’70s Chicagoland Rock Concerts

A Portal to Rock ’N’ Roll History

During the 1970s, Chicagoland venues hosted an eclectic mix of legendary rock ’n’ roll acts that thrilled audiences. Fans flocked to historic venues like the Auditorium Theater, International Amphitheatre, Arie Crown Theatre, Kinetic Playground and B’Ginnings to forge relationships and hear music that shaped their youth and endured a lifetime. Acts like Led Zeppelin, the Who, Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Wings, Genesis and so many others took the stage here during rock’s most prolific and memorable era. Jim Summaria and Mark Plotnick bring those mind-blowing performances back to life with exclusive concert photos, histories, trivia and more.

Jim Summaria began professionally photographing rock concerts in 1973 at the age of nineteen when he became the staff photographer for the ChicagoLand concert promoter Flip Side Productions. His rock & roll photos have been viewed at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, the Illinois Rock & Roll Museum and Hall of Fame, the Grammy Awards and the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, England. Along with Mark Plotnick, he cohosts the radio program That Classic Rock Show on WRLR 98.3FM--The Life. Recently retired journalist and market researcher Mark Plotnick draws from his years as a nonprofessional keyboards player and devotee of classic rock-era music to write about the music and performers he loves. In 2019, he coauthored Classic Rock: Photographs from Yesterday & Today with his friend Jim Summaria.