Dwight Yoakam appears at The Shedd Wednesday, February 19, 7:30 pm in a special, small venue acoustic concert. Dwight Yoakam, the maverick California-based country singer with a shelf full of awards and numerous platinum and multi-platinum albums to his credit, has never been one to take the conventional route. Yoakam's musical instinct and approach have continually sharpened, attaining a consistence and clarity that is flat-out exhilarating.
As a writer is far from dry on the perennial subject every tunesmith endlessly confronts--the love song. His ability to present romance with entirely new perspective and understanding is extraordinary; he knows that the best country lyrics rarely depend on facile happiness and here, even with upbeat messages, he deftly applies layers of conflict--whether the song's protagonist is wary, cynical or elated, each experience is tempered with shadows of reality and an evident joy in the use of language itself, crafting a series of affecting and impressive tales. DWIGHT's unstoppable drive rates him as one of the most encouraging forces in his chosen field. His gift for updating and restructuring established forms into vibrant new styles only highlights both this singular performer's natural gift and the crucial role he plays in country music--not as mere tradition bearer, but as an aggressive artist whose ongoing career is one of the very few that's not just continually evolving but, more importantly, ascending to new heights.