Folk heroes are hard to find nowadays, so any time there’s a chance to see a survivor from the 1960s revival, it’s nothing short of required attendance for any historically-minded concertgoer. Though Mary Travers passed away in 2009, Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey (both 81) are keeping the Peter, Paul & Mary flag flying, along with revisiting surrounding songs from the socially conscious era of protest, awakening and enlightenment.

A galvanizing rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” brought nearly everyone to their feet, resonating perhaps now more than ever as it persuasively encapsulated Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey’s current calls to action in the process of dutifully preserving Peter, Paul & Mary’s legacy.

For well over two hours split by an intermission at Ravinia’s intimate and acoustically mint Martin Theatre, the pair’s ageless interpretations drew parallels to today’s political climate, but rather than being divisive, rallied for unity regardless of party line, religion, race and sexual orientation. And strictly from the musical perspective provided from the acoustic duo and a supporting stand-up bassist, there were several opportunities to sing-a-long, starting with “Weave Me The Sunshine,” “Garden Song” and the cross-generational “Puff, The Magic Dragon” (which the guys joked truly wasn’t about drugs).

“Have You Been To Jail For Justice?” and an extended medley of freedom choruses kept in line with Peter, Paul & Mary’s pursuit of equality, “Where Have All The Flowers Gone” was another chill-inducing chance for fans to participate, while “Light One Candle” (technically written to mark Hanukkah) closed out the earliest set with peace-promoting relevance for any season. Stookey began the second round with a couple solos, such as the spiritually-directed “The Wedding Song” (penned for Yarrow’s nuptials), followed by that very partner in performance sharing what was on his mind, including the recent recording “The Children Are Listening.”

The Ravinia regulars also asked the audience to invoke the presence of Mary by singing her portion of the John Denver-penned “Leaving On A Jet Plane,” plus retained a similar communal vibe throughout “If I Had A Hammer” and Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ In The Wind.” A galvanizing rendition of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” brought nearly everyone to their feet, resonating perhaps now more than ever as it persuasively encapsulated Yarrow and Stookey’s current calls to action in the process of dutifully preserving Peter, Paul & Mary’s legacy.

Click here for more photos of Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey at Ravinia.

For additional information on Peter Yarrow and Noel Paul Stookey, visit PeterYarrow.net and NoelPaulStookey.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include Tony Bennett (Jun. 21); Classic Albums Live performs Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours” (Jun. 22); Melissa Etheridge and George Thorogood & The Destroyers (Jun. 23); Little Big Town (Jun. 28); Counting Crows (Jun. 29); Sugarland (Jun. 30); Steve Miller Band (Jul. 1); T.I. (Jul. 2); Michael McDonald and Chaka Khan (Jul. 6); The Music Of Queen (Jul. 7); Maxwell (Jul. 9); Lady Antebellum (Jul. 10); “West Side Story” (Jul. 12); Jennifer Hudson (Jul. 14); “Mass” (Jul. 20); “Ghostbusters” (Jul. 21); Lyle Lovett and His Large Band (Jul. 23); “Weird Al” Yankovic (Jul. 28) and ABBA The Concert (July 30). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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