Blues alive and well at Ravinia courtesy of local legend Buddy Guy, guitar prodigy Jonny Lang

Photos by Andy Argyrakis

“It’s an honor to open up for Buddy Guy here in his hometown,” proclaimed fellow blues rocker Jonny Lang during the pair’s crowded return to Ravinia. But just because the 37-year-old guitar prodigy warmed up the more than three-hour undertaking (and tours for The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Sting and B.B. King beforehand), he’s a certified headliner in his own right who from the time he was a mere 12 was already giving the Jimi Hendrix estate a serious run for its dollars.

When he locked into a groove, there was no stopping the star axe-slinger, especially when he performed all around the pavilion during “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In (Slippin’ Out, Slippin’ In)” or when Lang and three of Buddy Guy’s adult kids came together for a jam…

Now a seasoned veteran in spite of his relatively young age, the North Dakota native was a six-string showman to the most astounding extent with selections from his current collection “Signs” right on back to those teenage beginnings. Whether he was snarling and rattling through “Snakes,” soulfully singing alongside “Red Light,” channeling Stevie Wonder with “Living For The City” or stripping down for a solo acoustic “Breakin’ Me” and “Lie To Me” before his equally assertive band kicked in, Lang totally tore the figurative roof off the place.

Up next was local legend Buddy Guy, who at 81-years-old seems to be busier than ever on the road and in the recording studio thanks to “The Blues Is Alive And Well,” the latest in a discography that dates back to the 1950s and the glory days of Chess Records. Accompanied by the forceful Damn Blues Band, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer who was a considerable source for countless British supergroups demonstrated exactly why he gained such esteem with “Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues,” Muddy Waters’ “Hoochie Coochie Man” and “She’s Nineteen Years Old” (not missing a beat even when he broke a string).

Rather than sticking to a slick script, Guy kept a loose and spontaneous vibe, frequently involving the crowd, dropping a ton of f-bombs along the way he probably could’ve done without (especially giving the all-ages crowd) and adjourning selections to have a conversation or changing musical directions entirely. But when he locked into a groove, there was no stopping the star axe-slinger, especially when he performed all around the pavilion during “Someone Else Is Steppin’ In (Slippin’ Out, Slippin’ In)” or when Lang and three of Buddy’s adult kids came together for a jam to make this celebrated homecoming just as much of a communal affair.

For additional information on Buddy Guy and Jonny Lang, visit BuddyGuy.com and JonnyLang.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include Evanescence and Lindsey Stirling (Jul. 10); Mary J. Blige (Jul. 20); “Lost 80’s Live” (Jul. 29); “E.T.” with Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Aug. 1); “Indiana Jones And The Raiders Of The Lost Ark” with Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Aug. 2); Whoopi Goldberg (Aug. 3); David Foster (Aug. 5); Angélique Kidjo and Femi Kuti & The Positive Force (Aug. 6); Steve Martin and Martin Short (Aug. 12); Michael Feinstein and Kristin Chenoweth (Aug. 14); “Vertigo” with Chicago Symphony Orchestra (Aug. 15); Earth, Wind & Fire (Aug. 17); Cake and Ben Folds (Aug. 22); Sugarland (Aug. 23); The Beach Boys and The Righteous Brothers (Aug. 24); Trombone Shorty’s “Voodoo Threauxdown” (Aug. 26); Lyle Lovett & His Large Band (Aug. 28); John Hiatt & The Goners featuring Sonny Landreth (Aug. 30) and Culture Club & Boy George, The B-52’s and Thompson Twins’ Tom Bailey (Aug. 31-Sept. 1). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

Chicago Concert Reviews

We’ve got the Windy City covered.

Blues alive and well at Ravinia courtesy of local legend Buddy Guy, guitar prodigy Jonny Lang

Related Articles