Rapid City, SD – Following an engaging performance from South Dakota-born, Nashville-based artist Julie Eddy and her band, Tanya Tucker closed out the 2025 Central States Fair as the last performer for this year’s Black Hills Energy concert series. Tanya Tucker was accompanied by a number of band members including her oldest daughter, Presley, on backing vocals.
The performance started off strong and continued with a heavy-hitter setlist consisting of classics such as “Strong Enough to Bend,” “Texas (When I Die),” and “Love Me Like You Used To.” Tucker also included the audience in a vulnerable moment, noting that she wasn’t sure she was “going to make it tonight” due to illness. Though there were several moments she seemed to need to take a moment to sit down and rest on her aptly decorated saddle seat, the energy throughout the performance remained consistent and tinged with appreciative emotion, often thanking the audience for their support and attendance.
Some of the standout moments of Tanya Tucker’s performance included her storytelling, laid-back demeanor and nostalgia as she recounted her time working with Brandi Carlile and earning several Grammy nominations. From this era, Tucker performed “Kindness,” “When the Rodeo is Over (Where Does the Cowboy Go?),” “While I’m Livin’” and “Bring My Flowers Now,” among others.
The final moment of Tucker’s Saturday evening performance was an emotionally charged rendition of her long-standing hit, “Delta Dawn.” As the band played the first few notes of the iconic harmony, Tucker noted that this song had been “particularly good to [her] for the last 53 years.” Though there was no encore performance, likely due to her illness, Tanya Tucker left an entire arena with nostalgia and old-school country music magic that resonated with longtime fans and first time listeners alike.