Time out Chicago
September 1–8, 2005

Billy Squier
Loopfest 2005
Charter One Pavillion; Sun. 4

A flicker of fame in the music biz qualifies one as a "rock star." An elite few earn the title "legend." More amorphous is the designation "one of the greats." We're not sure how you qualify for that distinction, but one way to gauge it is to look at someone who just missed the cutoff. Perhaps to achieve greatness, you need at least six songs with perennial classic-rock airplay. Billy Squier had five: "The Stroke," "My Kinda Lover," "Lonely Is The Night," "Everybody Wants You," and "Emotions In Motion." Perhaps you need to spread the hits out (Squier's best are all from '82 and '83). Perhaps you need an image as strong as the music (not great in videos, Squier's histrionic "Rock Me Tonite" clip is oft-mocked on VH1). Whatever the deal is, it has nothing to do with talent or innovation.

On Sunday 4, Squier warms up the crowd for his former opening act, Def Leppard, a band he paved the way for by perfecting a formula for hooky pop that felt like hard rock. The students ultimately eclipsed their master, but Def Lep's success was a studio triumph of its writer-producer, Mutt Lange. Squier, on the other hand, wrote and helped produce everything, played lead guitar and sang awesomely without studio-sweetening. He may be one of the most underrated artists of the '80s.

But don't cry for Squier. His tunes "The Stroke" and "Big Beat" have been heavily sampled in hip-hop (most prominently in Jay-Z's "99 Problems"). Perhaps to contrast this digital-age rebirth, he will play this concert unplugged. The headlining band may qualify as one of the greats, but Squier's going to show us who's the true artist.

—Jake Austen