Dwight Yoakam is clearly glad to be back on stage, a sentiment he made very clear during his show at Humphrey's by the Bay Sunday night (November 7th).
The long, empty days that we all saw during lockdown led to a lot of reflection for the singer-songwriter, who shared many of the inspirations and little-known details about certain lyrics, memories brought back to the surface during the slower pace brought by the pandemic, and also realizations of the premonitions of some of his music, like "I Got You," and how that foreshadowed his current state of mind, becoming a first-time dad during the pandemic. He also earned a laugh from the audience while recounting the surprising answer Willie Nelson gave when he asked him what his favorite Merle Haggard song is: "Okie from Muskogee."
His set reflected his unique brand of California Country, influenced by the likes of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, but the third act of his set saw him delivering a non-stop selection of fan favorites, which had the crowd on their feet, loving it.
Setlist:
1. Keep on the Sunny Side (Carter Family cover)
2. Please, Please Baby
3. Little Sister
4. Streets of Bakersfield (Buck Owens cover)
5. Tonight the Bottle Let Me Down (Merle Haggard cover)
6. Swinging Doors (Merle Haggard cover)
7. Up Against the Wall Redneck Mother (Ray Wylie Hubbard cover)
8. Okie from Muskogee (Merle Haggard cover)
9. I Got You
10. I'll Be Gone
11. Blame the Vain
12. You're the One
13. Turn It On, Turn It Up, Turn Me Loose
14. I'm a Honky Tonk Man
15. A Thousand Miles from Nowhere
16. It Only Hurts Me When I Cry
17. Little Ways
18. Guitars, Cadillacs
19. Fast as You
20. Suspicious Minds (Elvis Presley cover)