Photos by Andy Argyrakis

From his breakthrough in the Pure Prairie League, to annual Christmas concerts alongside wife/fellow artist Amy Grant and accompanying the Eagles since the passing of Glenn Frey, distinctive vocalist/guitarist Vince Gill is no stranger to collaborations.

However, having so many dates with the latter superstars’ Sphere residency, meant it’s felt like forever since the singer/songwriter had a chance to revisit an even more prolific solo career, which sold 30-plus million albums throughout the 1990s especially and found him writing over a hundred songs in the last couple years alone.

Nonetheless, the Country Music Hall of Famer and 22-time Grammy Award-winner made up for lost time and then some via a two-act, three-hour marathon of mainly personally-penned country classics and a few remakes during “An Evening With Vince Gill” Tour at the Chicago Theatre.

It’s a historic hall he and an exceptional ten-piece band played before, but never have they been this generous or comprehensive, including the early likes of “One More Last Chance,” “You Better Think Twice” and “Tryin’ To Get Over You.”

As a singer, Gill’s tenor was soulful, buttery and second to none, turning in “Pocket Full Of Gold,” “If You Ever Have Forever In Mind” and “When I Call Your Name,” plus Merle Haggard’s “The Bottle Let Me Down” and Buck Owens & His Buckaroos’ “Together Again.”

His “Guitar Slinger” side was just as superb, especially as the bluesy “Down To My Bad Last Habit” closed with the outro of the Eagles’ “I Can’t Tell You Why,” leading to the beautiful ballad “I Still Believe In You,” and to close out the front half, “When My Amy Prays.”

The headliner returned, making the brave decision to debut no less than eight unreleased tracks in a row, such as “Some Times,” inspired by the civil rights activism of Chicago’s own Mavis Staples, and “Nobody Held Her Like Me,” featuring local surprise guest Billy Branch on harmonica, yet always managed to hold fans in the palm of his hand thanks to gripping storytelling and pristine delivery.

Gill then rewarded faithful for their patience with a series of signatures, from “Pretty Little Adriana” to “Go Rest High On That Mountain” and the best of the rest, making sure to thoroughly satisfy in the event other commitments cause him to fly away for awhile again.

For additional information on Vince Gill, visit VinceGill.com.

For a list of upcoming Live Nation concerts, visit LiveNation.com.

Upcoming shows at the Chicago Theatre include Matt Mathews (May 30); Nikki Glaser (May 31- Jun. 1); Glass Animals (Jun. 2); Fridayy (Jun. 3); Widespread Panic (Jun. 4-6); Alison Krauss & Union Station (Jun. 7); Dropout Improv (Jun. 8); Hauser (Jun. 10); Barenaked Ladies (Jun. 11); Ledisi (Jun. 12); Trevor Wallace (Jun. 13); Natalia Lafourcade (Jun. 14-15); Jimmy Carr (Jun. 20); Ryan Adams (Jun. 21); Daniel Tosh (Jun. 25-26); Jeff Goldblum & The Mildred Snitzer Orchestra (Jul. 2); The Rose (Jul. 8); Yeah Yeah Yeahs (Jul. 22-23) and The Basement Yard (Jul. 26). For additional details, visit TheChicagoTheatre.com.

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