Ravinia 2025 Issue 1

a rollicking start and more acoustic or country-minded conclusion. By 2010, The Black Crowes had reex- amined their previous output in entirely unplugged contexts on Croweology and soon settling into a second hiatus and revisiting solo life. Counting Crows found themselves releasing a pair of projects within a two-year span as well, starting with 2012’s Underwater Sunshine (or What We Did on Our Summer Va- cation) , covering Dylan and The Byrds, Big Star, Faces, and Pure Prairie League, straight into 2014’s original Somewhere Under Wonderland . During the subsequent years, Counting Crows truly became a tour- ing staple, frequently changing their nightly set lists and amassing a cult-like crowd that propelled the players to leg- endary status. Though they took a very different approach, it turns out absence made the heart grow fonder for The Black Crowes, which meant when the siblings reunited for the 30th anni- versary reissue of Shake Your Money Maker , it immediately brought them back as a premium ticket attraction. In fact, so much emphasis on the road eventually led both bands to swing full circle in the studio, and after roughly a decade apiece, release new full-length projects. Those simultane- ous decisions contributed significantly to getting rediscovered and embraced in the streaming/social networking age, especially by younger generations. The Black Crowes resumed their latest hot streak with a 2022 EP called 1972 , focusing on classic rock remakes cut during that very year, before personally penning 2024’s Grammy-nominated Happiness Bastards . After building buzz for fresh material via the Butter Miracle, Suite One EP, Counting Crows finalized the expansion of those sessions with Butter Miracle, The Complete Sweets!, picking up precisely where they left off with the public and press. Calling either a comeback would be inaccurate, since the main musicians, either collectively or individually, have never really left, but Counting Crows and The Black Crowes are arguably at the very top of their games today. Each has been able to perfect recent musi- cal directions, transcend constantly changing trends, make the transitional leap from the physical to digital land- scapes, all while remaining respected by legions of fans and countless artists who’ve followed in their footsteps. There’s indeed no better way to absorb and celebrate either immense legacy than these career-spanning Ravinia shows, and though the textures of The Black Crowes and Counting Crows’ rock and roll interpretations may vary, the heart and soul that ties these two longevity-filled flocks together is as genuine as they come. Andy Argyrakis is a Chicago-based writer and photographer who founded ChicagoConcertReviews.com in 2015 following countless local and national freelance contributions. He also is a frequent house photographer at various venues and for several area concert promoters. RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 17