Las Vegas Mixtape v39: Supersonic Honky Tonkin,’ West African Eats, and New Downtown Funhouse

Track #1: Dwight Yoakam @The Theater at Virgin Hotels

Dwight Yoakam was alternately pensive and rocking in a career-spanning show. (Image: Vegas 411)

No one else “strides the divide between rock’s lust and country’s lament” like Dwight Yoakam, to quote what Vanity Fair once wrote about this and legendary-and-still-vital artist’s work. At his recent show at The Theater at Virgin Hotels, Dwight seamlessly moved from high-octane rockers like “Fast As You” and “Little Sister” to movingly introspective country stunners including “A Thousand Miles From Nowhere” and “The Heart That You Own.” The latter song especially underlines the eloquence Dwight brought to country songwriting with evocative lyrics like “I pay rent on a run-down place/There ain’t no view but there’s lots of space/In my heart, the heart that you own.”

As a singer and songwriter (who released his debut album in 1986), Dwight hasn’t run out of gas, as two new songs he performed from his 2024 “Brighter Days” album—the romantically aching “I’ll Pay The Price” and “I Don’t Know How To Say Goodbye”—easily proved.

Sparks were flying all night long between Dwight and his lead guitarist Eugene Edwards. (Image: Vegas 411)

Dwight’s voice remains rich, deep, and appealingly nasal, with a mournful quality that has always reminded me of Jackson Browne. As a guitarist, Dwight doesn’t get enough credit for his driving acoustic strumming (think “Wake Up Little Susie” by the Everly Brothers); it’s a key element in his overall sound. Throughout the show, Dwight’s band was sizzling—and reliably loud, with the kind of celebratory volume associated with rock shows. Longtime guitarist Eugene Edwards’ runs were the very definition of supersonic honky-tonk music.

Ultimately, the show was a glorious ride through the “Streets of Bakersfield,” to cite Dwight’s iconic 1988 duet with country pioneer Buck Owens. Dwight’s artistic contributions as a recording artist and live performer still tower high above many contemporary country artists. He was never one to play it safe.