Sat 3/7 @ 8PM
There’s never really been a time when country traditionalist Dwight Yoakam fit into the mainstream country scene. The Columbus resident dropped out of The Ohio State University to move to Nashville in the late ’70s but, finding it unfriendly, headed to Los Angeles where he was attracted to the Bakersfield sound of performers like Buck Owens and to the nascent punk-influenced alternative country scene. By the time he released his first album Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc. Etc. in 1986, a brief window of opportunity had opened for atypical country performers (other distinctive artists such as Lyle Lovett and kd lang also snuck through this window) and he attracted some attention, and a fan base that has persisted, although it’s usually not the mainstream country audience, especially today. Despite that he’s racked up 15 Grammy nominations and three wins, the latest shifting him to Artist of the Year winner 2013 in the Americana, not the country category, which says more about the state of country music than about Yoakam. His latest album Second Hand Heart is just out, and he’ll be performing at the Hard Rock Rocksino for a full evening with no opening act. Tickets are $50-$75. dwightyoakam.com/