Chicago tour gears up for 12-show residency at MGM Grand in Las Vegas 

After wrapping a series of spring and summer tour dates, classic rock band Chicago is continuing its fall itinerary with an early October residency at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The concerts run October 2-15 at the venue, with October 5 and 12 standing as the only nights off before the band continues its fall jaunt in Canada.

The 12-night run will place Chicago in the MGM Grand’s intimate 740-seat Hollywood Theatre, currently housing magician and illusionist David Copperfield. Face values for the tickets range from $75 to $100, including the venue’s 10 percent live entertainment tax.

Before beginning the residency in Las Vegas, Chicago will perform an October 1 gig at the Fresno District Fair in Fresno, CA. After the early October run, the band picks up its regular tour itinerary October 17 at River Rock Casino in Richmond, BC, and continues on through the December 7 wrap at Michigan State University in East Lansing, MI.

Despite various lineup changes over the years, Chicago is celebrating 40 years as an active group. The group released “The Best of Chicago: 40 Anniversary Edition” in October 2007 to commemorate Chicago’s 1967 founding.

Earlier this year on June 17, the group also released the long-delayed studio album “Chicago XXXII: Stone of Sisyphus.” The record, which peaked at No. 112 on the Billboard 200, was originally scheduled for release in 1994, but Warner Brothers Records shelved the project. Now signed with Rhino, the band was able to officially release the record after almost 15 years of speculation and debate among fans.

“We wrote songs [for “Sisyphus”] that were more experimental, songs that were more daring in terms of musical direction and chord construction, more than anything,” trombone player and music arranger James Pankow said in a statement on the band’s Web site. “We got into really feeling our oats in terms of being the voice of Chicago again. It had been a long time since we had made a record like that.”

Chicago tour itinerary:
(Dates subject to change.)