Photos by Andy Argyrakis

Believe it or not, in the six decades since getting started, Kool & The Gang never toured through Ravinia until now, although that meant the funky pop legends were able to make their historic debut inside the newly overhauled and completely upgraded Hunter Pavilion.

The Grammy Award-winning group mounted quite a comeback streak as of late, not that it ever went out of style, thanks to a pair of recent projects, 2021’s “Perfect Union” and 2023’s “People Just Wanna Have Fun,” followed by a belated yet much-deserved induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Though multiple members have either changed or passed away, beloved bassist Robert “Kool” Bell was there since the very beginning, alongside several more mighty musicians who joined in the 1980s or ’90s up through today.

Either way, the guys sounded very much like Kool & The Gang should, which has always been characterized by horns, harmonies and a hearty helping of hits, including the upbeat openers “Open Sesame” and “Fresh.”

The ballads “Too Hot” and “Joanna” were right around the corner, but outside of fellow slow jam “Cherish,” the 75-minute set was a cross between a “Jungle Boogie” and some “Hollywood Swingin’.”

In fact, it was truly remarkable how many genres and generations Kool & The Gang transcended as they made an average Thursday feel like “Ladies Night,” while inviting everyone to “Get Down On It” as the “Celebration” spread throughout both the packed pavilion and lawn.

Additional credit goes to Morris Day & The Time for getting the party going, who despite having no one else from The Original 7ven other than its larger-than-life leader and valet/percussionist Jerome Benton, had no trouble accurately recreating the funk meets R&B “Pandemonium.”

Whether it was Day’s own “Fishnet” and “The Oak Tree” or the group’s “Jerk Out,” “777-9311,” “Gigolos Get Lonely Too,” “The Bird” and “Jungle Love,” late “Purple Rain” rival Prince would’ve surely been proud of his real life pal.

The earliest arrivers were also treated to the contagious grooves of Con Funk Shun, fellow crowd pleasers for over 50 years and somewhat recently rejuvenated by Silk Sonic’s remake of “Love Train,” which they of course rode to Ravinia to clinch this soulful triple play.

For additional information on Kool & The Gang, Morris Day & The Time and Con Funk Shun, visit KoolAndTheGang.com, MorrisDayEntertainment.com and ConFunkShunUSA.com.

Upcoming shows at Ravinia’s Hunter Pavilion Alabama (Aug. 28); Ray LaMontagne (Aug. 29); Miranda Lambert (Aug. 30); Snoop Dogg (Sept. 4); Squeeze (Sept. 6); Erykah Badu (Sept. 10); Alison Krauss & Union Station (Sept. 12); Los Tigres del Norte (Sept. 13); Ziggy Marley and Thievery Corporation (Sept. 17); Tom Jones (Sept. 18) and Martina McBride (Sept. 19). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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