The Chicago Theatre

Chicago, IL

February 15, 2003

Photos by Niva Bringas / Review by Anita Lande

Chicago was glad to be "Back on the Chain Gang" with Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders for their sold out show on Valentine’s Weekend. 

Chrissie, who was dressed in jeans and an off-white jacket, which she later took off to reveal a black cotton T-shirt, played guitar and was backed by her four-piece band.  She led off the night with "Lie to Me" off her latest album "Loose Screws."  Some of the other new songs she performed included: "Complex Person," "You Know Who Your Friends Are" and the moving ballad, "The Losing." 

But it was the classic hits that finally got most of the crowd on its feet starting with the haunting "My City Was Gone."   Chrissie even made some references about problems with the pending war.  During the last verse of "My City Was Gone"   Chrissie decided to change the lyrics to –– "The government is f*cking up the whole country"  –– which prompted the crowd to applaud loudly. 

Chrissie also played a little with the audience.  During her hit "Don't Get Me Wrong," before the start of the last verse, she looked back at her band and yelled, "Stop playing!"   Then she turned to the audience and said she wanted to sing the last verse in a "Frank Sinatra" style.  Chrissie swung her guitar over her back and paced the stage, swinging her hips, and singing in a blusey-style to finish the song.  The crowd ate it up. "I'll Stand By You", "Talk of the Town", "Biker", and "Middle of the Road" were a few other hits she performed during the show. 

Fans have been waiting for a new album since 1999, and "Loose Screws" delivers some reggae-style songs with hard hitting lyrics dealing mostly with relationships that have gone wrong.  

Being in the music business over a quarter century, Chrissie Hynde readily proves that her songs and she herself can still can rock with the best of them.  She still has some brass in pockets and she uses them quite nicely.