Come for the world's largest livestock exhibition and a PRCA event; stay for the critically and popularly acclaimed country star
Every March for three weeks, Houston, Texas hosts the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at Reliant Stadium, the largest such event in the world. Each day culminates with a performance from an A-list music star. Though not exclusively country music, the majority certainly is. Thursday night’s performance was country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Brad Paisley.
I started the evening doing all the good the “Texas” things that a rodeo has to offer: eating barbeque ribs and tamales, drinking beer, examining livestock, and perusing cowboy boots and belt buckles. Actually, growing up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it was pretty similar to the Pennsylvania Farm Show in downtown each January. Since I don’t know anyone who lives in Houston, I was at the rodeo by myself. I figured I would just try to talk to as many people as I could. I was somewhat mistaken that people came from far and wide to attend the rodeo, so my initial goal to meet someone from each of the 50 states proved impossible rather quick. I learned that the rodeo is really just a Texas thing, mostly attended by locals and people from around the state. My new goal became just to find someone that had further to go home than me, and I couldn’t even complete that task. Nonetheless, I met plenty of nice people.
I soon made it into the stadium for the rodeo to see steer wrestling, bull riding, and wagon racing. Quite a spectacle! I don’t know who in their right mind would want to ride a bull, but there are apparently guys who do this professionally. Eventually the lights dimmed and Brad Paisley started his set. I’ve listened to and enjoyed several of his albums, so I recognized many songs, including "We Danced," "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)," "I'm Still a Guy,” and “American Saturday Night” but was only able to sing along to a few courses.
Unfortunately, Reliant Stadium is huge and the layout is optimized for a rodeo, not a concert. For example, there only a handful of people allowed on the floor, standing in the dirt. Therefore, the set up made Paisley feel somewhat distant from his audience. Nonetheless, he was able to get the crowd excited and everyone had a good time. Being able to do this in such a venue is an incredible skill that takes years to hone; Brad Paisley is definitely a rock star. Additionally, the acoustics in the building were terrible, with different pitches either echoing or being muffled. However, all and all, it was a fun show and interesting event. Furthermore, it was a great deal for only $40 for the entire evening. Though a rodeo and Brad Paisley concert couldn’t be further from my typical concert fare at the 9:30 Club, spending all this time in Houston will hopefully broaden my horizons on what defines a good show.
Setlist:
N/A
Every March for three weeks, Houston, Texas hosts the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo at Reliant Stadium, the largest such event in the world. Each day culminates with a performance from an A-list music star. Though not exclusively country music, the majority certainly is. Thursday night’s performance was country music singer-songwriter and guitarist Brad Paisley.
I started the evening doing all the good the “Texas” things that a rodeo has to offer: eating barbeque ribs and tamales, drinking beer, examining livestock, and perusing cowboy boots and belt buckles. Actually, growing up in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, it was pretty similar to the Pennsylvania Farm Show in downtown each January. Since I don’t know anyone who lives in Houston, I was at the rodeo by myself. I figured I would just try to talk to as many people as I could. I was somewhat mistaken that people came from far and wide to attend the rodeo, so my initial goal to meet someone from each of the 50 states proved impossible rather quick. I learned that the rodeo is really just a Texas thing, mostly attended by locals and people from around the state. My new goal became just to find someone that had further to go home than me, and I couldn’t even complete that task. Nonetheless, I met plenty of nice people.
I soon made it into the stadium for the rodeo to see steer wrestling, bull riding, and wagon racing. Quite a spectacle! I don’t know who in their right mind would want to ride a bull, but there are apparently guys who do this professionally. Eventually the lights dimmed and Brad Paisley started his set. I’ve listened to and enjoyed several of his albums, so I recognized many songs, including "We Danced," "I'm Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin' Song)," "I'm Still a Guy,” and “American Saturday Night” but was only able to sing along to a few courses.
Unfortunately, Reliant Stadium is huge and the layout is optimized for a rodeo, not a concert. For example, there only a handful of people allowed on the floor, standing in the dirt. Therefore, the set up made Paisley feel somewhat distant from his audience. Nonetheless, he was able to get the crowd excited and everyone had a good time. Being able to do this in such a venue is an incredible skill that takes years to hone; Brad Paisley is definitely a rock star. Additionally, the acoustics in the building were terrible, with different pitches either echoing or being muffled. However, all and all, it was a fun show and interesting event. Furthermore, it was a great deal for only $40 for the entire evening. Though a rodeo and Brad Paisley concert couldn’t be further from my typical concert fare at the 9:30 Club, spending all this time in Houston will hopefully broaden my horizons on what defines a good show.
Setlist:
N/A
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