Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Whenever Train rolls into Ravinia, it’s a guaranteed party, but upon returning after being sidelined by the pandemic, the feeling of euphoria was more tangible than ever before.

In addition to the delay finally being over, the Pat Monahan-led band is simultaneously celebrating the 20th anniversary of the triple platinum “Drops Of Jupiter” album, plus debuting a few fresh tunes that point to a festive pop/rock continuation.

The anthemic act is easily amongst the most enduring of this century thus far and it was repeatedly apparent throughout the first of two nights filled with frequent sing-a-longs by an audience of all ages.

On the earlier side, they included “She’s On Fire,” “Meet Virginia” and “Get To Me,” along with a slice of Oasis’ “Champagne Supernova,” all of which found the musicians and backing vocalists locking into an airtight zone.

Though not nearly as road worn, the new “Mai Tais” was hooky enough to warrant an instant toast, while “50 Ways To Say Goodbye,” “Angel In Blue Jeans” and “Calling All Angels” kept the familiarity flowing.

In keeping with the custom of covering something from Led Zeppelin, the San Francisco-bred players dusted off “Going To California” with the longtime leader especially doing Robert Plant proud.

Following a bluesy tease, the group’s own “Hey, Soul Sister” was a showstopper and the debut of “Vacation” could easily reside on the radio someday, though those classic rock roots quickly returned for a communal version of The Band’s “The Weight” with Vertical Horizon’s front man Matt Scannell.

To wrap up the main portion, Train merged the dynamic “Drive By” with a coda of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” followed by the rousing “Free” getting a lift from Argent’s “Hold Your Head Up” and a transcendent finale of the lush ballad “Drops Of Jupiter” to bring the birthday full circle.

Speaking of Vertical Horizon, the fellow straight ahead rockers kicked off the evening with several earlier selections (“We Are,” “Send It Up,” “Best I Ever Had,” “You’re A God”), plus a like-minded slice of its latest long player, “The Lost Mile.”

In other words, it’s essential for anyone heading out to Ravinia’s second round to show up early and get ready for “Everything You Want” out of this perfectly paired bill.

For additional information on Train and Vertical Horizon, visit SaveMeSanFrancisco.com and VerticalHorizon.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include Train and Vertical Horizon (Aug. 28); King Crimson and The Zappa Band (Aug. 29); Collective Soul, Better Than Ezra and Tonic (Sept. 1); Lady A (Sept. 3); The Roots (Sept. 4); John Legend (Sept. 5-6); Indigo Girls and Ani DiFranco (Sept. 10); Black Violin and Blind Boys Of Alabama (Sept. 11); Ben Folds (Sept. 18); Max Weinberg’s Jukebox (Sept. 19); Andrew Bird (Sept. 24) and Ms. Lauryn Hill (Sept. 25). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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