Ravinia 2019, Issue 5, Week 9

The original lineup of Chicago played a musically— and politically—charged Ravinia debut in 1972. Left to right: Robert Lamm, Terry Kath, James Pankow, Walt Parazaider, Danny Seraphine (seated), Lee Loughnane,and Peter Cetera Today’s Chicago lineup: (left to right) Walfredo Reyes Jr., Keith Howland, Neil Donell, Lou Pardini, James Pankow, Robert Lamm, Lee Loughnane, Ray Herrmann, Ramon “Ray” Yslas, Brett Simons “WE’VE ALWAYS LOVED RAVINIA,” says Lee Loughnane, the sole trumpet- er the band Chicago has had since its inception in 1967. “It’s great to be able to come back and play the music that we’ve all grown up with: we grew up writing and playing it, you folks grew up listening to it. We haven’t played Ravinia in a few years, and we’re excited to come back and play two nights [August 10 and 11]. And if you like the Chicago Symphony and the group Chicago, you will like the surprise we have for you on those two nights! I won’t tell you what it is, but you have to come to the show to see it.” Loughnane was a regular attendee of Chicago Symphony Orchestra concerts at Ravinia when he was a kid. “I used to stand at the railing at Ravinia and just marvel at [longtime CSO principal trumpet] Bud Herseth and all the guys. That brass section just killed me. It still does. I remember auditioning for the Civic Orchestra [the training orchestra of the CSO], and Herseth was right there, and it was like, ‘Oh, my God, I’ve got to play in front of the best there is?’ But I did it and he said, ‘Yeah, you can be in Civic.’ But it wasn’t too long after that when the band, which had already been formed, moved out to California. That was it for Civic and I was done with education at that point. I kept tell- ing myself, ‘I’ll go back and get a degree.’ But here I am still doing the same thing I did back then!” THE ORIGINAL LINEUP OF CHICAGO made its Ravinia debut on August 14, 1972, at the height of the band’s initial wave of popularity. Then–Ravinia boss Edward Gordon described the aftermath of that concert “as if a B-52 had flown by and dropped a ton of garbage over the park.” It was a presidential election year and also the first time that 18-year-olds could vote. Campaign literature and but- tons were handed out, and there were voter registration booths. The group’s big hit from that summer was the activ- ist anthem “Dialogue” (which opened 1972 PHOTO: DAVE NAKAMURA JULY 29 – AUGUST 11, 2019 | RAVINIA MAGAZINE 11