This weekend in and around Fort Worth will feature country musicians from different generations — one near the start of his career, one in the middle, and one coming to an end. Other choices include screenings of a new film, an arty dog celebration, a stand-up comedian, nature set to classical music, theater from across the pond, and a theatrical tribute to a local media legend.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, August 25
Robert Earl Keen in concert
After 41 years of touring, Texas music legend Robert Earl Keen is calling it a day with one final concert in Fort Worth. Keen has recorded 19 full-length albums in his career, most recently 2015's Happy Prisoner: The Bluegrass Sessions. A member of the Texas Heritage Songwriters Hall of Fame, he has written songs for music superstars like George Strait, The Chicks, The Highwaymen, and Nanci Griffith. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Friday, August 26
Magnolia at the Modern: My Old School
In 1993, 16-year-old Brandon Lee enrolled at Bearsden Academy, a secondary school in a well-to-do suburb of Glasgow, Scotland. What followed over the next two years would become the stuff of legend. The preternaturally bright student surprised teachers by blazing toward his goal of entering medical school, displaying a wealth of knowledge beyond his years. Brandon found friends despite his initial awkwardness, taking bullied students under his wing, introducing classmates to seminal retro bands, and even starring in the school's production of South Pacific. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Kimbell Art Museum presents Kimbell Dog Day
In honor of its newest acquisition, Dog Guarding a Basket of Grapes by Austrian artist Ferdinand Georg Waldmüller, the Kimbell Art Museum will present the “Kimbell Dog Day” celebration event. Coinciding with National Dog Day, art lovers and their four-legged friends can participate in dog-friendly activities on the Kimbell lawn. There will be an outdoor architecture tour, a dog show, and more.
Hyena's presents Jon Reep
As an actor, Jon Reep played the pot smoking farmer Raymus from the hit movie Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, and the dim-witted cop Gerald Bob from the ABC sitcom Rodney. But you probably know him from Dodge Truck's popular ad campaign who leans out of a beat-up car and utters the now famous line: "That thing gotta Hemi?" He'll perform four times through Saturday at Hyena's in downtown Fort Worth.
Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents National Geographic: Symphony for Our World
The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra gets back to playing with Symphony for Our World, which combines National Geographic’s intimate portraits of wildlife with an original score by Bleeding Fingers Music. The experience takes audiences on a breathtaking journey from the depths of our mysterious seas to the great heights of our majestic skies in a powerful tribute to the beauty and wonders of our world. There will be three performances through Sunday at Bass Performance Hall.
Kyle Nix in concert with RC and the Ambers
Singer Kyle Nix has spent most of his career as a member of Turnpike Troubadours, the Oklahoma country band that was rising up the charts in the late 2010s before taking a hiatus. Although the band reunited in 2021, Nix used their time apart to pursue a solo career, resulting in his debut solo album, Lightning on the Mountain & Other Short Stories. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas along with RC and the Ambers.
Saturday, August 27
National Theatre Live: Cyrano
James McAvoy stars in this inventive adaptation of Cyrano de Bergerac, screening at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. Fierce with a pen and notorious in combat, Cyrano almost has it all — if only he could win the heart of his true love, Roxane. There’s just one big problem: He has a nose as huge as his heart. Will a society engulfed by narcissism get the better of Cyrano, or can his mastery of language set Roxane’s world alight? Presented by Amphibian Stage, this is a screening of a previously recorded live production; it is not a live performance.
Artisan Center Theater presents Amon! The Ultimate Texan
Amon! The Ultimate Texan is the story of one of the most amazing Texans who ever lived. Born in a log cabin and with only an eighth grade education, Amon G. Carter, Sr. became Texas’ most powerful media overlord. Presidents put up with him because he owned the largest newspaper, radio, and television station in Texas. Mr. Carter had a big heart, but a bigger sense for business and for the future. He was one of a kind, and this play and its companion book by popular newspaper columnist Dave Lieber bring the story of this remarkable Texan back to life. The production will play twice every Saturday through September 10 at Artisan Center Theater in Hurst.
Kip Moore in concert
It may have taken country singer Kip Moore a while to get into the business — he released his debut album in 2012 when he was 32 — but the wait was worth it, as each of his four albums, including 2020's Wild World, have made the top 5 on the Billboard Country charts. He's probably best known for his 2011 No. 1 hit "Somethin' 'Bout a Truck," but his record shows he isn't going anywhere anytime soon. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.
Robert Earl Keen's final concert in Fort Worth will be at Billy Bob's Texas on August 25.
