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January 24, 2011
Rodeo Austin announces 2011 entertainer line-up
Rodeo Austin has announced the entertainer lineup for the 2011 shindig, which takes place March 11 to 26.
The biggest and most senior names participating are Loretta Lynn (78 years young!), Rick Springfield (61 years young! No, really — General Hospital was a long time ago) and Joan Jett & The Blackhearts (a spry 52 and she rocks harder than you).
Here is the full list of main stage acts.
March 12 - Eli Young Band
March 13 - Big Time Rush
March 14 - Dierks Bentley
March 15 - Jason Derulo
March 16 - Blake Shelton
March 17 - Easton Corbin
March 18 - Josh Turner
March 19 - The Band Perry
March 20 - Ronnie Milsap
March 21 - Joe Nichols
March 22 - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
March 23 - Clay Walker
March 24 - Rick Springfield
March 25 - Loretta Lynn
March 26 - Kevin Fowler
Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. Friday. Check out the rodeo’s website for more information.
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March 25, 2009
Review: Eli Young Band at the rodeo
If you didn’t know that the Eli Young Band came from the humble beginnings of a fraternity house at the University of North Texas in Denton, you certainly couldn’t tell during their sold-out show Saturday at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo.
Lead vocalist and frontman Mike Eli never missed a beat and commanded the stage as well as any of his superstar predecessors. More than a few times he descended the stage into the dirt of the arena to greet and clap hands with screaming fans.
It took the band a few songs to really get comfortable on the Travis County Expo Center’s rotating stage, but once they found their footing, Eli and the boys delivered a rousing and energetic 13-song set.
The band played a variety of hits off their latest album, “Jet Black & Jealous,” along with fan favorites “So Close Now,” “Everything is You” and “Highways and Broken Hearts” from their first two albums that never made radio play.
They melted hearts with “Always the Love Songs,” currently at number 19 on Billboard’s Hot Country chart, and “When It Rains,” a holdover from their second album, “Level.” The highlight of the show was during “Guinevere,” surely to be the band’s next big hit, when several couples spilled into the aisles of the arena to slow-dance.
During most of the show, something was amiss with the band’s audio. Their instrumentals, the drums in particular, significantly overpowered the vocal audio, so it was difficult to hear the words of the songs. I expected the problem to be corrected after the first two or three songs, but this was not the case.
Despite the audio problems, the Eli Young Band will surely continue to perform at a high level.
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Review: Kellie Pickler at the rodeo
I had misconceptions about Kellie Pickler going into her Friday show at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo.
I was expecting a ditzy, talentless Carrie Underwood wannabe wearing her best pair of red high heels. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised by Pickler’s respectable 14-song set, which was also enjoyed by more than 4,500 of Pickler’s biggest fans, mostly tweenage girls clad in sparkles and pink.
Her twangy voice, an octave too high for my liking, was solid, though she struggled with some lower notes. At times she was — as Randy Jackson would say — a bit pitchy, but Pickler’s overall performance was impressive.
“The American Idol” alum opened the show with “Best Days Of Your Life,” the latest single off her self-titled sophomore album, a song that she co-wrote with fellow country/pop artist Taylor Swift. Pickler continued with a mix of hits from her first and second albums, including “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” and “Things That Never Cross A Man’s Mind.”
After covering Dolly Parton’s “Nine To Five,” Pickler shifted gears with “I Wonder,” a heartbreaking song about her non-existent relationship with her mother. She closed the show on a high note, literally, with her biggest hit “Red High Heels.”
The North Carolina native used her sweet-as-molasses Southern charm to work the crowd, waving and acknowledging her fans — “Hey darlin’ I like your sparkly pants!” —in between every single song.
Surprisingly, Pickler herself was not donning any sparkling pants, rather an unassuming black cap-sleeve shirt paired with jeans, flat black leather boots (gasp!), and no jewelry (double gasp!).
Although her banter was genuine, some of her stories rambled on too long. If she can refine her on-stage persona, Pickler will be well on her way to headlining her own tour.
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March 11, 2008
High honors for folks behind rodeo barbecue
The annual barbecue that kicks off Rodeo Austin is more than just a place to score a tasty meal.
Much more.
Nearly 60 teams took part in the three-day event this year, raising $302,000 for the rodeo’s scholarship fund.
For their work, members of the barbecue committee were honored with the President’s Volunteer Service Award from President George W. Bush’s Council on Service and Civic Participation.
“There wasn’t a dry eye on the committee,” said member Karen Sironi. “It was a total surprise and great to be recognized for all the hard work that had been done over many, many years.”
In a letter, President Bush thanked the committee for “demonstrating the outstanding character of America and helping strengthen our country.”
According to Ernie Beltz, Jr. the award was certified and presented by the Central Texas Heroes Foundation.
Rodeo Austin runs through March 15 at the Travis County Expo Center.
