Joy Oladokun brought double the pleasure to a sold-out Thalia Hall in Chicago on the second night of her Blackbird Tour.
It was a pleasant surprise for a number of people when they were awaiting the opening act of the evening to take the stage, and out walked Joy Oladokun. This tour sees Oladokun take on the dual role of opener and headliner, meaning there was no shadow of a doubt that the entire sold-out crowd was, in fact, there to see her. The opening 30-minute set was the acoustic solo portion of the evening, with Joy single-handedly performing with her trusty guitar. This first set of the evening had a very intimate feel to it, despite the ample-sized crowd that had already gathered.
The acoustic set comprised of five songs, and within seconds of her taking to the stage, she had the crowd captivated. In between the songs she would give anecdotes including how she sits down before each show to compile her setlist, but that this one was mainly made up of question marks. Regardless, it still felt very well put together. She opened with “The Hard Way” and “STRONG ONES,” before performing a cover of Elton John’s “Rocket Man” which was the first cover of the evening. “Questions, Chaos, and Faith” from her most recent release, Confessions from a Crowded Room, captured everyone’s attention and had a nod to Taylor Swift added on at the end.
Joy is making a big name for herself in a very short space of time. She’s toured with the likes of John Mayer, Hozier, Leon Bridges, Maren Morris, Noah Kahan, and Jason Isbell. You have to have some serious talent to be asked to open for the likes of these artists. Not only that, but she also collaborated with Isbel, Morris, and Kahan as well as Chris Stapleton and Brandi Carlile.With Thalia Hall filled to capacity, it was time for the full band set. Adding the band gave the evening a completely different feel. They kicked off the main set with “AM I?” which had people swaying and dancing in the crowd. This was followed by “Taking Things for Granted” which was accompanied by the audience singing along. Where the acoustic set felt like a singer-songwriter performance, the electric set had strong, energetic pop vibes, showcasing the range and diversity in her abilities. Oladokun hasn’t been on the scene for a huge amount of time, with her breakthrough album hitting the shelves in 2020. However, she impressively managed to entertain the crowd with two different sets. Some artists who have been around for longer would struggle to do that. It just goes to show how many great songs she has packed into her accumulating albums.
Mark our words when we say you will hear a lot more from Joy Oladokun. She has achieved so much in such a short space of time, which is a testament to her songwriting and performing skills. The raw honesty in her lyrics, her captivating voice, and her chops on the guitar are truly impressive. She is definitely going places.
The Blackbird Tour has only just begun and runs through until the end of March, so here is your cue to go buy your tickets now before more dates sell out.
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