Displaying items by tag: Chris Stein

It was a night for the archetypes of rock at Ravinia this past weekend. The rain finally let up for a cool evening to rock the night away with “Rage and Rapture”, the new Blondie and Garbage tour. The eclectic crowd of Garbage fans and Blondie fans filled the pavilion and spread across the grass in anticipation of these female rock icons.

Opening songs were played by John Doe and Exene Cervenka, mid-west natives, making their Ravinia debut. The long time musical duo, which has been performing since the 70’s (as a group and as solo artists) had the crowd swaying to their music and enjoying their last night on the “Rage and Rapture Tour”. The warm up act was well received with much applause and appreciation.

As the lights phased out and the stage was covered in a flood of red light, Shirley Manson and the band members of Garbage took to the stage. In what can only be called her signature look, Manson and the boys took over. This band first met in Chicago and began putting out music in 1995.Their latest album “Strange Little Birds” was released in 2016. The audience reveled in songs like “Only Happens When It Rains”, “Stupid Girl”, “Push It” and “Cup O’ Coffee”.  Fans were on their feet dancing and singing along. The energy was palpable.  It was a warmly welcomed and exciting first appearance at Ravinia for Garbage.

Then, although a hard act to follow, Blondie took the stage with backdrop images of buzzing bees. Debbie Harry sported a Pollinator mask (also the name of her May released album) and cape with a bold statement about the treatment of the Earth. Following a forty-year history of the powerhouse that is Blondie, original members, 72-year-old Debbie Harry, 61-year-old Clem Burke (drummer), and guitarist Chris Stein (67 years) were joined on stage by the new age members Tommy Kessler, Leigh Fox, and Matt Katz-Bohen, in a testimony of iconic style, creative music and a love for all people. The audience surged to the edge of the pavilion and remained on their feet. Fans sang along to signature songs like “One Way or Another,” “Hanging on the Telephone,” and “Heart of Glass”. The crowd also continued to sing along with Blondie’s new releases, having fun with tracks like “Fun”.

It was a night to rock out at Ravinia with some rocking music and iconic ladies. It was night not to be missed!

For a list of upcoming Ravinia shows, click HERE.

When first looking at the Ravinia double bill of Blondie and Melissa Ethridge, one might have asked, “What are they thinking?” “How can those two so very different genres of music be paired together?” Well, they were - and it was somehow perfect. Each playing somewhere in the neighborhood of a ninety-minute set, the two bands each provided their own energetic performance not to be soon forgotten.

Melissa Ethridge took to the stage first with her raspy vocals and guitar driven rock to the tune of “If I Wanted To” followed without pause into “No Souvenirs”. Ethridge’s energy matched her immense talent leaving little doubt her place in the world of pop-based folk-rock. The two-time Grammy Award winner (she received fifteen nominations) worked the crowd with a band behind her that was nothing short of amazing. Never a dull moment, Ethridge made her way from one end of the stage to the other with much charisma and command, effortlessly strumming her guitar and being the consummate professional she always has been. Nearing her set's end’ Ethridge dove into to “I’m the Only One”, a fan favorite and staple anthem in her career before “ending” with “Bring Some Water” and then coming back for an encore with “Like the Way I Do”. Ethridge is a hard working performer who certainly gains a lot more respect after seeing her live.

After a thirty or so minute intermission, a drastic stage transformation had taken place. Whereas Melissa Ethridge relied solely on her band, house lighting and a large dark curtain as a backdrop, the stage had soon become equipped with a large projection screen as a background, futuristic props scattered about and rotating laser lights. Soon after, the lights drop and Blondie confidently walks from side stage to their marked positions. Debbie Harry, wearing dark wayfarer sunglasses and a hot pink ensemble nods to the screaming crowd and just like that the new wave punkers kick into “One Way of Another”. Harry, now seventy-years-old, is as cool as ever, still wielding the voice that made the band an influential giant in the music industry.

Harry joined by original members Chris Stein, Clem Burke, Blondie went on to knock out one hit after another including “Atomic”, “Heart of Glass” “Maria”, “Call Me”, “Dreaming”, “Hanging on the Telephone” and threw in a few more recent songs, “Euphoria”, for one. Projections in the background displayed classic Blondie videos and swirling imagery that seemed to go perfectly with each song. Tapping into their reggae side, the band played an inspired version of “The Tide is High” before igniting into one of the first ever songs featuring rapping,  “Rapture”. Blondie also threw the crowd a curveball with a raging rendition of The Beastie Boys “(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (to Party!)”.

Harry and company performed brilliantly, proving Blondie still can put on one hell of a show. There is little doubt that Blondie would be highly entertaining no matter where the venue, but watching them play at Ravinia surrounded by the stars accompanied by a gentle outdoor breeze (even if it was 63 degrees on a July evening) was simply magical. Here’s hoping they make their way back to the Chicagoland area very soon.

Be sure to visit www.ravinia.org for upcoming summer events.