LET'S RODEO

San Antonio Rodeo adds Jo Dee Messina, more to 2027 shows

Jo Dee Messina will perform February 24.

Turns out the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo isn’t just for the boys. Jo Dee Messina, one of the most formidable women in country music, has been added to the lineup coming to the Frost Bank Center, February 11-28, 2027.

Long before Ella Langley challenged bro-country, Messina became one of the defining voices of the ‘90s with smash hits like “I’m Alright” and “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” She has remained a popular concert draw in the 2020s, resuming a packed touring schedule after a 2017 cancer scare.

Joining the flame-haired singer will be norteno powerhouses Los Tigres del Norte. Active since 1965, the Sinaloan group has been one of the most successful Mexican acts on the international stage, winning 7 Grammy Awards and 13 Latin Grammys. Their previous appearances at the rodeo have become milestone events, drawing in massive crowds.

A quartet of country acts will also kick up dust after the bronco bustin’ action: iconic cosmic cowboy Gary P. Nunn, red dirt singer Wade Bowen, San Marcos fave the Randy Rogers Band, and genre hellraiser Koe Wetzel.

Los Tigres del Norte play Noche del Vaquero, February 21.Los Tigres del Norte/ Facebook

Founded in 1949, the San Antonio Rodeo is one of the largest and most prestigious in Texas, drawing more than 1.5 million visitors annually. With the support of over 7,000 volunteers, the organization has contributed more than $292 million to Texas youth through scholarships, grants, endowments, auctions, a calf scramble program, and show premiums. This year, the event will return to the Frost Bank Center and Freeman Coliseum fairgrounds.

Tickets are available now at SARodeo.com. Fairgrounds season passes and individual event tickets are available, along with additional information about the 2027 event.

So far, the lineup drops have mostly kept it country (or at least Southern rock), but the rodeo usually sneaks in at least one pop headliner. Previous years have featured Ludacris, Becky G, and Nelly.

The dates for the announced performances are as follows:

Flatland Cavalry (Opening Day) — Thursday, February 11, 7 pm
Riley Green — Friday, February 12, 7 pm
Turnpike Troubadours — Saturday, February 13, 7:30 pm
Gary P. Nunn — Sunday, February 14, noon
BlackHawk — Sunday, February 14, 7:30 pm
Sammy Kershaw (Retro Rodeo) — Monday, February 15, 7 pm
The Marshall Tucker Band — Tuesday, February 16, 7 pm
Clay Walker (Ranch Rodeo) — Thursday, February 18, 7 pm
Koe Wetzel — Friday, February 19, 7 pm
Keith Urban — Saturday, February 20, noon and 7:30 pm
Los Tigres del Norte (Noche del Vaquero) — Sunday, February 21, 7:30 PM
Clint Black – Tuesday, February 23, 7 pm
Jo Dee Messina — Wednesday, February 24, 7 pm
Randy Rogers Band (Semifinals) — Friday, February 26, 7 pm
Wade Bowen (Finals) — Saturday, February 27, 7:30 pm

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ALL RISE

New immersive show puts San Antonio audiences in the jury box

The Jury Experience/ Facebook

The Jury Experience is a different kind of legal drama.

Odds are, if you've ever served jury duty in San Antonio, it was to decide the fate of a ne’er-do-well who threw rocks at a pecan tree. A new immersive production opening at the Magik Theatre on November 7, The Jury Experience, aims for a less nutty legal drama.

The live, 60-minute production invites the audience to vote on key procedural points and ultimately decides the fate of the accused. More than that, production company Fever says the show is designed to promote a sense of civic responsibility and pride.

Before staging the show, Fever commissioned public opinion firm Ipsos to survey Americans on jury duty. The Survey found that 62 percent said they would be willing to serve, a comforting majority considering the entirety of the American legal system rests on the right to trial by a jury of peers. Far fewer people said they were actually excited about serving.

Respondents attributed their disinterest to a lack of feeling that the work was impactful, as well as practical barriers such as compensation. The Jury Experience may be able to change that with an experimental theatrical approach where each show is different based on how the audience feels and votes about it.

“Jury duty is one of the few civic responsibilities most of us will be asked to take on, yet many people have no idea what happens inside a courtroom,” said Isabella Szpigiel, Head of The Jury Experience, in a release. “This data shows Americans are curious about the drama of a trial, especially hearing the evidence and reaching a verdict together.”

Voting at the venue is done either through a QR code or a physical paddle the audience members hold up. The whole experience is akin to Jury Duty, Prime Video's hit reality series, except the audience is in on the ruse.

That doesn’t mean they’ll go into the experience knowing what to expect from the case. Subjects for the case include descriptions or portrayals of violence, grief, substance use, domestic violence, medical injury, and emotional manipulation, so some viewer discretion is advised. Still, for true crime obsessives, it’s a way to bring their favorite podcasts to life.

The Jury Experience runs from November 7 to December 4 at the Magik Theatre (420 S. Alamo St.). Tickets are $29.01 each and can be purchased online.

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