a perfect night

RodeoHouston favorites Lady Antebellum show how real entertainers perform

Vocalists Hillary Scott, center, Charles Kelly, right, and the overlooked manbehind the music, Dave Haywood.

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott delivered a powerful performance.

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
The recent Grammy winners and annual rodeo favorites

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Lead vocalists Charles Kelly and Hillary Scott

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com
Lady Antebellum rocked RodeoHouston Thursday night.

Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

"Oh, you look beautiful tonight Houston!" lead vocalist Charles Kelley exclaimed mid-song.

Lady Antebellum has shown us all that they have the chops to create honest No. 1 hits, but it wasn't the songs that captured the night at RodeoHouston, it was their performances.

There's two things that I think make a show extra special. First, good sound and second, audience interaction. And that's what I got Thursday night.

On stage there was a visible intimate understanding between the trio. They even leaned on one another throughout the set and joked around in between songs.

With a packed crowd and roaring fans of all ages, Reliant Stadium was swamped with a frenzy of excitement for the recent Grammy winners and annual rodeo favorites. The lights dimmed and out of a beautiful darkness the trio opened up with fitting number, "We Owned the Night."

I was thinking, "Yeah the guys started out great but there will have to be some glitch in between songs; there's no possible way three harmonious voices could sound impeccable all even evening long." I was proven wrong.

Country music is about heartbreak and intimate and intense, emotional moments that make the genre incomparable. Women can sing their hearts out as a solo artist with obvious thematic songs but when you add a male vocal or two, then there's something special. That's Lady Antebellum. Vocalists Hillary Scott and Charles Kelly and the overlooked man behind the music, Dave Haywood, delivered powerful performances. Their professionalism and personal effect on the audience glued me to my seat.

There's something about a girl-guy dynamic that brings so much more honesty to the songs — fellow budding country duo The Civil Wars are the latest example. With a growing career under their belt and multiple awards, Lady Antebellum sang with appreciation and love. On stage there was a visible intimate understanding between the trio. They even leaned on one another throughout the set and joked around in between songs.

Each song was accompanied with smart arrangements, stellar musicians from their back up band and a relaxed atmosphere. Crowd favorite "Hello World" showed off Haywood's piano skills with an initial stripped-down opening before the track took a sudden turn into a true arena sing-along midway through — with light show included.

The follow-up "American Honey" inspired Scott to reminisce about frequent trips to Tyler, Texas, and fishing with her family. And chart toppers "I Run to You" and "Just a Kiss" had the entire stadium anticipating more.

Closing track and most anticipated song, "Need You Now," made Scott and Kelley's live interpretation a pleasure to watch.

I always thought Lady Antebellum was some sort of a Taylor Swift-inspired band that wanted to cross over to pop radio. That just isn't the case; it just happened. A mainstream audience has completely understood what such a band tries to accomplish, which is success on its own.

From first-rate audio to Kelley jumping off stage to get closer to the audience, I was impressed with the performance. There was a genuine relationship portrayed onstage between the trio that transcends their song lyrics. It's hard to believe that the band only formed a couple of years ago but has already produced three successful albums.

Though the set was short but sweet, I am now a convert and plan to pick up a copy of Own the Night as soon as possible.

Before the group finished up, they said that they were honored to perform at the rodeo once again. Hopefully they'll be back next year.

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Movie Review

An all-star cast delivers clever laughs in new comedy The Invite

Photo courtesy of A24

Olivia Wilde, Seth Rogen, Penelope Cruz, and Edward Norton in The Invite.

Once upon a time, well before scandal embroiled him, Woody Allen made great comedies aimed at adults. That type of film — which is different from the raunchy, R-rated comedies of the 21st century — has fallen out of favor in Hollywood, but as the new film The Invite proves, when done well it can be as funny as anything else out there.

Joe (Seth Rogen) and Angela (Olivia Wilde) are an unhappily married couple living in San Francisco. As we meet them, Joe has arrived home to Angela preparing for a visit from their upstairs neighbors, Hawk (Edward Norton) and Piña (Penélope Cruz), who have moved in relatively recently. Their impending arrival starts a new round of arguing between Joe and Angela, something they can barely contain once the other couple comes to their door.

What proceeds is a getting-to-know-you process that is mostly awkward as Joe and Angela continue sniping at each other while Hawk and Piña put in their two cents in a much calmer manner. A sticking point between the two couples — the loud sex Hawk and Piña have on an almost nightly basis — turns the film on its head with an unexpected invitation.

Directed by Wilde and written by Will McCormack and Rashida Jones, the film is a fast-paced chamber piece that takes place almost entirely in Joe and Angela’s apartment. Wilde, the writers, and the actors speed the story along not with action but through almost non-stop dialogue that often has the characters overlapping each other’s lines. The rapidity of the speech fuels the humor of the situation and establishes the differing personalities of each person.

Sex is very much top of mind for each of the characters for most of the film, but the filmmakers approach the topic in such a way that it never feels salacious. Each of the characters is a rational adult who can talk about sex in a mature manner while also acknowledging their unique feelings on the matter. And it’s the discoveries each of them makes along the way that brings about the most comedy.

But, like any comedy for adults, the film also has a dramatic tilt to it, and Wilde edges the story back-and-forth between the two tones extremely well. Joe and Angela fighting is played for laughs at times, but the sadness of their relationship comes through loud and clear. Hawk and Piña are much more intimate with each other, but the funniness of their openness is juxtaposed with a depth that arises through their conversations.

In the 2020s, Rogen has managed to make the transition from goofy stoner to stoner with real acting chops. In a stacked cast, he is the one who sells every moment the best. That’s not to say that Wilde, Norton, and Cruz don’t measure up, though; each of them inhabits their respective roles magnificently. The four actors play off each other as if they had been working together for years.

While The Invite will likely play better to those who have experience with long term relationships, its insights — and occasional bawdiness — make it a comedy that can be appreciated universally. With four actors at the top of their games and a razor-sharp script made even better by some well-done improv, it proves that you don’t need to go low to get great laughs.

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The Invite is now playing in theaters.

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