Photos provided by Leslie Hassler

Whether it was with the super duo Loggins & Messina or throughout a colossal solo career, Kenny Loggins has never gone out of style, but when “Danger Zone” set the tone for “Top Gun: Maverick,” his pop culture currency once again shot into the stratosphere.

Since then, the pop, rock and soul singer/songwriter released “Still Alright: A Memoir,” and now that he turned 75, announced the “This Is It!” Tour, all of which prompted a return to Ravinia for the fastest sell out of the extensive season and the largest crowd of his entire itinerary.

In fact, it was practically impossible to score a ticket the closer the clock ticked towards showtime, though for those who populated every square inch of the lawn or sat snuggly inside the acoustically pristine pavilion, Loggins laid out the entire path to becoming a legend.

Even if he never visits the Chicago area again, the double Grammy Award winner and a six-piece band made sure to “Keep The Fire,” while authentically communicating “Heart To Heart,” across 95-minutes where nearly every track was a humongous hit.

Interestingly enough, “What A Fool Believes” was perhaps best known by Michael McDonald and The Doobie Brothers, but Loggins was indeed its co-writer, just as he was on the Stevie Nicks collaboration “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend.’”

The troubadour went the acoustic route come the additional textbook tunes “Return To Pooh Corner” and “Danny’s Song,” from his days with Buffalo Springfield and Poco’s Jim Messina, soon plugging back in for the similarly stirring “If You Believe,” “Celebrate Me Home” and “Conviction Of The Heart.”


Of course, the headliner is also known as the “King Of The Movie Soundtrack,” especially during the 1980s, not only attacking the aforementioned, but driving “I’m Alright” straight out of “Caddyshack” and having everybody cut “Footloose.”

Loggins settled into the second encore with the more sentimentally-minded ballad “Forever,” as Ravinia unanimously rose to its feet in salute of a durable artist and songbook on track to last at least that long.

For additional information on Kenny Loggins, visit KennyLoggins.com.

Upcoming concert highlights at Ravinia include Buddy Guy and George Benson (Aug. 23); Classic Albums Live: Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon” (Aug. 25); Boyz II Men and The Isley Brothers (Aug. 26); “Encanto” In Concert (Aug. 27); “Jurassic Park” In Concert (Aug. 29); Train (Aug. 30); Brandi Carlile (Aug. 31); Carrie Underwood (Sept. 1-2) and Shakti (Sept. 3). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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