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From 50 Cent to Eric Church, these are the top 10 RodeoHouston concerts to catch

Country star Blake Shelton kicks off the 2024 RodeoHouston season on February 27.

Courtesy photo

Photo courtesy of ACM Awards

Lainey Wilson makes her RodeoHouston debut on Saturday, March 9.

Giddy up! This Tuesday, February 27, RodeoHouston takes over NRG Stadium with 20 straight days of musical performances.

This year’s lineup might be the most diverse in years. Country is always the foundation, but multiple genres will be covered over three next weeks, including pop, rock, rap, Christian, norteño, and electronic music. It’s one of the things RodeoHouston event organizers do well when they put together the concert calendar – they incorporate all the sounds that make Houston a multicultural, auditory melting pot.

Fun facts: This is the first year two rappers will headline the star-shaped stage (50 Cent, Bun B). Two artists named after currency (Nickelback, 50 Cent again) will perform. And like every year, a few country fan favorites will make a repeat appearance, regardless of whether they have a new album to promote (Brad Paisley, Zac Brown Band).

We’ve pared down those 20 shows to our top 10 to see over the course of the 2024 season.

Blake Shelton, Tuesday, February 27
A safe pick to kick off the RodeoHouston slate, Blake Shelton, the former coach on The Voice is back to his regular gig as a country star, making his sixth appearance. Shelton has earned numerous awards, including 10 Country Music Association (CMA) Awards and six Academy of Country Music (ACM) Awards, racking up No. 1 hits – 28 of them, to be exact. For rock and pop fans, he is also is known as being the spouse of Gwen Stefani, who put on a now-legendary rodeo performance at in 2022.

50 Cent, Friday, March 1
The NYC-raised, current Houstonian 50 Cent endeared himself to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo execs over the last few years, including dropping big money on wine at the 2022 and 2023 Rodeo Uncorked! events. Since moving here in 2021, he has been seen around the city frequently, mostly promoting his liquor company, Sire Spirits, which will have two themed bars at NRG. For Black Heritage Night, it’s his hit-making – and money-making – catalogue (“In Da Club,” “Candy Shop,” “21 Questions,” among others) that will take center-stage, one of the most talked about shows of the season.

Jelly Roll, Wednesday, March 6
What a rise to fame for Nashville’s Jelly Roll. Once strictly an underground rapper, he gained listeners when he leaned into the sounds being produced around his city, including country, folk, blues, and soul. He veered so far away from his early work, that he picked up a New Artist of the Year trophy at the Country Music Awards in 2023 and three more CMT Music Awards on the strength of singles, “Need a Favor,” “Son of a Sinner,” and “Save Me” with fellow RodeoHouston 2024 performer, Lainey Wilson.

Luke Bryan, March 7
A rodeo staple, Luke Bryan followed a similar career path to Blake Shelton, building his already impressive fanbase as a TV music competition judge on American Idol. Unlike Shelton, however, Bryan is here for a good time, with a more upbeat approach to country music that has made him a stadium-filler and album-seller with 10 million copies sold worldwide. Expect a high-energy selection from his 25 country singles such as “Drunk on You,” and “Play It Again.”

Major Lazer, Friday, March 8
When the rodeo opened the door to electronic dance music (EDM) with The Chainsmokers in 2017, the announcement was met with some measure of doubt and a fair amount of backlash. In reality, DJs make complete sense, integrating perfectly with the state-of-the-art NRG sound and light system (courtesy the Houston-based LD Systems), leading to some of the most fun nights on the music schedule. This year, that honor goes to famed DJ Diplo’s side project, Major Lazer, which will bring a mix of four-to-the-floor beats, dancehall, reggae, house, and more (see “Lean On,” “Be Together,” or “Boom” to get amped).

Lainey Wilson, March 9
Like Maren Morris or Kasey Musgraves before her, RodeoHouston often catches female country talent on their rise to the top, naming them as a performer just before they blow up into the mainstream. Lainey Wilson is on a hot streak – weeks ago, she won the Grammy in the Best Country Album category for her hit record, Bell Bottom Country, alongside a F-350 truckload of country music awards over the last few years. No doubt the Yellowstone guest star will be featuring her No. 1 songs, “Things a Man Oughta Know” and “Watermelon Moonshine.”

Bun B, Tuesday, March 12
The Underground Kingz legend, Bun B’s stature as an ambassador for the Bayou City and its chopped and screwed scene is stronger than ever, which has parlayed into his third RodeoHouston performance in as many years. The Trill Burgers mastermind is a hip-hop institution, which allows him to cherry pick some of the strongest talent for his rodeo shows, the first in 2022 focusing on those that put Houston hip-hop on the map, the second in 2023 bringing in Southern hip-hop legends. This year, the “All American Takeover” features multi-platinum selling rap stars Nelly and Rick Ross, in addition to E-40, Too Short, and That Mexican OT.

Nickelback, Wednesday, March 13
Love them or hate them, the most successful Canadian rock band of all time, Nickelback, has the receipts to back it up (just ask Deadpool). Making their first RodeoHouston appearance, the Chad Kroeger-led act coincidentally formed in cowboy country, starting off in the rural hamlet of Hanna, Alberta in 1995. Since then, they’ve sold 50 million albums, had numerous, inescapable radio hits (“How You Remind Me,” “Photograph,” “Rockstar”), and a reputation for putting on a strong live show – despite what any music snob on the internet will tell you.

Jonas Brothers, Friday, March 15
Following their days as Disney stars, the Jonas Brothers, Kevin, Joe, and Nick went onto pursue other artistic pursuits – acting, solo music projects, marrying very famous women – to varying degrees of success. But the second act of the Jonas Brothers’ career following their reunion in 2019 has been their most accomplished yet, producing their first No. 1 single, “Sucker,” and first No. 1 album in a decade in Happiness Begins. Expect a packed house of suburban moms (and their kids) on hand to hear songs from across the Jo Bros long and colorful career.

Eric Church, Sunday, March 17
A great choice as a RodeoHouston closer, Eric Church might be the biggest name in country music right now, headlining festivals and selling out venues wherever he goes. The multi-award-winning superstar has 11 No. 1 songs to his credit, including “Drink in My Hand,” “Talladega,” and “Springsteen,” which Rolling Stone named as one of the 100 best country songs ever. Expect his second rodeo appearance to be packed as the 2024 music calendar ends in a rousing, hats, boots, and denim-clad fashion.

rodeohouston concerts

Movie Review

Safe cracking takes center stage in new heist movie Tuner

Photo courtesy of Black Bear

Leo Woodall in Tuner.

Of all the ways that movies depict people trying to steal money and other valuables, safe cracking is among the least exciting. By design, it’s a laborious process that only those with a very certain set of skills can do. While clever editing and the right music can enhance scenes of safes being cracked, there’s a reason that the method is among the least used in heist films.

In the new film Tuner, Niki (Leo Woodall) has a job and a condition that just happens to lend itself well to committing that specific crime. He works as an apprentice piano tuner for Harry (Dustin Hoffman), usually doing the hard work while Harry schmoozes the client. Niki is well-suited for the job because he has a rare condition called hyperacusis, which makes him both sensitive to loud noises and able to hear subtle things that others cannot.

When he runs across a trio of criminals trying to break open a safe at a house where he’s tuning a piano, he helps them more out of frustration than avarice. But when Harry goes into the hospital and racks up huge bills, Niki decides to join the group to make some quick money. They soon want more than he’s willing to give, and he must find a way to extricate himself from them without losing himself completely.

Written and directed by documentary filmmaker Daniel Roher (making his narrative feature debut) and co-written by Robert Ramsey, the film has a nice pace to it despite there being relatively little action. Roher and Ramsey spend the first third or so establishing Niki, Harry, and Harry’s wife Marla (Tovah Feldshuh) as characters, letting the audience understand their relationships and how they interact with each other.

The time they devote to the personal storytelling pays dividends when Niki starts to descend into crime, as his divided loyalties — not to mention the danger of the thefts — insert tension into the plot. That stress is heightened even more when Niki starts a relationship with piano student Ruthie (Havana Rose Liu), as getting closer to her necessitates a series of lies.

There comes a point, though, where the plot stagnates to a degree. Niki’s end goal, if he has one, is never clear, and it’s obvious that it’s only a matter of time before things start to fall apart. After starting strong in their character development, Roher and Ramsey take shortcuts as the film rushes toward its conclusion. This is most notable in a weird argument scene between Niki and Ruthie that comes out of nowhere and seems to serve no purpose in the story.

Woodall, who had a memorable turn in season 2 of The White Lotus, is on the cusp of breaking out, and this understated-but-compelling lead role should help him become an even bigger name in Hollywood. Hoffman has a small role, but he remains as interesting as ever despite the lack of screentime. Liu (Bottoms) is also an up-and-coming actor who should become a star with more roles like this one.

Tuner is a low-key thriller that succeeds because of the way the filmmakers approach the under-used method of robbery. Even if it doesn’t quite reach its potential, the film maintains a high quality throughout thanks to its storytelling and acting.

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Tuner is now playing in theaters.

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