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Tag: NRG Stadium

  • The Weeknd Radiates Energy and Emotion at NRG Stadium

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    The Weeknd
    After Hours til Dawn Tour
    NRG Stadium
    August 30, 2025

    There’s a big difference between being a singer and being a star performer. Anyone with a little courage can stand on a street corner and sing some tunes, but it takes a special kind of talent to command a stadium full of adoring fans. Last night, Abel Tesfaye, known to the world as The Weeknd, hosted night one of two sold-out concerts inside NRG Stadium. Joining him for these shows were opening acts Playboi Carti and Houston’s very own multi-instrumentalist and producer Mike Dean.

    The show began early around 6:45 p.m. with Dean surrounded by keyboards and synths, standing solo on the massive stage and running through a litany of hits. He dove into the tracks he produced while working for Rap-A-Lot as a producer, mixer, and engineer, creating music for Scarface and The Geto Boys, Devin The Dude, Big Mello, Z-Ro, 5th Ward Boyz, and many more. Dean also played the guitar and even played a few melodies on the tenor saxophone as he ran through songs he created for Kanye West, Travis Scott, Kid Cudi, Jay Z, Beyonce, and more. It was a perfect homecoming set for Mike, who would later return to the stage to play keys during The Weeknd’s headlining set.

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    Legendary producer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Dean, who is originally from Houston, performed an opening homecoming set at NRG Stadium on Saturday, August 30th.

    Photo by Cody Barclay

    Rapper Playboi Carti followed Dean, and although he is a strong and energetic performer, the audience seemed to be withholding their applause for The Weeknd. Carti would later accompany the headliner for the songs “Timeless” and “Never Lie,” which were well received by the crowd.

    As the intermission was ending and the stagehands prepped the scene for Abel, the stadium was filled almost to capacity. A massive LED video screen was positioned at the east end zone of the football field, and the set resembled a post apocalyptic scene with a broken skyline. Two long runways crisscrossed the length of the arena floor, and a giant golden figure of a female dancer served as a centerpiece.

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    Two long runways criss-crossed the length of the arena floor, and a giant golden figure of a female dancer served as a centerpiece.

    Photo by Cody Barclay

    A group of dancers dressed in red robes and face masks made their appearance on stage as the opening notes of “The Abyss” rang out. The Weeknd then appeared in the middle of the group wearing a black robe and a golden mask. The eyes were illuminated with lights, giving him a mystical aura and commanding awe and applause from the crowd. “Wake Me Up” and “After Hours” rounded out the opening trio of tracks.

    The theme of the production was a mix of religion, cult imagery, and a dystopian future. Heavy use of pyro and lasers enhanced the mood, which played with the contrasts of light and dark, fun and fear, angels and demons. The moving images on the large video board showed fantastical visuals of an all seeing eye, souls being lifted around in a circular motion, and many other magical forces.

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    Ranging from sad and moody to upbeat and dance-worthy, its easy to see why The Weeknd is one of this generation’s most beloved artists.

    Photo by Cody Barclay

    The Weeknd’s voice equally as angelic and mischievous, a natural tenor who flaunts his falsetto as his not-so-secret weapon, mixing tones, tunes, and tempos effortlessly. His set list is at times slow and moody, which then ventures into upbeat and dance-worthy, then crashes into vibrant stories of love, lust, and loss. Its easy to see why he is one of this generations most popular and beloved artists.

    The set list was extensive, with over 40 tracks spanning his 15 year career. The crowd was completely enamored of him, showing love and cheering at every look, gesture, and smile. Once Abel removed his mask, you could see how the love was reciprocated. “I love you, Houston!” he shouted, with tears forming in his eyes. It was a spectacular connection between artist and audience.

    “We are nearing the end of our tour, and usually by this time an artist tends to get lethargic” he confessed to his fans. “But you guys are giving me so much life! I’m never going to skip Houston, ever!” he promised.

    There were many highlights, but my favorite tracks of the night were “Save Your Tears,” “I Feel It Coming” and “Often.” I will definitely be in the building when The Weeknd returns to H-Town.

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    Marco Torres

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  • NRG Stadium Roof Set for Repair by End of September

    NRG Stadium Roof Set for Repair by End of September

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    Drive around any neighborhood in Houston, and you can see for yourself that there is still plenty of leftover cleanup from Hurricane Beryl. Fences are still down, tarps still adorn rooftops, and I’m sure many Houstonians are getting (or awaiting) copious amounts of correspondence from their insurance providers.

    One of the single biggest instances of property damage, though, remains in disrepair, but it looks like the end is in sight for the two gigantic, stadium-width sized holes in the roof of NRG Stadium. In a statement on Friday, the folks at NRG Park indicated that a timetable has been established under which both holes in the roof will be repaired in time for the Texans’ Week 4 home game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

    “Guest safety remains our top priority,” NRG Park said in Thursday’s release. “We appreciate the patience and support of our guests as we work diligently to restore the stadium roof to its full operational capacity.”

    For those unfamiliar with the exact location of the damage, and the path of the resulting sunlight on a daily basis, check out the time lapsed video below, which shows the path of sunlight from late morning into the latter portion of the afternoon, which is relevant for noon kickoff times. As you can see, particularly in the south end zone, there have been some sun soaked fans in the Texans’ two home preseason games:

    The Texans’ next home game is the Week 2 Sunday Night Football game against the Chicago Bears, and after that, they play at home in Weeks 4 and 5 against the Jaguars and the Buffalo Bills, respectively. Here are some of the relevant details on the repair plan:

    The panel over the field of play (around the south end 25 yard line) is getting fixed first
    The hole that is above the field of play never really came into play drastically during the two preseason games, other than maybe some slight agitation in location the ball on punt returns. Honestly, the biggest effect from that patch of roof damage was the glare on the television broadcast, which made it a difficult watch when the action was taking place in that area. The worst case scenario would have been rain coming through that hole and creating a patch of wet turf on an otherwise dry field. It sounds like the we are assured a clean field of play for the home opener.

    It looks like the fans in the south end zone will be saved from extreme sun (again)
    Meanwhile, the other hole in the roof, the long open space above the south stands in the lower bowl, will be fixed in time for the next NOON kickoff in Week 4, which is a great thing, since from what I was told by fans whose seats are in that part of the stadium, the sunlight hitting them was brutally hot. The Week 2 game against the Bears is a night game, so those fans should be clear of getting fried in sunlight once again, a nice happy accident from the scheduling czars.

    This situation was a whole lot worse back in 2008
    If this feels like there are a whole lot of moving parts to ensure (s) the integrity of the planning field, and (b) the physical comfort of a chunk of the fan base on game day, just know that this is nothing compared to the last time Mother Nature decided to punch holes on the roof via hurricane. In 2008, Hurricane Ike did more than twice the damage just before Week 2, and the Texans were forced to play the entire season with the roof open for home games, including four games in the month of October. If you’ve ever been in NRG Stadium with the roof open on a sunny day, then you know THAT is truly brutal.

    Listen to Sean Pendergast on SportsRadio 610 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. weekdays. Also, follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/SeanTPendergast, on Instagram at instagram.com/sean.pendergast, and like him on Facebook at facebook.com/SeanTPendergast.

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    Sean Pendergast

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  • The Rolling Stones At NRG Stadium Was One Great Party Last Night

    The Rolling Stones At NRG Stadium Was One Great Party Last Night

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    The Rolling Stones
    NRG Stadium
    April 28, 2024

    The Rolling Stones turned NRG Stadium into a gigantic rock and roll dance party on Sunday night with a setlist that felt like a greatest hits record with a few bonus tracks of rarities and new songs thrown in. A classic rock big arena show, it also felt comfortably intimate, like hanging out with some cool friends at a backyard party with one of the greatest bands of all time playing.

    The Stones started the opening night first concert of their Hackney Diamonds Tour off appropriately enough with “Start Me Up” and Mick Jagger came out onstage like he was fired out of a canon, wearing a cool silver jacket. Born to be an entertainer, he moved effortlessly and with confidence.

    The band followed up with “Get Off of My Cloud” then “Rocks Off” before playing one of their very early lesser known songs from 1966 called “Out of Time” that Jagger said they had never played in the United States before; it went over great with the audience as did every thing they played.

    The Houston crowd made me proud this time; there were no annoying talking people near me to be found; everyone was having a great time dancing and on their feet for the entire concert. There were quite a bit of pictures and videos being taken with cellphones but this time I could understand it because The Stones are among the last of the true rock stars left.

    Oee woman yelled out several times that she wanted to have Mick’s baby. What can you say? Even at 80, Jagger still has sex appeal.

    Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards were just effortlessly cool onstage as well; they along with Jagger changed outfits several times with Wood wearing a cool sparkly red jacket at one point and Richards with a leopard print one. Richards had a big smile on his face when Jagger introduced everyone onstage and his name got the biggest cheer. Richards sang the song “Little T&A’ which The Stones last played live in 2016.

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    Keith Richards and drummer Steve Jordan.

    Photo by Reggie Mathalone

    Jagger engaged in some fun onstage banter with the crowd throughout the show; he asked if anyone was from San Antonio, then Austin, then Dallas, which garnered more than a few boos; he then asked if anyone was from Cut and Shoot, the small town about six miles east of Conroe and 40 miles north of Houston.

    Jagger mentioned that he had visited NASA Space Center while in town and said it was great but he was disappointed that they didn’t have any Beaver Nuggets from Buc-ee’s for him to snack on. He kept
     the local references going when he held up one of the newly designed Houston Texans jerseys.

    There was a lot of cool visual stuff going on behind the band on the giant video screens as they performed. Besides the videos of the band performing, there was some animation, like a red background with a temple and snakes during “Sympathy for the Devil” and some tumbling dice during, you guessed it, “Tumbling Dice.”

    The stage had a catwalk that went out into the crowd that Jagger frequently ran out on inspiring a whole lot of selfie attempts with him — not to the amusement of security who didn’t want the aisles blocked. 

    Besides Jagger, Wood, and Richards, The Stones had a fairly large group of folks onstage with them. Standouts included back up singer Chanel Haynes and drummer Steve Jordan, who replaced longtime great Charlie Watts who passed away in 2021. Haynes shared lead vocal duties with Jagger on a few songs.

    The almost two hours flew by. Many of us feel the music of The Stones is great but seeing it performed live just took it to another higher level.

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    Ronnie Wood and Mick Jagger.

    Photo by Reggie Mathalone

    SET LIST

    Start Me Up
    Get Off of My Cloud
    Rocks Off
    Out of Time
    Angry
    Beast of Burden
    Mess It Up
    Tumbling Dice
    You Can’t Always Get What You Want
    Little T&A
    Sympathy for the Devil
    Gimme Shelter
    Honky Tonk Women
    Miss You
    Paint It Black
    Jumpin’ Jack Flash
    Sweet Sounds of Heaven
    (I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction

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    David Rozycki

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  • Stefon Diggs’ services in Houston now guaranteed for just 1 year, report says

    Stefon Diggs’ services in Houston now guaranteed for just 1 year, report says

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    HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The shock of Stefon Diggs’ trade to the increasingly talented Houston Texans roster should have worn off Thursday.

    But there’s still a stunning detail in Diggs’ jump from Buffalo to H-Town.

    League sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Texans will wipe out the three remaining years in Diggs’ deal after 2024, which means he’ll become a free agent in 2025.

    The Texans also reportedly gave him a raise in what could be his only season in Houston, moving the $3.5 million guaranteed in 2025 and adding it to the $19 million he’s assured to earn this season.

    The video above is about whether Diggs will be difficult to handle in the Texans’ locker room.

    So, why would the Texans keep the two-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver under club control for one year?

    Schefter writes that the Texans anticipate getting the best version of Diggs, who can negotiate another long-term contract next offseason.

    Diggs is a nine-year NFL veteran who turns 31 in November, evidently betting that his best is yet to come. In 2020, he posted career highs in season receiving yards and catches in just 16 games.

    The adjusted contract wasn’t the only thing revealed about Diggs.

    He’s the 1 in 7-1-3

    The Texans and Diggs’ social media channels confirmed the University of Maryland alum’s arrival in Houston on Thursday. He sent a short message from the locker room at NRG Stadium to Texans fans.

    “What’s up, H-Town? It’s Stefon Diggs here. I’m excited to get going. I’m excited to get to work,” the star wideout said before pausing and closing with, “let’s go!”

    Diggs also posted several photos showing him sat at his locker with his name placard already up.

    One of the remaining questions left about Diggs – aside from, “Are the Texans true Super Bowl contenders now?” – is what’s his uniform number?

    Diggs wore No. 14 with two different teams throughout his career. No. 14 is already spoken for. Alex Bachman, another wide receiver on the roster, holds it.

    So, Diggs went old-school with his selection of No. 1. The 6-foot wideout wore the number as a Maryland Terrapin.

    The team also found an opportunity to get clever with the adoption. The Texans’ social media team built a graphic with C.J. Stroud, Diggs, and Tank Dell in that order. Stroud is No. 7 while Dell is No. 3.

    Copyright © 2024 KTRK-TV. All Rights Reserved.

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    KTRK

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  • Eric Church Closes Out RodeoHouston 2024 in Most Fitting Fashion

    Eric Church Closes Out RodeoHouston 2024 in Most Fitting Fashion

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    In many ways, Eric Church was the absolute spot-on choice to close out the RodeoHouston 2024 concert season. After all, this year’s concert lineup featured icons like Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley and Luke Bryan, up-and-comers like Jelly Roll, Lainey Wilson and Hardy and a mishmash of genres like hip-hop (50 Cent, Bun B), rock (Nickelback) and pop (Jonas Brothers).

    It was easily one of the stronger concert lineups RodeoHouston ever assembled, so it was fitting that Church – one of the most appreciated, and still, somewhat underrated artists of the modern era – closed out such a stacked concert season before a jam-packed house at NRG Stadium on Sunday night.

    The only problem, albeit a good one? We could have used about two more hours.

    Church’s live shows are legendary, three-hour affairs that run the gamut of rock, melancholy, hits and, at time, an outright jam band. All of these features were on display Sunday night, though it felt somewhat abbreviated because, well, it was.

    Again, a good problem to have.

    Nevertheless, Church took the stage and blared through a 12-song, hourlong set that somehow managed to cover one of the greatest country catalogs of the modern era. That included the old – “How ‘Bout You,” Church’s first hit single – and the new – “Heart on Fire,” one of his more recent country hits.

    The highlight of the show came toward the end when Church played the wistful “Record Year,” arguably one of the greatest country breakup songs of the past 20 years, followed by the more up-tempo and slightly comedic “Cold One,” also arguably one of the greatest country breakup songs of the past 20 years.

    By the time Church followed that with the show-closing “These Boots,” “Smoke a Little Smoke” and the iconic “Springsteen,” those who said to hell with rodeo traffic and stuck around to see Church ride off in the customary Ford pickup truck serenaded him with a standing ovation.

    “Let him know you want him back here at RodeoHouston,” the announcer beckoned.

    It would be our pleasure.

    SET LIST
    How ‘Bout You
    Heart on Fire
    Country Music Jesus
    Drink in My Hand
    Pledge Allegiance to the Hag
    Hell of a View
    Desperate Man
    Record Year
    Cold One
    These Boots
    Smoke a Little Smoke
    Springsteen

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    Clint Hale

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  • Ivan Cornejo Sings Therapeutic Love Songs in his RodeoHouston Debut

    Ivan Cornejo Sings Therapeutic Love Songs in his RodeoHouston Debut

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    Ivan Cornejo
    RodeoHouston
    NRG Stadium
    March 3, 2024

    Most RodeoHouston concerts start off with a bang. Literal explosions of colorful fireworks, a cacophony of music and noise, and brilliant flashes of lights fill the entire stage and arena.

    Sunday evening’s Ivan Cornejo show was the exact opposite. In lieu of the traditional Rodeo concert video intro and pyrotechnic opening, the stage and house lights went dark, and everything was silent. The crowd wriggled in their seats with anticipation, finally letting go of a loud roaring applause when the name “Ivan Cornejo” appeared on the video boards.

    After a few more minutes of silence, the spotlight shined bright on the young 19-year-old singer-songwriter from Riverside, California. He is one of the brightest new stars of the Corrido Tumbado movement, a segment of the Regional Mexicano genre that is experiencing a popularity surge over the last few years.

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    Cornejo is one of the brightest new stars of the Corrido Tumbado movement, a sub-genre of Regional Mexicano music.

    Photo by Jennifer Lake

    Not only was this Cornejo’s RodeoHouston debut, but it was also his first time performing in a stadium. He has been on his “Terapia” Tour since last August, and has been selling out venues, theaters, and arenas, including two sold-out shows at 713 Music Hall back on October.

    Cornejo took to the stage in an all black charro outfit, decorated in gold glitter cacti, fireworks, and Mexican emblems. He strolled around the stage in black pants, shiny Stacy Adams dress shoes, and his signature headband.

    “Como andamos, Houston?!” said Cornejo as he greeted his fans. His voice, movements, and overall demeanor are smooth, warm, and gentle. Throughout the evening he smiled wide and charmed the audience with his soft eyes. “I’m super grateful to be here tonight because Texas always shows love, especially Houston!” he continued.

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    Cornejo played two sold-out shows here in Houston back in October, and this was his RodeoHouston debut.

    Photo by Jennifer Lake

    Most of his set list was full of songs that could be considered as indie/emo, mostly about love and heartbreak, which actually translates perfectly to a country/western/rodeo setting. The crowd joined in by singing the lyrics to most songs, and did so loudly. All the fans who were featured on the video screens were singing passionately at the top of their lungs.

    One of the definitive highlights of the show was when Cornejo and his band played a cover of “Desvelado” by Tejano legend Bobby Pulido. “We added our own little country twist to this cover!” he mentioned after finishing the track. It was absolutely delightful.

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    Ivan Cornejo played many fan favorites and a couple of covers during his RodeoHouston debut.

    Photo by Jennifer Lake

    ‘Before I go, I would like to sing one last song, but please, turn on your flashlights” he requested from the large crowd. They obliged, and filed the room with dazzling lights. Connejo proceeded to sing “La Curiosidad,” one of his biggest hits from his 2022 album Dañado. The crowd went wild, and grooved and sang along at full volume. Near the end of the track, the music shifted into a Reggae cover of Bob Marley’s “Is This Love?” — a perfect ending to a beautiful set.

    As the sun set outside NRG Stadium, Ivan then jumped onto the back of the Ford F-150 truck, armed with a bucket of red roses, and began to throw them one by one to his fans near the arena floor. A superstar in the making, riding off into the sunset.

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    Cornejo is a superstar in the making, with smooth moves, soft voice, and awesome vibes all around.

    Photo by Jennifer Lake

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    Marco Torres

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  • Hardy Rocks RodeoHouston 2024

    Hardy Rocks RodeoHouston 2024

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    It would have made sense for Hardy to tone down his first-ever set at Rodeo Houston on Saturday night. Family crowd. Country venue. Corporate environment. Some even predicted as much (good job by me).

    Hardy doesn’t roll that way. And that’s what makes him one of the hottest, most unique artists in the country scene today.

    The opening Saturday is always a big slot, and Hardy more than delivered, blaring through a 14-song, hour-long set that was long on rock and short on subtlety.

    He kicked the set off with two rockers – “Sold Out” and “Kill Sh!t Till I Die.” He mostly refrained from profanity, though he certainly encouraged the crowd to pick up the slack on that end. His band sounded more 90s rock than 90s country.

    Yeah, it was that kind of show.

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    Hardy – his truck’s where his money goes.

    Photo by Jennifer Lake

    Of course, anyone who considers themselves a true Hardy fan shouldn’t have been surprised. The man has made no secret of his affinity for genres outside the traditional country box – namely, rock and hip-hop – and both were on display in full force on Saturday night via tracks like “Rockstar” and the show-closing “Quit!!”

    That said, Hardy at his core remains a true country artist, so he certainly made room for more Rodeo-friendly music. “Wait in the Truck,” with Lainey Wilson piped in on the video board, really drew a response. The poignant “Give Heaven Some Hell” had some folks on the video board crying and singing along simultaneously. And “God’s Country,’ which Hardy wrote and Blake Shelton (who opened this year’s Rodeo) originally performed, really engaged the crowd.

    The show probably peaked when Hardy sang “Boots,” “Truck Bed” and “Unapologetically Country as Hell” in succession, if only because those are three of his catchiest and most known, accessible songs. If any songwriter in the game today knows how to craft a hook, it’s Hardy.

    By the time Hardy jumped in the back of a Ford pickup truck for the customary ride out, many in the crowd were ready for more. Hardy more than made the most of his first trip to Rodeo Houston. Here’s hoping it’s the first of many.

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    Hardy made the first Saturday of RodeoHouston one to remember.

    Photo by Jennifer Lake

    Set List
    Sold Out
    Kill Sh!t Till I Die
    Jack
    Boots
    Truck Bed
    Unapologetically Country as Hell
    Rockstar
    One Beer
    Wait in the Truck
    .30-06
    Give Heaven Some Hell
    Rednecker
    God’s Country
    Quit!!

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    Clint Hale

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