Brett Eldredge
Dylan Scott
Gabby Barrett
And more
Taste of Joliet
Joliet, IL
Saturday June 21, 2025 at 3pm
As the gates opened on a sweltering summer afternoon at Joliet Memorial Field, fans entered ready for a great night of country music. The lineup for the day featured Brett Eldredge, Dylan Scott, Gabby Barrett, Sparks Fly, and Will Carter.
Both Will Carter and Sparks Fly brought in quite a crowd. Will Carter, who is a young musician from Joliet, entertained fans and elevated their excitement for a day of live country music. Next up was Sparks Fly, a Taylor Swift cover band, who had everyone singing and dancing to each song. Carter and Sparks fly brought a level of energy that got the crowd warmed up for the upcoming night of acts.
As the audience made their way back towards the stage, it was time for Gabby Barrett to perform. Barrett started her career out on the sixteenth season of American Idol, where she finished in third place. Her debut single “I Hope” reached number one on the US Country Airplay Charts. Barrett’s debut album Goldmine was later released in 2020 and peaked at number four on the US Country Charts. From the start of her career in 2018, Barrett has won 9 various Country Music Awards and has opened for artists such as Toby Keith, Thomas Rhett, and Jason Aldean. Barrett maneuvered the stage well and made sure to connect with as much of the audience as she could. A few of the songs that were performed were “The Good Ones,” “Glory Days,” and “Pick Me Up.” Barrett also sang many covers from other artists, including “Somebody Like You” by Keith Urban, “Livin’ On A Prayer” by Bon Jovi, and “Don’t Stop Believing” by Journey. The crowd was dancing and singing along with Barrett during her whole set. For her final song of the evening, Barrett sang her number one hit “I Hope,” which had the crowd screaming along.
Next up for the night was Dylan Scott, who started his music career back in 2013. His first number one single came three years later in 2016 with his song titled “My Girl,” which was written about his high school sweetheart and now wife, Blaire Robinson. Scott released his debut self-titled album in the fall of 2016, where it reached number five on the Top Country Albums chart. His most recent single to hit number one on the US Country Airplay chart is “This Town’s Been Too Good to Us,” which was released in 2024. As the band started emerging from the sides of the stage, fans began to cheer, awaiting Scott’s appearance. Scott’s electric energy on stage could be felt through the crowd the moment he stepped onto the stage. He spent time maneuvering all aspects of the stage, having fun with the crowd and his band. “Hooked,” “New Truck,” and “Can’t Have Mine” are just a few of his singles that he performed, as well as his new duet with Dylan Marlow “Boys Back Home.” During his performance of “Boys Back Home,” Scott had his baseball cap taken away by his smoke machine, which he played off with ease. After the song, he made jokes about the smoke machines attacking him and continued to make lighthearted comments about it throughout the show.
About halfway through Scott’s set, he sat down with the crowd and talked more about himself and his life growing up. He met his wife when he was 15 years old and explained they were high school sweethearts. While he loves performing onstage and entertaining crowds with his music, Scott stated that he wants to be remembered not just for his music, but for the type of person that he is. It is very important to him that the fans get to see the type of person he is when he isn’t performing for a crowd. Later, Scott threw back to some older country classics, such as “I Like It, I Love It” by Tim McGraw, “Fishin’ in the Dark” by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and “Check Yes or No” by George Strait. He closed out his country throwbacks with a cover from his biggest idol, Keith Whitley, by singing “When You Say Nothing at All.” Scott closed out his set with his first number one hit “My Girl” and had the crowd even more excited for the headliner of the night.
Screams erupted when the lights dimmed and the music started playing, signaling that it was time for Brett Eldredge to take the stage. Eldredge was born and raised in Paris, IL with his older brother Brice. His career started in 2010, where he signed with Atlantic Records and released his debut album Bring You Back in 2013. Three songs from his debut album reached number one, including “Don’t Ya,” “Beat of the Music,” and “Mean to Me.” Eldredge has released 8 studio albums and has become known for his Christmas music. He has been deemed the nickname “Mr. Christmas,” which also happens to be the name of his first Christmas album. This is the first show Eldredge has performed in 2025 and happens to be one of three shows he will be performing. Eldredge opened the show playing his guitar and having fun with the crowd. While Eldredge has a relaxed demeanor, he made sure to interact with the audience and cover all aspects of the stage. “Good Day,” “Songs About You,” “Love Someone,” and “Gorgeous” were just a few of the newer songs that Eldredge performed along with his hit songs “Don’t Ya” and “Lose My Mind.” The crowd roared to life when Eldredge started performing his song “Illinois,” which was written about the love he has for his home state.
Later in the set, Eldredge shared that he remembers playing Taste of Joliet back in 2014, when he was an up-and-coming artist. At that time, he played earlier in the day and had no idea what the road ahead led for him. Now, 11 years later, Eldredge got the honor of coming back and headlining the event in his home state. Eldredge came down from the stage to interact with a young fan that was up along the side of the barricade. He came down to talk with her for a bit and proceeded to take a picture with her. Eldredge also took many other pictures with the fans as well before closing out his set for the night with “Beat of the Music.”
While the day was humid and hot as temperatures sat around 98 degrees, fans still gathered and may have set a record-breaking night for a single-day attendance record for the Taste of Joliet. Fans persevered through the night and enjoyed an amazing lineup of country music artists.
For additional information on these artists and events in Joliet, please visit:
Brett Eldredge- https://bretteldredge.com
Dylan Scott- https://dylanscottcountry.com
Gabby Barrett- https://www.gabbybarrett.com
Sparks Fly- https://tswiftexperience.com
Will Carter- https://www.facebook.com/p/Will-Carter-Music-100082362745733/
Joliet Park District- https://jolietpark.org
Additional Images:
Photographs and writing by Jaclyn Duske