Ravinia 2025 Issue 4

PAVILION 6:00 PM SATURDAY, JULY 26, 2025 BLUES TRAVELER and GIN BLOSSOMS with special guest SPIN DOCTORS † Spin Doctors –Intermission– Gin Blossoms –Intermission– Blues Traveler † Ravinia debut TERLATO AND RAVINIA A Pairing Made Perfect A perfect pairing includes fine wines and great music. Because you are here tonight, you know that Ravinia provides great music in an incomparable setting. Terlato invites you to elevate your experience with a bottle of wine from their exceptional portfolio, which is available throughout the park and at many Chicagoland retailers and restaurateurs. The Terlato family supports Ravinia because much like music, an appreciation for fine wine also has the power to enrich lives. Family-owned and headquartered in Lake Bluff, Terlato has a diverse portfolio of more than 85 wine and spirit brands from world-class producers in more than a dozen countries. terlato.com | @terlatowines BLUES TRAVELER In 1987, the four original members of Blues Trav- eler—John Popper, Chandler Kinchla, the late Bobby Sheehan, and Brendan Hill—gathered in a Princeton, NJ, basement and planted the seeds for the band that would release more than a dozen albums, including three platinum sellers and one six-times platinum mega-hit. Over that time span, the band has played more than 2,000 live shows and saw its song “Run-Around” be- come the longest-charting radio single in Bill- board history and earn them a Grammy Award. They also lined up numerous screen credits, including the feature films Blues Brothers 2000 , Kingpin , and Wildflowers as well as the TV shows Saturday Night Live , Austin City Limits , VH1’s Behind the Music , and The Late Show with David Letterman , where they held the record for most appearances by a musical guest. From the suburbs of New Jersey, Blues Traveler moved to New York in the late ’80s, where they became part of a jam-band scene that packed clubs like Nightingale’s, McGoverns, and Kenny’s Cast- aways, sharing bills with the likes of the Spin Doctors and Phish. Repped by Bill Graham ear- ly on, the band cultivated a live reputation that led to a record contract with A&M, which re- leased its eponymous debut in 1990. Following Travelers and Thieves (1991) and Save His Soul (1993), Blues Traveler found its watershed mo- ment in 1994 with four , featuring the seminal singles “Run-Around” and “Hook.” After 1997’s Straight on Till Morning , tragedy struck with the passing of Sheehan—Kinchla’s brother Tad was enlisted to fill his shoes, and Ben Wilson joined as keyboardist, a role Sheehan had long sought to add. They debuted on 2001’s Bridge . Indepen- dent releases Truth Be Told (2003), ¡ Bastardos! (2005), Suzie Cracks the Whip (2012), and Blow Up the Moon (2015) followed, with North Hol- lywood Shootout , featuring special guest Bruce Willis, splitting the bunch in 2008. Hurry Up & Hang Around , was released in late 2018 to com- memorate the 30th anniversary of the group’s formation. The quintet’s latest disc, Traveler’s Blues , was nominated for Best Traditional Blues Album at the 2022 Grammys, bringing their 35-year journey full circle. Blues Traveler first played Ravinia in 2002 and is making its fifth appearance at the festival. RAVINIAMAGAZINE • JULY 21 – AUG. 3, 2025 62 GRAHAMFIELDER