a real blast

Catchy pop-rock band American Authors stars in spacey new summer festival

American Authors headlines the new Moon2Mars Festival.

Photo courtesy of American Authors

Houston’s official headquarters for all things space is launching a new summer festival. Space Center Houston is powering up the Moon2Mars Festival, which takes off June 9-12.

While celebrating human travel to the moon and Mars, this new event will also merge space and pop culture with a concert featuring noted pop act American Authors, country star Wade Bowen, plus artists SHAED and Katie Toupin.

Attendees can also expect special indoor and outdoor programming, panel discussions led by space experts, immersive learning opportunities, food and beverage offerings from Wolfgang Puck Catering, plus additional programming on the outdoor stage from June 10-12, per a press release.

As the event name implies, focus will be on the cutting-edge space technology humans will require to travel to the moon (dubbed the Artemis program) and Mars, such as rovers, spacesuits, landers, and more. A business-to-business event on June 9 will serve as an innovation and networking conference for those in the aerospace industry.

Concert-goers can look forward to Toupin, who takes the stage at 7 pm Friday, with Texas native Bowen following at 8:15 pm. Saturday sees SHAED at 7 pm followed by American Authors at 8:15 pm.

Tickets run $34.95 for children (ages 4-11), $37.95 for seniors, $39.95 for adults (12 and older), and $34.95 (onsite only) for members of the military. Find them online.

“Space City is known for driving innovation, and it’s the home of Mission Control, so there’s no better place to experience the latest in space exploration than at Space Center Houston,” said William T. Harris, president and CEO of Space Center Houston. “We are excited to provide people of all ages with access to the latest in space tech and to celebrate together as we look ahead at exploring more of the lunar surface and preparing to send astronauts to Mars.”

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The Moon2Mars Festival runs June 9-June 12 at Space Center Houston, 1601 E NASA Pkwy. For tickets and more information, visit the official site.

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jon pardi review

Jon Pardi’s rockin’ performance has RodeoHouston fans Head Over Boots

RodeoHouston/Facebook

Jon Pardi performed three new songs at RodeoHouston.

California cowboy Jon Pardi took Houstonians to the honky tonk on Thursday, March 13 at NRG Stadium, punctuating his 16-song set with enough pyrotechnics and fireworks to politely singe the pearl snap shirts and straw cowboy hats in the expensive seats.

This was Pardi’s third trip to RodeoHouston, following up his 2022 and 2023 appearances. He’s well on his way to becoming a rodeo season staple.

Pardi’s fifth studio album, Honkytonk Hollywood, drops on April 11. The lead singles build upon the ‘70s Sunset Strip country sound he began to tease on 2022’s Mr. Saturday Night, full of big drums, arena rock choruses, fuzzed-out fiddles, and steel guitars.

Kicking off the night with the “Honkytonk Hollywood,” Pardi offered fans a taste of the Tom Petty via Bakersfield Sound he’s laying down right now.

“Mr. Saturday Night” is a sturdy bar fly ballad that wouldn’t have been out of place on a late ‘70s Eagles album, like “Desperado” with a Red Bull chaser.

It may have been Thursday night, but the rodeo party crowd knows it’s just the unofficial kickoff to the weekend. Pardi understood the assignment, reminding the crowd that NRG’s bars were still open before launching into “Fill ‘Er Up.”

The brand-new “Friday Night Heartbreaker” features three Southern-rock guitars and a stuttering drum beat. Pardi injected “What I Can’t Put Down” with a splash of grunge, betraying his starched jeans and shirt. “Love The Lights Out” has a streak of textbook Conway Twitty raunch dressing but keeping things a tasteful Nashville PG-13.

The country dancehall staple “Head Over Boots” brought the biggest roars of the night, with fans casually two-stepping in the aisles and hoisting sweaty beer cans in the spotlights.

Easily the catchiest confection of Pardi’s decade-long career, the tune sent the crowd off into the night before he mounted his trusty horse Link for a trot around the stadium dirt.

Setlist

Honkytonk Hollywood (New)
Mr. Saturday Night
Last Night Lonely
Fill ‘Er Up
Your Heart Or Mine
Friday Night Heartbreak (New)
What I Can’t Put Down
Cowboy Hat
Love The Lights Out (New)
She Ain’t In It
Beer Can’t Fix
Dirt On My Boots
Heartache Medication
Heartache On The Dancefloor
Night Shift
Head Over Boots

rodeohouston concert review jon pardi