On Friday, March 2 with 51,870 people in attendance at NRG Stadium, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ Black Heritage Day concert sponsored by Kroger helped the crowd get ready for Smooth Sailin’ as singer, songwriter, and producer Leon Bridges took us on a soulful musical journey.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ is an annual family tradition that began in 1932 and honors the importance of livestock, celebrates the entertainment industry, supports the youth of Texas, and provides a huge platform for the sport of rodeo. Although this three-week event is known for its Houston, Texas roots, people from all over the state and the world recognize the Houston Rodeo as one of the must-see events held each year.
As a way to pay homage to the diverse Houston population and welcome visitors from all backgrounds, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ incorporates special days to highlight its unique cultures and participants. The Black Heritage Day was held on March 2 and featured some notable moments throughout the evening.
Professional Bull Rider, Neil Holmes from Cleveland, TX, looked quite impressive as he attempted to conquer the feat of maintaining his posture as he rode a bucking bull weighing over 2,000 pounds. The Calf Scramble was also fun to watch as some Texas youth gave it their all to catch and rope a young calf that was not in the mood to be caught or tied up.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee was the official for tonight’s scramble and threw down her hat to signify the start of the contest. One young ladies’ determination was inspiring as she refused to give up and held on for dear life to get her calf inside the qualifying square. This year the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ committed themselves to providing $8,125,250 to Junior Show Exhibitors and Calf Scramble participants.
The cutest highlight of the evening went to a little girl named Lylah who won the Mutton Bustin’ contest and rode her sheep like a true champ. Upon receiving her award Lylah credited her father, who stood in as the sheep at home, as they practiced in the game room to prepare for this shining moment.
After all of the rodeo events were completed it was 8:45 p.m. and the new Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ concert stage magically appeared. Fireworks and a cool video presentation introduced the man hidden inside the five star-shaped rotating mechanism. As a special side note, Former First Lady Michelle Obama shared her Valentine’s Day playlist dedicated to President Obama and listed in the top five is Leon Bridges with “Coming Home” as her all-time favorite.
Therefore I had the pleasure of witnessing this artist in concert and gaining the true experience of being truly mesmerized by the art of real music. Fort Worth, TX native Leon Bridges opened up with a special greeting and shout-out to H-Town for allowing him to make his 2018 debut. Dressed in a black and white polka dot shirt, black pants, and shades Leon shared his beautiful voice and took us on a ride that we wouldn’t forget.
The set last night included songs: SMOOTH SAIIN’, BAD BAD NEWS, JUICE, BROWN SKIN GIRL, COMING HOME, BETTER MAN, LISA SAWYER, IF IT FEELS GOOD, SHY, BEYOND, MRS, FLOWERS, TWISTIN, RIVER, ONE DAY, AND MISSISSIPPI KISSES.
Leon also gave a shout-out to his mother in the audience as he began singing the song named in her honor titled “Lisa Sawyer.” A nice surprise was revealed when Houston rapper Bun B came on stage as a hip-hop collaboration for the hit song, “One Day.” My absolute favorite song that had a melody on repeat in my head is “River.”
Overall I left NRG Stadium refreshed and filled with entertainment goodness. Leon is an authentic and talented performer that represented Black Heritage Day in a way that our ancestors would be proud.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™ runs from February 27 – March 18, 2018. Visit RodeoHouston.com to view the upcoming schedule of activities and performances.
Featured photo via @HoustonRodeo Instagram.
