Music Matters

Country music's ultimate female legend hits Houston: Time for Dixie Chicks togive thanks

There's no way to explain my reverence for Loretta Lynn with simple words and do her justice.

In a phrase, Lynn's life and songs are why the genre of country music exists.

In addition to 16 No. 1 singles including, "Coal Miner's Daughter" and "Don't Come Home A Drinkin' (With Lovin' On Your Mind)," the now 76 year-old is a living legend who set the table Dolly Parton, Crystal Gayle (who is Lynn's baby sister) Reba McEntire, The Judds, The Dixie Chicks and every other female country singer who has ever recorded a hit or slept on a tour bus.

The story of her life — growing up in a family of eight children in rural Kentucky, getting married at 13-years-old and becoming mother of four by age 19, but still managing to forge a legendary singing career — is a miracle of an American Country Dream. When Lynn's life was made into the movie Coal Miner's Daughter in 1980, the story earned actress Sissy Spacek an Academy Award.

Now if Spacek can win an Oscar for playing Lynn on the big screen, just imagine how cathartic it must be to stand in front of the real deal and hear her perform country as The Carter Family, Roy Acuff, George Jones and many other early country stars imagined.

Loretta Lynn, 8 p.m. Saturday at Arena Theatre

Tickets: $40-$55

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"Here come the grannies!"

Walk through the Magic Door to experience the world of Bluey in Houston

bluey and bingo's bedroom at camp in houston

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

Bluey is coming to the Galleria this February “for real life” through an immersive event that invites visitors to enter the world of the famous Australian Heeler family. This one-of-a-kind experience brings the Heeler home and backyard to life with intricate details that will delight fans of all ages.

Tickets are on sale now for Bluey x CAMP, the inaugural interactive experience of the combination toy store, party venue, and immersive theater space. This is The Family Experience Company’s first CAMP location in Houston, with the business securing a 7,500-square-foot permanent retail space in the Galleria.

Through “The Magic Door,” a pivoting wall, visitors step into seasonally rotating interactive spaces beginning with a 5,000-square-foot lifesize replica of Bluey’s house.

Visitors can play games made popular by the show, such as grannies and keepy uppy, and bust a move when “dance mode” is activated. The kitchen’s fridge is covered in drawings by the Heeler puppies, while the living room TV plays Bluey.

Families can explore both a pillow fort and a cardboard castle — two-story structures complete with slides — before venturing into a playroom stocked with toys and costumes from the show. In the backyard, a recreation of the Heeler’s large tree is surrounded by charming gnomes. A photo opportunity with Bluey and Bingo tops off the visit.

Beyond the world of Bluey, CAMP offers even more for visitors in its Canteen space, with a splatter room, The Schmutz Bar (a slime creation station), a party room, and a playable truck. Customers can also shop for toys, clothing, and accessories.

Houston joins a list of CAMP’s locations in Dallas, Atlanta, New York City, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C. Installations change seasonally, with other current features including Paw Patrol, The Little Mermaid, and Encanto.

Courtesy of CAMP

Houston will soon be the home of a new CAMP store, featuring interactive installations like the house from "Bluey."

bluey galleria-houston camp bluey x camp