Summer is a beautiful time of the year, particularly in northern latitudes, where folks tend to celebrate its arrival after a long, harsh winter. A case in point is Chicago (where this writer happens to hail from), where you can already start to feel that jubilant feeling in the air as people start congregating en masse and begin soaking up all the festivities the season has to offer. It’s no wonder the city’s namesake band embodied a lot of that spirit in their music.
“Saturday in the Park” is, of course, a prime example of that. Still, for this writer, there’s always been something about “Dialogue” that really captures the essence of the celebratory feeling that is truly unique to Chicago in the summertime. The subject matter also addresses the complexities of the city and the times we live in quite well, but the spirit of the song is uplifting and hopeful. It’s a sentiment that, despite the city’s challenges, feels pervasive this time of the year as people of all stripes come together to celebrate the season. You can feel it in the air, and you can feel it in the music, a vibe that is captured quite well in this outstanding performance from the Aire Crown Theater in 1972.
