Jim Peterik Bringing His World Stage Band to St. Charles

Few people make it big in the music industry. Jim Peterik is one of the exceptions, performing in bands such as The Ides of March, for which he wrote the hit Vehicle, and Survivor, which performed his hit song Eye of the Tiger, the theme for Rocky III.

Petrik, a Burr Ridge resident, last performed in St. Charles in April 2004. He returns to the , at 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, with his World Stage Band, mix of talent that changes from time to time and represents the artists he has worked alongside — or mentored — over the course of nearly five decades.

With more than 40 years under his belt — according to Wikipedia, he’s been an active performer since 1964 — and all his success, the Berwyn native comes across as a warm and affable guy (he even signs his emails as Jimbo) who really, really loves music.

For those hoping to break into the industry, Peterik advises passion, perseverance and performing.

“I’ve been very fortunate to be in this business,” he said. “A lot of it is just staying in the business and sticking with it.

“But the main thing is to not get discouraged,” he said, noting that after his hit Vehicle with The Ides of March in 1966, a few years passed before his next big song.

“No. 2, don’t be afraid to play and put yourself out there — even if it’s for free,” he continued. Peterik noted that his first band, The Ides of March, played mental institutions, bridal parties — wherever it could to gain experience and get its music out there for people to hear.

“I love the music — it defines me,” he continued. “I don’t know what I would do without it.

“I have this love and this passion for sharing music on stage.”

The passion comes across as he talks about the music he loves — rock, hard rock, melodic rock and jazz. But it also is represented in the relationships he’s developed over the years with people who share it. Peterik has touched many lives, but he’s been influenced by many as well. Today, he talks about being an influencer — he uses the term mentor — to guide and shape the careers of talented artists striving to make their talents heard.

That’s reflected in his World Stage Band, whose membership morphs from time to time to reflect those varied relationships, new and old, that span his career. “They’re not just people — they’re family, really,” he says, fondly. “They’re people I’ve worked with, some I’ve mentored, from all over the world.”

It’s an impressive list.

There is Dave Bickler, his former Survivor bandmate who was the lead singer of Peterik’s Eye of the Tiger, which was commissioned for Rocky III.

His son, Sijay, will join his father on stage, and as any dad will tell you about his child, Peterik says, “I’m proud of him.”

Lisa McClowry is a young talent he’s been working with who also join Peterik and the World Stage Band at the Arcada. Chicago-based McLowry’s musical interests lie in pop, rock and jazz. They’ve collaborated on songs and he produced her work.

Other World Stage Band notables are Jeff Adams of Starship; Canadian blues-blues/rock guitarist Anthony Gomes; Toby Hitchcock, with whom he founded Pride of Lions in 2003; St. Charles’ own Leslie Hunt, a former American Idol contestant; and The Ides of March.

“We still have tickets left, so I hope everyone will come out,” he said. “It is a star-studded affair.”

The venue

• Who: Jim Petrik and his World Stage Band
• When: 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, 2013.
• Where: ,
• Price: Tickets start at $29. Buy Tickets
• Website: http://­www.­oshows.­com

Related:

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Peterik
• Official site: http://jimpeterik.com/

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