Ifyougo

M&R Rush in concert

When: 7-10 p.m. tonight

Where: Northwoods Saloon parking lot tent, 8101 Route 41, St. John

Tickets: $7 all-ages show

Details: (219) 558-8130 or nightwoods.com

Northwoods Saloon owner Jeff Fryzel is making it possible for Chicago Cub fans to watch Saturday evening's anticipated game and hear the stage debut of a brand-new Cubs tribute song by local legends M&R Rush.

M&R Rush rocked the region during the 1970s and were contemporaries of such groups as Styx, Cheap Trick, Off Broadway and Survivor. The band had a handful of Midwest radio hits like "Rock & Roll Chicago" and "Reach For The Stars." They never attained the level of success those other Windy City groups did and finally disbanded halfway through the 1980s.

The original line-up -- drummer Marty Mardirosian, bassist Roger Hirtz, keyboardist Carl Moszur, and guitarists John McFarland, Paul Martin and Jeff Luif -- regrouped in 2002 for what they expected to be a few gigs for kicks.

Six years, two new albums ("Thrill Of The Chase" and "Keep On Rockin'") and three new singles later, these middle-aged rockers are going stronger than ever and playing for multi-generational audiences.

M&R still offer their fans a hard-rocking and high-energy live show built upon a triple guitar assault and powerful vocal harmonies. All members share lead and backing vocals except for Mardirosian.

"The brand new Cubs tribute song is called `Once In My Lifetime' and it was written by (keyboardist) Carl Moszur," explained band leader and drummer Mardirosian. "We had just finished mixing the tracks a few hours before the song made its radio debut last Sunday on WXRD/X-Rock 103.9 and it's been getting great response.

"The song got played twice the very next day on WZVN/Z-107 and (we've) been in contact with other stations these last few days, too."

Mardirosian was thrilled to learn that Northwoods' Fryzel was anticipating the scheduling dilemma that M&R Rush fans were facing. He'll be setting up television monitors around the huge tent where M&R will perform tonight as part of the annual three-day "Northwoods Rockotoberfest."

"Now people don't have to make a choice. They don't have to miss the game or us, and neither do we," the drummer mused. "Everyone in this band is a major sports nut."

To underscore that statement, "Once In My Lifetime" is not the first song that M&R Rush has written and recorded about local sports teams.

Moszur also penned "I'm Dreamin'" in honor of the Cubbies in 2003 for the band's 2004 CD, "The Thrill Of The Chase" and the catchy "Don't Mess With A Hungry Bear" to pay tribute to the Monsters of the Midway in 2006.

Along with debuting "Once In My Lifetime" on stage -- to send good energy cascading to the Cubs-- tonight's Northwoods gig will reunite the band for a song or two with Bobbie Tortalano, the original lead singer of the group during their formative high school years.

"Bobbie has shown up at this week's rehearsals and worked out a few tunes with us," said Mardirosian. "He hasn't sung with us since we were kids back in school."

Following M&R's all-ages concert in the parking lot tent, a 21 and older show will start inside Northwoods at 10 p.m. with The Nicole Jamrose Band.

"You better believe we'll all be hanging around to see Nicole play," concluded Mardirosian. "And we'd love everyone to stick around and join us."

E-mail Tom Lounges at: beatboss@aol.com