SLCene Suggests: Dwight Yoakam at Red Butte Garden

DWIGHT YOAKAM, RED BUTTE GARDEN, Thursday, July 25, 7 p.m., $47

Considering the morass of sterile, hit-driven crap that’s passed for far too much of modern “country” music for the past 25-plus years, the success of Dwight Yoakam is enough to make you hold out hope that all is not lost. A traditionalist with some genuine rock ‘n’ roll edge from the very beginning of his career, Yoakam has managed to forge an incredibly successful career without ever seeming to take the easy route or go for an easy buck. The man has sold more than 25 million albums since the release of his now-legendary 1986 debut, Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc., and released consistently strong records right from the start. His latest, 3 Pears, holds up great alongside older favorites, once again incorporating American pop and rock along with his retro-fied country. Don’t be late to this show either–locals the Hollering Pines are an ideal appetizer for the roots-music hero headlining.