The 2015 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (HLSR) has sadly come to an end on this past March 22nd. Featuring artists from all different genres, such as pop, alternative rock and country, Rodeo Houston is a hub for great music. It is also a great place to let loose, eat good food, and watch champion bull riders! Besides the show my favorite part of the rodeo is the calf scramble. While I personally never participated in the calf scramble, my little brother did, and my dad is part of the calf scramble committee. Therefore I get to be up close and personal with it every year.
Now for those of you that don’t know, HLSR gives kids the chance of winning a $1500 scholarship if they catch a calf. The scholarship will fund their FFA and 4H projects for the upcoming year. They are also encouraged to show their heifer or steer at the next year’s livestock show. It is a great program that allows many kids to raise animals they wouldn’t have been able to if not for the scholarship. After the scrambling, the kids and audience get to enjoy another few events, and then (my 2nd favorite part) the CONCERT!
This year I had the pleasure of seeing Blake Shelton and, boy, was it a great performance! He has a charisma on stage that makes the audience feel apart of the show. He talked about The Voice (http://www.nbc.com/the-voice), his wife Miranda and everyday life. My favorite thing he said was, “I’m sure there’s other things a lot of you dudes would rather have been doing tonight than sitting in here listening to me sing, but I want you to know that you did it for the right reasons—you did it because she wanted you to come out here.”(Blog) There were quite a few headshakes from men in the audience but when he followed up with “Doin’ what she likes” the men grabbed their sweet hearts and swayed right along.
Apart from playing all of his new radio hits he went back to the very first song he ever wrote. “Austin” separated the long time Blake fans from the newly acquired ones and brought everyone back to where he started. Since then he has grown into a great musician and entertainer.
I encourage everyone to go to the rodeo at least once in his or her life because it’s a unique experience. I mean riding rides at the carnival, eating funnel cakes and watching barrel racers isn’t an everyday thing for most people. I highly anticipate the rodeo every year and really enjoy it every time I go!
I went to the rodeo two years ago on my way to Gulf Shores, Alabama and the night I was there I got to see the Blake Shelton concert too! I had never been to a rodeo before…and that was one giant leap going to the one in Houston. I loved it though. I can picture the little kids riding the lambs while their parents cheered them on, and I absolutely loved it. I also really loved all of that fried food. Fried oreos will forever have my heart. But anyways, I agree that Blake Shelton is great in concert. I felt that connection to his performance too and from then on have been a fan of his. I’m interested in what some of his old music was like, so I am definitely going to check that out!
I absolutely love the Houston Live Stock Show and Rodeo. In previous years, I have seen Brooks and Dunn (multiple times), Rascal Flatts (twice), Jason Aldean, Chris Young, and most recently over the spring break I was able to see Dierks Bentley. The concert was always the biggest draw for my family and I; however, more recently I have begun to really cling on to the rodeo and the livestock show as essential pieces to my Rodeo Houston experience. The livestock show is always incredibly interesting, and the rodeo is thrilling as always! I always have a fantastic time. Although Rodeo Houston is the only rodeo I have been to, I also suggest that everyone have a rodeo and concert experience at least once!
For the past two years, I have missed attending a concert at the Houston Rodeo. Fortunately for me, I was able to go home to Houston this spring break so I did get to at least eat some of the very unhealthy rodeo food as well as ride the carnival rides. From the fried foods, carnival rides, and variety of livestock the Houston rodeo is a great experience; add on a concert and you’ll have an amazing time. On a slightly different note, I have also seen Blake Shelton perform at the rodeo many years ago and I have to agree that he is a great performer who, I feel, does a great job at engaging his audience.
Rodeo time in Houston has always been my favorite time of year! Having lived in Houston my whole life, I go to the rodeo at least once a year, usually more. It definitely holds a special place in my heart. This year I wasn’t able to find time to go and it absolutely killed me. I missed the performances, rides, and all of the yummy fried food that I usually eat more of than I should. It was so hard not to experience it all this year with my family and friends. Although I’ve seen many shows at the rodeo in the past, I’ve never been able to see Blake Shelton sadly. I’ve always wanted to see him perform whenever he makes an appearance but have never gotten the chance. I definitely need to make an effort next year if he comes back because it sounds like he put on a great show!