Latest news with #KoeWetzel
Eater
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
A Magical Mexican Restaurant Leads the July Openings in Houston
is an editor for Eater's Texas region. She lives in Dallas, where she's written about James Beard-celebrated and Michelin-recognized restaurants and she loves nachos. This periodic column highlights notable restaurant openings in and around Houston. Catch up on more news about Houston restaurant openings right here. Know of a new or soon-to-open restaurant that should be on Eater Houston's radar? Get in touch by emailing houston@ 811 Buffalo Park Drive, Suite 130 in Houston Named after the ancient Aztec goddess who watched over the maguey (agave) plant and its production of liquor, this fine dining, modern restaurant in Montrose's Autry Park features heirloom corn sourced from Mexico that is ground daily to make masa. Keeping the ingredients seasonal and local is a priority, and so is featuring foundational flavors of Mexican food such as vanilla, cacao, and coffee. Look for dishes including beef carnitas croquette with salsa taquera and cilantro-lime aioli, tacos mar y tierra with Gulf shrimp in adobo and beef cheek confit, and cochinita served with black bean purée and tortillas. There is also a chef's tasting menu that highlights the best of what the restaurant is serving on any given night. Inside, gold rules the decor, echoing the sacred use of the metal in ancient Mexican societies. Time to belly up to the bar at Bar Buena. Brian Kennedy 2002 West Gray Street in Houston Mezcal is the star at this new bar from Goode Co. in River Oaks. On the menu are drinks like the Oaxacan Old Fashioned (reposado tequila, mezcal, piloncillo, and mole bitters) and Tequila y Tonic (blanco tequila, agua de jamaica, lime, cucumber, aloe, and tonic) along with bar bites such as Gulf crab tostadas with smashed avocado and chili arbol aioli, plus pato tinga memela (braised duck leg, refried beans, and pickled onions) and a taco stuffed with rib-eye and salsa morita. The dimly lit bar has a rustic Mexican aesthetic, with leather, brass, and a tin ceiling. 2416 Brazos Street, Suite A in Houston Want to drink like a rock star? Maybe don't drink exactly like Koe Wetzel, who is known to be a Texas-style party animal, but visit the second location of his bar chain (the first is in Fort Worth), which is now open in Midtown. It's got all the beer and liquor you can imagine, and for bar bites there are Chicken Wannnngggs (please, ask for them exactly like that) with Buffalo hot sauce, lemon pepper, or barbecue sauce; a couple of salads if that's how you roll; a couple of burger options a chicken tender platter; and fried pickles; and a chicken sandwich called the Cluck Norris. 7623 FM 3180 Road in Baytown Ready for a barbecue truck to take you to outer space? This one from pitmaster Logan Glenn (Big Woodrow's, Chi'Lantro BBQ), features a menu of brisket ($16/half pound), spare ribs ($13/half pound or $40 for a full rack), turkey ($13/half pound), pulled pork ($12/half pound), sausage and boudin ($7 per link), and pork belly burnt ends ($14/half pound) that won't break the bank. The sides are inventive, with options including burnt end pinto beans and corn bread casserole, while fun dishes like barbecue nachos and the Space Jam burger are sure to tempt diners.
CBS News
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Chicago's Windy City Smokeout 2025 kicks off this week outside United Center
Chicago's 2025 Windy City Smokeout kicks off this week at United Center Chicago's 2025 Windy City Smokeout kicks off this week at United Center Chicago's 2025 Windy City Smokeout kicks off this week at United Center Chicago's Windy City Smokeout returns to the United Center for its 12th year this week. This four-day outdoor country music festival kicks off on Thursday, with country singers Bailey Zimmerman and Koe Wetzel taking the stage. The festival will run from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. 2025 Windy City Smokeout lineup Thursday, July 10 kicks off with headliners Bailey Zimmerman and Koe Wetzel. Shane Smither and the Saints, Angel White, Bayker Blankenship and special guest DJ Sommer ray will also perform on Thursday. On Friday, July 11, headliners Old Dominion, Dylan Gossett will be joined by performances by Jamie Belushi, Josh Meloy, Lauren Watkins, and Maggie Antone. Saturday, July 12 brings headliners Kane Brown and Megan Moroney. Artists set to perform also include Charles Wesley Godwin, Austin Snell, and Kashus Culpepper. The festival closes out on Sunday, July 13 with headliners Jon Pardi and Riley Green taking the stage. Artists Ella Langley, Sam Barber, Josh Ross, and Back Country Boys. Windy City Smokeout Tickets Wristbands are required to enter the festival. Wristband prices range from $99 for single-day general admission to $495 for 4-day passes. VIP access tickets are also available for festival-goers wanting to skip the lines. Children under the age of 10 can enter for free when accompanied by an adult. You can find pricing and wristband availability on the Windy City Smokeout website. BBQ at Windy City Smokeout It would not be a "smokeout" without the fan-favorite BBQ vendors at the festival. Chicago-based BBQ spots include Lexington Betty Smokehouse, Soul & Smoke, Green Street Smoked Meats, and Bub City. BBQ restaurants will come from all over the country like Hertiage Barvecue from California, Meat Mitch Barbecue from Kansas and Little Miss BBQ from Arizona. Plan your meals and a full list of restaurants here. Transportation to Windy City Smokeout Uber drop-off sites are located directly across from the main festival entrance in Lot E,just east of Wood Street. Uber Shuttle offers shared bus rides to fixed locations in Chicago after each night of the festival. Rides range from $7–$12 per person. Shuttle Routes: Magnificent Mile (Drop-off at 222 E. Chicago Ave.) Ogilvie / State & Lake: Drop-offs at Ogilvie Transportation Center and State & Lake CTA station Parking is limited at the United Center lots. To avoid parking, track CTA rides nearby here.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who Will Morgan Wallen Walk Out With For His I'm the Problem Tour Debut? Here's His Six Best NFL Cameos
When Morgan Wallen's I'm the Problem tour kicks off Friday (June 20) at Houston's NRG Stadium, all eyes will be looking to see if he continues his trend of walking out to the stage with local pro athletes. It's become a highlight of the shows and the walk outs — broadcast on the venue's jumbotrons — pump up the audience as much as they do Wallen. More from Billboard Kelsea Ballerini Calls Noah Kahan 'a Joy' to Perform With Steve Ray Ladson Wows Crowd (and Catches Mel B's Eye) With Original 'Blackgrass Brothercana' Anthem 'Back of My Truck' Caroline Jones Etches a Roadmap to Personal Freedom on 'No Tellin'': 'I Think There's a Big Cultural Shift Around This Conversation' NRG Stadium is home to the NFL's Houston Texans and the team doesn't report to training camp until Sunday, June 22, so our bet is on All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. making the walk with him. Wallen told Apple Music Country last week that he's been in training himself, getting ready for the 20-date football stadium outing which will hit 10 cities through Sept. 13. Among his opening acts are Koe Wetzel, Miranda Lambert, Brooks & Dunn, Ella Langley, Gavin Adcock and Thomas Rhett. 'I spend months at this point getting ready to get on tour, just getting in shape,' he said. 'I don't have to be in any kind of crazy shape to record in the studio. With how big my stage is, how much I run around, and how much effort that me and the guys put into it, I don't think you would know that by just listening to the record.' Wallen remains on top of the charts, as I'm The Problem stays at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for its fourth consecutive week since its May 16 release. Below are six Wallen walkouts from the 2023-2024 One Night at a Time tour with NFL greats. We'll also be looking to see if the walkout music has changed from 'Broadway Girls,' his 2022 collaboration with Lil Durk. For his three hometown shows at Nashville's Nissan Stadium last May, Wallen was cheered on May 2 by Tennessee Titan wide receiver DeAndre Watkins, who is now with the Kansas City Chiefs. They were accompanied by Wallen's pal and podcaster Theo Von. Dallas's AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas exploded on July 26, 2024 when former Cowboys QB Troy Aikman walked out with Wallen. Aikman may have been relatively reserved compared to some of Wallen's other walkout buddies, but it didn't matter to the legend's fans. On Aug. 2, 2024, Wallen walked out with three members of the Kansas City Chiefs, the then-reigning Super Bowl champs at Geha Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Wearing kicker Harrison Butker's No. 7 jersey, Wallen was flanked by quarterback Patrick Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and defensive tackle Chris Jones. For his Sept. 22, 2024 show at Knoxville, Tennessee's Neyland Stadium, Wallen brought out the big guns. Manning is, of course, a pro football legend from his time with the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos, but it all started at University of Tennessee with Manning as QB in 1994. He donned his UT uniform to get the crowd extra hyped. They weren't alone; they were joined by current UT football coach Josh Heupel and then-UT wide receiver Bru McCoy and QB Nico Iamaleava (who has since transferred to UCLA). The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield made the long walk with Wallen on Oct. 4, 2024 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., along with pro wrestler Hulk Hogan. Mayfield returned to sing 'Whiskey, Whiskey' with Wallen on stage. The GOAT, Tom Brady, helped get Wallen pumped as he joined him for the walkout Aug. 9, 2024 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Of course, Brady played for the New England Patriots and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but he is a minority owner of the Las Vegas Raiders, who play at Allegiant. They were joined by boxing GOAT, Mike Tyson. Best of Billboard Chart Rewind: In 1989, New Kids on the Block Were 'Hangin' Tough' at No. 1 Janet Jackson's Biggest Billboard Hot 100 Hits H.E.R. & Chris Brown 'Come Through' to No. 1 on Adult R&B Airplay Chart
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Hardy cancels European 'Jim Bob Tour' days before first show: 'It wasn't an easy decision'
On June 16, country singer Hardy announced on social media that the European leg of his "Jim Bob Tour" would be canceled, only three days before its first scheduled date. The "Truck Bed" singer announced the world tour in February, alongside supporting acts Koe Wetzel, Stephen Wilson, Jr., McCoy Moore and Sikarus. He kicked off the run in Chula Vista, California in May, playing a few West Coast dates before the scheduled European portion of the tour, which was slated to begin June 19 in Copenhagen. The European leg of the tour was scheduled to run from June 19 to July 3, including concerts in Belgium, Ireland, the U.K. and the Netherlands. "I have decided to cancel the European leg of the Jim Bob Tour," Hardy posted on Instagram. "It wasn't an easy decision but one I had to make for my band, crew and my family," he said. "Please know that I love you all and I will be back as soon as I can. Refunds will automatically be issued by your point of purchase." The next date on the tour is a show at Country Thunder Wisconsin on July 18 before the tour makes stops in Missouri, Michigan, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and more. The run will end in September at New York's Madison Square Garden. The tour follows Hardy's 2024 album "Quit!!," which included songs "Jim Bob," 'Rockstar' and 'Psycho." To learn more about Hardy, visit Audrey Gibbs is a music reporter at The Tennessean. You can reach her at agibbs@ This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Hardy cancels European 'Jim Bob Tour' days before first show
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
If these guitars could talk: The names behind famous guitars from Ashley McBryde to Willie Nelson
If only that guitar could talk. If Dinah could, she might say she misses being out on the road living her best life in front of massive crowds in the arms of Ashley McBryde. Iggy, on the other hand, might reveal some details about all the times her owner Koe Wetzel has cracked her, then shipped her off to be put back together. She's a rebound kinda girl. Comes back sounding better every time. Many folks know Willie Nelson's Trigger, Eddie Van Halen's Frankenstein, Kirk Hammett's Greeny and B.B. King's Lucille. But countless musicians have names for their well-worn axes. The Tennessean sat down with some Nashville musicians who play old guitars that are more like children to them than mere musical instruments. One theme was common throughout: these guitars — who all have names — have some stories to tell beyond the songs that come out of them. Koe Wetzel said Iggy was one of his first, big guitar purchases when he found her in 2018. "I've always been kind of a Gibson guy, so whenever this guitar came across, I'd never seen a guitar like it," Wetzel told The Tennessean of his 2018 Gibson Custom Shop J-200 Iguana Burst. "This one just had that iguana green burst to it and I really was drawn to it. After I got to playing it was one of the better-sounding guitars that I'd, heard in a while." A few months after purchasing Iggy, Wetzel was playing Mardi Gras Festival in Dallas and beat it up pretty good, he said. "I went to go beating on it and the whole thing cracked pretty much. And I thought it was ruined but I took it to one of my buddies who glued it up and made it sound good again." Wetzel calls Iggy his baby even though playing her on stage every night is a rough life for an ole gal. "I call her my baby, but I treat her like sh*t, to be honest with you. She's seen it all. If that guitar could talk, we'd all be in trouble. But, it seems like every time I send it to the shop because of something that's gone bad with her, she comes back sounding better is it's one of the best sounding guitars that I have. For it to be as beat up as it is, it's kind of crazy for it to sound as good as it does." More Wetzel: Koe Wetzel discusses his wild ride to new album '9 Lives,' sustaining his country success Ashley McBryde is still going strong, but her prized 2009 Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar Dinah, is retired. After 14 years of life on the road, Dinah has seen her share of dings, scratches and is coated with a thick layer of hairspray. So now, in her old age, Dinah gets to come out of her case only for songwriting sessions and shows at the Grand Ole Opry. McBryde bought the guitar in 2011, and named her Dinah because she said she played her a lot in the kitchen. She said she played every J-45 on the wall at the Memphis Guitar Center and after playing Dinah, said "this is the one." She came back to buy the guitar and it was gone. It had been sold to someone else, so McBryde tracked them down and bought her back. "I started playing her when I was 28," McBryde said. "I'm 41 now and she has been on my leg or draped across me on a strap for that long. She is so important now that if something happens to her, this isn't a 'go pick up another J-45' situation. I built a career on this guitar." So to avoid anything happening to her, McBryde decided it was time for her to retire. " I had a nice talk with her and I said, 'What if you're done being on the road? What if you're done getting knocked around in and out of things? You're done having to go to festivals and get beat up and sit in the sun and the rain? And, and what if all you have to do for the rest of your days is play on the Grand Ole Opry stage?'" When asked what Dinah thinks of retirement, without missing a beat, McBryde smiles and says, "I think she's digging it." More McBryde: Ashley McBryde talks Post Malone's swap for Jelly Roll at 'Opry 100': 'This is how we become friends' Stephen Wilson Jr.'s guitar named One might be second in line to Trigger for the stage guitar with the most battle scars. One has holes that have been taped up and is scarred with so many guitar pic scratches the finish is worn down. But Wilson says if someone offered him a million dollars for it, he wouldn't take it. "I've been playing classical guitars; really bad ones my whole life, but I've always loved them," he told The Tennessean. "I wanted a good one, so I started doing research and realized good didn't necessarily mean really expensive." Wilson Jr. bought One for $400 out of the trunk of someone's car in the Berry Hill area of Nashville. It was 2012. He says his hands were drawn to the width of the guitar's neck, which is larger-scale than most guitars. " I put my hands on it and instantly it was like, this is like my guitar forever. This is the guitar I've been looking for my whole life. I offered him 400 bucks and he took it. I would've given him $4,000. I didn't have $4,000, but I would've," he said. He added that songwriters joke that when they are looking for a new guitar, they put their ear up to it and jokingly say, "Yeah, that sounds like it's got some songs in it." " All jokes aside, I've written thousands of songs on this guitar and it's got thousands more, I hope." More Wilson Jr.: Stephen Wilson, Jr. wins main event fight to rock stardom at Nashville's EXIT/IN Blues musician B. B. King had several similar guitars who all shared the same name: "Lucille." While there are many artists who play named guitars, Lucille might have the best back-story of how she got her name. In 1949, King was playing at a dance hall in Arkansas. A bar fight broke out between two men that ignited a fire in the hall. King, who had evacuated the building, ran back inside to find his $30 Gibson guitar he had left inside. He would later learn the fight was started over a woman named Lucille. Legend has it he named that guitar, and others that would follow after the woman as a reminder to never do anything as stupid as running into a burning building. He wrote the song "Lucille" which explains the story of how she got her name. While some of the Lucilles were Fender Stratocasters, the ones he is known for are black Gibson ES-335 and 355 guitars. "Rolling Stone" recounts an incredible story about the 80th Birthday model that Gibson made for King. It became his main instrument from 2005 until 2009, when it was stolen. The guitar would later turn up in a Las Vegas pawn shop. Guitar trader Eric Dahl made the discovery and told 'The whole thing was covered in sweat. The strings were nasty. Then I flipped it over and looked at the headstock and it said, 'Prototype 1' in a white stamp…. I assumed it meant this was one of the original 80th Birthday model Lucilles that B.B. King had approved.' Dahl would learn the instrument he found was not just a Lucille approved by B.B. King but the actual Lucille King had been playing. King met with Dahl and as a thank you, traded him a new Lucille in exchange for his 80th Birthday model he thought he'd lost forever. Arguably the most famous beat-up guitar that is still being played live on concert stages across the country, is Willie Nelson's treasured modified Martin N-20 nylon-string classical acoustic guitar "Trigger." Nelson bought the guitar in 1969 after his previous one was damaged. When asked about the guitar's name, Nelson has said it is named after Roy Rogers' horse. "Roy Rogers had a horse named Trigger. I figured, this is my horse," he has famously said. Trigger has holes, scratches and its fretboard is worn down nearly flat. But it also has a hundred or so autographs. And a lot of blood, sweat and tears from being played by Nelson for some 50 years. It has survived house fires and decades of life on the road. In 2015, Rolling Stone Films created a documentary, "Mastering the Craft: Trigger," delving into the legend that is Nelson's guitar. Why does Nelson continue to play such an old, worn out instrument? "I think it's the best-sounding guitar I've ever played," he said in the documentary. Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett remembers as a teenager, looking at his musical hero Gary Moore's guitar he played on Hammett's favorite Thin Lizzy album and thinking "What a great guitar. I wish I had a guitar as cool as that." Fast forward to today, the 1959 Les Paul Standard originally owned by Peter Green — founder of Fleetwood Mac — and later owned and played by Moore, is now part of Hammett's collection. Not one just like those heroes played, but the exact same guitar. "I managed to acquire Greeny," Hammett told The Tennessean. "I play Greeny pretty much every day on stage and in my hotel room." Greeny is named for its original owner and is estimated to be worth millions. Known for its unique tone caused by a magnet in one of the pickups being installed backwards, resulting in a unique sound that has been sought after by other players. More Hammett: What's in store for Metallica's Nashville shows? Guitarist Kirk Hammett says there's 'nothing like Tennessee' One of the most famous guitars in rock music is Eddie Van Halen's "Frankenstein" or "Frankenstrat" as it is also known. The late Van Halen, co-founder of the band by the same name with his brother Alex, built the guitar from an assemblage of random parts to create his "monster," hence the name. Frankenstein made its debut on the cover of the band's "Van Halen" record and was white with black stripes across it. Van Halen later painted the guitar's body red with Schwinn bicycle paint and added black and white stripes, which became the iconic look the guitar is known for. In addition to the trademark paint job that has been often replicated, the real Frankenstein also proudly displays the wear and tear, scratches, dings, and flaws played into the guitar by it's hero. While the guitar's parts cost several hundred dollars when they were assembled in the early '70s, the instrument today is invaluable. The original is owned by Van Halen's son Wolfgang, who is also a guitar player and frontman for the band Mammoth. The younger Van Halen has used Frankenstein on every Mammoth album to date. His latest single, "The End," features his dad's guitar on the intro. A copy of the guitar resides in the National Museum of American History, part of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. More Wolfgang: Wolfgang Van Halen brings his Mammoth WVH to Nashville's Brooklyn Bowl Melonee Hurt covers music and music business at The Tennessean, part of the USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee. Reach Melonee at mhurt@ or on Instagram at @MelHurtWrites. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The names behind famous guitars from Ashley McBryde to Willie Nelson
