Ravinia 2024 Issue 5

FITZ AND THE TANTRUMS Combining crisp indie pop with neo-soul, straddling the dual inspiration of classic Mo- town and Stax sounds, and a whole lot of dance- floor-ready bounce, Fitz and the Tantrums quickly gelled as a group after college friends vocalist Michael Fitzpatrick and saxophonist James King brought together vocalist Noelle Scaggs, bassist Joseph Karnes, and keyboardist Jeremy Ruzumna with a half-dozen phone calls and one rehearsal in 2008. The Los Angeles col- lective recorded its first EP, Songs for a Breakup, Vol. 1 , early the following year and soon shot the music video for their first single, “Breakin’ the Chains of Love.” Following an appearance at South by Southwest in early 2010, Fitz and the Tantrums created their debut full-length album, Pickin’ Up the Pieces . Over the next year and a half, the group hit the late-night show circuit with “Moneygrabber,” propelling the track to be their first gold-selling single. In 2013, Fitz and the Tantrums debuted on Elektra Records with their sophomore LP, More than Just a Dream , which topped Billboard ’s Heatseekers chart and featured the rock-radio-hit platinum singles “The Walker” and “Out of My League.” Follow- ing a two-year touring odyssey with Dream , the band re-entered the recording studio with songwriting and production collaborators such as Sam Hollander (Panic! at the Disco), Ricky Reed (Twenty-One Pilots), Jesse Shatkin (Sia), and Joel Little (Lorde) to craft their best-selling album to date—the 2016 self-titled collection that featured the multi-platinum Top 40 smash hit “HandClap.” After 2019’s All the Feels , Fitz and the Tantrums’ most recent album is 2022’s Let Yourself Free , featuring the singles “Sway” and “Moneymaker.” The band closed 2023 with their Perfect Holiday EP of original songs. In addition to tallying just shy of 4 billion streams and counting, their music has notably coursed through several film soundtracks and main- stream brand campaigns, as well as across the stages of The Forum, Red Rocks, Coachella, Bonnaroo, and more of the world’s most iconic venues. Fitz and the Tantrums are making their first return to Ravinia since their 2017 debut. PAVILION 7:30 PM SATURDAY, AUGUST 24, 2024 HIP-HOP IS THE LOVE OF MY LIFE TOUR THE ROOTS with special guests DIGABLE PLANETS † and ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT † Arrested Development –Intermission– Digable Planets –Intermission– The Roots † Ravinia debut HEAVY lifting to us. Leave the Wintrust chair & table RENTAL RESERVE LAWN chairs and tables when you order tickets by clicking “ADD-ON items.” Wintrust Chair and Table Rental, managed by the Ravinia Women’s Board and operated by The Festival Shop, benefits Ravinia and its Reach Teach Play education programs. RAVINIA.ORG RAVINIAMAGAZINE • AUGUST 19 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2024 68