Soundstage was an American live concert television series produced by WTTW Chicago and HD Ready. The original series aired for 13 seasons between 1974 and 1985; a new series of seasons began in 2003, with the latest (Season 8) starting in January 2010, each presented in high definition with surround sound. Some performances have been made available on DVD. The performances are taped on stage at the WTTW television studio in Chicago, as well as large venues throughout the United States.
HD Ready, LLC is a full-scale production company specializing in producing live concert performances for the acclaimed television show, as well as for DVDs and Blu-rays. Music industry veteran and HD Ready founder Joe Thomas has produced and directed over 100 episodes for Soundstage. Airing nationally on PBS, MTV Live, CMT, Rave HD, and GAC, as well as internationally in over 20 countries, the program features intimate performances by today's legendary, as well up-and-coming hit artists.
The series originated in 1972 as Made in Chicago, also taped at and broadcast by WTTW. It presented a dramatic contrast to the way music had been televised until that point; variety shows (such as The Ed Sullivan Show) and lip-synched cabaret shows (such as The Andy Williams Show) were the norm. Made in Chicago (originated by Ken Ehrlich, who had previously produced The Marty Faye Show) foregrounded the music and emphasized live performance and, at times, improvisation.
In 1974, the show's name was changed to Soundstage, and it became more widely distributed by PBS. Artists who appeared in the early years of the show included figures from rock (Bob Dylan, Tom Waits), pop (the Bee Gees), blues (Bonnie Raitt and Muddy Waters), jazz (Professor Longhair, Dizzy Gillespie, and Benny Goodman, as well as specials dedicated to the Down Beat Readers Poll Award winners) folk (Jim Croce, Janis Ian, Arlo Guthrie, and Harry Chapin), and gospel/soul/R&B (Al Green and Aretha Franklin). The 1980 appearance by John Prine is "the only archival concert of Prine available on DVD". One of the most unusual episodes, broadcast in 1983, was devoted to Andy Kaufman, who hosted it in a (somewhat bizarre) variety show format; it was his last major television appearance.
Sponsors for the series include:
DirecTV
Chevron Corporation
The Arthur Vining Davis Foundations
MasterCard
Ford Foundation
Corporation for Public Broadcasting
David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Budweiser
AT&T
John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
Best Buy
Ford Motor Company
National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Humanities
American Express
"Blues Summit in Chicago" with Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, Koko Taylor, Junior Wells, Pinetop Perkins, Mike Bloomfield, Buddy Miles, Johnny Winter, Dr. John, and Nick Gravenites. Band members: Rollow Radford, Robert Margolin, Willie "Big Eyes" Smith, Calvin "Fuzz" Jones, Luther Johnson, Jerry Portnoy. July 1974
José Feliciano, 1974
Randy Newman, 1974
"The Book of Chapin" with Harry Chapin, 1974
"Yes, We Can Can" with The Pointer Sisters, Dec. 1974
"New Jazz" with Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea; Herbie Hancock with The Headhunters; Chick Corea & Herbie Hancock in duet, 1974
"New Orleans Swamp" with Professor Longhair, Earl King, The Meters, and Dr. John and the Night Trippers, 1974
Tom Waits, Dec.
Bob Dylan, Dec. 13
Three Dog Night
"Kenton, the Freshmen, and Anita" with Stan Kenton, The Four Freshmen, and Anita O'Day, Feb. 1976
"Jean-Luc Ponty", 1978
The Doobie Brothers
"The Crusaders"; Roy Ayers (as Roy Ayers Ubiquity), 1978
Pat Metheny Group, Freddie Hubbard, 1978
"George Benson, Chet Atkins and Earl Klugh" 1978
"Ry Cooder" 1978
"Chick Corea, Al Jarreau", 1979
John Prine
Roberta Flack, Apr. 1981
Andy Kaufman
The Roches
Lyle Lovett, Randy Newman, and Mark Isham, March 2003
Chicago, live in concert, June 2003
Michael McDonald, July 2003
Alison Krauss and Union Station, July 2003
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, July 2003
Lucinda Williams and Kasey Chambers, July 2003
Chris Isaak and Raul Malo, August 2003
Trace Adkins and Travis Tritt, August 2003
Tori Amos, August 2003
Wilco and Sonic Youth, September 2003
John Hiatt and the Goners, Dar Williams, Robinella and the CCString Band, September 2003
Peter Cetera and Amy Grant, October 2003
Farm Aid 2003 at Germain Amphitheater, Columbus, Ohio, featuring Willie Nelson, Neil Young and Crazy Horse, John Mellencamp, Dave Matthews, Sheryl Crow, Brooks & Dunn, Emmylou Harris, Los Lonely Boys, Hootie & the Blowfish, Billy Bob Thornton and Trick Pony, November 2003
Fleetwood Mac at the FleetCenter in West End Boston, June 2004
Sheryl Crow, June 2004
Ronald Isley and Burt Bacharach, July 2004
Alanis Morissette, July 2004
Lisa Marie Presley and Peter Wolf, July 2004
Cyndi Lauper, August 2004
Joan Baez, Gillian Welch, and Nickel Creek, August 2004
Counting Crows and Shelby Lynne, August 2004
Dan Fogelberg, September 2004
Steve Winwood, September 2004
30 Odd Foot of Grunts and Kris Kristofferson, September 2004
Yes at Tsongas Arena, Lowell, Massachusetts, September 2004
Chris Isaak Christmas album Special, with guests Michael Bublé, Brian McKnight and Stevie Nicks, September 2004
George Jones 50 Years Special, with guests Alan Jackson, Kenny Chesney, Wynonna, Martina McBride, Aaron Neville, Harry Connick Jr., Randy Travis, Lorrie Morgan, Vince Gill, Trick Pony, Amy Grant, Sammy Kershaw, Trace Adkins, Uncle Kracker, Connie Smith, Emmylou Harris, Joe Diffie, Kris Kristofferson, Shelby Lynne and Tanya Tucker, November 2004
Michael McDonald with guests Billy Preston, Toni Braxton, Take 6 and India.Arie in Tennessee, June 2005
John Mayer with Buddy Guy, July 2005
The Wallflowers, July 2005
Heart, July 2005
America with guest Christopher Cross, August 2005
Ringo Starr & the Roundheads with guest Colin Hay at Genesee Theatre, Waukegan, Illinois, August 2005
Lindsey Buckingham with Stevie Nicks, September 2005
Chris Isaak, September 2005
Trisha Yearwood with guests Billy Currington and Sugarland, September 2005
Joss Stone with guest Mavis Staples, October 2005
Martina McBride at Genesee Theatre, Waukegan, Illinois, October 2005
Dave Matthews Band with guests Robert Randolph, Rashawn Ross and David Cast at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, November 2005
Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation, June 2006
Garbage, July 2006
Bill Laswell, AXIOM SOUND SYSTEM, and Musical Freezone featuring Tabla Beat Science, Pharoah Sanders backed by Material, and two Praxis members Buckethead and Bootsy Collins, July 2006
The All American Rejects and Fountains of Wayne, July 2006
KT Tunstall, July 2006
Train, August 2006
Peter Frampton, January 2007
New York Dolls, February 2007
Lee Ann Womack with Julie Roberts, February 2007
Jewel at Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, February 2007
Rickie Lee Jones, February 2007
Mark Knopfler and Emmylou Harris at Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, March 2007
Rob Thomas at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, June 2007
Macy Gray, July 2007
Dashboard Confessional at Madison Square Garden, July 2007
Jewel at Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, Illinois, July 2007
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, January 2008
Lifehouse, January 2008
Daughtry, January 2008
John Fogerty, February 2008
Josh Groban at EnergySolutions Arena, Salt Lake City, June 2008 taped August 28, 2007
REO Speedwagon, July 2008
Bon Jovi, July 2008
Stevie Nicks, July 2008
Matchbox Twenty, July 2008
Kenny Chesney, August 2008
Faith Hill, Joy to the World, A Soundstage Special Event at Sears Centre Arena, November 2008
Counting Crows, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings, January 2009
Idina Menzel with special guests Josh Groban and Ravi Coltrane at Rose Hall at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, January 2009
Foreigner, January 2009
B.B. King with special guests Terrence Howard, Richie Sambora, and Solange Knowles, January 2009
Umphrey's McGee, February 2009
Seal, February 2009
Jackson Browne, June 2009
OneRepublic, June 2009
Sugarland, July 2009
Death Cab for Cutie, July 2009
Billy Idol at the Congress Theater, July 2009
Fall Out Boy, July 2009
Josh Groban: An Evening in New York City, July 2009
Michael McDonald: This Christmas
Tim McGraw, January 2010
The Fray, January 2010
3 Girls and Their Buddy featuring Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin and Buddy Miller, January 2010
Lynyrd Skynyrd, January 2010
Willie Nelson, January 2010
