Bonnie Raitt
with Roy Rogers
Riverwind Casino Showplace Theatre, Norman, Oklahoma • March 15, 2025
by Christopher Long
Despite a random last-minute ticket availability situation, it was a concert that otherwise had been sold out for weeks — and understandably so. While it’s an oft-used and (sometimes) abused term, in the case of Bonnie Raitt, it actually applies: she truly is an “icon,” an American music treasure. Located just outside of Oklahoma City, the fabulous 1,500-seat Riverwind Casino Showplace Theatre proved to be the perfect venue to host an artist of her uncompromised stature and impeccable 50+ year legacy.
Show #6 on Raitt’s exhaustive 60+ city international Live 2025 concert tour kicked off with opening act, Roy Rogers, hitting the stage promptly at 8 pm. An engaging and entertaining one-man blues force, the celebrated slide guitar slinger, singer-songwriter, and record producer delivered a concise half-hour set consisting of original material, as well as covers by the likes of Robert Johnson and Chuck Berry. Along the way, Rogers dedicated the song “Down Home Girl” to “my dear friend, Bonnie.”
Following Rogers’ performance, a tightly-managed 30-minute stage switch-out ensued. And by 9 pm sharp, the multi-award-winning headliner was ready to rock, or roll, depending on one’s particular POV.
Beaming with the heartfelt gratitude and genuine love that she would project throughout her 90-minute set, Raitt stepped up to the mic in short order and announced, “I’m so glad to be back in Oklahoma! Thank you so much!”
Raitt came out swinging, landing a stinging triple punch comprised of the gritty blues rocker “Split Decision,” the sassy “Time of Our Lives,” and the high-octane “Thing Called Love.” Raitt would bring the predominately “seasoned” crowd to its collective feet numerous times, as she continued carving a career-spanning set list from her impressive 18-record studio catalog — a satisfying mish-mash of upper crust and deep cuts. “At this age, it’s nice to stretch out once in a while,” Raitt laughed, adding that after four years of touring in support of her latest LP, Just Like That, she wanted to pull out some songs that she wanted to play.
A pre-recorded message came over the house P.A. several times prior to Raitt taking the stage, encouraging the audience to respect the artist by refraining from using their cell phones during the performance and to simply live in and enjoy the moment. The well-intended pre-show shaming proved effective — there were no visible electronics-related distractions for more than an hour and a half. A “seasoned” concert crowd is equipped to handle that kind of thing.
Celebrating her 54th year on the road, Raitt joked, “Behind every successful woman is a killer band.” And as an ever-humble and gracious pilot, Raitt afforded her band members, guitarist Duke Levine, bassist Hutch Hutchinson, drummer Ricky Fataar, and keyboardist Glenn Patscha, ample space to roam about the cabin, particularly on the gospel-glossed “Hear Me Lord.” Attention passengers, the captain has turned off the “fasten seatbelts” lights.
Raitt reflected fondly on a myriad of personal life experiences, including her collaborations with other legendary artists, as well as offering insights regarding her own songs. She described “Just Like That” as being “a song about redemption,” confessing, “I don’t write a lot of songs. But every once in a while, I get inspired to say something that I’ve not heard from someone else.”
While Raitt’s chart-busting 1991 hit “Something to Talk About” met with a thunderous response, it was her much-loved version of the John Prine classic, “Angel From Montgomery,” that really brought the house down. Another magical moment was when Raitt switched over to the keyboards for a moving rendition of the title track from her Grammy-winning 1989 album, Nick of Time.
Concluding the regular 13-song set with a beautiful remake of the Annie Lennox-penned “Little Bird,” Raitt and band returned for a rousing four-song encore that kicked off with Raitt seated center-stage for the fan fave heartache ballad “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and wrapping with a sizzling “slidefest” featuring Raitt and show opener and longtime friend, Roy Rogers.
For more than five decades, Bonnie Raitt has created consistent, quality, boundary-free “world music” — rock, pop, jazz, blues, and country — all kissed with a measure of gospel. Recently, I commented to a colleague that age 75, Raitt resides at the top of her game. Of course (like always), my observation was spot-on. Just Like That has as much to say as her 1971 self-titled debut. And as proven onstage in Oklahoma, her blues-inspired guitar chops remain razor-sharp. Her honey-soaked voice — a bit raspier, a little lower, and sexy as ever. In fact, a reasonable question would be, “What will popular music lose if, or when Bonnie Raitt hangs up her capo?” The answer, “Everything.” ◼
Bonnie Raitt Set List (3.15.25)
01. Split Decision
02. Time of Our Lives
03. Thing Called Love
04. Your Good Thing is About to End
05. Hear Me Lord
06. Women Be Wise
07. Just Like That
08. Something to Talk About
09. Love Letter
10. Nick of Time
11. Angel From Montgomery
12. Livin’ for the Ones
13. Little Bird
ENCORE
01. I Can’t Make You Love Me
02. Dimming of the Day
03. Gnawin’ on It
04. Never Make a Move Too Soon
