Kenny Loggins live

Kenny Loggins
Ravinia Festival, Highland Park
Sunday, June 15, 2008

There are several components to the three-and-a-half-decade career of Kenny Loggins, some of which have stood the test of time better than others. His first taste of fame came under the Loggins And Messina heading, a folk/pop duo also starring Jim Messina (ex-Buffalo Springfield, Poco) who rode the charts in the early 1970s. Then there were the early solo hits that cast Loggins in the socially conscious singer-songwriter vein before fully achieving pop star status with smash soundtracks for Caddyshack, Footloose, and Top Gun.

Though under the radar during the past couple years, his vast history helped pack the pavilion of the always-inviting Ravinia Festival lawn. Of course, planning the concert on Father’s Day didn’t hurt his cause, though there were still plenty of reasons to celebrate beyond the holiday, even amid some glaring missteps. Loggins started out strong with the momentum building blue-eyed soul of “This Is It,” soft rock staple “Whenever I Call You ‘Friend,'” a jazzed up “Leap Of Faith,” and the new roots rocker “How About Now.”

He also sprinkled in several cuts from the Loggins And Messina catalog, which, besides gaining momentum from the relatively recent reunion, are also in the midst of comical cult resurgence via the “Yacht Rock” internet skits series. In any case, “Danny’s Song” was delivered with laidback comfort, while “Your Mama Don’t Dance” expanded into a bluesy jam session that highlighted his four-piece band.

Loggins flashed forward to his particularly profitable soundtrack era to deliver “I’m Alright,” but disappointedly turned it into an even sillier sing-along than the somewhat annoying original. On the other hand, the normally dated recording of “Danger Zone” found a face lift thanks to the singer’s revved up guitar grinding and a live percussion feel over the album’s electronic execution. The obligatory “Footloose” maintained a true-to-form take that may be nothing more than a novelty these days, but is still a guilty pleasure.

Unfortunately, some of the troubadour’s trite adult contemporary selections crept out of the bag as well, seeming soggy and clichéd in comparison. “The One That Got Away” (a bleeding heart track about divorced dads) couldn’t even be saved by surprise guest (and co-writer) Richard Marx. The oldie “House At Pooh Corner” served as the set’s runaway sleeper, while the power ballad “Forever” was livelier but retained cheesy keys circa 1985.

However, escalating “Conviction Of The Heart” turned out to be the evening’s most moving moment given its ecological centering and empowering advice to younger generations. Lines like “air that’s too angry to breathe/water our children can’t drink” were way ahead of the times when written nearly 20 years ago.

— Andy Argyrakis

Category: Live Reviews, Weekly