The Chicks Revisit Taking the Long Way in Chicago, Explain Why They Refused an Apology Song, and Thrill Fans With a First Ever Full Album Performance

CHICAGO, IL — The Chicks turned their 20th anniversary tour for Taking the Long Way into a night of memory, context and resistance at Chicago’s Auditorium Theatre, where Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer played the 2006 album from start to finish for the first time.

That unusual format gave the trio room to explain how the record came together and why it still matters. Dressed in black and seated at center stage, they opened the first half with “The Long Way Around” and treated the album like a full first set before intermission. For longtime fans, the show was both a concert and a guided tour through one of the group’s most defining chapters.

How the Chicago shows framed the album as a complete story

The Chicago dates on Saturday, Oct. 3, and Sunday, Oct. 4, were built around the idea that the album should be heard in order, with every track given its moment. That choice matters because Taking the Long Way was not just another release in The Chicks’ catalog. It was the band’s first album after a major public backlash, and the live format let them revisit that history without rushing past it.

By placing the record’s songs up front, the group also reminded fans how much of its power comes from sequencing and mood. The opening stretch set the tone for an evening that leaned into storytelling as much as performance. Rather than merely acknowledging the anniversary, the band treated the album as the centerpiece, which made the later hits section feel like a second act rather than the whole show.

Rick Rubin’s belief in the trio came after radio boycotts

Maines used the stage time to explain the climate that surrounded the album’s creation. She said the record followed her 2003 remark about then-President George W. Bush during a concert in London, comments that led to radio boycotts and widespread backlash. That context helped frame why Taking the Long Way carried so much weight when it arrived.

She also credited producer Rick Rubin with helping the trio keep moving forward when much of the industry had turned away. According to Maines, Rubin approached them and said he wanted to produce them and connect them with songwriters because he believed they had something to say. Maines told the crowd he was right, and the moment underscored how central the album became to the group’s artistic reset.

The blunt no that brought the loudest crowd reaction

One of the biggest cheers of the night came when Maines recalled working with Dan Wilson, who co-wrote “Not Ready to Make Nice.” She said Wilson asked whether the group wanted to write an apology song. Her response was an emphatic no, delivered with an expletive, and the audience reacted immediately.

That refusal became one of the concert’s defining anecdotes because it captured the spirit of the album itself. Instead of softening the band’s message, The Chicks wrote a song that answered the moment on their own terms. The crowd response suggested that fans still hear that decision as a powerful statement, not just a behind-the-scenes detail from the album sessions.

Not Ready to Make Nice became the album’s signature comeback

The song that came out of that decision went on to become one of the group’s most celebrated recordings. It won Record of the Year and Song of the Year, while the album reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and collected five Grammy Awards overall, including Album of the Year.

Those honors explain why anniversary shows for Taking the Long Way feel bigger than nostalgia. The record was a commercial and critical turning point, but it also became part of the band’s identity in a lasting way. The Chicago performances made clear that the trio still views the album as a statement of survival, not just a chapter in the past.

After intermission, The Chicks leaned into the hits fans wanted

Once the album portion ended, the band shifted into the songs that helped define their wider career. The second half of the set included “Goodbye Earl,” “Wide Open Spaces,” “Cowboy Take Me Away,” their version of Fleetwood Mac’s “Landslide,” and “Sin Wagon” to close the night.

Maines also showed she was having fun with the structure. At the tour opener in Detroit, she joked before the break that the band would return and play the whole album again, “back to front this time,” only to come back with the favorites instead. That kind of playfulness gave the anniversary tour a looser edge, balancing the seriousness of the album’s history with the energy of a greatest-hits finish.

The anniversary edition and tour dates keep the album in circulation

Fans who cannot make it to a concert can still hear new material tied to the record. A 20th anniversary edition of Taking the Long Way is out now and includes three unreleased demos and two rarities. “Live Wire” and “Thin Line” are available digitally for the first time, giving listeners a reason to revisit the album beyond the tour itself.

The run continues through the fall, with two nights scheduled at New York’s Beacon Theatre on Oct. 12 and 13, followed by two shows at San Antonio’s Majestic Theatre on Oct. 17 and 18. The itinerary ends at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles in early November, keeping the anniversary celebration moving across major U.S. cities as the album’s legacy keeps drawing attention.

Chicago's music scene, one story at a time — Chicago Music Guide.