Austin, TX
George Strait Announces Back To Back Shows At The Moody Center In Austin, Texas | Whiskey Riff
Another round of shows for the King.
After another successful year in 2025 for the living legend that included a limited run of stadium shows with Chris Stapleton and being honored by President Trump at the Kennedy Center back in December, George Strait is showing no signs of slowing down heading into 2026.
If you recall, back in October, he announced a one-night only show in Death Valley, home of the Clemson Tigers in Clemson, South Carolina at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, May 2nd, 2026. Here, he’d call upon none other than fellow Texan troubadour, Cody Johnson, along with the stellar Wyatt Flores.
In November, he’d up the ante, announcing not one but two separate shows at Texas Tech’s Jones AT&T Stadium in Lubbock, Texas, on Friday, April 24th and Saturday, April 25th. Similarly to the Clemson show, he’d be calling on a mix of young star power with Miranda Lambert and hot up-and-comer, Hudson Westbrook, opening night one and reigning CMA New Artist of the Year, Zach Top, as well as the severely underrated Dylan Gossett setting the stage for night two.
As time passed, it became a bit unclear if the “Amarillo By Morning” singer was going to make those shows his only dates for 2026. That, however, changed today.
Just announced, Strait announced back-to-back nights at the iconic Moody Center in Austin, Texas, with the underrated traditionalist, William Beckmann, on April 9th and 11th.
In case you’re unfamiliar with Beckmann, he recently had a new song with the red-hot Carter Faith, “Lay Your Heartbreak Onto Mine,” featured on season two of Taylor Sheridan’s hit show, Landman. Additionally, he’s scored some hits on streaming such as “Bourbon Whiskey,” “Tennessee Drinkin’,” “Danced All Night Long” and a country-fried cover of Bruce Springsteen’s classic, “I’m On Fire.” Though names like Zach Top, Jake Worthington and Drake Milligan typical dominate lists of young traditional country acts, Beckmann undoubtedly deserves more recognition for his unique, classic sound.
In the Instagram comment section of the announcement post, Beckmann would call the opening spot a dream come true.
“I can’t wait sir! This is literally such a dream come true. Thank you.”
Presale for the back-to-back shows begin TODAY at 10 a.m. CT with signups being available right now. General sale, on the other hand, will begin this Friday, January 30th, at 10 a.m. CT.
As previously mentioned, given the fact that Strait has yet to announce a full set of dates for 2026, these shows very well may be his only shows for 2026. If you recall, back in 2012, he announced that he was retiring from full-length tours. Obviously, that hasn’t stopped him from still going on limited runs over the past 14 years. With that being said, however, at 73 years old, it’s becoming clear that he’s been slowly taking a step back from touring throughout the year. With less and less shows being scheduled per year for the King, I would not hesitate on tickets if you’re in the Austin area.
Before you go, fire up “Troubadour” for ‘ol time’s sake.
George Strait 2026 Tour Dates
April 9 – Austin, Texas – Moody Center with William Beckmann
April 11 – Austin, Texas – Moody Center with William Beckmann
April 24 – Lubbock, Texas – Jones AT&T Stadium with Miranda Lambert & Hudson Westbrook
April 25 – Lubbock, Texas – Jones AT&T Stadium with Zach Top & Dylan Gossett
May 2 – Clemson, South Carolina – Clemson Stadium with Cody Johnson & Wyatt Flores
Austin, TX
Will the rest of Austin allergies seasons be as bad as cedar this year?
Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.
Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.
Texas, though, is a different story.
For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.
“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”
It all depends on the weather
How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.
Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.
If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.
How can you treat allergies in Austin?
If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:
- Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
- Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
- Take a shower before going to bed.
- Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
- Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
- Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.
Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:
- Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
- Vacuum and sweep regularly.
- Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
- Keep doors and windows closed.
- Clean out the vents in your home.
- Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
- Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
- Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.
Austin, TX
Texas Primary: Breakdown of Texas races
Democrats tried to stop a mid-decade redistricting effort, but were unsuccessful. Now, we are starting to see some of the candidates emerging in those newly drawn districts. FOX 7 Austin’s Rudy Koski gives a full breakdown.
Austin, TX
Remembering Jorge Pederson: Minnesota MMA fighter killed in Austin, Texas, shooting
ROCHESTER, Minn. (KTTC) – A shooting on West Sixth Street in Austin, Texas, early Sunday morning, killed three people and injured more than a dozen others, according to the Austin Police Department. APD confirmed one of the victims was 30-year-old Jorge Pederson, a Minnesota man who worked as an MMA fighter for the Med City Fighting Championships.
“You meet tons of fighters and there are people that stand above the rest that you find you enjoy or find the most amusing,” MCFC Co-Owner Matthew Vogt said. “He was definitely one of them.”
According to Vogt, Pederson was also the owner of a Minnesota business called Metro Movers. Vogt said the MMA competitor touched everyone’s hearts since his first day of fighting professionally in Rochester.
“As soon as we met him when it was the weighing time, we just loved the guy already because he had a great mission or spirit about him,” Vogt said. “He was a funny guy and great fighter.”
Vogt told KTTC when he first saw the news that Pederson was killed, he could not believe what he saw.
“I was looking, like, ‘Wait a minute. Is this one of his shenanigans or did something actually happen there?’” Vogt said, recalling the moment he saw a social media post regarding the shooting in Austin. “I confirmed with a few people and I’m just like, sometimes, some things happen that you don’t even like, you don’t even know how to respond to it because it’s just so out of left field that you don’t immediately have a response to it.”
MCFC confirmed there is an online fundraiser dedicated to supporting Pederson’s family. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than $10,000 has been raised.
“He was someone that always could make anybody laugh,” Vogt said. “Support his family through the fundraiser and take a look at his Instagram especially to see how funny he was.”
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