Grammy Winner, Icon Bonnie Raitt Thrills Audience At The Levitt Pavilion
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
The Levitt Pavilion had sought to bring iconic recording artist Bonnie Raitt to the Epstein Stage for many years and her performance on August 9, 2026 was the happy result of those efforts and as expected, was more than worth the wait. As expected, tickets for the concert which was part of the Levitt Pavilion's annual gala program sold out quickly and the packed house of close to 2000 attendees got exactly the memorable performance from this 14-time Grammy Award winning singer, songwriter and guitarist extraordinaire they were expecting.
Few recording artists can boast the resumé that Bonnie Raitt has compiled during her stellar, 55 year career which began in the 60's plains coffeehouses and clubs while attending Radcliffe College, at that time, the women's college associated Harvard University. Her remarkable talent has been proven to be outstanding in multiple genres, including her deep roots in traditional blues. Bonnie Raitt is widely considered one of the absolute best slide guitar players in blues and rock history. Icons like B.B. King famously called her the “best damn slide player working today”, praising her fluid tone, vocal-like phrasing, and deep emotional feel. Raitt has achieved success and is widely recognized as a top musical artist in both rock, pop, R&B and in her early career, folk genres.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
The audience was delighted when Raitt performed some of her longtime fans' favorites including "Three Time Loser" from one of her early best selling albums, "Sweet Forgiveness", released in 1977. Fans instantly recognized the opening of "Something To Talk About" from "Luck Of The Draw", one of her biggest hits which reached #5 on the US Billboard Hot 100 list winning her another Grammy in 1992 and which brought the crowd to their feet again.
Her cover of the INXS song, "Need You Tonight" was followed by one of her most beloved songs, "Nick Of Time", from her eponymous, epic 10th studio album which earned her not only THREE Grammy's including Album Of The Year, but notched her first number-one album on the Billboard 200 in 1989, selling more than 5 million copies.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
Bonnie performed the hauntingly beautiful "Angel From Montgomery", which appears on "Streetlights", a song written by John Prine whom Raitt loved and deeply admired, remarking that she did not perform Prine's music for some time after he passed in 2020 from COVID complications. "Angel" has been called an American Roots standard and Prine, after hearing Raitt's cover was heard to remark that that he felt the song was written just for her. The two performed together frequently over the years and upon his passing Raitt performed the song as a poignant tribute to Prine at the 62nd Grammy Awards.
Her encore also included a cover of the major Talking Heads hit, "Burning Down The House" Her final song, "Dimming Of The Day" was performed on her 1994 studio album "Longing In Their Hearts". The track featured guest acoustic guitar and background contributions from the song's writer, Richard Thompson.
Nearly 2,000 ticket holders stream into the Levitt seating area as showtime nears.
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Bonnie Raitt takes the stage to the thunderous applause of the audience, many of whom are longtime fans.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
Audience members include, clockwise: Shelly Kahan, CEO of Interstate Premier Building Products and wife Joanne, Roger Leifer, Leifer Properties, both longtime Levitt Pavilion sponsors, artists MIggs Burroughs and Kathrine Ross, and Nancy Axthelm, Christine and Jim Corgel.
Above, the Plotkin family, Fred, Janet and Amanda, supporters for whom the Plotkin Family Terrace was dedicated, the Siegel family and friends, Beth and Russ Berkowitz, Evita Allen and friend, Abby Siegel (in black), Peter and Alyson Angus, Beth Berkowitz, and Carleigh Welsh, unknown couple with Shelly Kahan, CEO of Interstate Premier Building Products and wife Joanne, Dan Woog, Jim and Lisa Farnen.
The Annie Lenox song, "Little Bird" was another cover she performed near the end of her set which inspired another "Standing O" as she left the stage. The eagerly anticipated encore brought yet another with the audience welcoming her as she began "I Can't Make You Love Me", also from "Luck Of The Draw" is one of her fans most loved songs and became one of her most successful singles, achieving a Billboard Hot 100 top-twenty spot and a top-ten on their Adult Contemporary chart. There was yet another accolade, In August 2000, Mojo magazine voted "I Can't Make You Love Me" the eighth best track on its "The 100 Greatest Songs of All Time" list.
Her encore also included a cover of the major Talking Heads hit, "Burning Down The House" Her final song, "Dimming Of The Day" was performed on her 1994 studio album "Longing In Their Hearts". The track featured guest acoustic guitar and background contributions from the song's writer, Richard Thompson.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
For more than 50 years, Westport’s Levitt Pavilion has been a premier music and entertainment venue in Fairfield county. The Levitt Pavilion Gala & Concert is made possible by lead underwriting from the Arthur and Claudia Cohen Family; the Gala cocktail party which was a prelude to this incredible performance is supported annually by Roz & Bud Siegel. The proceeds from the Gala help support the Levitt Pavilion’s signature free programming. Each season includes over 50 shows presented free-of-charge as well as diverse programming, from May into October.
Photos And Story By J.C. Martin For WestportLocalPress.com Click on an image to enlarge.
The Levitt Pavilion remains an independent and unique not-for-profit organization established by the Westport community in 1973. Now in its 52nd season, the organization continues to light up the iconic intimate amphitheater it built as its home with ambitious programming and dynamic community outreach.
For information about the Levitt Pavilion, visit www.levittpavilion.com