Rodeo Lineup Revealed

The superstar acts among the Houston Rodeo's 2015 concert lineup are . . .

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo picked the midnight hour to reveal its full 2015 concert lineup — and what a lineup it is.

The list, which was sent out to media at 12:05 this morning, includes an eclectic lineup, ranging from country stars Blake Shelton, Miranda Lambert, Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson to pop star Ariana Grande, rock band Fall Out Boy and the return of bilingual rapper Pitbull.

Sixteen of the 21 entertainers during set to perform is this year's edition March 3 – 22 are returnees.

The list includes Eric Church (opening night March 3 in his first RodeoHouston appearance), John Legend (March 6 on Black Heritage Day), La Arrolladora Banda El Limón and La Maquinaria Norteña on Go Tejano Day (March 15), Florida Georgia Line (March 18), and Luke Bryan (on closing night March 22 as part of the RodeoHouston Super Shootout). In all, there will be 15 shows featuring country stars, one R&B, three shows featuring pop/rock stars and 1 show featuring noteno and banda groups.

Tickets will go on sale Saturday, Jan. 17, 10 a.m., through AXS Ticketing via rodeohouston.com. The Virtual Waiting Room opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, but fans can register any time at axs.com/rodeohouston_signup. The new AXS ticketing system is designed to handle the Rodeo's tremendous initial ticket sales demand, identify known scalpers and even detect "robot" activity of those brokers using computers to constantly hit the site.

AXS users will be directed to a virtual waiting room that allows customers to "arrive" an hour before ticket sales begin. Customers are shuffled and chosen at random to enter the next step, the virtual store, when tickets can be purchased in a three-step process and then even forwarded through the mobile app to a friend. As buyers complete their transactions, more customers in the waiting room can enter the store.

E-ticket buyers receive their tickets for free, while those using AXS will be charged $3.50 per ticket service fee, compared to the $4.25 that Ticketmaster charges. They can be purchased by phone, too (888-596-4201).

HLSR tickets may also be purchased without a service fee at BBVA Compass Stadium on Jan. 17 and at the SMG box office at NRG Stadium starting on Jan. 19.

The full Rodeo 2015 lineup:

Tuesday, March 3 ............................................................................................................................................................. Eric Church
Wednesday, March 4* – Armed Forces Appreciation Day sponsored by BHP Billiton ........................................ Hunter Hayes
Thursday, March 5 ................................................................................................................................................. Miranda Lambert
Friday, March 6 – Black Heritage Day, sponsored by Kroger ..................................................................................... John Legend
Saturday, March 7 .......................................................................................................................................................... Alan Jackson
Sunday, March 8 ............................................................................................................................................................. Fall Out Boy
Monday, March 9 ........................................................................................................................................................... Justin Moore
Tuesday, March 10 ........................................................................................................................................................ Tim McGraw
Wednesday, March 11* ............................................................................................................................................ Brantley Gilbert
Thursday, March 12 ................................................................................................................................................. Zac Brown Band
Friday, March 13 ....................................................................................................................................................................... Pitbull
Saturday, March 14 ................................................................................................................................................. Billy Currington
Sunday, March 15 – Go Tejano Day, sponsored by Diva Diamonds ......................................... La Arrolladora Banda El Limón/
La Maquinaria Norteña
Monday, March 16 ..................................................................................................................................................... Dierks Bentley
Tuesday, March 17 ......................................................................................................................................................Ariana Grande
Wednesday, March 18* .................................................................................................................................... Florida Georgia Line
Thursday, March 19 ..................................................................................................................................................... Blake Shelton
Friday, March 20 ....................................................................................................................................................... The Band Perry
Saturday, March 21 – RODEOHOUSTON BP Super Series Championship ................................................................ Brad Paisley
Sunday, March 22 – RODEOHOUSTON Super Shootout®, presented by Crown Royal ......... Luke Bryan, presented by Miller Lite

*Value Wednesdays include $10 upper level Rodeo tickets, plus values throughout NRG Park.

See the video announcing the lineup:

John Legend performs March 6 as part of "Black Heritage Day."

Photo courtesy of Art Ball

John Legend performs March 6 as part of "Black Heritage Day."

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Movie Review

Heartfelt movie The Life of Chuck adapts optimistic Stephen King story

Photo courtesy of NEON

Tom Hiddleston in The Life of Chuck.

Just like actors, once a filmmaker becomes known for a certain genre, it can be difficult to escape that pigeonholing. Writer/director Mike Flanagan has worked for 20 years in both film and television, and literally every project he’s done has been related to horror. He’s finally breaking out with The Life of Chuck, which is ironically based on a short story of the same name by Stephen King.

Told in three chapters in reverse order, the film is almost impossible to describe without giving away its magic. The first section centers on Marty (Chiwetel Ejiofor), a teacher grappling, like everyone around him, with what seems to be the world falling apart. He’s comforted to a degree by reuniting with his ex-wife, Felicia (Karen Gillan), but is also baffled by multiple ads touting the retirement of Charles “Chuck” Krantz (Tom Hiddleston) after “39 great years.”

The second section consists of little more than a slightly younger Chuck happening upon Taylor (The Pocket Queen), a drummer busking on a street corner, giving Chuck and a younger woman, Janice (Annalise Basso), the inspiration to start dancing. The final section goes back to the childhood of Chuck (Benjamin Pajak), where he’s raised by his grandparents (Mark Hamill and Mia Sara), discovers dance as an outlet, and wonders about various small mysteries.

Flanagan finds a way to deliver a lot of story with relatively little effort. Using a wry narrator (Nick Offerman), a limited number of locations, and a series of great small performances, he creates an intriguing premise with few straightforward answers. The structure of the film is designed to confuse the viewer until just the right moment, and the revelation forces you to reexamine everything that came before.

The biggest accomplishment by Flanagan is making what are essentially three short films and having each of them resonate equally. The film contains elements of science fiction, although the first section may hit a bit too close to home for some of those watching. All three sections, though, have a heartwarming bent to them that sells their central idea without becoming overly saccharine.

To do so, each of the characters have to connect in a short amount of time. The casting of the film is crucial, and not only does that department succeed with the main roles, but a series of small roles are filled expertly as well. Carl Lumbly as a funeral home owner, David Dastmalchian and Harvey Guillen as parents of students, Matthew Lillard as Marty’s neighbor, Q’orianka Kilcher as Chuck’s wife, and Jacob Tremblay as a teenage Chuck are just a few of the recognizable actors that do yeoman’s work in their brief time on screen.

Hiddleston is only prominently featured in the second chapter, but his performance there and in small glimpses throughout makes a big impression. Ejiofor is given the star turn in the first chapter and he absolutely kills, both in moments by himself and in scenes with Gillan, with whom he has great chemistry. Hamill, making a rare non-voiceover appearance outside of the Star Wars universe, and Sara, in her first notable role in 11 years, are also very memorable in the final chapter.

The Life of Chuck is a film that’s filled with emotion, but the full impact of the story is not felt until the final moments. It has a mysterious journey that is initially frustrating, but the performances keep the film going until it gets to its satisfying payoff.

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The Life of Chuck is now playing in theaters.

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