Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Country giants Little Big Town (not pictured due to a delay in management approval) didn’t have luck on its side surrounding the Chicago stop of the “Nightfall” Tour, which found the plug being pulled due to the pandemic with barely a day’s notice.

Though it eventually landed at the Chicago Theatre, the post-COVID concert world was still weird, but the pieces finally fell back into place when the band visited Ravinia for a lovely evening under the stars.

Besides getting to hear a few moments from that otherwise exceptional 2020 collection, Little Big Town debuted the brand new “Hell Yeah,” which could’ve doubled for how the packed pavilion and picnicking lawn reacted, along with “All Summer” and “Rich Man,” each written during their 469 days without shows.

In addition to being a rocky ride for entertainers getting back on the road, the town of Highland Park is of course still healing from the Independence Day tragedy, though the resumption of the storied venue’s summer concert series has provided a platform for the community to come together.

“Ravinia strong, we love you,” shouted Kimberly Schlapman, a sentiment frequently echoed by groupmates Phillip Sweet, Karen Fairchild and Jimi Westbrook. “Our hearts, our prayers are here with you!”

There was also a relentless optimism to not only Little Big Town’s tunes, but the joyous spirit surrounding the stadium-ready lights and screens that flashed above throughout roughly 90 minutes.

Besides previews of what’s to come from “Mr. Sun,” the group dove into many other radio regulars, including “Pontoon,” “Day Drinking,” the Taylor Swift-penned “Better Man” and “Wine, Beer, Whiskey,” with everyone’s harmonies glowing in unison over the organic instrumentation.

Despite fans probably wanting to “Stay All Night,” the yearning ballad “Girl Crush” and the rowdy “Boondocks” marked the official grand finales to this refreshing return, for both Little Big Town and Ravinia as well.

Singer/songwriter/guitar goddess Lindsay Ell was also an extraordinary opener, revving up on the electric side and stripping back acoustically as she combined country, rock and blues, while seeming poised to be a future superstar.

For additional information on Little Big Town and Lindsay Ell, visit LittleBigTown.com and LindsayEll.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include Poi Dog Pondering (Jul. 23); Leslie Odom Jr. with Marian Alsop and the CSO (Jul. 24); Bonnie Raitt (Jul. 27); The Revivalists and Grace Potter (Aug. 6); Dispatch and O.A.R. (Aug. 13); Ziggy Marley (Aug. 14); Gipsy Kings (Aug. 16); A.R. Rahman (Aug. 20); Pitbull (Aug. 25); Culture Club (Aug. 26); Sting (Aug. 27-28); Yacht Rock Revue (Sept. 1); Emmylou Harris and Mary Chapin Carpenter (Sept. 2); Diana Ross (Sept. 4); The Australian Pink Floyd (Sept. 7); Stevie Nicks (Sept. 8 and Sept. 10) and Erykah Badu (Sept. 11). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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