RODEOHOUSTON 2019 ROCKS

The top 10 can't-miss concerts at RodeoHouston 2019

SportsMap Staff
Feb 20, 2019, 1:03 pm
No. 2 Cardi B - Friday, March 1 Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

This article originally appeared on CultureMap and was written by Johnston Farrow.

Elvis Presley, Garth Brooks, Dolly Parton, and even LL Cool J.

RodeoHouston is the definitive annual concert event in the Bayou City. Anyone who is anyone in the world of country and pop music played the rotating center stage over the years. This year's line-up is stacked with the most diverse artists assembled in the history of the event, covering pop, rock, classic rock, Latin, EDM, and of course, country.

The following are the top 10 shows CultureMap is most excited to see during the 2019 edition.

Brooks & Dunn - Wednesday, February 27
The high-selling country duo hasn't performed a lot together over the last decade and it's been awhile since their "Boot Scootin' Boogie" heyday in the '90s, all of which makes this appearance special. Their last album of original music was the 2008 collection, Cowboy Town, but after their career of 20 No. 1 country hits, who can blame them for taking it easy. That said, this one will draw a huge amount of fans that grew up on their music, hungry to sing along to the countless hits this talented pair produced over the last 30 years.

Chris Stapleton - Thursday, March 14
The Nashville star Chris Stapleton makes his third straight appearance at RodeoHouston and while he hasn't put out anything since 2017's Room with a View, Vol. 2 in 2017, he remains one of country music's best performers. Very few acts at the event this year encapsulate country values better than the full-voiced Stapleton, whose music incorporates the wood and wires sound and classic gritty storytelling of old school C&W classics.

Kings of Leon - Tuesday, March 12
There's no denying Kings of Leon's staying power. While this booking would have made a bigger splash five years ago, the Nashville band of three Followill brothers and their cousin are more than established as a rock music powerhouse, having headlined the biggest festivals this country offers. The band's humble beginnings as a Lynyrd Skynyrd-meets-The Strokes soon gave way to a much larger mainstream sound that found major radio play with singles, "Sex on Fire" and "Use Somebody." And if you're wondering if they are big enough to play center stage, the group opened for U2 after the release of their first album, so they know how to fill big spaces.

Panic! at the Disco - Sunday, March 3
Emo kids, rejoice! RodeoHouston finally recognizes you as a viable moneymaker! Yes, we say that in jest, but if there is any act to come out of the early-2000s emo-rock movement, Las Vegas band Panic! at the Discodeserves to be in the spotlight. Led by the talented Brendon Urie, Panic! comes in hot on the heels of a huge tour behind the release of No. 1 album, Pray for the Wicked, a critically acclaimed jaunt that filled international arenas, showing that the band has the skills to play to the rafters. If there is a dark horse for best show at RodeoHouston this year, this is it.

Brad Paisley - Saturday, March 16
Brad Paisley makes his sixth consecutive appearance and 13th overall RodeoHouston appearance, largely because he remains one of the biggest country artists in the game right now. He continues to sell out arenas wherever he plays and while the only thing new he released since his 2017 album, Love and War, is his new single "Bucked Off," he's stayed relevant through the many Nationwide insurance commercials, playing the straight-man foil to former NFL MVP Peyton Manning's comedic persona.

Zedd - Friday, March 8
In 2017, RodeoHouston entertainment director Jason Kane experimented with bringing an EDM act, The Chainsmokers, to RodeoHouston. While it could have gone awry, the performance was an overall success, attracting a once hard to crack demographic - the youth. That experiment continues with the Grammy Award-winning Russian-German producer/DJ, Zedd, who worked with some big names in pop music, including Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, and former RodeoHouston performer Alessia Cara. Will Zedd make the Rodeo rave again? We'll definitely be there to find out. Bring your glowsticks!

Continue reading on CultureMap to see the rest of the performers.

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Rocket Launch

Rockets get back on track with wins over Pistons and Mavericks

Rockets get another much-needed win. Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images.

The Houston Rockets went on a redemption tour by beating the Detroit Pistons and Dallas Mavericks. But the most pivotal win was against the Mavericks as the Rockets finally showed their true potential. John Wall finally made his return from his injury hiatus and played with a lot of energy. DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Gordon combined for 61 points. It was great to see Stephan Silas crack a smile as he was able to beat his former team.

The Rockets clearly missed Wall during his eight-game absense. This season, the Rockets are a .500 team with Wall on the court. Wall is the Rockets' floor general that leads, constructs, and also pushes his teammates to become better.

Wall only played 21 minutes in the 133-108 win over the Mavericks but still had eight assists. Even though Wall only had 7 points, his presence was still felt by finding his teammates for open looks beyond the perimeter. Wall made sure Cousins and Gordon got a plethora of touches. He called multiple actions, so they got open looks from three, which was mainly Gordon. Gordon and Cousins' struggles have been similar but with Wall on the court, they were successful against the Mavericks. According to NBA Stats, Wall posted a 111 offensive rating with the starters versus the Mavericks, which included Gordon and Cousins.

"He's the engine to this team. He gets everybody going. He makes the game easy," Cousins told a reporter after the game. "The pressure that he constantly puts on the defense is a tough thing to deal with."

Gordon has struggled all season long with three-point shooting and relied on his slashing abilities. Saturday night, Gordon made six three pointers against the Mavericks, which was 66 percent from beyond the perimeter. Gordon increased his three-point percentage from 31 percent to 34.5 percent after Saturday night's game. Gordon's 33 points came from being able to attack the entire Mavericks' defense. Willy Cauley-Stein didn't stand a chance against Gordon as he was burned multiple times. Gordon's been a lifesaver for the Rockets in the last two games, and hopefully he maintains his play.

Cousins played fantastic against the Mavericks scoring 28 points and grabbing 17 rebounds. This is Cousins' first double-double with the Rockets this season. Cousins became the vintage player from the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings. It was extremely fun watching Cousins push the ball up the court and aggressively snatch rebounds. Boogie shot 50 percent from behind the arc by making four three-pointers. He was dominant inside the paint as Cousins went 7/8 from the restricted area versus the Mavericks. This was the game Cousins needed after having a poor performance against the Pistons Friday night.

"It was really, really good. He did it all. He's a physical presence on both ends of the floor," as Silas said on Cousins' performance.

David Nwaba and Mason Jones were big factors off the Rockets' bench by having a combined total of 34 points together. Nwaba has been great in transition for the Rockets the entire season. Keep in mind that Nwaba is returning from an Achilles injury he suffered with his former team, the Brooklyn Nets. Nwaba has became a great defender, slasher, and is averaging a career-high nine points per game with the Rockets. He finished with 18 points on Saturday night versus the Mavericks.

Mason Jones has become a fan favorite of the Rockets because of his confidence. Silas is loving the usage of Jones off the bench but wants to find more minutes for him. Jones had a breakout performance versus the San Antonio Spurs with 24 points off 66 percent shooting from the field. He continues to get better with his reads from the point guard position. Jones' knowledge of running the offense has helped his efficiency on the court. He is never afraid to take clutch shots in pivotal moments of the game.

"To have a young kid who can come in and not be afraid of the moment, that's big. That's a tough position to be in as an undrafted rookie. I trust him. It's a good problem to have," Silas mentioned after the game. "He's showing me he's ready. He's a confident kid, and he should be. That's why he's good. He's not afraid of the moment, at all. He can get us organized, run plays, and score the basketball."

Hopefully, the Rockets can sustain their level of play when Victor Oladipo returns against the Washington Wizards, Tuesday. It will be interesting to watch Oladipo and Wall play in the same backcourt.

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