taylor time

Taylor Swift dawns a new era with world tour coming to Houston

Swift will play NRG.

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Pop superstar Taylor Swift's U.S. leg of "The Eras Tour" will hit Houston for three nights at NRG Stadium starting on Friday, April 21 and running through Sunday, April 23, 2023.

She'll also visit AT&T Stadium in Arlington for back-to-back shows on April 1 and 2, 2023. The Texas dates are three of 27 shows Swift will play in the U.S. over the course of five months, starting in Glendale, Arizona on March 18.

At both the Houston and Arlington dates, Swift will be joined by special guests beabadoobee and Gracie Abrams.

The Eras Tour is in support of Swift's new album, Midnights, which has become the fastest selling album of her career, debuting at No. 1 in 14 countries around the world.

She also notched a historic first in the 64-year history of the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart, as the top 10 songs this week are all from that album. She is the first artist to claim the survey's entire top 10 in a single frame.

To ensure tickets for the tour get into the hands of fans, Swift has partnered with Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan program. Registration for the presale is now open through Wednesday, November 9 at 10:59 pm. Registered fans who receive a code will have exclusive access to purchase tickets on Tuesday, November 15 starting at 10 am.

Only fans that have received a unique code will have the chance to purchase tickets, which will range from $49 to $449. In addition, VIP packages will start at $199 up to $899 on a first come, first served basis.

An exclusive premium allocation of tickets has been set aside for Capital One cardholders, who will have priority access to purchase tickets on November 15 at 2 pm through November 17 at 10 pm or until supplies last.

The public on-sale for tickets begins at 10 am Friday, November 18.

(Editor's note: This story has been updated since original publication.)

music concerts

Time to Tailgate

Houston sports fans score great food and fun at CultureMap's Tailgate

Photo by Daniel Fernandez

Chris Lueking, Bailey Murphy

It's rare to get a Houston evening with low humidity, crisp air, and cool breezes, but the stars aligned for The Tailgate presented by Verizon, CultureMap's third annual signature event, on November 11. The weather was absolutely perfect.

Held at 8th Wonder Brewing, the (mostly) outdoor event offered about 500 guests plenty of space to mingle, eat, and enjoy the laid-back vibe of sports-themed fun. Houston pride shone brightly with attendees donning their best Astros, Texans, Rockets, and Dynamo gear.

VIP admission gave guests access to a special meet-and-greet with two of the Houston Texans' most popular alumni — defensive stars Brian Cushing and Travis Johnson, courtesy of presenting sponsor Verizon. The players handed out their autographs and snapped photos with fans to kick off the evening.

Of course, no tailgate is complete without delicious food. Guests gobbled up generous samples from some of Houston's favorite restaurants, including:

Adobo beef tacos from 1891 American Eatery & Bar
Wings and loaded french fries from Big City Wings
Comfort Foodies' signature empanadas in four flavors: oxtail, beef and cheese, chicken and cheese, and spinach and cheese
Shrimp ceviche shooters and brisket on a croissant from The Halal Guys
St. Louis ribs with Comeback Sauce from Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition
Spicy and regular Layne's chicken fingers with dipping sauce
Smoked salmon handroll from Kokoro
Loro's smoked brisket tostadas with shishito salsa
Ramen Frito pie from Ramen Tatsu-Ya
Lobster rolls, corn and crab bisque, lobster bisque, and whoopie pies from Mainely Sandwiches
Smoked pulled pork bahn mi pizza from Pizarro's Pizza
Al pastor sausage and challah lobster roll from Saint Arnold Brewing Company
Sweet jerk chili wings from Southern Jerks
Spicy ranch wings from Taste Kitchen + Bar
Laab chicken sandwiches with tortilla chips from Thai Tail
The Waffle Bus' Hot Mess Fries: seasoned waffle fries topped with spicy buttermilk fried chicken bites, white cheddar mac and cheese, and Thunder Sauce
72-hour sous vide wagyu short rib from Uchi
Wagyu meatballs and edamame fritters from Uchiko Houston

With virtually no wait time for drinks, the bars served up signature cocktails by Jameson Irish Whiskey and Weber Ranch Vodka. Guests sipped memorable espresso martinis made with Shipley Do-Nuts cold brew, along with THC seltzers from Howdy and 8th Wonder beers.

Big City Wings beat out 15 other competitors in a bracket-style tournament to take home the title as winner of the Ultimate Wing Showdown. And The Waffle Bus scored a repeat win as attendees' favorite dish of the night; they also took home the title in 2023.

Local sports organizations were well represented, with the Texans raffling off a coveted CJ Stroud-signed White Panel Football. The Astros showed off their Shooting Stars dancers, plus the 2017 and 2022 World Series Trophies. And Houston soccer stars the Dynamo and Dash raffled off team-signed jerseys.

The night wound down with a spirited kolache-eating contest sponsored by Shipley Do-Nuts; the lucky winner received free doughnuts for a year.

At the end of the night, there was only one complaint to be made for The Tailgate: It had to come to an end for another season.

The Tailgate was presented by Verizon and sponsored by 8th Wonder, HOWDY, Jameson Irish Whiskey, Houston Powder Coaters, Holey Moley Golf Club, Mizzen + Main, Shipley Do-nuts, and East River 9.

Photo by Daniel Fernandez

Chris Lueking, Bailey Murphy