The Ides of March coming home for 60th anniversary concert in St. Charles

It's March, so it has to mean the legendary Chicago area rock band, The Ides of March, will perform somewhere.

The Ides of March on the Roman calendar is March 15, which history tells us was not Julius Caesar’s favorite day, seeing as how he was stabbed to death on that date in 44 B.C.

But it’s a fitting date for the local band to hold its 60th anniversary concert at the Norris Cultural Arts Center in St. Charles.

This time, it’s called “With Strings Attached,” meaning an orchestra will join frontman Jim Peterik and the Ides in this concert. We have our tickets in hand and are anxious to see this band again.

The calling card for the Ides, other than the popular hits, is that the four original members — Peterik, Larry Millas, Bob Bergland and Mike Borch — have stayed together all this time. An excellent keyboard, trumpet, trombone and saxophone team joins those fellows.

Peterik has always come up with interesting concerts, with one that stands out in my mind from probably 25 years ago.

Also performed at the Norris Center, it was called World Stage. Notable rock stars sang duets with Peterik and an array of talented musicians. Peterik also gave local singer Leslie Hunt a chance to open the show with a solo performance at the piano.

It was a launching pad for Hunt, who went on to various professional singing and composing gigs, including a season on American Idol. She has settled in nicely in her hometown with the Hunt House Creative Arts Center at 113 E. Main St. in downtown St. Charles.

dheun@sbcglobal.net