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Photo by © Michelle Watson/CatchLightGroup.com

Country star Jason Aldean's upcoming "Highway Desperado Tour" will include a stop at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth on Saturday, October 14, the only Texas date on the tour.

The 41-city tour kicks off on July 14 in Bethel, New York, and will last just over three months, with the Fort Worth concert being one of the final dates. Aldean will be supported by opening acts Mitchell Tenpenny, Corey Kent, and Dee Jay Silver.

Aldean is one of the most successful country singers of the 21st century, with virtually every single and album being a top 10 hit. He has sold more than 20 million albums in his career and was named ACM Artist of the Decade in 2019.

Aldean is touring in support of his 10th album, Macon, Georgia, a double album that was released in two installments, the first in November 2021 and the second in April 2022.

Tickets for the tour go on sale starting February 17 at 10 am at JasonAldean.com. Fans can also purchase VIP packages, which may include premium tickets, invitation to the Jason Aldean VIP Lounge, pre-show acoustic performance and Q&A session with Aldean, a VIP gift item, and more.

HIGHWAY DESPERADO 2023 TOUR DATES:

  • Fri Jul 14 – Bethel, NY – Bethel Woods Center for the Arts
  • Sat Jul 15 – Hartford, CT – Xfinity Theatre
  • Sun Jul 16 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Saratoga Performing Arts Center
  • Thu Jul 20 – Cuyahoga Falls, OH – Blossom Music Center
  • Fri Jul 21 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
  • Thu Jul 27 – Columbia, MD – Merriweather Post Pavilion^
  • Fri Jul 28 – Hershey, PA – Hersheypark Stadium
  • Sat Jul 29 – Mansfield, MA – Xfinity Center
  • Fri Aug 04 – Charleston, SC – Credit One Stadium
  • Sat Aug 05 – Atlanta, GA – Lakewood Amphitheatre
  • Sun Aug 06 – Tuscaloosa, AL – Tuscaloosa Amphitheater
  • Thu Aug 10 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
  • Fri Aug 11 – Raleigh, NC – Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
  • Fri Aug 18 – Sioux Falls, SD – Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
  • Sat Aug 19 – Welch, MN – Treasure Island Amphitheater*
  • Thu Aug 24 – Estero, FL – Hertz Arena
  • Fri Aug 25 – Jacksonville, FL – VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
  • Sat Aug 26 – Orange Beach, AL – The Wharf Amphitheater
  • Thu Sep 07 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
  • Fri Sep 08 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
  • Sat Sep 09 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
  • Thu Sep 14 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
  • Fri Sep 15 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
  • Sat Sep 16 –Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
  • Thu Sep 21 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
  • Fri Sep 22 – Portland, OR – RV Inn Style Resorts Amphitheater
  • Sat Sep 23 – Auburn, WA – White River Amphitheatre
  • Thu Sep 28 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
  • Fri Sep 29 – Irvine, CA – FivePoint Amphitheatre
  • Sat Sep 30 – San Bernardino, CA – Glen Helen Amphitheater
  • Thu Oct 05 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
  • Fri Oct 06 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
  • Sat Oct 07 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
  • Thu Oct 12 – Kansas City, MO – T-Mobile Center+
  • Fri Oct 13 – Oklahoma City, OK – Paycom Center
  • Sat Oct 14 – Fort Worth, TX – Dickies Arena
  • Thu Oct 19 – Columbus, OH – Nationwide Arena
  • Fri Oct 20 – Louisville, KY – KFC Yum! Center
  • Sat Oct 21 – Toledo, OH – Huntington Center
  • Fri Oct 27 – West Palm Beach, FL – iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
  • Sat Oct 28 – Tampa, FL – MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Photo by © Michelle Watson CatchLightGroup.com

Luke Bryan trucks to Dallas-Fort Worth for 2 'Country On Tour' stops

Country on

Luke Bryan fans, clear your calendars in late September 2023. The five-time Entertainer of the Year and American Idol judge is making not one but two stops in North Texas on his "Country On Tour."

He'll play Dallas' Dos Equis Pavilion on September 28, then scoot over to Fort Worth for a show at Dickies Arena on September 29. The only other Texas stop on his 36-city tour will be in Lubbock, on July 27. (So sorry, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio.)

Special guests throughout the tour will include up-and-coming country artists Chayce Beckham, Tyler Braden, Ashley Cooke, Jackson Dean, Jon Langston, Conner Smith, Alana Springsteen, Hailey Whitters, and DJ Rock.

According to the tour site, Beckham, Dean, Whitters, and DJ Rock will play the Dallas-Fort Worth shows.

Bryan has a history of investing in new artists by inviting them to join him on tour, a press release reminds.

“Artists get into the business to make music and perform it for the fans,” Bryan says in the release. “Leaving it all out on that stage is what it’s all about for me. I’m excited to support and have so many talented new artists along for the ride this year. It’s one of the most rewarding parts of our job.

The tour is named for Bryan's 30th No. 1 single, “Country On” - a celebration of farmers, truckers, military, first responders, and all of Americana that hit the top of the country singles charts around Christmas 2022. He has amassed a career tally of 56 total weeks at #1.

Bryan launches his 2023 headline dates at Resorts World Theatre in Las Vegas on February 1. He's also returning as a judge on ABC's American Idol this spring.

Bryan's "Country On Tour" kicks off June 15 in Syracuse, New York.

Tickets go on sale on at 10 am Friday, February 3 at Lukebryan.com.

Presale for Bryan's fan club members will run 8 am Tuesday, January 31 through 5 pm Thursday, February 2. For details, go HERE.

Citi cardmembers will have access to presale tickets from 10 am Wednesday, February 1 to 10 pm Thursday, Feb 2 through the Citi Entertainment program. For complete presale details visit www.citientertainment.com.

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Country music bad boy Morgan Wallen headlines ACM Awards benefit show in Dallas-Fort Worth

Country concert news

Dallas-Fort Worth will be the center of the country music universe on May 11, when the 58th Academy of Country Music Awards are broadcast from The Star in Frisco. As with any worldwide, Super Bowl-level event, there'll be many happenings leading up to it. First up: a benefit concert headlined by Morgan Wallen.

The country music bad boy (and current superstar and reigning ACM Album of the Year winner) takes top billing on "ACM Lifting Lives LIVE: Morgan Wallen & Friends," a fundraiser for Lifting Lives, the philanthropic partner of the Academy of Country Music. The "friends" taking the stage with him include reigning ACM Songwriter of the Year HARDY, reigning ACM New Female Artist and Song of the Year winner Lainey Wilson, ERNEST, Bailey Zimmerman, and DJ 13lackbeard.

The show will be held at 7:30 pm Wednesday, May 10 on the golfing green at Topgolf in The Colony. It will follow the Topgolf Tee-Off and Rock On Fundraiser, presented by VGT by Aristocrat Gaming, taking place earlier that day; the concert is ticketed separately from the golf tournament.

Just what does Lifting Lives do? According to a release, "in addition to distributing more than $4 million to date through its Covid Relief Fund, ACM Lifting Lives provides critical support through the Diane Holcomb Emergency Relief Fund, significant annual commitments to Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, Music Health Alliance, and the Ryan Seacrest Foundation, and individual grants to organizations that reach communities all across America."

Now in its fourth year (and first in Texas), the golf tournament brings together artists, industry members, and fans for a golf skills competition and an extended day of live entertainment.

"ACM Lifting Lives does great work providing aid in times of need to folks inside and outside of the music industry,” Wallen says in the release. “My band and I are excited to help them raise funds to continue doing this amazing work.”

Now, for the ticket details, per the release:

  • General Admission tickets to the concert became available to ACM Members, ACM A-List subscribers, 58th ACM Awards ticket holders, and Topgolf Friends and Family through an exclusive presale that started at 12 pm Thursday, March 23.
  • Remaining tickets will be available for a general public onsale beginning Friday, March 24 at 10 am through AXS.
  • Those who have purchased bays for golf will be able to remain in their bay for the concert, with the bay serving as a suite to watch the show. A limited amount of VIP fan golf bays for the Topgolf Tee-Off and Rock On are available for purchase; email rockon@acmcountry.com.

Crane flies have landed ever so lightly in Dallas, which means one thing

Insect News

The crane flies have arrived in Dallas, and this year, they're here in droves.

Fragile, leggy, and whisper-light, crane flies are most often found around streams and lakes. But at certain times of year, they show up in urban areas, hovering and bobbing around houses and doorways.

If you live in certain areas — green, suburban areas — you've surely encountered them or seen complaints on your cranky Facebook neighborhood page. This, even though they don't bite or want to bother you in any way.

To bug experts like Janet Hurley, an Extension Program Specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, their arrival means one thing: Spring is officially here.

If they seem to be in larger numbers, it's, as usual, related to weather.

"The weather has been warmer, and we've had a number of damp days," Hurley says. "We've also had an unusual 2023, with spring bouncing in and out for a couple months. They usually show up during or right before spring break. But we all joke that if you see the crane fly, you won’t be seeing freezing temperatures again."

Of all the pests Texas must endure, crane flies have to be the most innocuous. Now-retired Texas A&M entomologist Mike Merchant called them "among the gentlest of insects."

It's a myth that they prey on or are related to mosquitoes. Crane flies are larger, and unlike mosquitos, their wings do not have scales. They also don't want your blood. They live on fat reserves built up during their larval stage.

They live short but amorous lives. Their sole purpose is to mate and make more crane flies for next spring.

Hurley says that they might be a nuisance but to consider the alternatives.

"Once they're gone, the mosquitoes come in," she says.

Dallas Cowboys' Dak Prescott champions kindness at 2023 Beacon of Hope Luncheon

Mental health advocacy

What: Grant Halliburton Foundation Beacon of Hope Luncheon

Where: Omni Dallas Hotel

The 411: About 700 attendees gathered to cheer on Grant Halliburton Foundation's mission to support adolescent mental health - and to cheer on their favorite Dallas Cowboys quarterback. Dak Prescott, along with Solomon Thomas of the New York Jets, delivered messages of hope at the 14th annual fundraising luncheon on March 7.

Both players use their platforms off the field to raise awareness about mental health and suicide through their foundations.

Andy Adler, CBS 11 sports anchor and children’s rights activist, interviewed Prescott and Thomas on stage. Both shared the seemingly simple message to "be kind." They demonstrated why it's so important from their personal experiences.

Prescott has been open about his own mental health challenges. His Faith Fight Finish Foundation was established as a tribute to his mom, Peggy, who died of cancer in 2013, and its work also honors his brother, Jace, who died in 2020 by suicide.

"Depression and anxiety can overwhelm you. I realized that during the first month of COVID. Sunny days felt dark, and my big house and yard felt small and closed in," Prescott said from stage. "We have the obligation to take care of ourselves and neighbors. Help your neighbors and loved ones ... We have hope. React in a healthy way.”

Similarly, Thomas (a Dallas native) lost his sister, Ella, to suicide in 2018 and co-founded The Defensive Line with his parents, Martha and Chris Thomas (who were in attendance). Their organization focuses on mental health and suicide prevention.

"We must treat ourselves as human beings and others as human beings. Ask people not how they are doing, but how are you really doing," Thomas urged, adding, "Vote and identify candidates who care about mental health. We have to make sure our kids have support in schools. We didn’t see widespread support 10 years ago.”

Local students joined Prescott and Thomas on stage to ask questions before Halliburton Foundation president Kevin Hall presented theprestigious Beacon Award to both players.

Steve Noviello of FOX 4 News served as the master of ceremonies for the luncheon, which followed a champagne reception where guests took part in mental health activations, viewed and purchased raffle packages, and listened to DJ Lucy Wrubel keep the beat lively.

This year's luncheon chairs were the Conly family — Jeanie and Bert Conly and their children, Lindsey and Aaron Berg, Mark Briscoe, and Kendall and Luke Cagle; Barb Farmer is the founding luncheon chair. Vanita Halliburton spoke about the organization she co-founded after losing her son Grant to suicide 17 years ago.

For more information about the Grant Halliburton Foundation and resources they offer, visit their website.

Who: Kaileigh Johnson, Misaki Collins, Rama Vangipuram, Neera Truong, Judy Rawle, T.J. Griffin, Polly Campbell, Bev Berry-Vuckovich, Susan Griffiths, Lucy Witte, Sonya Parker Goode, Norman Goode, Julia Butler, Amy McCloskey, Dave Farmer, and hundreds more.

Grant Halliburton Foundation Beacon of Hope Luncheon, Dak Prescott

Photo by Simon Luna

Dak Prescott greets high school students during a backstage lunch before going on stage.