Ravinia 2025 Issue 3

PAVILION 7:00 PM SATURDAY, JULY 5, 2025 CHICAGO with special guest STEVIE MCVIE † Stevie McVie –Intermission– Chicago † Ravinia debut STEVIE MCVIE Stevie McVie celebrates the timeless classics of Stevie Nicks and Fleetwood Mac with an elec- trifying, heartfelt performance that goes beyond imitation with passion, precision, and just the right amount of enchantment. The group’s setlists also pay tribute to the incredible web of musical connections surrounding Fleetwood Mac and Stevie Nicks—from Don Henley to Tom Petty— exploring the “six degrees of separation” that tie these legendary artists together, creating an ex- perience that sets Stevie McVie apart from other tribute acts. With decades of live performance experience, including opening for Chicago, 38 Special, and John Waite, the band brings energy and excitement that makes for an unforgettable per- formance. Stevie McVie is lead vocalist Karen McBride, guitarists/vocalists Michael Restivo and Tom Quinlan, keyboardist Andy Banathy, bassist Jim Petti, and drummer Joe Frehe. CHICAGO Inspired by the fusion of brass sections with popular music, The Big Thing hit the Midwest club tour circuit in 1967, adopting the name Chi- cago Transit Authority when the group moved to Los Angeles the following year. The band’s eponymous double-album debut was released in 1969, though in the liner notes its name was truncated to simply Chicago—the name that’s indelibly etched upon music history. Chicago’s first two top-10 hits, “Make Me Smile” and “25 or 6 to 4,” appeared on their second album; meanwhile, “Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?” rose from their debut to set the stage for their landmark four-disc live album, Chicago at Carnegie Hall (1971). The group’s next four studio albums were all chart-toppers that spawned several top-10 singles, including “Saturday in the Park,” “Just You ’n’ Me,” “(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long,” “Call on Me,” and “Old Days.” Chicago’s first number-one single, however, came in “If You Leave Me Now” from their 10th album (1976), followed by “Hard to Say I’m Sorry” from Chicago 16 . The next three albums continued adding top-10 singles to the band’s catalogue: “Hard Habit to Break,” “You’re the Inspiration,” “Will You Still Love Me?,” “I Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love,” and number-one “Look Away.” Chicago began rak- ing in career-level achievements in 2014 with Chicago Transit Authority entering the Grammy Hall of Fame. The band gave its first perfor- mance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and embarked on a nationwide orchestra tour that year. Chicago entered the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on its first nomination in 2016, and the following year, founding members Robert Lamm and James Pankow joined the Songwrit- ers Hall of Fame. The band hoisted the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. Not rest- ing on their laurels, the band released their 38th studio album, Born for This Moment , in 2022, and last year dipped into the archives to issue At The Kennedy Center (9/16/71) , a 26-track collec- tion of their live performances of their first three albums. Tonight Chicago returns for its seventh season at Ravinia, where it first appeared in 1972. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JUNE 30 – JULY 20, 2025 58 BLUSHINGCACTUSPHOTOGRAPHY(CHICAGO)