State Fair Free Music

All the concerts you can see for free at State Fair of Texas 2016

Spotify House SXSW party Kacey Musgraves March 2016

Kacey Musgraves is one of the top acts performing at the 2016 State Fair of Texas.

Photo by Anna Webber/Getty Images for Spotify

With concert season on our minds, the State Fair of Texas has released its 2016 concert lineup with Nelly and Kacey Musgraves leading a pack of musical acts delivering 24 days of free concerts.

Well, free if you're at the fair. A variety of musical acts across all genres will perform on the fair's Chevrolet Main Stage, which is included with admission to the State Fair.

Country music star Kacey Musgraves will kick off the concert series on opening night, September 30, at 8:30 pm. The East Texas native caught her big break after competing on the hit TV show Nashville Star in 2007, before moving on to co-write songs with major country artists like Miranda Lambert and Martina McBride.

Opening weekend will conclude on October 2 with back-to-back headlining performances. Taking the stage at 3 pm, the Chris Perez Project blends American rock with Hispanic heritage. The former husband and lead guitarist for Tejano legend Selena, Chris Perez has performed with many different musical groups throughout the years, including the Chris Perez Band, which won a 1999 Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock/Alternative Album.

The Tejano sounds continue at 5:30 pm with AB Quintanilla y los Kumbia King All Starz. The older brother of Selena, AB Quintanilla has co-written songs and performed with his sister in their band Los Dinos, as well as founding several bands of his own. He's won a Latin Grammy Award and a Billboard Latin Music Award, and has been nominated for American Music Awards and Grammy Awards.

Kicking off Red River Showdown weekend, Prophets and Outlaws take the stage on October 7 with shows at 5:30 and 8:30 pm. Formed in Dallas, this country-Southern rock band released its latest album, V, in 2016 and is currently touring Texas and Oklahoma.

Country singer Cody Johnson performs on October 8 at 8:30 pm. In 2011, he won the Texas Regional Music Award for New Male Vocalist of the Year. His Cowboy Like Me album debuted in the top 10 on the Billboard Country Albums chart, and his sixth album, Gotta Be Me, will come out in summer 2016.

Bobby Bones and the Raging Idiots Concert Spectacular performs on October 9 at 3 pm. This musical comedy group uses its combination of humor and music to help communities in need, raising more than $2 million for various charities through its performances. Bobby Bones has a nationally syndicated weekday radio show, and a new book, Bare Bones.

Nashville-based singer/songwriter Ben Rector headlines the Columbus Day concert on October 10 at 5:30 pm. A 2006 winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest, Rector has released seven albums, including his most recent album, Brand New, in 2015.

Austin blues band The Peterson Brothers perform on October 14 at 5:30 and 8:30 pm. Despite their young ages of 17 and 19, Alex and Glenn Peterson have already had the opportunity to share the stage with true music legends such as Pinetop Perkins, Willie Nelson, Los Lonely Boys, Buddy Guy, and the late B.B. King.

Two-time Grammy Award winner Nelly will perform on October 15 at 8:30 pm. The rapper's hit singles include "Ride Wit Me," "Dilemma," "Hot in Herre," and "Work It." He currently stars in his own reality TV show on BET called Nellyville, which follows him through everyday life, from managing his career to spending time with his family.

Disco band Le Freak will perform on October 16 at 3 and 5:30 pm. Fully outfitted in retro gear to go along with their disco-era performance, Le Freak adds new energy to songs of the past.

Americana trio The Quebe Sisters perform on October 21 at 5:30 and 8:30 pm. Burleson sisters Hulda, Sophia, and Grace Quebe have developed their own blend of Western swing, classic country, and Texas-style fiddling. The Quebe Sisters have released three albums to date and are currently touring across the country.

Christian rock singer Colton Dixon performs on October 22 at 6 pm. The Tennessee native was a contestant on Season 11 of American Idoland debuted his albumbA Messenger in 2013, which became the No. 1 selling album that year by a new Christian artist.

Grammy nominee Skillet performs on October 22 at 8:30 pm. Described as Christian hard rock with alternative and metal elements, the Memphis band will release its ninth album this summer.

The concert series concludes on October 23 with a 3 pm headlining performance by Dallas band La Energía Norteña. Their third album, Cruzando Territorio, was nominated for a Latin Grammy for Best Norteño Album. Known for playing Mexican regional music that incorporates the accordion and saxophone, the all-male group stays true to its roots while maintaining a fresh musical style.

In addition to the Chevrolet Main Stage, the State Fair will offer daily live music performances on multiple stages throughout the grounds. That includes the Budweiser Sound Stage centrally located in Cotton Bowl Plaza, with local and regional acts such as Coffey Anderson, the Tejas Brothers, and Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band.

Nestled in the heart of the Midway, the Coca-Cola Stage is perfect for staking out a spot at the picnic benches and relaxing in the shade while enjoying a family-friendly musical performance. With an all-new musical act for 2016, the Coca-Cola Stage will host the Honey Bears, who will perform daily throughout the run of the Fair.

On Nimitz Circle, next to the Creative Arts building, is the Dr Pepper Stage, offering an eclectic mix of musical talent and a quaint grassy area to relax with friends and family. The 2016 lineup will feature The Killdares, Six Appeal, and the Light Crust Doughboys.

The 2016 State Fair of Texas is themed "Celebrating Texas Agriculture" and runs from September 30 through October 23.

state-fair concerts

Movie Review

Long-awaited Wicked movie adaptation lives up to the hype

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande-Butera in Wicked.

The musical Wicked is indisputably the biggest Broadway smash of the 21st century, having grossed more $1.6 billion in New York alone and achieving the rare feat of running for over 20 years. All of which is to say that the long-awaited movie adaptation of The Wizard of Oz prequel will most likely be a massive success whether it lives up to what longtime fans envisioned or not.

Part one — yes, this 2 hour and 40 minute film is merely the first act of the musical; part two arrives a year from now — introduces Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), the green-skinned witch who goes on to become Dorothy’s nemesis, and G(a)linda (Ariana Grande-Butera), the pink-garbed “good” witch, as they meet at Shiz University in Oz. Glinda is the ultra-popular one with sycophantic hangers-on, while Elphaba is shunned by almost everyone, sometimes including her disabled sister Nessarose (Marissa Bode), who’s desperate to make her own space away from Elphaba.

Her mistreatment by others leads Elphaba to get angry, which manifests itself in uncontrollable magic. Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) notices this and takes a personal interest in her, giving her one-on-one instruction in hopes of harnessing her power. In the meantime, Elphaba and Glinda attempt to go from forced roommates to actual friends, although Glinda’s entitled personality is more of an obstacle than anything else they encounter.

Directed by Jon M. Chu and written by original book writer Winnie Holzman and Dana Fox, the film does a great job of distinguishing itself from the stage version while still remaining true to what made it so beloved. As Chu showed in his last film, In the Heights, he has an innate feel for how to tap into the essence of the source material while expanding it into something befitting the scope of a blockbuster movie.

In this case, he finds a way to give even greater emphasis to the bigotry that Elphaba faces simply because of her green skin; the fact that she is being played by a Black woman drives home the point even more. The story remains light and fluffy for the most part, but the ostracization/otherness that Elphaba feels is delivered in a powerful way, as is her empathy for talking animals like Dr. Dillamond (voiced by Peter Dinklage), who are facing their own persecution.

Of course, the highlight of the film is Stephen Schwartz’s music, and while not all of the songs are equal in impact, they still make for a cohesive whole. The number of songs and order they appear in the first act is identical to the stage musical, with the standouts remaining “The Wizard and I,” “Popular,” and “Defying Gravity.” While there is some superfluous action and cutaways added to certain numbers, it’s not enough to distract from what makes the songs effective.

Oddly, the progression of the friendship between Elphaba and Glinda works better on stage when the timeline is accelerated, but Erivo and Grande-Butera make up for this slight lack with their fantastic performances. The emotion each brings to their characters fits them almost perfectly, and there’s simply no denying the strength of each of their voices. Bode, Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Ethan Slater as Boq, and more make for a solid supporting cast.

The well-known ending of the first act of Wicked is a huge high point that is so good that it almost makes up for the fact that audiences won’t see the second film for a long time. But if part one is any indication, part two should turn out to be another great musical theater adaptation in a decade that has already seen its fair share.

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Wicked opens in theaters on November 22.

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