Blues great Keb’ Mo’, Shawn Colvin Rialto Square Theatre show rescheduled for March

Blues guitarist and singer Keb’ Mo’ and singer-songwriter Shawn Colvin will perform at downtown Joliet’s Rialto Square Theatre on Wednesday, March 19.

The show originally was scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 18, but had to be rescheduled due to a health concern with Keb’ Mo’, according to a news release from the theater.

“I’m taking an involuntary break for the rest of 2024 to recuperate and focus on my health,” Keb’ Mo’ said in the release. “As a result, the fall tour has been rescheduled for 2025, and all tickets will be honored for the new dates. I went in for shortness of breath thinking that I was having a lung problem, only to find out that it was my heart giving me trouble: a leaking valve. Due to the location of the leak, the fix was open-heart surgery. While this was a serious procedure, my prognosis is incredibly positive, and I’m doing well. Thank you for your support and good energy. Look after yourselves. See you in 2025.“

Keb’ Mo’ is touring to support his new album, “Good to Be.”

Written partially in Nashville and partially in the Compton house Keb’ Mo’ grew up in, the album is a celebration of roots and resilience, of growth and gratitude, of hope and memory. The songs draw on country, soul and blues to forge a sound that transcends genre and geography, weaving together past and present into a heartwarming tapestry spanning more than 40 years of sonic evolution.

Although Keb’ Mo’ worked with a wide variety of collaborators on the project – country legend Vince Gill produced three tracks, while famed producer Tom Hambridge (B.B. King, Buddy Guy) helmed several more, and special guests such as Darius Rucker, Kristin Chenoweth and Old Crow Medicine Show appear throughout – it remains a deeply cohesive work, one anchored by the five-time Grammy winner’s magnetic vocal delivery and relentless optimism, according to the release.

“I believe that music has the power to heal,” Keb’ Mo’ said in the release. “And I wanted this album to make people feel good. I wanted it to bring joy and make them maybe think about where they come from and the journeys that brought them to where they are.”

Colvin’s 1989 debut album “Steady On” netted her a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album, establishing herself as a mainstay in the singer-songwriter genre. In the ensuing 30 years, Colvin has won three additional Grammy Awards, released 13 superlative albums, written a critically acclaimed memoir, maintained a nonstop national and international touring schedule, appeared on countless TV and radio programs, had her songs featured in major motion pictures and created a remarkable canon of work, according to the release.

Colvin’s Top 10 hit “Sunny Came Home” won both Record and Song of the Year in 1998.

Colvin was recognized for her career accomplishments when she was honored with the 2016 Lifetime Achievement Trailblazer Award by the Americana Music Association. She was honored with an induction into the 2019 Austin City Limits Hall of Fame alongside legendary artists Lyle Lovett and Buddy Guy. In a moving induction speech, Jackson Browne praised her as “ineffable.”

“Not many writers are able to do what Shawn does. It’s a very special way of relating what really matters. It takes an original to get our attention. Shawn is utterly original in her singing, and original in what she speaks about in her songs,” he said in the speech.

For more information regarding all the rescheduled tour dates, including Joliet, visit kebmo.com or shawncolvinmusic.com.