Dwight Yoakam at the Rialto Square Theatre
Dwight Yoakam | Tennessee Jet Rialto Square Theatre | Joliet, IL 60432 | August 22, 2021 Dwight Yoakam at the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL, 2021 After 533 days of no live music acts or performances, the Rialto Square Theatre reopened for the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic this past Sunday. A highly energized crowd of patient country fans anxiously anticipated Tennessee Jet and Dwight Yoakam to perform. A nearly sold-out performance had theater management and fans excited for the concert season to begin. The venue and those in attendance were welcomed with a remarkable performance. Tennessee Jet at the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL 2021 This was the first concert that I was given the opportunity to photograph. Concert photography is something that I have been long interested in. I was so happy to finally be given this opportunity. Yes, I was definitely excited and nervous. And, yes, I was anxious at the start of the concert because I have never photographed any events with this type of lighting before. The uncertainty was there, but I focused on making quality images. So, I made over 1,000 photographs, yes, over a thousand! Documenting live performances couples an understanding rhythm with one’s ability to anticipate key moments in the performances. Dwight Yoakam and company provided many opportunities. I feel most fortunate to have had the opportunity to photograph this iconic country music musician. Tennessee Jet at the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL, 2021 The opening act for Dwight Yoakam was an up-and-coming artist named Tennessee Jet from Oklahoma. Their music has an older country sound with a mix of bluegrass, rock, and blues. T.J. McFarland, the lead, has a voice that I feel is needed more in today’s country music genre to help bring back some of the older style country music. There was a sense of nostalgia in watching these young musicians churn out a healthy energy of tunes that primed the audience for the headliner. Dwight Yoakam at the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL, 2021 Dwight Yoakam, the headline performer, opened his show singing “Keep on the Sunny Side,” which is a cover from The Carter Family. He had his fans engaged and singing along throughout his performance. He closed out his set with one of his most well-known songs, “Fast as You.” This evening was a first for many, first event for the Rialto since the beginning of the pandemic, and the first concert where I was given a press pass to photograph the performance as a professional, not just a fan using her phone camera. I will forever cherish this experience and I can’t wait to see what other events I will get to cover in the future! Tennessee Jet at the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL, 2021 Dwight Yoakam at the Rialto Square Theatre, Joliet, IL, 2021 For additional information on Dwight Yoakam, Tennessee Jet, and the Rialto Square Theatre, please visit: Dwight Yoakam- https://www.dwightyoakam.com/ Tennessee Jet- https://tennesseejet.com/ Rialto Square Theatre- https://rialtosquare.com/ Photographs and writing by Jaclyn Duske
