Live Review: Saga at Arcada Theatre • St. Charles, IL

Brassneck | October 18, 2024

SAGA

Saga

Arcada Theatre

St. Charles, IL

Thursday, October 17, 2024

Review by Jeff Elbel. Photos courtesy of Onesti Entertainment/Jim Summaria

Fans of Canadian progressive rock heroes Saga can thank Onesti Entertainment and the Arcada Theatre in St. Charles for hosting a rare US headlining stop on the band’s It Never Ends Tour. On Thursday night, the group visited St. Charles on its way to this weekend’s ProgStock festival in New Jersey.

The concert began with “Ice Nice” from the quintet’s 1978 debut, launching a series of songs that balanced accessible melodies with dazzling and meticulous playing. Michael Sadler’s rich voice and theatricality earned comparisons to other top frontmen, including Freddy Mercury, Geddy Lee, and Dennis DeYoung. The singer’s monk-like attire suggested a lankier Peter Gabriel, with a long black shirt and its thin central stripe over black pants.

During “Careful Where You Step,” keyboardist Jim Gilmour shared intricate tandem riffs with guitarist Dusty Chesterfield, who filled the big shoes of founding guitarist Ian Crichton with confidence and style.

Following the tour’s namesake song, “It Never Ends,” Sadler departed, leaving Gilmour in control. “How’s it goin’, eh?,” asked the keyboardist. “Your friends from Canada are finally back.” Gilmour sang the anthemic call to seize the day, “Days Like These,” while drummer Brad Park played a galloping rhythm.

Sadler returned and assessed Gilmour’s performance. “Not bad,” he joked. “Taught him everything he knows,” he added before heaping praise on his longtime bandmate. Afterward, Sadler acknowledged returning fans and welcomed those who were seeing the veteran band for the first time. “We’ll ramp it up a bit for ya, okay?,” he said as the band dove into “Framed.” The song’s power and interplay were a reminder of Saga’s influence on ensuing progressive rock bands such as Spock’s Beard.

Sadler’s strong vocal performance and range belied the fact that he’d undergone cancer surgery barely more than a month ago. With Gilmour’s soulful lead vocals on songs like “Scratching the Surface” and long instrumental passages, the set was well-paced to allow the always enthusiastic Sadler to gather his strength. “Good job, you knew all the words,” said Sadler to the crowd after the band delivered the spacefaring textures of the instrumental song “Conversations” and transitioned into “Amnesia.”

The singer let the cat out of the bag, though. “Shh,” he said conspiratorially, walking to the rim of the stage and whispering into his microphone. “Against doctor’s orders, I’m not supposed to be onstage, but don’t tell anybody.” Then he boomed, “So, a little bit of help on the chorus would be fucking great!” With cell phones aloft, the crowd rose to its feet for the irrepressible 1981 hit single “On the Loose,” singing along with gusto.

“Tired World” from the band’s 1978 debut was the first song performed from Saga’s discography-spanning sci-fi puzzle The Chapters, serving as another showcase for Chesterfield’s guitar skills. “The One” was a highlight from 1999’s Full Circle album.

The main set neared its apex with a dramatic performance of “The Pitchman,” with its character ready to be tantalized by a smooth-talking salesman. Afterward, it only took a bar of Park’s hi-hat intro on the drum set for fans to begin chanting, “Don’t… be… late!” The main set concluded with the captivating and melodic “Don’t Be Late,” a second offering from The Chapters and the best beloved of the series.

Saga encored with its stirring MTV-era smash “Wind Him Up” and its portrait of a gambling addict named Aldo. The audience again did its best to match Sadler’s operatic delivery. Afterward, the band retired to the merch table to greet faithful fans who had traveled to St. Charles from far and wide. Just a few feet away, Aldo could have tried his hands at the Arcada’s slot machines.