Hall & Oates show Chicago our kiss is still on their list

July 23, 2010, at the Chicago Theatre

By Selena Fragassi
Published: July 29th, 2010 | 12:00pm

“That song used to be ironic; now’s it a reality,” Daryl Hall said unabashedly as he and partner John Oates parlayed a humble version of “Family Man” during their long-awaited return to the stage at the Chicago Theatre in support of last year’s box set release. In a 14-song, hour-and-a-half set that turned the dial to the classic hits channel, the ‘70s sires proved that while they may have matured, they (and their music) have not grown old.

“Sara Smile,” “You Make My Dreams,” and “Private Eyes” had the same fervor and reaction they did when sung by a more mustachioed duo decades before. And women were still two notes away from becoming quite literal “Maneaters” for the feathered-hair Hall whose mane blew in the wind of a baseboard fan as he jerked and made angry gestures at an Oz-like sound guy who undoubtedly would be fired after the show.

Yet this behavior only made the now 50-something crowd more animated, and the checkered young guns more intrigued by the perfectionist nature of a band most relevant as the influence of such modern-day outfits as the Bird and the Bee, Chromeo, and contributors to the soundtrack of “500 Days of Summer.”

The disco days of the ‘70s were short-lived for good reason, but Hall & Oates are impressive survivors for their longevity and adaptability as they revamped harmonies, added more of Oates’s axe abilities, and steered clear of reunion type mockeries of its own discography in this career-making performance.

Supported by a full six-piece band including one of the most electric tambourine players ever to grace the Chicago Theatre stage, Hall & Oates proved that they were not “Out of Touch” from today’s music scene but more confident in that “Do What You Want, Be Who You Are” sort of machismo. Even without the big mustaches or the disco balls, the duo brought the glitz, the glamour, the hits, and the general crowd-pleasing attitude that made the short set worth every minute. “Say It Isn’t So”? Ask that suburban mom with the sign just begging for attention and the young adult girl in a few rows back who was brought to attention by a band far before her years, but who would for sure be her next iTunes purchase.