10 Dec The Oak Ridge Boys Return to the Rialto with American Made: Farewell Tour
American Made: Farewell Tour
The Oak Ridge Boys
Rialto Square Theatre
Joliet, IL
Thursday, December 5th, 2024 at 7:30pm
Fans of all ages gathered for a night of classic country and Christmas music at the Rialto Square Theatre. With the theatre decorated for the holidays, the cheerfulness of the crowd could be felt throughout the whole show.
As the show was preparing to start, each member was announced, including Duane Allen, Richard Sterban, William Lee Golden, and Ben James. Time was spent honoring Joe Bonsall, who left the group in January of this year due to physical limitations and later passed away in July. The Oak Ridge Boys were thrilled to have Ben James join their group so they could continue their tour and honor Bonsall’s legacy.
The Oak Ridge Boys are an American gospel and country vocal quartet, founded in 1943 as The Oak Ridge Quartet. They began their career as a gospel group, until the mid- 1970’s when they changed their focus to country music. Over the years, the group’s band members have changed, but the fans have stayed true to The Oak Ridge Boys. They have received 22 awards during their career, as well as being inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame and the Country Music Hall of Fame. They also received the highest honor in country music when they were invited to become members of the Grand Ole Opry, being inducted in 2011.
The crowd cheered as The Oak Ridge Boys took the stage to kick off their show with “Y’all Come Back Soon.” They sang many of their hit songs including “American Made,” “Elvira,” and a song off of their new album “Come On Home.” The Oak Ridge Boys set the mood for the evening by presenting the audience a stage set with rocking chairs around a fireplace along with trees and windows in the background, making the audience feel they are in a home with group. After performing a few of their hit songs, the group began to sing a variety of Christmas songs, including “Let it Snow,” “Blue Christmas,” and “Silent Night.” The Oak Ridge Boys performed many of their own original Christmas songs: “Thank God for Kids,” “Down Home Christmas,” and “Jesus is Born Today.” About halfway through their set, the group sat in the rocking chairs by the fire and continued with the concert, while taking breaks between songs to share stories with the audience about their lives and experiences past and present.
During a vast majority of the performance, the front of house lights were on to highlight the fans so The Oak Ridge Boys could see how engaged the crowd was as they crowd sang along to the songs the group was performing. Every member of the group sang a Christmas song solo, entertaining the audience with their unique talent. As the newest member, Ben James performed his solo of “The First Noel” and was stunned to receive a standing ovation from the crowd, as well as his group members.
As the show was coming to a close, The Oak Ridge Boys performed “Joy to the World” with the entire audience on their feet cheering them along. The Oak Ridge Boys had the crowd feeling the Christmas spirit from start to finish. This group was able to connect with fans of all ages and bring them together for an unforgettable night of music.
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