Gov.-Elect Bruce Rauner announced Monday Toby Keith will headline his Jan. 12 inaugural concert at Prairie Capital Convention Center.
The Boat Drink Caucus, made up of Reps. Chad Hays, Mike Tryon and Sen. Don Harmon, will kick off the show with legendary blues singer Buddy Guy set to bring it to a close after Keith takes the stage.
This isn’t the first time the country music superstar has been vocal on his political passion. One of his biggest hits, 2002's “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue (The Angry American)" became an anthem for patriotism and faith following the Sept. 11 attacks.
Keith, a long-time democrat, openly re-registered himself as an independent in 2008.
“It’s strictly [because] my party, that I’ve been affiliated with all these years, doesn’t stand for anything that I stand for anymore,” he told CMT. “They’ve lost any sensibility that they had, and they’ve allowed all the kooks in.”
Rauner will throw an $1,000-per-plate dinner reception at the Capitol on the Sunday night preceding his 11 a.m. Monday inauguration ceremony at the Convention Center.
After Rauner formally assumes his new job as CEO-in-Chief of Illinois, the concert will begin at 8:30 p.m. and go until 12 a.m. at the venue with tickets going for $125 a pop.
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Admission includes food and beverages. Seats will be filled on a first-come, first-serve basis.
And after the party there's an after-party: Sponsors contributing $10K and $25K will get access to a post-Sunday dinner schmoozefest as well as another private to-do following the inauguration, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Tickets to the inaugural events can be purchased at the link.
