Bachman taking care of business in St. Charles
As a member of the Canadian rock band The Guess Who, Randy Bachman recorded the 1970 hit "American Woman" at Mercury Records' studio in Chicago.
"Chicago's like a big deal to me," Bachman said in a recent phone interview. "There are a lot of memories there."
And some involve his stomach.
So each time he drives into Chicago or the suburbs, Bachman makes his tour bus stop at the nearest Portillo's Hot Dogs. He orders 20 to 30 hot dogs - "classic rock food" - for his band and crew, even those with gluten-free or vegetarian diets.
"If you're going to go off your diet regimen, you're going to do it in style," said Bachman, now 69.
Bachman will have a chance to grab a dog or two when he and longtime musical collaborator Fred Turner play the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles Friday, June 28.
The duo will perform hits like "You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet" and "Takin' Care of Business" from their days as Bachman Turner Overdrive. The show will also feature songs from The Guess Who, including "American Woman" and "No Sugar Tonight."
The tour started last weekend in Atlantic City and continues until mid-July.
Bachman's tours have changed from the '70s. He likened his old tours to "marathons": He would play a show and then drive all night on the bus to the next gig.
These days, he said, tours are more like jogs - weekend shows with the chance to return home to Toronto in between.
"It's wonderful to come home to your home bed," Bachman said.
This past winter, Bachman and Turner played with other classic rock bands Foreigner and Molly Hatchet on the Rock Legends Cruise II in the Caribbean, while touring New Zealand with acts like America in February.
Bachman said it was incredible because every radio station was playing classic rock 'n' roll, including some of his hits.
"It's like the mid-1970s there," he said. "It's like rock 'n' roll Disneyland."
St. Charles may not be New Zealand, but Bachman is still planning to play as he did back in the day.
"It's going to be an evening of rock 'n' roll," Bachman said.
Bachman & Turner
Showtime: 8 p.m. Friday, June 28
Location: Arcada Theatre, 105 E. Main St., St. Charles, (630) 962-7000 or
Tickets: $59-$125