Feelin' Good Again

Legendary Texas troubadour Robert Earl Keen storms into Houston on farewell tour

Robert Earl Keen announced the end of the road earlier this year.

Photo by Melanie Maganias Nashan

The road, it seems, does not go on forever, and the party — at least the live one — is wrapping up for legendary Texas songwriter Robert Earl Keen. In January 2022, the he announced his decision in January 2022 to retire at the top of his game, and the acclaimed musician is making the most of his final touring year with a romping, rowdy set of shows across his home state of Texas.

“I’ve been blessed with a lifetime of brilliant, talented, colorful, electrical, magical folks throughout my life,” Keen shared in a video on his social media channels. “This chorus of joy, this parade of passion, this bull rush of creativity, this colony of kindness and generosity are foremost in my thoughts today. It’s with a mysterious concoction of joy and sadness that I want to tell you that as of September 4, 2022, I will no longer tour or perform publicly.”

The final leg of his final tour will kick off in Corpus Christi on August 4 and run through September 4, making stops at several Texas institutions, including visits here at Galveston’s Grand 1894 Opera House and The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. He’ll also play ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin and Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth.

With a catalog of 21 albums, his band of stellar musicians, and many thousands of shows under his belt, Keen has earned living-legend status in the Americana music world. A Houston native, he grew up on classic rock and Willie Nelson records, teaching himself the guitar by the time he entered Texas A&M University. Keen co-wrote “The Front Porch Song” with fellow Texas legend and friend Lyle Lovett, which both artists recorded on their debut albums.

Keen followed in the footsteps of some of the Lone Star State’s most revered singer-songwriters, producing and financing his first album No Kinda Dancer before moving to Nashville. By the time he moved back to Texas, he had a publishing deal, a new label, and a national booking agent. He released The Live Album and West Textures, the seminal album which debuted what remains his all-time fan favorite, "The Road Goes on Forever."

Since then, two more albums, A Bigger Piece of Sky and Gringo Honeymoon, produced instant classics like "Corpus Christi Bay," "Gringo Honeymoon," "Dreadful Selfish Crime," and "Merry Christmas from the Family.” Keen’s acclaim as a writer has earned him membership in the Texas Heritage Songwriter Hall of Fame, The Texas Cowboy Hall of Fame, and the Texas Institute of Letters.

While Keen will continue to write music, host his popular podcast, support young artists, and follow his artistic muse wherever it takes him, his already-sold-out final public concert will be September 4 at John T. Floores Country Store in Helotes, Texas, followed by a fan appreciation party at the same venue on September 5.

Below is the complete list of dates and venues for his World Tour of Texas. Local presale tickets will go on sale on Thursday, May 26, from 10 am-10 pm. All tickets will be on sale Friday, May 27, at 10 am.

August 4 — Concrete Street Amphitheater, Corpus Christi
August 5 — Tobin Center for the Performing Arts, San Antonio
August 6 — KOKE Fest, Hutto
August 12 — Starlight Ranch, Amarillo
August 17-18 — Gruene Hall, New Braunfels
August 19 — The Grand 1894 Opera House, Galveston
August 20 — Texas Uprising, The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, Houston
August 21 — Julie Rogers Theater, Beaumont
August 24 — The Factory Deep Ellum, Dallas
August 25 — Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth
August 26 — Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center, Midland
August 28-29 — ACL Live at the Moody Theater, Austin
September 1 — Floore’s Country Store, Helotes (sold out)
September 2 — TBA, College Station
September 3-4 — Floore’s Country Store, Helotes (sold out)

Movie Review

Resident Evil reboot delivers blood, guts, and big laughs for horror fans

Photo by Dušan Martinček

Austin Abrams in Resident Evil.

In just two films (Barbarian and Weapons), writer/director Zach Cregger has established himself as one of the top horror filmmakers working today. His unique methodology involves taking audiences down familiar pathways before veering off into unexpected areas that feature copious amounts of gore and comically bizarre visuals.

His new film, Resident Evil, plays out in much the same way, resulting in something starkly different from the previous action-heavy films based on the video game series. Bryan (Austin Abrams) is a courier tasked with bringing special deliveries like organs to hospitals. After one delivery, he gets roped in to making another to the distant location of Raccoon City, a mission he accepts despite being ill-prepared for the journey.

Traveling down a snowy and icy road, Bryan gets waylaid after accidentally hitting a woman crossing the road. His attempt to save her jump starts a series of adventures in which he tries his best to survive in the face of an onslaught of numerous zombie-like people and creatures. All the while, Bryan is hellbent on completing his delivery at all costs.

Cregger, who co-wrote the film with Shay Hatten (John Wick: Chapter 4), is in complete command of the tone of the movie from minute one. Leaning into his comedy background, Cregger aims for humor first, with both horror and non-horror moments eliciting laughs. One of the biggest pleasures of the film is the way Bryan — who more often than not is by himself — mutters incredulously after experiencing yet another unbelievable incident. His reactions feel close to how a real person would be acting in such an extreme situation, giving the audience a dose of needed relief.

The episodic nature of the story also allows the film to play out like a video game without it ever feeling stilted. Every scene is like a new level of the game for Bryan as he faces increasingly difficult situations and monsters along the way. He gets some help from characters played by Kali Reis, Paul Walter Hauser, and Zach Cherry, but he’s mostly on his own, figuring out how to use guns and improvising ways to avoid or attack opponents.

What Cregger seems to understand better than most filmmakers who have adapted video games into films is how to pay tribute to the series without becoming too much about fan service. There are references aplenty to the different games, but the movie works just as well even if you’ve never played a single second. There is no shortage of tense situations, blood-soaked scenes, and outrageous imagery — and Cregger knows how to stage all of it to maximum effect.

Abrams is dynamite in the film, using understated line readings to make Bryan both funny and relatable. After being on the verge of breaking out for years, Abrams just might do so with this and the upcoming Whalefall. The appearances by Reis, Hauser, Cherry, Johnno Wilson, and others don’t last long, but each does a great job in helping the film keep the story going.

Cregger is now three-for-three in his young career, making films that both pay tribute to and subvert horror conventions at the same time. Resident Evil is a blast for fans of the genre, featuring a great lead character, a slew of memorable moments, and indelible visuals that might haunt your dreams.

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Resident Evil opens in theaters on September 18.

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