Kasim delivered as usual.
This was the best of the three solos shows I've seen. The Abbey is a nice little venue for a show
like this but seating was sparse. My wife, a friend, and I were forced to sit on a bench under the left side balcony which obstructed the PA somewhat. But the soundman had the acoustic cranked and "that voice" was mixed well out front, and filled the room.
He talked about how in the day, Utopia played in Ohio a lot and were the "Beatles of Ohio". He said now Chicago is his Ohio.
The addition of the keyboard really made the show for me. He did a version of "Mated" which was incredible. "Love Alone" was better than the recorded version. Hearing him play keys makes me wonder just how much writing input he had and on what songs, since he plays the chordings so effortlessly.
There was an awkward moment at one point when Kasim was interrupted during story-telling by someone down front. She screamed something about Utopia having played Chicago 25 years ago or something to that effect, and Kasim called her by name saying he loved her but there are 80 other people in the room, and it wasn't about her. She stood right up and walked to the back of the room, but returned to her seat shortly after. Very bizarre. Kasim handled it in stride though, the
pro that he is.
I'm a wonderful combination of tired, worthless, and hung-over at work today, but more than glad to deal having witnessed the best Kasim solo show yet.
First I'll say the opener was a very open and funny "spinster" and very entertaining. She seemed truly glad to be there. But we all know it just bides our time till we see Kasim.
He was dressed casual this evening as the last 2 times here he was in a suit. (I much prefer the casual look myself). Well, he told us lots of stories tonight. He was very relaxed/happy and smiling. Chicago is HIS town afterall and he finally admitted it. He told us how Utopia owned Cleveland and Ohio area. Always playing to large crowds there and he believes Chicago is his "Ohio" for his solo work. It's true the Abbey Pub is a great venue filled with fans that love Kasim. He also told us his guitar tech Charlie (from Meat Loaf) was supposed to get his guitars from home to FL to IL. But they never even made it to FL! So on rented guitars and borrowed keyboards we got to hear Da Man!
Now as the guitar string breaks on one of his guitars he immediately said "I knew that would happen". And since he did know it-it was no problem. On to the another guitar-no biggy (always my attitude).
So I have to tell you this venue shows off Kasim's talents so well. He sounded great tonight. Now some vocals were better than others but it's not about getting everything perfect. He plays to us - not at us. He involves the audience and draws us in. That is very important. When he got to the keyboards-I was ever hopeful but not quite sure. He told us the John Davidson story and it was just so funny and played Love Alone. And he nailed this song-perfect. Then Set Me Free which Rita enjoyed hearing for the first time on keyboards. Then he started talking about a Utopia song he has never played before and that we should sing along the chorus-clap-make gestures (ummm the love sign - in sign lang) - anything to get involved. Guess what guys it was !MATED! I cannot express my words at how lovely he sang this song. I was so in awe to hear him sing it and very glad he gave me the green light to sing along (cuz I would have anyway!). But I am not the only one who enjoyed this song - the whole room did get involved and the multi-layered meaning to this song just makes it a great song to do (hint-hint).
My day started early at work by 7:30am - had to be sure all work was done by 5pm! It was busier than normal (even with the Bears game) but having a Kasim show to look forward to made it so much easier. So I got off at 5pm picked up Deb and Lynn (my sisters) and headed to the "Big City" (as Jaimie calls it). Wow only 45 min drive-that was wonderful! I met up with more family-my neice Cherie and her beau Jeff. Also found Sandi and her sister-Rita-Cyndi-Brian-Laura-Sue and my friends from Indianapolis. Oh it was great seeing and chatting with everyone. I was trying to figure how many times I've seen Kasim now. 6 solo shows-1 Meatloaf show-and geez I think at least 4 or 5 TR shows. I've never seen Utopia live-those were my "formative" years. I'm a late bloomer as I've said before. It was wonderful to see everyone and share the music together. I saw Laura at her table mouthing the words to all the songs too-there was a great feeling in the room.
Oh I have a comment from my sister Lynn. She really liked "Sometimes Love is Dangerous Thing". Now she listens to alot of country and thinks this song with a few twangs here and there would make a great country song. Just wanted to throw that thought in here.
I always wish there is more more more-but he ended with One World-another great "bring us together" song.
Kasim was more than gracious with his time-giving everyone a chance to say hello and sign and take pictures.
It is always a pleasure to see Kasim - a new adventure each show - something new to see or hear - and I for one am glad to be a friend/fan.
What a recipe for a dreadful show - Kasim had just flown in that afternoon so he still had his suitcase with him, his guitars hadn't made it to Chicago, he broke a string on one of his borrowed guitars early on in his set, the show was very badly promoted, he had someone shouting out to him from the audience.......all of that made it even more amazing that the gig was SO good!
I'll copy this on from all the previous gigs "this show was VERY badly promoted". There are over 30 newspapers in the Chicago area that feature articles on music - there was not one article about Kasim. There was a brief one paragraph spiel in The Onion and a couple of the freebie papers mentioned him in their music listings but that was all.
Thankfully lots of people had managed to hear about Chicago's best kept secret of the evening (see Kasim's comment below) but there were still less people there than on previous occasions he's played this venue. Later arrivals in the hall actually brought chairs down from the balcony which was a nice sign and the crowd were certainly the most receptive verbally (loudest!) of these gigs but for me personally it was disappointing that some good press wasn't achieved too. (A couple of people there also mentioned that they've not read a professional review of one of Kasim's gigs this run either.)
The support act Ellen Rosner was an acoustic singer / songwriter who is just in the process of "having a go" at making her money playing music full-time. She played for about half an hour and each of her songs were noticeably different to the previous ones which was impressive.
After an introduction from the sound guy, Kasim walked on stage at about 8.00pm to loads of applause and cheers. Earlier in the evening someone had complained to me that he thought Kasim only played a short set last time in Chicago (I just explained that the time flies by when Kasim is on stage!) but tonight Kasim played for a full hour and a half which was just brilliant!
To be a "harsh critic" Kasim's voice wasn't perfect during the first three songs but he was almost note perfect for the rest of the show! I wondered if it was because he hadn't warmed his voice properly or whether it was because of the flight but once his vocal chords were fully operating, we heard the level and range of singing that only Kasim can achieve!
Kasim started with his amazing Don't Hold Me Back and then went straight into Jason Falkner's Afraid Himself To Be. This crowd were definitely Utopia fans as the next track, Back On The Street, received an amazing reaction! It’s no wonder that Kasim then went on to say that Utopia were “The Beatles of Ohio” as they played 20,000 seat venues and could sell out there every night so he’s decided that Chicago is his Ohio as more people come to see him here than anywhere else!
At the end of There Goes My Inspiration Kasim played a few extra chords and broke a string on his guitar. He then started to explain about his guitar situation but he went off at a tangent to tell us that he’d just flown in today from Tampa, Florida where he’d played at “Roctoberfest” with Meat Loaf. He joked about all the guys that were wandering around backstage in all the typical rock outfits and “hair so black that it can only have come out of a bottle”!
(I wasn’t going to mention this but someone else has in another review.) It was at this point that a local character from Chicago started to call out that Utopia played in Chicago twenty five years ago tonight (it’s good that she reads the This Day page on this site but…!). Kasim very politely but firmly told her to stop calling out which received a fair amount of applause (she walked out at this point but later returned and it was nice to see them happily chatting together after the gig). Kasim received even more applause when he spoke about his new CD Quid Pro Quo!
He then played his beautiful The One Sure Thing. This was followed by Goodbye (also from Quid Pro Quo). It struck me as unusual for Kasim to play this song so early in his set but then I realised that it saved him having to tune down his only remaining guitar and then tune it up again later.
Kasim then went back to tell us about how he came to be in this situation with his guitars! He said that Meat Loaf’s guitar tech Charlie collected his acoustic guitars so that he could have them in Florida (in case Meat decided to play an acoustic set) but left them at his house so he had to hire two from a store near The Abbey Pub who opened especially for him that Sunday! Kasim explained that every guitar is different as, unlike keyboards, they grow on trees and that he was used to his own guitars. All of this was said whilst Kasim was tuning his guitar (while playing occasional notes on the piano to check the tuning) - amazing!
After Before She Was Gone, Kasim next explained that when he was last at The Abbey Pub (in February) he played a new song of his downstairs to ask for my opinion. He then gave his impersonation of an English accent (!) and reckoned that I said “I quite like that” and that it was “nice” (the word nice was definitely NOT used!) so he decided to complete the track! One of the best parts of a Kasim show is when he mentions things like that as all of the Chicago audience will know that their city has an affinity with the song Sacrifice! (It was incidentally also the city where he first performed it live in front of an audience at The House Of Blues back in June.) As always Sacrifice received a massive round of applause.
Next Kasim moved across to the (borrowed) keyboards. By way of an introduction to Love Alone he told his John Davidson joke that most of the other people seem to find funny. He then went straight into Set Me Free - it was during this song that I almost felt seasick watching the water in his bottle on top of the piano sloshing around with the way he was pounding the keys!
Kasim next said that he was going to try out a song that he hadn’t sang solo live before and asked us to join in with the chorus by clapping or whatever - it was Mated! Other than for the lyrics I wouldn’t have recognised the song at the beginning as he sang it in a slightly different arrangement to the recorded version. It was lovely to hear and he gave a faultless performance (although I think it’ll be more melodic and he’ll sound more confident the next time he sings it in public). Kasim’s final song on the piano was his own Heaven Help The Child and he just gave it the succinct introduction “This is for anyone with children” - I know of at least one person who was very overcome with that song tonight.
Kasim then returned to the centre of the stage and, after a comment about hoping that he kept all the six strings on his guitar intact, he played Sometimes Love Is A Dangerous Thing which is a track that he usually plays near the beginning of his set. Then (after a slightly dodgy start) Kasim played a perfect performance of Bad Company’s Shooting Star - that’s another song that suits his voice so well. He then went straight into This Must Be Love (with the lovely part when his hands work their way up the neck of the guitar) from his first album Kasim before telling us that he will play only two more songs (“don’t ask for any more as I don’t know any others!”) but that he would be back in Chicago in December playing at The Riviera with Meat Loaf.
Kasim closed with John Lennon’s beautiful Across The Universe and then Utopia’s One World with almost everyone joining in with the clapping! He sang the line “From Berlin to San Francisco, from New York to CHICAGO!” (he sang a line with a few hums in it earlier in the song too, as well as making the comment “Where’s Phyllis when I really need him?!).
As Kasim received his well due standing ovation he reminded us again that Chicago was his Ohio! Another great gig by Kasim Sulton, especially considering the circumstances!
As another band were due on stage later that night, we then all moved across to the bar where a “nice” orderly queue soon formed for autographs and photos - of course Kasim walked in and immediately started in the middle of the queue but I don’t think anybody minded as he stayed until he had signed everything for the last person and had posed with all the humans and stuffed bears that wanted photos!
Many thanks to Janet Spahr for all the photos on this page
Video Clip Press the play button to view (listen) to it.
For some better video clips by Sandi Daae click here.
This is a 15 second video clip of Kasim singing Mated.
It looks jerky as I was trying to avoid couple
getting friendly in front of the camera!
For more photos of this gig by Sandi Daae click here.
Back to Kasim's promotional appearances to promote Quid Pro Quo