The Year That Leslie Went to 11
January 5, 2024 9:49AM CST
Leslie at concert
Hey it’s Leslie. When we were all stuck in our homes during the pandemic, a lot of people got so used to being inside, that it was hard to go back out. Many people are still dealing with that. Well, it had just the opposite effect on me. I need to live my life to the fullest, and so I said yes to almost every musical and theatrical opportunity that caught my attention. I went to 11.
This is what brings me joy. When people ask me how I get the energy, I tell them that this is what energizes me.
Do more of what brings you Joy. The world needs more of that.
Here’s a list of the performances I attended in 2023, and I’m not promising that I didn’t forget a couple:
1/6/23 Kashmir (Zep tribute)at the Des Plaines Theater
1/13 Led Zeppelin 2 at House of Blues
1/23 The Ripple, The Wave that carried me Home at the Goodman Theater
1/27 Buddy Guy at Legends
2/4 Louie Zagoras at Ten Ninety Brewing Co
2/6 Toni Stone at the Goodman Theater
2/11 Lady Groove and the Get Downs at The Branding Iron
2/16 Into the Woods at the Paramount Theater
2/18 Buddy Guy at the Rialto Square Theater
2/25 Signed, Sealed, Delivered: a tribute to Stevie Wonder at the Epiphany Center for the Arts
3/2 Night Train tribute to GNR with Bad medicine tribute to bon Jovi at the Arcada
3/3 Co-Hosted Women who Rock Illinois benefit for the Illinois Rock and Roll Museum with Cathy Richardson, the Prissillas (who I played tambourine with!)
‘]and Beyond the Blonde at 115 Bourbon Street
3/4 Get the Led Out (zep tribute) at the Rialto Square Theater
3/9 1776, the musical, at the CIBC theater
3/10 Iggy Pop at the Salt Shed
3/11 Big Suit, Talking Heads tribute with Fugu Dugu at the Des Plaines Theater
3/13 Layalina at the Goodman Theater
3/23 Tina, the Tina Turner story, Nederlander Theater
3/24 Red Hot Chili Pipers at North Central college
3/25 Bad Motor Scooter, Sammy Hagar tribute with Bad Reputation, Joan Jett tribute at the Des Plaines Theater
3/30 Tusk, tribute to Fleetwood Mac at the Des Plaines theater
4/5 A Soldier’s play at CIBC theater
4/8 Lil Ed and the Blues Imperials at The Venue
4/10 The Cherry Orchard at the Goodman Theater
4/13 John Mellencamp at the Chicago Theater
4/19 Jagged Little Pill at Nederlander Theater
4/20 Joe Perry at the Des Plaines Theater
4/21 Joe Perry at the Arcada Theater
4/22 School of Rock at the Paramount Theater
5/5 Hairball at the Des Plaines Theater
5/8 Antonio’s Song at the Goodman Theater
5/18 Ragdolls all-female tribute to Aerosmith, with Bad Reputation tribute to Joan Jett at the Des Plaines Theater
5/19 Completely Unchained, tribute to Van Halen at The Piazza
5/27 Janet Jackson at Credit Union 1 Amphitheater
5/31 John Langford and John Szymanski at the opening of the State of Sound exhibit at Navy Pier
6/8 Cathy Richardson at the Prairie Path Park Elmhurst
6/9 Dead and Company at Wrigley Field
6/14 Rocks off Tribute to The Rolling Stones, York St., Elmhurst
6/15 Petty Kings tribute to Tom Petty with Atomic Blonde, tribute to Blondie at Addison’s Rockin’ Wheels
6/21 Fall Out Boy with Alkaline Trio at Wrigley Field
6/22 The Great Pretenders Tribute to The Pretenders at Addison’s Rockin’ wheels
6/23 Stevie Nicks at the United Center
6/24 James Taylor at Summerfest
6/29 Samantha Fish at Addison’s Rockin’ Wheels
6/30 Earth Wind & Fire at Summerfest
7/6 Motown night at Addison’s Rockin’ Wheels
7/7 Dave Matthews band at Northerly Island
7/13 Puddle of Mudd at Addison’s Rockin’ Wheels
7/15 Foo Fighters and Joan Jett at Harley-Davidson homecoming in Milwaukee
7/16 Muddy Waters jam at taste of Westmont
7/20 Big Suit tribute to Talking heads at Addison’s Rockin’ Wheels
7/21 Ziggy Marley, Mavis Staples and Trombone Shorty at the Salt Shed
7/27 Scott Stapp of Creed at Addison’s Rockin’ Wheels
7/29 Bret Michaels with Night ranger and Jefferson Starship at credit Union 1 Amphitheater
8/4 Government Mule with Jason Bonham at credit Union 1 Amphitheater
8/10 Judas Rising tribute to Judas Priest at Addison’s Rockin’ Wheels
8/16 MJ, the Michael Jackson story at the Nederlander Theater
8/18 Get the Led Out tribute to Led Zeppelin at Riveredge Park, Aurora
8/19 ZZ Top with Lynyrd Skynyrd at Credit Union 1 Amphitheater
8/23 Buddy Guy with George Benson at Ravinia
8/24 Guns n’ Roses with Pretenders at Wrigley Field
8/26 POI dog Pondering at Riveredge Park
8/31 Rick Springfield, Hooters, Paul Young and Tommy Tutone at Riveredge Park
9/1 Hairbangers Ball at Naperville’s Last Fling
9/4 Hi Infidelity at Naperville’s Last Fling
9/15 Foo Fighters, The Interrupters and George Clinton with Parliament Funkadelic at Riot Fest
9/16 Queens of the Stone Age, Frank Turner, Insane clown Posse, Mr Bungle at Riot Fest
9/17 The Cure, Flogging Molly, The Used and The Mars Volta at Riot Fest
9/21 Little shop of Horrors at the Paramount Theater
9/23 Zepparella at the Des Plaines Theater
9/30 Peter Gabriel at the United Center
10/8 Mockstar at DuKane Toy and Food Run
10/14 The Rocky Horror Picture Show hosted by Barry Bostwick (Brad)
10 /19 Ann Wilson of Heart at the Vic theatre
10/27 The Magic Parlour at the Goodman Theater
10/30 Queen with Adam Lambert at United Center
11/2 Abbey Road, Beatles tribute at the Arcada
11/16 Tusk at the Rialto Square Theater
11/17 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the Paramount Theater
11/26 A Christmas Carol at the Goodman Theater
12/8 Performed in It’s a Wonderful Life at the Rialto Square Theater
12/12 Mosaic Holiday concert at Downers Grove North high School
12/15 The Bad Reputation Joan Jett tribute, with Heart of Glass Blondie tribute at Madcats in Palatine
12/17 Christmas Choral Program at Covenant Church, Schaumburg
12/24 Boop! The musical at CIBC theater
12/27 Patti Smith at Salt Shed
12/28 Trans-Siberian Orchestra at Allstate Arena
12/29 Tributosaurus becomes Stevie Wonder at Theater on the Lake, Chicago
Plus two blues jams at the Harlem Avenue Lounge, and two or three full moon fire jams.
Can’t wait for my next show.
