Nickelback Concert Review

Nickelback burns Houston to the ground with sold out RodeoHouston debut

The verdict is in: Houston really likes Nickelback.

Love them or hate them, Canada’s biggest rock export's RodeoHouston debut proved why they sell out arenas and amphitheaters around the world, playing to a huge audience of 75,036 on Wednesday, March 13. That's the second-largest crowd of the season, only behind Tejano act Los Tigres Del Norte, and edging out fellow Canuck rapper, Drake, who made an appearance at Bun B’s All-American Takeover last night.

The pride of Hanna, Alberta, Nickelback – Chad Kroeger (lead vocalist and guitarist), Ryan Peake (rhythm guitar, vocals, keyboards), Mike Kroeger (bass), and Daniel Adair (drums) – has sold over 50 million albums since forming in 1995. For those who claim to have never met a soul that bought a copy of one of their records, well, the appreciative crowd tonight served as proof that these people really do exist.

In fact, Nickelback can claim seven Top 10 albums, numerous charting singles, including an impressive No. 1 Billboard Top 100 song with the inescapable “How You Remind Me.” It’s a run that has made them the most successful Canadian rock band ever.

Still, the quartet has been one of the most critically maligned bands over the last 25 years, accused of being fiercely uncool. But they’ve found a massive audience in the U.S. and beyond, where they've dominated mainstream radio.

That said, their high-energy live show has forced even the toughest critics to relent a bit, which made Nickelback the perfect RodeoHouston headliner. While Tuesday night was for hip-hop fans, thousands of rock fans — and a lot of country fans — found their way to NRG Stadium.

Not coincidentally, Nickelback's brand of guitar-driven music played between rodeo events before the concert. There’s lyrical overlap with country music too, the band leaning heavily towards songs about partying with the bros, picking up babes, fast cars, and rocking out. What else do you need?

Starting the 60-minute, 11-song set with “San Quentin,” the lead single from 2023’s Get Rollin’ was the perfect opener – hard-hitting with a strong guitar solo, thumping bass, and pounding kick drum. Metallica’s later material came to mind (albeit in a slightly watered-down form).

“It’s our first time here, and I can promise you this,” Chad Kroeger told the crowd, mustering up his best dad joke energy. “This is not our first rodeo.”

“Savin’ Me” was next up, one of the huge singles from All the Right Reasons, the monster 2005 album that sold 18 million copies. It was the first of many crowd singalongs of the night. No one seemed to notice or care about a flubbed guitar solo before ending with a piano riff. But Chad did.

“That’s how you can tell we’re playing,” Kroeger said. “Did you hear that sticky note at the end of the solo? We’re live, baby!”

In fact, Kroeger had lots of jokes between songs, keeping things light with banter between his bandmates and himself. They touched on mutton bustin’, bullriding, the closed caption system, betting on the Houston Rockets, and more.

“I want to get close to you and walk down the points of the star,” Kroeger said, alluding to the design of the Rodeo's unique rotating platform. “But if I get too far, I turn around and the stage is gone!”

A slower number from All the Right Reasons, “Far Away,” brought out the cellphone flashlights and the second singalong in a row. It was also the first moment that felt like a traditional rodeo show, the song sounding like a close cousin to any other country ballad performed over the course of the concert season.

“Animals,” the third straight song from All the Right Reasons, took the energy up a notch with extra spotlights and a pyro display. It was one of the strongest performances of the night.

An impressive drum solo from Daniel Adair set up No. 2 hit “Someday,” from 2003’s The Long Road. The song lent itself to the rodeo setting, hints of acoustic guitar veering towards the sounds of Nickelback’s rural beginnings.

Kroeger set up the next song by mentioning the largely uncensored 50 Cent show earlier in the RodeoHouston season and comments made by Jelly Roll’s wife during the Nashville performer’s show last week, noting that he had to take certain precautions with some of the lyrical content of his songs. No surprise that the somewhat misogynistic “Figured You Out" followed.The Long Road single’s subject matter centered on a pliable girlfriend with a recreational drug habit.

“I like your pants around your feet/I like the dirt that’s on your knees," it went. Thankfully, the cringey lyrics were balanced by a layered guitar freak-out.

A change of pace, “This Afternoon” from 2008’s Dark Horse featured an upbeat pop melody and harmonized chorus straight from the Bon Jovi playbook.

“Photograph,” yet another huge hit from All the Right Reasons, brought out the acoustic guitars. The memed-to-oblivion tune had thousands of fans swaying together in the stands, holding cellphone lights aloft. It was one of the best performances of the evening, Kroeger and rhythm guitarist Ryan Peake’s voices intertwining nicely.

“Man, it really sounds great when you sing along,” Kroeger said, before pointing out a group of shirtless dudes in the crowd losing their minds.

All the Right Reasons hit “Rockstar,” was another country-adjacent song only missing a slide guitar to making it a strong contender for a CMT Award. Inescapable breakthrough No. 1 hit “How You Remind Me” from 2001’s Silver Side Up, continued the mass singalong, Kroeger’s voice hitting a sweet spot.

“Burn It to the Ground” from 2008’s Dark Horse ended the show much like it started. The guitar-fueled banger had pyro ripping through the dusty air, much to the audience’s enthusiastic delight.

Chad Kroeger may have never made it as a wise man, but he and his band did a killer job getting the sold-out RodeoHouston crowd rocking on a Wednesday night, earning hard-won respect from even the most closed-minded music fans in the stands.

Setlist
San Quentin
Savin’ Me
Far Away
Animals
Someday
Figured You Out
This Afternoon
Photograph
Rockstar
How You Remind Me
Burn It to the Ground

Courtesy of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

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Movie Review

Anne Hathaway's busy 2026 continues with meta-thriller Verity

Photo by Alisha Wetherill

Anne Hathaway in Verity.

Anne Hathaway has been inescapable for movie fans in 2026, starring in no fewer than five different movies across multiple genres, including Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, The Odyssey, and The End of Oak Street. The actor (who’s pregnant and about to take a well-earned break) is wrapping up her supremely busy year with the psychological thriller, Verity.

Hathaway plays the title character, Verity Crawford, a hugely successful author who writes beach read thrillers, often from the perspective of the villain. An unpublicized car accident renders her immobile and mute, and her husband, Jeremy (Josh Hartnett), and agents make the decision to recruit someone to ghostwrite her next book in order to continue her legacy.

The person hired for the job is Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), an aspiring author whose books mostly get ignored. She’s eager to take on the project, but the reality of Verity’s situation throws her for a loop. When she discovers a secret file that seems to be Verity admitting to some very bad things, Lowen starts to spin even more, imagining situations that may not actually be happening.

Directed by Michael Showalter and adapted by Nick Antosca from the book by Colleen Hoover, the film initially has a nice rhythm to it, setting up the three main characters well and building up tension. Though current day Verity can’t speak or move, the film gets to the heart of her through old interviews Lowen watches to get to know her mind better. Using that footage and other small moments at the house, a type of rivalry develops between the two characters.

Strangely, though, Showalter and Antosca fail to capitalize on the early momentum. The story stagnates about halfway through the movie and never delivers on what it seems to be promising. Whether they’re too true to Hoover’s original story or change things too much is difficult to tell for those who haven’t read the book, but either way, the result is a big tease with not much in the way of a payoff.

What’s most disappointing about the film is its inability to decide on a tone. There are some points where it feels like over-the-top, campy fun, and others where it seems like the filmmakers are going for a straight-up horror vibe. The down-the-middle approach that they land on serves neither the story nor the characters well. Moments that should be full of suspense or could get laughs often fall flat because of the indecisiveness of the filmmakers.

Due to her character’s affliction, Hathaway is reduced to a supporting role in the film, but she gets by on presence alone and still has a few scenes where she demonstrates her star power. Johnson delivers a good performance despite her typical lack of emotion. Like many of her roles, it’s her body that seems to get more attention than her acting. Hartnett is on a roll thanks to recent roles in Oppenheimer and Trap, and he puts in solid work here, as well.

Verity has the bones of a tense thriller, but it’s filled in with a bunch of questionable story beats that don’t prove as satisfying as the premise. The meta-plot of the authors of thrillers becoming involved in a thriller themselves should have been juicy and full of great twists, but ultimately it’s as catatonic as Verity herself.

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Verity is now playing in theaters.

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