Results tagged “ravinia”

• Mayor Daley has promised he'll look into reports that as many as one in five CPS teachers change grades.
• Cellist Phillip Blum, "the longest-serving member of the CSO," has passed away.
• WBEZ has an excellent report on the large amounts of money residents of the South Side spend outside of their communities each year and the lengths some are going to to change that trend.

This Saturday at Ravinia, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra will perform two of Dmitri Shostakovich's most famous works, the Symphony No. 5 in D Minor and the Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor. The programming of these two pieces should satisfy Shostakovich fans, but it'll also serve as a concise introduction to two sides of the Russian great's music.

Which Herbie Hancock do you prefer? The post-bopper from the revolutionary rhythm section of Miles Davis's 1960s quintet? The tripped-out, funky Head Hunters band leader? And how can you say no to "Rockit"?

Goran Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra bring their raucous live show back to Chicago for a performance at Ravinia this Sunday at 7:00 p.m.

In the battle of outdoor music venues, Millennium Park holds a commanding lead: it's free, the overhead weave of speakers ensures even sound throughout the lawn area, and the sightlines are good. It's on this last point that Ravinia was particularly lacking. We've spent more than one cabernet-addled evening facing the wrong direction or immersed in shrubs, having given up on trying to be involved with the performance.

Believe it or not, in a few months it's going to be warm enough to stuff your backpack full of food and drink and Metra it up to Ravinia for a music-filled suburban vacation.

An Arlington Heights man needed 15 stitches after a brawl at Ravinia last weekend.

Since its release last October Raising Sand, the critically lauded collaboration of former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant and high priestess of bluegrass Allison Krauss, has become something of a phenomenon. Working in tandem with producer T Bone Burnett, who picked and arranged the songs, Raising Sand is a joy to the ears. Its emphasis on blues, country and old R&B is reminiscent of Bob Dylan's records of the past twenty years, while Burnett's production at times evokes the ethereal moods of Emmylou Harris' Wrecking Ball or Willie Nelson's Teatro.

As if you needed reminding, it's Tax Day, one of the more stressful times of the year, especially with the economy in the toilet. But maybe you're lucky enough to get a half-decent refund from the Federal Government this year and feel like treating yourself to something nice.

The mercury has cracked 50 degrees on consecutive days this week and that's had us thinking about Spring around here. We know, it's supposed to get cold again next week, but we can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It's time to start planning our summer excursions. Sure, Lollapalooza and the Pitchfork Music Fest made big headlines recently, but Ravinia's 2008 schedule was also released this week, meaning we can start incorporating trips to Highland Park into our plans.