Ravinia 2025 Issue 5

Henhouse Prowlers at Park West WITH ALL DUE RESPECT to Ken- tucky, Illinois can stake a solid claim to being dubbed the Bluegrass State. On August 20, Ravinia Festival’s Carousel Stage will host a quadruple bill of torch- bearers who each put their unique spin on this ageless and uniquely American music genre. The Henhouse Prowlers, now in their third decade, headline, preceded by duo Almond & Olive, whose indie folk has bluegrass in its DNA, and Noah’s Jam Jam Bourrée, a family-friendly outfit fronted by Highland Park resident Noah Plotkin that takes its cue from the David Grisman–Jerry Garcia Not for Kids Only collaboration. The program kicks off at 4:00 p.m. with multi-instrumentalist singer-song- writing duo the Lucky Pickers. The concert is part of the third an- nual Taste of Ravinia Farmers Market, which starts the day in Jens Jensen Park at 7:00 a.m. and runs until 1:00 p.m. The market, which will feature organ- ically farm-grown produce, artisanal foods, and beverages, moves to Ravinia’s grounds from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Bluegrass has its roots in Appala- chia, but it has flourished and thrived in Illinois, a destination for migrat- ing Southerners enroute to Northern industrial centers. Future bluegrass icon Bill Monroe, widely considered to be the “Father of Bluegrass,” moved from Kentucky to the Chicago suburbs to pursue factory work in the 1920s. He would later perform on the “National Barn Dance” radio show which debuted on WLS in 1924, and thanks to the sta- tion’s 50,000-watt signal, disseminated bluegrass across the Midwest. From John Hartford and the Special Consensus bluegrass band (currently celebrating its 50th anniversary) to Alison Krauss and the Sullivan Sisters, Illinois, the heart of America, has a rich bluegrass legacy. “Illinois became a blue- grass hotspot because of Appalachian migration, its blend of urban and rural culture, a supportive live music infra- structure, and a history of influential local artists,” Plotkin said. “It’s a great example of how a music style can evolve far from its geographic origins while staying true to its roots.” Banjo player Ben Wright, one of Henhouse Prowlers’ co-founders, adds, “I’m lucky enough a couple of times a year to play with legendary old-time fiddlers Steve Rosen, who teaches at the Old Town School of Folk Music, and Fred Campeau, who co-founded the Volo Bogtrotters with Rosen. They play these fiddle tunes that originated in Illinois. I didn’t know they existed.” Wright’s own bluegrass journey began in 1999 when at the age of 22. “I was walking down Lincoln Avenue,” he recalled, “I had just gotten paid $200 from a job, and there in the window of the Old Town School of Folk Music was a $200 banjo. I knew I wanted to play music, but I didn’t know what that would look like. I would see all these guitar players; they probably started playing when they were teenagers or younger. So, I went into the Old Town School and asked if I could get the banjo without tax? They said they could do that. I started taking lessons, and it became my career.” Bluegrass is nothing if not commu- nal. “When you’re into a genre like blue- grass in Chicago, you’re going to attend the same events and see the same bands and wind up in the same circles with the bluegrass musicians in town,” Wright said. “I remember meeting [bassist] Jon- athan Goldfine, the only other original member of the band beside myself, at a show at Schuba’s for a band called Open Road. We got asked to play together in another band for a couple of shows. And we met the other guys in my neighbor- hood and at other shows.” RAVINIA.ORG  • RAVINIAMAGAZINE 17 AARONBRADLEY