances to smaller stations often only allow access to the trains going in a single direction. This will be posted before you enter.

If you're traveling with children, up to 3 children under 44" per fare-paying adult are free. If you are using a stroller, you'll need to enter the subway through the emergency exit gate. First, you will need to ask the station attendant to open the gate for you. This may mean standing in line at the token booth. Then, you will swipe your MetroCard at the turnstile closest to the exit gate, and spin it to take the fare. After you do that, the attendant will buzz you through so you can enter. You will also exit the subway through the emergency gate, as well. The MTA recommends you fold your stroller, and carry your child. During rush hour, there may not be enough room on the subway for an unfolded stroller. On buses, you will be required to fold your stroller before you get on.

When entering the subway, you may be approached by someone offering you a "swipe." This person has obtained, possibly illegally, a MetroCard for free, and is selling entry into the subway for cash at a lower price than the fare. It may be risky to take them up on their offer.

All of the information in this article is correct as of September 30, 2010. None of this information in this article applies to the express bus service. Express buses can be identified by the letter "X" before their number, and they have a different fare schedule than the one listed in this article.

Traveling in New York City can be easy with the right tools. Take a bus down 5th Avenue, and see the city for $2.25. Leave your car behind, and avoid high parking rates and expensive parking tickets. Or, drive in, park, and then explore. Leave the traffic jams to others, and become absorbed into the heartbeat of the city.

Chicago - Introduction - Drum Cover

I'm testing the "Webcam Record" feature that YouTube has implemented with my newest drum cover, a great Chicago tune, from their first album- "Introduction". Great, swinging, funky track.

Vasyl Popadiuk at Chopin Auditorium, Chicago. Introduction.

Orange Wave concert, Chopin Auditorium, Chicago, April 24, 2010. PapaDuke.Com Orangewave.us