Trace Adkins comes back to Rialto stage
By Randall G. Mielke For Sun-Times Media July 12, 2012 3:50PM
Trace Adkins | AP
Trace Adkins
♦ 8 p.m. July 20
♦ Rialto Square Theatre, 102 N. Chicago St., Joliet
♦ Tickets, $30-$85
♦ (815) 726-6600
rialtosquare.com
The Rialto Square Theatre does not usually offer many shows during the summer months. “When the right artist comes along, we want to take advantage of it,” General Manager Randall Green said.
In this case, the artist is country music entertainer Trace Adkins. Adkins will perform on July 20 at the Rialto in Joliet.
Adkins’ debut album in 1996, “Dreamin’ Out Loud,” went platinum, and since that time he has released 10 studio albums, three greatest hits packages and 30 chart singles. Adkins’ 10th studio album, “Proud to Be Here,” released in 2011, features the hit, “Just Fishin.’” Other hits that Adkins has scored with over the years include: “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing,” “Then They Do,” “Hot Mama,” “Songs About Me,” “Honky Tonk Badonkadonk,” “Ladies Love Country Boys” and “You’re Gonna Miss This.”
Adkins was raised on country and Gospel music, and is a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Over the years he also has racked up four Grammy nominations.
Adkins has appeared in many TV shows, including “King of the Hill” and “My Name Is Earl.” He was a finalist on NBC-TV’s “The Celebrity Apprentice.” He has appeared in movies ranging from 2008’s “An American Carol” to 2011’s “The Lincoln Lawyer.” In addition, Adkins has written an autobiography entitled “A Personal Stand: Observations and Opinions from a Freethinking Roughneck,” which was released in 2007.
“I think his appeal is that he is still being viable for his fans,” Green said. “He is not just riding on his laurels. He has done TV. He’s an author. That broadens his appeal as a performer and his fans love it. It gives them more of an opportunity to connect with him.
“In the past, he has played the large arenas. Now he is doing more intimate venues,” Green continued. “It is a much more personal performance when he is not reaching out to 10,000 people, but more like 1,900, like at the Rialto.”
Adkins has a strong fan base in the Chicago area. He last played the Rialto to much success in 2001.
“It was time to have him back,” Green said. “We like to keep people coming back in to perform who are favorites for our audience. Even after 11 years, he’s still as much of a draw as he was then.”
