Peter Cetera will highlight hits from his solo career.
Get ready to be wowed, Montclair. On May 5, Peter Cetera will be bringing his soulful ballads to Montclair’s Wellmont Theatre. Fans of both Chicago, the timeless “rock band with horns” that Cetera played bass for, and Cetera’s solo career will be pleased to see Cetera still swaying and rocking to the soft music that he produces.
As the name of his former band may indicate, Cetera was born and raised in Chicago. Hailing from a fairly religious background, Cetera attended catholic schools, as his mother wanted him to be a priest. While a career in rock n roll isn’t always on the cards for someone of his background (his parents bought him an accordion instead of the guitar he wanted at 11), Cetera eventually found his way into the music when at 15 he was shown a concert by a group called The Rebel Rockers and subsequently purchased his first guitar.
Cetera seemed to be destined for rock greatness, playing in groups throughout his teenage years that were popular and touring the midwest throughout the 60s. After his first taste of a musical career, Cetera was ready to rise to the status he is revered at today. At the age of 24, Cetera attended a show by a band called The Big Thing. After being impressed with their use of horns and vocals, Cetera quickly joined the band and changed the name to Chicago. Their album Chicago quickly ascended the group to the Hall of Fame status they have achieved today.
Chicago toured the world and garnered worldwide adoration for their politically charged, ballad style rock sound. After Chicago was bought out of their contract in 1980, Cetera took less than a year to find his way as a solo artist.
“Interestingly enough, I thought Cetera was trying to ride a shrinking wave when he released solo music,” said longtime fan of Cetera, Ken Mahoney. “But after I heard where he was taking his music, I understood that Cetera had much more to bring to music than what his tenure in Chicago had brought.”
Cetera’s popularity as a solo artist has been vast and intense. He has established a cult-like following of his smooth, jazz-influenced vocals and a soft, complimentary string instrument sound that was formed in the later years of Chicago. He melds these attributes together better than many solo artists who have tried.
Cetera’s appearance in Montclair will be his first, so tickets are bound to sell out fast. You can purchase them on the Wellmont Theatre website, thewellmonttheater.com. Similarly, you can make your way to the theater and purchase them in person. The Wellmont is located at 5 Seymour St. in Montclair. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m., so plan your means of transportation accordingly, as there is limited parking.
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