Several decades ago, during his original stint with Jethro Tull, Ian Anderson & Co. released a record known as: "Too Old Too Rock & Roll, To Young To Die!"
Last night at Ravinia in Highland Park, Ian Anderson proved that even after 45 years of essentially rocking the globe, (not only is he not "dead" yet) the 65year's young Anderson can not only rock an audience in style, he can still "wow" an all-ages fan base to a whole new crop of fresh-faced classic rockers.
Official concert Classic Rock station WDRV "The Drive" is the perfect flagship station for timeless rockers like Ian Anderson/Tull providing the perfect format for catering to the hard rock and progressive rock appetites of both the Baby Boomers and their children. (My 14 year old daughter and I fitting that description perfectly during last night's show).
As timeless as the 65 year old rocker is, Anderson is also realistic about his mortality, providing a public service message of sorts about Prostate Cancer-Good for him, as most men at some point are affected, Anderson encouraged his male fans to be proactive.
Ravinia proved to be the perfect venue on a gorgeous 79 degree evening. The pavilion acoustics were pristine, the attendants were polite and the service was second to none: After being shown our seats, we were essentially able to come and go with the ticket takers recognizing us without having to shell out our tickets each time. Pretty impressive considering all the faces that come and go in an evening.
Anderson and Co put on an impressive show, opening with their original "Thick As A Brick" LP, taking a 15 minute break and than introducing the audience to Anderson's latest offering: Thick As A Brick 2, continuing the story of Gerald Bostock-41 year's later.
Anderson was smart to surround himself with a nice combination of "Old School" Tull mainstay's like bassist David Goodier and Keyboardist Scott Hammond. Prior to his latest tour, Ian hit the refresh button and sprinkled the updated version of his band with guitar prodigy Florian Opahle, Drummer John O'Hara and the most intriguing new element to the new LP: Singer Ryan O'Donnell, who in the higher vocal registers reminded the audience of a more youthful version of Ian himself.
Apparently, Ian added the second singer so that he could play more of the instrumental parts on his flute while giving his vocal chords a much deserved respite during the tour.
Anderson is still rock's master flautist and the gold standard for introducing the flute to hard/progressive rock. Even so, Ian was clearly straining to reach most of the higher registers on his songs, often times "talk" singing through many of the numbers.
That said, Ryan O'Donnell proved to be a formidable tag-teamer on vocals, complimenting Anderson's intonations with ease, while providing excellent stage presence and like Ian, some humor and wit through body language.
Ian Anderson's versatility is still second to none, going from acoustic guitar to mandolin, to his classic flute playing to clearly being the leader in every sense of the word. His effortless instrumental solo's still "Wow" audiences and Ravinia's JethroTull die-hards were not disappointed.
Both the Pavilion seats and lawn were packed with fans anticipating a fun, theatrical rollicking good time as Ian guided fans through a tapestry of songs woven from 1972 through today. O'Hara's drum solo was creative and mixed with some crunchy power-chords from guitarist Opahle, who in many instances stole the show with his crisp, searing guitar solos.
Of course, the highlight of the evening was the encore, with Anderson treating the Ravinia crowd to a 15 minute version of Jethro Tulls "Locomotive Breath" which quickly got the crowd to their feet, clapping in time with the classic rhythm of one of the most satisfying rock tunes in the annals of rock & roll. With cool, animated visuals in the background and Ian's group letting it rip, the audience was swept away while the band showcased all of their individual talents. Even O'Donnell got to sing a verse (which made this reviewer/singer just a tad envious), having rocked out to Locomotive Breath only 10,000 times in my youth.
Ravinia proved why it's Chicago's preeminent outdoor venue, providing tasty culinary treats that included: hot off the grill chicken, burgers, and more, healthy salad and fruit options, ice-cold beverages and creative choices designed to satisfy even the pickiest of eaters-especially refreshing compared to the usually over-priced junk food that's passed off as "cuisine" at most outdoor concert venues.
Great staff, top-flight, big name musical entertainment and excellent service make Ravinia my top pick for a great value for summer entertainment right in Chicago's backyard in easy to get to Highland Park.
For more information and to book your next outing, be sure to visit: www.ravinia.org
