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Port Royal musician enjoys backstage tour with Chicago

By Greg Williams 3 min read

PORT ROYAL -- For Maison Wolfe, a Juniata High School graduate and guitar player whose musical journey has been shaped by years of practice, study and passion, June 23 became the kind of night musicians dream about.

Inside the Hershey Theatre, where the band Chicago stopped as part of their 2026 North American Tour, Wolfe experienced a full circle moment with the band he has admired since high school.

The 20-year-old Wolfe, a Port Royal resident, has spent years studying Chicago's charts, playing their covers and tracing every detail of their sound. Their music became part of his identity, a guidepost as he learned guitar and recording.

So when he saw the band was performing in Hershey, he reached out to their guitarist, Tony Obrotha, someone he had emailed a few times over the years. What happened next felt unreal.

"I didn't get to play during the show," Wolfe said, "but from emailing their guitar player a couple times over the years, I told him Chicago was coming near my house and he gave me full VIP passes for the night."

The passes opened every door. Wolfe was ushered backstage, where he met the full band and posed for a photo he'll treasure for the rest of his life. Then came the moment that left him stunned -- a personal rig tour with Obrotha himself.

"I got to see his rig," Wolfe said. "All of his guitars and his pedals along with his amp modelers."

For a young musician who has spent years studying Chicago's sound, standing inches from the tools that create it felt almost otherworldly. Wolfe moved through the space with a mix of awe and gratitude, taking in every detail.

"It was incredible," Wolfe said, a student at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh.

After the show, Wolfe was invited into the band's dressing room, where he spent time talking, listening and absorbing the atmosphere of a world he had only imagined.

Later he wrote, "Last night was a full circle moment. I've been obsessing over Chicago the Band since high school, writing out their charts and playing covers, so seeing them live and getting a rig tour was a dream come true. A huge thanks to Tony Obrotha for the hospitality and the tour! Chicago sounded incredible!"

Stepping into his own spotlight

Wolfe's musical journey continues to expand beyond backstage moments. On Wednesday, July 1, he performed the National Anthem for South Park BMX, a performance he's eager to share with his Pittsburgh community. He credited SportsNet Pittsburgh for helping make the performance possible.

"Thank you to SportsNet Pittsburgh for getting me on this event," he said. "I have so much fun watching and playing everything you guys are a part of!"

A growing catalog and a growing voice

Wolfe has also been expanding his recording work. His recent cover of "Blue Sunday," recorded by The Doors on "Morrison Hotel," marked his first attempt at singing outside of school.

"My voice has been a long journey," he said. "To be honest, I'm not even comfortable with this recording but I did it."

He covered the vocals, bass and guitar parts himself, isolating the original drum track and Ray Manzarek's keyboard part due to overdubs and tone complexity.

"Unfortunately, Robby's guitar part could not be split from Ray's part," Wolfe explained, "so my guitar is in the left ear and Robby's is in the right."

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