getting him back

Pop superstar Olivia Rodrigo launches gutsy new tour with early stop in Houston

Pop star Olivia Rodrigo will perform at Toyota Center on Tuesday, February 27, 2024.

Photo by Nick Walker

Rising pop star Olivia Rodrigo will go on a world tour in 2024 in support of her just-released new album, Guts, including a stop in Houston, at Toyota Center on Tuesday, February 27.

It's a massive arena tour with 57 dates — a step up for Rodrigo, who played mostly amphitheaters and other mid-sized venues in 2022. The tour will be bookended by two separate North American legs, with a 21-city European leg sandwiched in-between.

The initial 22-date run will start in Palm Springs, California on February 23, with Houston (February 27), Austin (February 28), and Dallas among the first concerts on the tour. Rodrigo will be joined by opening act Chappell Roan at all three Texas stops.

Although sales figures for Guts, Rodrigo's second studio album, have not yet been released, it is destined to be just as successful as her 2021 album, Sour, which went to No. 1 around the world.

That album contained inescapable hits like "Drivers License," "Deja Vu," and "Good 4 U," giving her an extremely high profile that resulted in three Grammy Awards in 2022. She already has one No. 1 song, "Vampire," off of Guts, whose video received seven nominations at the recent MTV Video Music Awards.

Fans can register for a chance to buy tickets through Sunday, September 17 at 9 pm at ticketmaster.com/oliviarodrigo for both the on-sale as well as American Express® Early Access.

Once registration closes, fans will be randomly selected to receive a code that grants them access to either the Early Access sale on Wednesday, September 20 and general sale on Thursday, September 21.

The Guts world tour will also offer VIP packages and experiences for fans to take their concert experience to the next level.

Additionally, the tour will feature "Silver Star Tickets," a limited number of $20 (plus taxes and fees) tickets that will be available at a later date. Silver Star Tickets, which must be purchased in pairs, will be located next to each other, with seat locations revealed on the day of show when picked up at the venue box office.

A portion of the proceeds from all ticket sales will go to Rodrigo’s Fund 4 Good, a global initiative committed to building an equitable and just future for all women and girls through direct support of community based non-profits that champion girls’ education, support reproductive rights, and prevent gender-based violence.

GUTS WORLD TOUR 2024 DATES

Fri Feb 23 – Palm Springs, CA – Acrisure Arena
Sat Feb 24 – Phoenix, AZ – Footprint Center
Tue Feb 27 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center
Wed Feb 28 – Austin, TX – Moody Center
Fri Mar 01 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center
Sat Mar 02 – New Orleans, LA – Smoothie King Center
Tue Mar 05 – Orlando, FL – Amway Center
Wed Mar 06 – Miami, FL – Kaseya Center
Fri Mar 08 – Charlotte, NC – Spectrum Center
Sat Mar 09 – Nashville, TN – Bridgestone Arena
Tue Mar 12 – St. Louis, MO – Enterprise Center
Wed Mar 13 – Omaha, NE – CHI Health Center
Fri Mar 15 – St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
Sat Mar 16 – Milwaukee, WI – Fiserv Forum
Tue Mar 19 – Chicago, IL – United Center
Fri Mar 22 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
Sat Mar 23 – Detroit, MI – Little Caesars Arena
Tue Mar 26 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Fri Mar 29 – Toronto, ON – Scotiabank Arena
Mon Apr 01 – Boston, MA – TD Garden
Fri Apr 05 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Sat Apr 06 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
Tue Apr 30 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
Fri May 03 – Manchester, UK – Co-op Live
Tue May 07 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro
Fri May 10 – Birmingham, UK – Utilita Arena
Tue May 14 – London, UK – The O2
Wed May 15 – London, UK – The O2
Wed May 22 – Antwerp, Belgium – Sportpaleis
Fri May 24 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
Tue May 28 – Oslo, Norway – Spektrum
Thu May 30 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
Sat Jun 01 – Berlin, Germany – Mercedes-Benz Arena
Tue Jun 04 – Hamburg, Germany – Barclays Arena
Wed Jun 05 – Frankfurt, Germany – Festhalle
Fri Jun 07 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
Sun Jun 09 – Bologna, Italy – Unipol Arena
Tue Jun 11 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
Wed Jun 12 – Cologne, Germany – Lanxess Arena
Fri Jun 14 – Paris, France – Accor Arena
Tue Jun 18 – Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi
Thu Jun 20 – Madrid, Spain – WizInk Center
Sat Jun 22 – Lisbon, Portugal – Altice Arena
Fri Jul 19 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center
Sat Jul 20 – Washington, DC – Capital One Arena
Tue Jul 23 – Atlanta, GA – State Farm Arena
Wed Jul 24 – Lexington, KY – Rupp Arena
Fri Jul 26 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center
Sat Jul 27 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
Tue Jul 30 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
Wed Jul 31 – Salt Lake City, UT – Delta Center
Fri Aug 02 – San Francisco, CA – Chase Center
Tue Aug 06 – Seattle, WA – Climate Pledge Arena
Fri Aug 09 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena
Sat Aug 10 – Portland, OR – Moda Center
Tue Aug 13 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
Wed Aug 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum

concerts music

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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