Ravinia 2025 Issue 4

IT HAS BEEN ALMOST A DECADE since the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band made its Ravinia debut opening for Kenny Rogers on his farewell tour. Dirt Band co-founder Jeff Hanna remem- bers it well: “It was 195 degrees,” he laughed in a phone inter- view. “But it was great fun; it’s such a great venue.” And now, after 60 years, several hit songs (“Buy for Me the Rain,” “Mr. Bojangles,” “Fishin’ in the Dark,” “Make a Little Magic,” “An American Dream”), 25 studio albums (including the essential Americana primer Will the Circle Be Unbroken ), three Grammys and a CMA Award for Best Country Album ( Will the Circle Be Unbroken: Volume Two ), NGDB returns to Ravinia in the midst of its own farewell tour “We had to get off the bus,” Hanna said. “Being on the road for 150 days a year can be a grind. We’ve been doing this the vast majority of our lives. We’d like to spend more time with our families. That said, we love to play. Our band sounds as good as we’ve ever sounded. The vibe onstage is really great; we have six guys who get along really well. We’re just having a gas.” BYDONALDLIEBENSON RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 11 NEILSONHUBBARD