Rodeo Lineup Revealed

The superstar acts among the Houston Rodeo's 2014 concert lineup are . . .

The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo changed things up this year, waiting until 11:59 p.m. on a Sunday to reveal its full 2014 concert lineup rather than breaking it up into several releases.

Still, the midnight hour certainly hasn't turned the Rodeo into a pumpkin. Not with a lineup that includes Luke Bryan (March 17), Brad Paisley (opening night March 4), Blake Shelton (March 20), Usher (March 7), Reba (March 6), 2013 one-song sensation Robin Thicke (March 18), tween favorite Selena Gomez (March 9) and REO Speedwagon (March 11). Anticipation for these Rodeo lineups has grown so heated that the Rodeo site was temporarily overwhelmed by fans checking out the announcement, causing extremely slow load times.

Thicke and Usher are something of crossover coups for the Rodeo, while many of the major country acts are Houston Rodeo regulars. Keith Urban is coming back for the fifth time. For Luke Bryan, it's his third straight Rodeo. And Reba McEntire — whose show figures to be one of the most-sought-after tickets — is returning for the 19th time.

Just looking for eye candy? Adam Levine — People Magazine's reigning Sexiest Man Alive — and the rest of Maroon 5 will be hitting the Rodeo as well.

The full 2014 Rodeo concert lineup:

Tuesday, March 4....................................................................... Brad Paisley

Wednesday, March 5 – Armed Forces Appreciation Day....................................................... Eli Young Band

Thursday, March 6....................................................................................................................................... Reba

Friday, March 7 – Black Heritage Day, sponsored by Kroger ................................................................... Usher

Saturday, March 8........................................................................................................................... Chris Young

Sunday, March 9.......................................................................................................................... Selena Gomez

Monday, March 10................................................................................................................. REO Speedwagon

Tuesday, March 11........................................................................................................................ Jason Aldean

Wednesday, March 12...................................................................................................................... Jake Owen

Thursday, March 13.............................................................................................................................. Maroon 5

Friday, March 14.............................................................................................................................. Keith Urban

Saturday, March 15...................................................................................................................... Hunter Hayes

Sunday, March 16 – Go Tejano Day.................................................................................... Pesado, Banda MS

Monday, March 17..................................................................................... Luke Bryan, presented by Miller Lite

Tuesday, March 18......................................................................................................................... Robin Thicke

Wednesday, March 19*..................................................................................................... Florida Georgia Line

Thursday, March 20...................................................................................................................... Blake Shelton

Friday, March 21........................................................................................................................... Easton Corbin

Saturday, March 22 – RodeoHouston BP Super Series Championship................................. The Band Perry

Sunday, March 23 – RodeoHouston Super Shootout........................................................... Zac Brown Band

This year's lineup has a lot to live up to considering George Strait said his Rodeo goodbye in one of the most anticipated Houston concerts ever in 2013. And Mary J. Blige and Pitbull shook things up as well.

RodeoHouston is not afraid to embrace the future though. Houston's entertainment granddaddy became the 10th most checked in Facebook location in the United States in 2013, putting it up there with places like Walt Disney World and Fenway Park despite the fact that it's only a three-week-long event. With more than 300,000 Facebook fans and a record-shattering 2.5 million visitors, the Houston Rodeo is arguably more popular than ever in its 83rd year.

The 2014 Houston Rodeo runs from March 4 to March 23. Season tickets for all the Rodeo concerts are available here. Individual tickets go on sale Saturday at 10 a.m.

Usher

unspecified

a sort of homecoming

Houston director Wes Anderson headlines fundraiser for historic theater

Photo by Lars Niki/Getty Images for The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences

undefined

Acclaimed Houston-born filmmaker Wes Anderson may call Paris his home these days, but he’s always ready and willing to come back home to support a worthy cause.

The Oscar-winning auteur will attend an evening celebrating his 30-year career in filmmaking, presented by Arthouse Houston. Titled “Wes Anderson Homecoming Soiree,” the event takes place at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts’ Zilkha Hall on Friday, July 17. It will also benefit the preservation of the historic Garden Oaks Theater and founding of a new Arts & Film Center.

The evening will include a “Founders Experience,” followed by a reception with food and drinks, live music by the Kelly Doyle Trio, and a silent auction. After that, Anderson will introduce a quintet of his short films he selected for the occasion. These shorts include Bottle Rocket (which he later expanded into his 1996 feature-film debut), and The Swan, one of the shorts from The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Three More, his only-on-Netflix collection of mini-Roald Dahl adaptations.

Donors at the Founders level will be treated to a meet-and-greet and Q&A with Anderson and friends prior to the show, including a celebratory toast, and a signed show poster. Top-tier donors (starting at $100,000) will have naming rights within the new Arts & Film Center and four complimentary tickets to the event. Proceeds will directly help the effort to preserve one of the city’s few remaining historic cinemas, as well as create a new cultural hub where cinema, live performance, production, and education converge.

Houston won’t be Anderson’s only American stop next month. From Friday, July 10, to Sunday, July 12, he’ll be in Los Angeles for the Hollywood Bowl’s “Music from the Films of Wes Anderson” concert series, featuring performances from Beck, Jackson Browne, Devo, Bill Murray, and others.

For tickets and more info on the event, go here.

wes anderson houston fundraisers preservation