Seals & Crofts 2 bring a “Summer Breeze” to American Place Casino, turn on The Lighthouse

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

There’s a new game in town, or rather, an exciting place to play them thanks to the American Place Casino, which is semi-officially up and running in its temporary residence before permanently planting its roots in Waukegan’s Fountain Square.

Even though a world-class facility is still under construction, the essence of what’s coming definitely rang throughout the air of not only the spacious gambling areas and a dance floor, lit up by a live DJ on Fridays and Saturdays, but around several restaurants representing a series of multi-cultural cuisines, plus The Lighthouse venue for comedy and now concerts.

The North Shore Steaks & Seafood was an ideal place to start during a press tour of the facilities thus far, bringing downtown Chicago-level class and elite chef creations spanning a seasonally-rotating multitude of meats, vegetarian options, spirits, sides and deserts, each presented with incredible attention to detail, customized care and paced properly to get to the show right on time.

Just a few steps away, an evening of iconic hits descended upon the ticketed, living room-like performance space, courtesy of Seals & Crofts 2, featuring Brady Seals, cousin of James “Jim” Seals, and Lua Crofts, daughter of Darrell “Dash” Crofts, carrying on the legacies of these superstars from the 1970s.

Besides being part of the family, members of the rebooted duo have impressive credentials in their own regard, including Brady serving as a co-lead vocalist/songwriter for country chart-toppers Little Texas (“What Might Have Been,” “God Blessed Texas”) and Lua backing R&B hitmakers Rahsaan Patterson, Tevin Campbell, Shanice, Ray J and Tamia.

Alongside an accomplished three-piece band, their impeccable harmonies picked up pretty much where the original Seals & Crofts left off, putting their classic meets contemporary spin on such folk or soft rock staples as “Diamond Girl,” “You’re The Love” and “Get Closer.”

Outside of lovingly recreating the songs themselves, Seals & Crofts 2 also debuted the new “Runnin’,” revealed the nucleus of Toto previously backed their relatives prior to a faithful cover of “Hold The Line,” paid tribute to fellow family member England Dan (Seals) & John Ford Coley via an easygoing medley and expertly turned in the aforementioned Little Texas tunes.

And despite the chilly temperatures of the approaching holiday season, the pair nonetheless brought a “Summer Breeze” to the cozy and comfortable environment, while opening up the door to more national touring artists on top of wining, dining and hopefully winning with every roll of the dice.

For additional information on Seals & Crofts 2, visit SealsAndCrofts2.com.

Upcoming shows at the American Place Casino include Tom Arnold (Dec. 12). For additional details, visit AmericanPlace.com.