Waylon Wyatt arrives in Los Angeles with a heart of gold, but his pockets hold little more than a pile of dust.

The 19-year-old country wunderkind from Arkansas performed Thursday at the Fonda Theatre. Wyatt kicked off his world tour back in July, with the LA concert marking his 24th performance of the run, which largely highlighted many songs off his debut studio album “Dustpiles.” His 14-song set lasted about an hour, before he surprised the audience with an additional three songs. While his infectious charm and lively instrumentation made his songs sound more dynamic than their studio versions, the concert struggled to turn those elements into a cohesive show. Wyatt’s strongest moments came when his personality engaged the crowd, but the show’s uneven pacing, sparse production and inconsistent sound mixing repeatedly undercut that energy.

The first 40 minutes were graced by rising artist Zandi Holup in a magnolia-white dress, who performed songs such as her soulful single, “Gas Station Flowers.” Holup’s voice was reminiscent of a glass of whiskey – sweet and scratchy with a delivery that felt like a punch to the stomach. A tasteful opener, yet somewhat underwhelming – much like the show to come.

After a short break, Wyatt erupted onto the stage with his 2025 single “Pretty Little Liar.” He then followed the song with “In Loving Melody,” a cut from his recent album, and a cover of Steve Earle’s “Copperhead Road” before officially greeting the audience for the night. The moment felt like a rather premature introduction due to the lack of fanfare, especially considering how little the show’s tone changed throughout the performance. A serviceable yet arbitrary impression.

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The next few songs were when his personality shone through the most.

“I wanna see y’all bustin’ out your best dance moves,” Waylon said. “If you ain’t movin’ and groovin,’ then you just ain’t human!”

And move and groove he did. He’s no Elvis, but he loved a good dip. Wyatt shuffled side to side, wagged his finger to the lyrics and even pulled out some line dance kicks while performing. His signature move was the rockstar kneel, a move that wouldn’t have quite landed the same without his effortless charm. He carried that energy throughout “Box of Bones,” “Dead Man Walkin’” and “Otherside,” where he sang of young love. Here, Wyatt proved that where he lacked in elaborate stage design, he made up for it in charisma.

Following a stretch of agreeable monotony, the next highlight of the night came with “The Dress.” After declaring he was slowing it down, the stage lights dimmed, and the room was bathed in a maroon glow. The lights were well-synced enough for the rest of the show, but this moment felt far more moody. He followed it up with the album’s title track, “Dustpiles,” carrying on themes of young romance.

The most compelling aspect of his show was seeing the youthful energy he brought to the stage. He mentioned briefly that folks older than him judge him for his naivety, but that earnestness is part of what makes his performance endearing. Despite the show’s one-note quality, there was something refreshing about Wyatt’s unabashed enthusiasm, especially for older audiences that could recognize that innocence.

That same energy, however, is also what made the show feel disconnected at times. Between “The Dress” and “Dustpiles,” Wyatt interrupted the recital’s momentum when he read a sign an audience member had brought asking him to say “bahoobies,” referencing a viral video of his even younger self mispronouncing vulgarities. It was entertaining, but it completely broke the tension the set had been building between the two songs. The moment was a reminder of the show’s larger flaw: it didn’t know when to let Wyatt’s allure take center stage and when to let his artistry speak for itself.

However, he managed to regain some momentum in the following song.

“Take that flashlight out,” the country artist said to the crowd. “Raise that thing high up into the sky. Let’s make this place shine like an Arkansas diamond.”

A key light shone onto a disco ball hanging overhead. The band then played the opening chords to “Arkansas Diamond,” his most-streamed song and a love letter to his home state. Visually, that moment was the most striking of the show. The empty stage, solely decorated with a Waylon Wyatt banner on the wall and a lowly rug placed under the young singer. For the first time, the venue gained the atmosphere it should have had from the start.

He reached similar heights on “Smoke & Embers.” He teased the audience for a beat about the song being a duet before reintroducing Holup back onto the stage. Musically, this was the most refreshing performance for either artist. Holup’s voice sounded most at home with Wyatt’s production, and the Arkansas crooner found his stride alongside her more textured vocals. It was something of a Kenny-Dolly dynamic on “Islands in the Stream.” Again, Wyatt’s most compelling moments arrived when another element – here, Holup’s comforting vocals – offered his natural magnetism something to play against.

Speaking of memorable instrumentals, the electric guitar on the concert’s so-called closer was nothing short of excellent. It’s fair to commend the band members for their skilled performance throughout the concert, but “Call It a Night” was when each of them was at their best, as Waylon’s performance blended with the sonic production. It was an appropriate place to close the show and would have been a strong ending.

Wyatt and the others walked offstage for about a minute before he triumphantly rushed back on stage to perform an encore. He played “Wishful Thinking,” “Jailbreak” and ended the three-song encore with his first-ever single, “Everything Under The Sun.” Instead of building on the momentum of “Call It a Night,” however, the encore completely broke it and undermined the finale’s comforting close. The songs could have easily been incorporated earlier into the setlist for a more full-bodied progression.

The same unevenness was present in the concert’s sound mixing. The overall volume was set at a comfortable level, but it completely lacked consistency. Wyatt’s voice would overpower the instrumentals at some points and be drowned out by them in others. Normally, mixing wouldn’t be as noticeable an issue, but with a genre like country, the gravel in Wyatt’s voice was distracting.

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While Wyatt’s personality, comforting vocals and lively band made him a fairly captivating persona, the show’s pacing and production failed to capitalize on those valuable qualities.

All in all, Wyatt’s concert hearkened back to the days of the barnyard blowout. Not a hoedown, not a juke joint, but a big barn. Haypiles, amber lights, the smell of dried manure and pale beer. Slow dancing, fast dancing, the whole mix. His show was made for dancing, whether the audience chose to or not.

For a western artist, he may have fallen short of expectations. But if he can build a show around the skills he already has, his new beginnings are just over the horizon.