Theatre of Western Springs Hosts 'An Evening with Jim Peterik and The Ides of March'

Submitted by the Theatre of Western Springs.

Grammy Award winning songwriter, performer and producer Jim Peterik and The Ides of March will perform one night only at 8 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at The Theatre of Western Springs (TWS) located at 4384 Hampton Ave.

The concert is a fundraiser for TWS, and the public is invited. With all the original members intact, the members of The Ides of March are celebrating their 51st year together in 2015.

“We know there are thousands of Jim Peterik fans out there,” said Jennifer Jermano Miller, chairperson of the TWS fundraising committee. “We’ve booked Jim and the Ides several times, and the fans fill our 400-seat Mainstage auditorium. It’s just a rockin’ good time.”

The Ides of March are commonly referred to as “Chicago’s band.” Formed in 1965 in the Chicago suburb of Berwyn, the members include: Jim Peterik – lead vocal, lead guitar; Larry Millas – vocals, guitar, bass; Bob Bergland – bass, vocals, sax; Mike Borch – drums, vocals; Chuck Soumar – trumpet, percussion, vocals; and John Larson – trumpet, vocals.

The six men have been friends since grade school. As freshmen and sophomores at Morton West High School, they were studying the play “Julius Caesar” and decided to use a phrase from it as their name. The band quickly developed a strong local following playing teen clubs and sock hops. The Ides of March toured America and Canada on weekends throughout the summer while keeping up their high school education. In 1970 they got their big break. Warner Bros. Records signed them and release their million-seller, “Vehicle.” The song went to #1 in Cashbox and #2 in Billboard and became the fastest breaking single in Warner Bros. history. This song, which Jim Peterik wrote and sang, has become a horn band classic, being performed on “The Tonight Show” by Tom Jones and Sammy Davis Jr.

It also became the centerpiece of Sylvester Stallone’s movie, “Lock Up.” With its signature horn riff and one of the most famous opening lines in rock and’roll - “I’m the friendly stranger in the black sedan; won’t you hop inside my car” - “Vehicle” by The Ides of March has earned its place in rock and roll history.

While in college, The Ides toured with bands such as Led Zeppelin, the Allman Brothers, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, the Grateful Dead and Poco. They appeared on a number of popular television shows.

In 1973, after fifteen singles and four albums, the Ides went on a 17-year sabbatical. Jim Peterik went on to platinum success as co-founder, song-writer and keyboardist with the group Survivor, co-penning the motivational anthem from Rocky III, Eye of the Tiger and many more hits.

In 1990, the original six members of The Ides of March with the addition of long-time friend Scott May on keyboards and Dave Stahlberg on trombone reunited for what was supposed to be a one-time concert for Berwyn’s Summerfaire. The event drew 25,000 fans and convinced the Ides to extend their tour indefinitely.

Each year, their fan base continues to grow, not only drawing their loyal followers but also their children and grandchildren. The Ides’ goodtime spirit never grows old. Tickets to the concert are $30 for TWS subscribers and $35 for non-subscribers. Call the TWS box office at 708-246-3380 or buy tickets online at theatreofwesternsprings.com.

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