Buddy Guy at the Rialto Square Theatre
Saturday, February 26, 2022 @ 7:30 p.m.
102 N. Chicago Street
Joliet, IL 60432
The Rialto Theatre welcomed blues legend Buddy Guy to the stage on Saturday, February 26th. I was very honored to have been able to attend the show and photograph someone as talented as Guy. I personally do not know much about blues but once I saw he was performing at the Rialto, I knew that was a show I wanted to photograph. Concert photography is a field that I am interested in pursuing after graduation. I would love to photograph as many different genres as I am able to so I can grow my skills.
Guy shared the stage with Ronnie Baker Brooks, who is a Chicago Blues and soul blues guitarist. Brooks sang many of his hits, such as “I Had My Chance,” “Satisfaction,” and “Doing Too Much.” He also sang a cover by Alexander O’Neal titled “Born in Chicago.” Brooks has a great stage presence, constantly moving around the stage and keeping the audience engaged. He performed many guitar solos, as well as coming off the stage into the crowd.
After Ronnie Baker Brook’s set, it was time for Buddy Guy to take the stage. He came out in one of his signature polka dot shirts and a big smile. During his first song of his set, one of his guitar strings broke on his guitar, and he gave the string to one of the fans in the front row. A crew member came out with a new guitar that was blue with polka dots, fitting with the polka dot theme. He performed many of his hits including “Damn Right, I’ve Got the Blues,” “Feels Like Rain,” and “Mustang Sally.” He performed many guitar solos, some of which included him playing on a table with a drumstick, on his shoulder, and even by rubbing it on his chest.
About halfway through the show, Guy came off into the audience with his guitar and continued to play up and down the rows around the theatre. During this time, I got to hold the door open for him when he was moving from one row to the next. Being so close to a blues legend was an absolute honor. Guy then performed a small guitar solo to me and a few ushers that were outside of the theatre doors. It was amazing to see him play up close. At the end of the show Guy brought out a special guest, his son Greg Guy. He performed alongside Buddy for the last few songs of his show. Buddy Guy is a legend in the blues world, and I am so honored to have been given the opportunity to photograph him. This experience allowed me to experiment with concert photography within a different genre of music that provided completely different stage setups, different lighting, and different stage movement. I am hopeful that I will be given the opportunity to photograph other genres of music in the future.
Additional links:
Buddy Guy – https://www.buddyguy.net/
Ronnie Baker Brooks – https://ronniebakerbrooks.com/
The Rialto Theatre – https://rialtosquare.com/
Additional photographs:
Photography and writing by Jaclyn Duske.
Jaclyn Duske studies in the Art & Design Department at USF. Her passion is photography, specifically that related to live music. In her spare time, she works with animal outreach and hangs with her pets!
