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13 bold predictions for RodeoHouston's biggest concerts of 2022

RodeoHouston is finally coming back and CultureMap is guessing who will be performing.

The entertainment centerpiece to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo season announced which music genres will be featured throughout the 2022 season on Thursday. It will mark nearly two years after COVID-19 forced officials to cancel half the 2020 event and cancel the 2021 event altogether.

Thankfully, the biggest annual music gathering in Texas will make its much-anticipated return on Monday, February 28 with East Texas native Cody Johnson previously announced as the opening act. Three weeks of nightly concerts will culminate with the return of country icon George Strait, closing out RodeoHouston festivities with special guest Ashley McBryde on Sunday, March 20. That follows his record-setting performance in 2019 that drew over 80,000 fans to NRG Stadium.

In addition, two other Texas artists have been revealed: Trill City icon Bun B will bring in a star-studded hip-hop line-up with his H-Town Takeover on Friday, March 11. Conroe native Parker McCollum performs on Saturday, March 12.

That leaves 17 slots to be filled, set to be announced on January 5 at a special entertainer reveal ceremony. Once again, country music will take the lion’s share of performances on 13 of the 20 nights. Organizers have always attracted the biggest, best, and buzziest upcoming country acts to the Stars Over Texas stage, so expect a massive roster with some major home runs.

Other genres featured this year include the first ever Christian act on Thursday, March 3; Latin pop on Friday, March 5; norteño on Sunday, March 7; rock on Thursday, March 10; pop on Tuesday, March 15; R&B/pop on Wednesday, March 16; and the return of the now established EDM genre on Friday, March 18, perfectly placed during spring break for most Houston area students.

“The 2022 RodeoHouston lineup has something for everyone, and that’s important to us, as we are always hoping to draw newcomers to our event, and hopefully, create new lifelong Rodeo fans,” said Chris Boleman, rodeo president and CEO in a press release.

Individual RodeoHouston tickets will go on sale to the public Thursday, Jan. 13 at rodeohouston.com. Ticket prices start at $20, plus a $4 convenience fee. Visit the RodeoHouston website for a full rundown of the genre calendar.

Who else will make an appearance on the star-shaped stage set in the dirt and dust of NRG Stadium? CultureMap's predictions for who will show up on the famed star-shaped stage at include the following:

Kane Brown, Luke Bryan, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Chris Stapleton
When it comes to programming this year’s country acts, it’s a matter of following the K.I.S.S principle — Keep It Simple Stupid. All five artists listed were set to play RodeoHouston before it tragically went dark due to city-wide lockdown measures.

Kane Brown, set to make his second headlining appearance, was especially hard – the performer was only hours away from taking the stage. The other gentlemen are as common to RodeoHouston as fried food is to the midway with over 30 appearances between them. Chances are these award-winning artists will be back again in 2022.

Kasey Musgraves
The award-winning country-pop starlet absolutely nailed her first appearance at RodeoHouston, opening the 2019 slate. Her profile is even brighter since that performance, recently playing Saturday Night Live, and heading up festivals since the release of the critically acclaimed album, Star-Crossed. Don’t be surprised if she’s back.

Reba McEntire
Sure, she hasn’t put out a massive selling album in years, but make no mistake, people love them some Reba. The country legend has a long string of No. 1 hit songs and she’s remained a pop culture force with TV shows, movies, awards-show hosting duties, even a spin as Colonel Sanders in a KFC ad campaign.

She’s currently playing a Las Vegas residency with fellow legends, Brooks & Dunn, which has seen thousands travel to see her. Also, an appearance at the 2022 edition would be her 20th RodeoHouston performance, something to celebrate.

Lizzo or Megan Thee Stallion
One of the biggest regrets of the COVID-addled early closure to the 2020 season was not seeing a Houston-raised Lizzo at the absolute height of her powers strut her “Good As Hell” moves. When CultureMap asked Jason Kane, RodeoHouston manager of entertainment and concert production whether they’d bring back the Grammy award winner, he said it would be a priority.

“I think we can safely say that we’re going to do everything we can to make sure Lizzo gets to play her hometown,” Kane said.

If Lizzo isn’t available or if her star has dimmed too much since 2020 (it hasn’t), we predict Megan Thee Stallion will get the nod. The fellow-Houstonian is currently one of the hottest stars in the world right now and fellow “W.A.P.” co-star Cardi B proved that a heavily censored, buttoned-up show is possible while still retaining a high-level of fun.

Gwen Stefani
This s**t is bananas. The No Doubt singer and huge solo act in her own right was another victim of COVID’s fallout in 2020. It would make complete sense to bring her back. Additionally, she’s now married to Blake Shelton, who is known to show up to her shows for duets. Who wouldn’t want to see that happen?

Bad Bunny or J. Balvin
Over the last half-decade, RodeoHouston officials kept their finger on the pulse of what is popular with listening audiences. Bad Bunny was the most streamed star in 2021 with over 9.1 billion streams on Spotify, up from 8.3 billion in 2022.

Booking the Puerto Rican star would be a slam dunk and an instant sell-out among the legions of fans in the Greater Houston region. If Bunny is too pricey, Colombian artist J. Balvin would be more than worthy to fill the Latin Pop night slot.

Dolly Parton
This likely won’t happen, but one can dream. Every season RodeoHouston is good for a few longtime country faves. And every year, we call for concert organizers to hear our collective calls to bring Dolly Parton to Houston so we can regale her with our adoration.

Outside of her saintly charitable efforts, Parton is one of the most popular country artists of all time with a songbook to rival anyone. The singalongs to “Jolene,” “9 to 5,” and “I Will Always Love You,” and “Coat of Many Colors” would be major highlight of the 2022 season. Make this happen, RodeoHouston!

Gwen Stefani missed out on appearing at RodeoHouston 2020.

Courtesy RodeoHouston

Gwen Stefani missed out on appearing at RodeoHouston 2020.

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Movie Review

Summer camp drama The Plague proves middle school is still pure horror

Photo courtesy of IFC

Everett Blunck in The Plague.

Anybody who’s attended elementary school in the last 100 years knows the concept of “cooties,” a fictional affliction that is typically caught when touched by a member of the opposite sex. A more updated version of the same idea is featured in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, this time called the “Cheese Touch,” making anyone who touches a moldy piece of cheese on the school’s basketball court an outcast.

A much more menacing version of this “disease” is on display in The Plague, which takes place at a summer water polo camp for tweens. The film focuses on Ben (Everett Blunck), a slightly awkward boy who struggles to fit in with the “cool” crowd led by Jake (Kayo Martin). That group has no problems making fun of others that they deem to be different, especially Eli (Kenny Rasmussen), who has been ostracized because of a rash he has that the kids call “the plague.”

Ben wants to be part of the main group, but his natural empathy leads him to reach out to Eli on more than one occasion despite Eli engaging in some uncomfortable behavior. With the camp’s coach (Joel Edgerton) not much help when it comes to the bullying tactics by Jake and others, especially those that take place at night, Ben is left to fend for himself. His vacillations between wanting to be accepted and wanting to do what’s right continue until his hand is forced.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Charlie Polinger, the film has all the feel of a horror movie without actually being a horror. The staging used by Polinger gives the film a claustrophobic feel as Ben can’t seem to escape the psychological torture inflicted by Jake and others no matter where he goes. He also employs a jarring score by Johan Lenox to great effect, one that’s designed to keep viewers on edge even when nothing bad is happening.

No matter how far removed you are from middle school, the film will likely bring up feelings you thought you had left behind. Much like with Bo Burnham’s Eighth Grade, Polinger finds a way to tap into something universal in his depiction of tweens, an age when everyone is still discovering who they really are. Some go along to get along, others don’t even attempt to fit in, but no one truly feels settled.

Whether the plague is real or not in the world of the film is up for debate. While most of the time it comes off as something made up to underscore the feeling of otherness felt by Ben, Polinger does literalize it to a degree. He even tiptoes up to the line of body horror before wisely retreating, although what he does show will still make some viewers squeamish. However, because he seems to be leaning one way before pulling back, there’s the possibility that some will be disappointed by the tease of something more intense.

The film’s biggest success is in its casting. Finding good child actors is notoriously tough, and yet Polinger and casting director Rebecca Dealy found a bunch who sell the story for all it’s worth. Blunck, Martin, and Rasmussen get the most play, but everyone else complements them well. Edgerton is the only well-known actor in the film, but he’s used sparingly and isn’t asked to do much, leaving the kids to carry the story on their shoulders.

Fitting in as a tween is hard enough without others actively trying to find ways to cast someone out. The Plague is an effective demonstration of the dynamics that can play out in a competitive environment that also includes a group that has yet to develop into fully-rounded people. It features discomfort on multiple levels, marking an auspicious debut for Polinger.

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The Plague is now playing in theaters.

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