Ruthie Foster – City Winery, Chicago, Oct. 23, 2026
By Robin Zimmerman
Photos: Dianne Bruce Dunklau
Ruthie Foster/ photo: Dianne Bruce Dunklau
Ruthie Foster at City Winery, Chicago
October 23, 2026
By Robin Zimmerman
Before Ruthie Foster took the stage for a solo acoustic show at Chicago’s City Winery on October 23rd, the audience was admonished to turn off their phones since this intimate venue is a “listening room.” And, to paraphrase the old E.F Hutton commercial, when Ruthie performed, we listened. This Grammy-winning artist put on a mesmerizing show that featured powerful vocals, razor-sharp songwriting, versatile guitar work and several riveting stories about her life and musical journey.
Dressed casually in black slacks and blouse, the self-effacing Foster strode out and said, “Good evening, my name is Ruthie Foster.” After that brief introduction, she made a few adjustments to her guitar saying, “I’m gonna tune up because I care.” She then launched into a story about how she was in the Houston airport, sitting at a bar near gate C4, when she discovered that her album, Mileage, had won the 2025 Grammy for Best Contemporary Blues Album. This marked Foster’s first win after six nominations and it was also the first-ever Grammy for her record label, Sun Studios.
After that intro, Foster had already gained traction with her fans, was all tuned up and ready to perform “Mileage.” Like many of Foster’s songs, it has an autobiographical context that reflects the highs and lows of her life, and she delivered it with passion and purpose. After “Mileage,” Foster circled back to an early Sun Studios classic, “That’s All Right,” After giving props to Elvis for popularizing it, she added that “I wanted to make sure that the man who wrote this song was recognized” and acknowledged Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s contributions. Then with a slight chuckle, she proclaimed, “I think it’s time a woman owned this song.” With that, Foster did indeed make this song her own.
Following this tune from the fifties, Foster was ready for the here and now. Her latest album, Just Say Yes dropped in late August and this accomplishment warranted another story of how it came to be. Foster said she joined the Navy to forge a “new identity” away from music. But, while she was working on helicopters, Foster wanted to stay grounded by leaving herself open for future musical opportunities, so she put “Just Say Yes” on a post it note. She added that she posted it again when she took a break to care for her mother. After this story, Foster played “Yes”, “Thank You” and “Tangled” from her new release.
Foster also discussed the origins of Just Say Yes. Before having surgery for a torn meniscus, she reconvened with her winning team from Mileage in Nashville. This roster included her producer, Tyler Bryant and his wife, Rebecca Lovell (of Larkin Poe). They were later joined by Lovell’s sister and fellow Larkin Poe member, Megan Lovell and her husband, Mike Seal. Foster has said she considers them “her people.”
But Foster also has plenty of other “people” in the music industry, including Patty Griffin and Lucinda Williams. She performed covers of Griffin’s “When it Don’t Come Easy” and Williams’ “Fruits of My Labor” as she described Williams as “more like a poet to me”. After Foster received a rousing response for her interpretation on this song, she wryly stated, “the song has a lot of words, but I probably made some up!” She also took on Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” and said that when she played it in front of his daughter, Roseanne, she told Foster it was the “second best version” on this iconic song.
After declaring her love for Chet Atkins on Hee Haw, Foster got into a little “fingerpicking” on the next song, “Small Town Blues.” This led to a few anecdotes about her upbringing on a Texas tomato farm and growing up with 22 cousins. She got a pass from picking tomatoes after she started playing guitar and piano in local churches at the age of twelve, with her mom serving as her manager. Later, Foster was able to pay it back by taking time off to care for her mother. The song, “Six Mile Water” was dedicated to “learning to be my mother’s daughter again.”
“Brand New Day” was another stand-out that showcased Foster’s incredible vocal range before she segued into her signature “Phenomenal Woman.” At the close of her performance, the crowd gave Foster a well-deserved standing ovation, with violin virtuoso Anne Harris, standing in the audience and showing her support for Foster’s turn on stage. But Foster wasn’t quite done as she went into a beautiful a cappella closing song about “take it all, take it all while you can and I’ll see you again.” After that, she musically reminded the audience to “tip your bartenders and waitresses” and jokingly called out a patron for ordering another plate of fries.
After witnessing Foster play the Pritzker Stage with a full band at the 2026 Chicago Blues Festival, it was a revelation to see her perform as a solo artist in the intimate confines of the City Winery. While she was completely in her element playing for the multitudes at Blues Fest, Foster is also extremely well-suited for performing in a smaller club such as the City Winery, where she can truly connect with her audience. In 2027 she is slated to play a few blues cruises and do a tour of Europe, but one can only hope that she makes another stop in Chicago soon.
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