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The 8-piece Chicago tribute band Chi-Town Transit Authority, will perform at Swain County Arts Center at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27. Tickets are only $15 and are available online at swainartscenter.com or at the door.
Jessica Webb
editor@thesmokymountaintimes.com
On Memorial Day weekend, the 8-piece Chicago tribute band Chi-Town Transit Authority, will perform at Swain County Arts Center and hope to bring the house down.
The shows, beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, May 26 and Saturday, May 27, are the first attempt like it at the Swain Arts Center in many years, bringing in a touring act to perform to Swain County audiences at the professional venue tucked away on the campus of Swain County High School.
“I want a packed house, mainly to prove Swain County will come out and see something,” said Swain Arts Center Director Joe Holt of his goal for the shows. “This is a test for our community. If I do everything I can to publicize it, the question is, will they come? In the past we’ve had hit or miss with events like this.”
Based out of Atlanta and formed in 2017, Chi-Town has eight members with a tight horn and woodwinds section and four vocalists who trade off lead. The group performs all the familiar and famed songs of Chicago—covering four decades of hits with an emphasis on bringing crowds and exciting show.
The soft-rock band Chicago ruled the airwaves in the 1970s, and in their time had five number-one albums and 21 top-ten singles including “If You Leave Me Now,” “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” and “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow.”
Holt was able to bring the cover band here through a grant because they will work with musicians at the high school in workshops throughout the day Saturday.
The Swain County High School Jazz Band will open both nights and Saturday appear as special guest performers for a couple of songs.
“Half are retired band directors, so, they are excited to be able to work with some young musicians,” Holt said of the members of Chi-Town.
Holt encourages families of all generations to attend.
“It’s definitely a family friendly performance,” he said, adding he anticipates it will sound amazing given the new sound system at Swain Arts Center.
The new sound system is one of many improvements Holt has advocated for since he took the reins at the theatre in 2021, and was a “huge deal,” he said, given the cost of about $100,000 that was paid by the county through the ¼ cent sales tax that goes toward the schools.
Other improvements are also in the works.
“In July, we’ll have new curtains for the theatre installed. It’s not very sexy, but it’s a life blood item and the kind of thing you don’t realize how important they are until they do go bad,” Holt said.
New carpeting is also on the list of upgrades as are new lights, although that’s another big-ticket item Holt doesn’t expect will come to fruition soon.
“My goal is to get the arts center to a state to prepare it for the next 20 to 25 years,” he said.
Other smaller improvements have been made in the lobby with some drywall repairs and walls painted. Plus, there is artwork up again.
This spring semester seasons has been the busiest since the pandemic, playing host to a calendar of activities.
“It’s been a whirlwind,” Holt said, rattling off a list of end-of-year performances for the schools coming up.
“Chi-Town is the first non-school based program to be offered here in quite some time,” he added.
You can purchase tickets online at swainartscenter.com. Tickets are just $15 and will also be available at the door. Learn more about Chi-Town at chitownband.net.
Mark your calendars, too. On Saturday, Sept. 2, The Legacy Motown Revue will come to Swain Arts Center.