Photos by Andy Argyrakis

From the moment Beck struck “Mellow Gold” through blasting off into “Hyperspace” nearly three decades later, it’s been impossible to pinpoint or predict what direction the singer/songwriter/guitarist/producer would take.

After all, he’s bounced around lo-fi experiments, folk, funk, electronica, alternative rock, and hip-hop, amongst almost anything in between, much of which was chronicled throughout a recent headlining set at Riot Fest.

However, a long-awaited Ravinia debut threw faithful for yet another welcome loop when Beck appeared alongside the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Edwin Outwater, whose annual summer residency is the centerpiece of the esteemed Highland Park venue’s varied calendar.

The main portion of the evening opened on the entirely instrumental note of “Cycle,” establishing an environment of grandeur, further enhanced by the muscular approach of Beck’s longtime backing guitarist Jason Falkner, keyboardist Roger Manning and drummer Joey Waronker.

That very headliner appeared for “The Golden Age” and continued to flawlessly collaborate with the CSO for the next 90 minutes or so, reinterpreting one clever, compelling and periodically quirky flashback after the next in an entirely fresh light.

They included the lushly arranged “Lonesome Tears,” the acoustically framed “Lost Cause,” a jazzy treatment of “The New Pollution,” and for lovers of French pop circa the 1960s, the rarity “We Live Again,” each coming across refreshed and downright resplendent. 

Beck ventured outside his songbook for Scott Walker’s sublime “It’s Raining Today,” and a little later, “Montague Terrace (In Blue),” then resumed personally-penned material for a suite off “Morning Phase,” a “Album Of The Year” Grammy Award-winner,” followed by the smash single “Where It’s At.”

Despite marking the magnificent end to the CSO portion of the performance, Beck’s regular backers collectively revved up for a half-hour encore featuring “Devils Haircut,” the Schaumburg and Barrington-referencing “Debra,” the late Black Sabbath leader salute “Ozzy,” “Mixed Bizness” and “Loser,” though Ravinia came up precisely the opposite over this once-in-a-lifetime synthesis of symphony and a truly maverick artist. 

For additional information on Beck and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, visit Beck.com and CSO.org.

Upcoming shows at Ravinia include Blues Traveler and Gin Blossoms (Jul. 26); Lang Lang (Jul. 31); Morgan Freeman’s Symphonic Blues Experience (Aug. 1); Train (Aug. 2); King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard (Aug. 6); Earth, Wind & Fire (Aug. 7); Laurie Berkner (Aug. 9); Cynthia Erivo (Aug. 15); Lenny Kravitz (Aug. 21); Maren Morris (Aug. 22); John Legend (Aug. 23-24); UB40 (Aug. 27); “The Sound Of Music” Sing-Along (Aug. 28); “Infinity Saga” Concert Experience (Aug. 29) and Fiesta Ravinia (Aug. 31). For additional details, visit Ravinia.org.

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