Concert News

Legendary Longhorn Ballroom reveals first acts to perform at restored North Texas venue

Emmylou Harris

Kat Villacorta

The big acts are coming out for Dallas' famed Longhorn Ballroom, slated for a comeback in spring 2023.

The historic venue, currently in the final throes of a renovation by Kessler Presents, is anticipated to softly reopen at the end of March, and already has shows on the books by epic performers including Asleep at The Wheel, Old Crow Medicine Show, Joshua Ray Walker, and Emmy Lou Harris.

Harris' show on April 22 will be the first at the Longhorn for this long-reigning Americana queen.

Kessler Presents is the team headed by historical steward Edwin Cabaniss, who also restored the Kessler Theater in Oak Cliff and The Heights Theater in Houston.

They're reopening the Longhorn Ballroom with the goal of bringing it back to its heyday so a new generation can enjoy what is a Texas legend.

"We are excited to share the first batch of shows as it is just a taste of what patrons can expect from Longhorn Ballroom programming in the coming years,” Cabaniss says in a release. “From the legendary to the emerging-and-rocketing-toward-stardom, every bill during our soft launch is made up of artists we love and are personally excited to see perform."

The first round of shows with dates are as follows:

March 30: Asleep at the Wheel with Brennen Leigh and Joshua Hedley
March 31: Old Crow Medicine Show with special guest Joshua Ray Walker
April 1: Morgan Wade with special guests Lucero and Kaitlin Butts
April 22: Emmylou Harris

Tickets for some shows are on sale now.

Western Swing torchbearers Asleep at the Wheel with Brennen Leigh and Joshua Hedley will be the first acts back in the Longhorn, keeping in line with Kessler Presents' goal of connecting the venue's history to the present and future.

"We first played the Longhorn in 1974, and for a bunch of young Bob Wills fans, it was a thrill," says Asleep at the Wheel frontman and founder Ray Benson in a statement. "I have seen the ups and downs of the Longhorn over the last 50 years, and am very excited and relieved that Edwin and his team are going to continue to honor the tradition of this special place and make sure it is never forgotten or lost like so many other of Texas’ historic venues and dance halls."

"To be the first band back on the Longhorn stage for the reopening is an honor and an opportunity I take great pride in having," Benson says. "You can bet the dance floor will be packed and Bob Wills music will be played!"

Morgan Wade was originally scheduled for the Kessler Theater, but that show sold out, prompting the team to move the show to the Longhorn, which with 2,000-plus seats is larger capacity, and adding alt-country favorites Lucero to the bill.

Tickets can be purchased at Longhornballroom.com and go on sale at 10 am on the following dates:

January 31: Morgan Wade/Lucero
February 1: Asleep at the Wheel
February 3: Old Crow Medicine Show (with artist presale on February 1)
February 3: Emmylou Harris

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share the road

Texas is one of the most unfriendly states for riding a bicycle

Photo by Coen van de Broek on Unsplash

If you've ridden your bicycle in Fort Worth, you already know how true this is.

Fort Worth has a vibrant bicycling community, but the state of Texas is not so bicycle-friendly. A new report called the "Most Cycling-Friendly States in the U.S." puts Texas at nearly at the bottom of the list.

Texas comes in at No. 47, with only three other states that are worse: Nevada, Arizona, and Utah, which is the least cycle-friendly state of all.

The report, from Philadelphia personal injury law firm KaplunMarx, examines all 50 states based on six metrics: Air quality index, the number of cyclist deaths per one million residents, bike routes per square mile, local government actions supporting cycling, federal funding for cycling projects, and bicycle laws.

Texas musters a mere 31 points out of 100 for its "cycling friendly score."

The most cycling friendly state in the U.S.: Minnesota, which earned 84 points to claim the title.

According to the report's findings, there have been 15 local government actions per capita in Texas that integrate pedestrians and cyclists in transportation projects. Texas' has a 41 air quality index value, and there are approximately 1.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles in the state.

On cyclist deaths, Texas does a little better, with three cyclist deaths per one million residents in Texas — about nine percent lower than the national average.

According to KaplunMarx founding partner Ted Kaplun, there is an average of 857 cyclist fatalities in the U.S. every year. He adds that every measure or community effort to improve cyclist-friendliness is beneficial for all Americans.

"It's crucial for all states to continually assess and enhance their cycling provisions, learning from both high-ranking peers and their own experiences," he says.

Top-ranking Minnesota has only one cyclist death per one million state residents. It also has about 27.2 bike routes per 1,000 square miles.

After Minnesota, the remaining top five best states for cyclists are Massachusetts (No. 2), Rhode Island (No. 3), Washington (No. 4), and Iowa (No. 5).

At the bottom of the list are Nevada (No. 48), Arizona (No. 49), and Utah (No. 50) — all of which performed far worse than Texas to be declared the three least cycling-friendly states.

The entire country still has areas for improvement when it comes to creating a safer environment for cyclists, regardless of where each state landed on the list, according to Kaplun.

"With over 53 million Americans riding bicycles regularly, the importance of cycling-friendly infrastructure and safety measures cannot be overstated," said Kaplun in the report. "This isn't just about rankings – it's about enhancing the quality of life, promoting sustainable transportation, and most crucially, saving lives."

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