Brooks & Dunn brought their country classics to fans at the Moody Center in Austin during SXSW week, delivering a night of nostalgia.

Brooks & Dunn is an American country duo. The team is made up of Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn. They have been making music since the 80s and have cranked out classics that most country fans recognize. The duo started their music career iconically in Nashville, TN. They are known for songs such as “Neon Moon,” “Boot Scootin’ Boogie,” and their cover of “My Maria.” In 2019, Brooks & Dunn was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. In late 2024, they released Reboot II, which is a re-release of 18 of their tracks featuring different artists on each song. Previously in 2019, they released their album Reboot, which is the same concept; their original songs featuring various artists on each track. 

The duo had two openers for the night. The first, Molly Tuttle, began her set at 7 pm. She is an American singer-songwriter from California. Tuttle performed with her band Golden Highway. She captivated the crowd with her charming smile. Together, Molly and her band played songs such as “El Dorado” from City of Gold (2023) and “Side Saddle” from Crooked Tree (2022).

At 7:50 PM, David Lee Murphy took to the stage. Murphy is an American country music singer and songwriter. He’s known for hits such as “Party Crowd” and “Dust on the Bottle” from Out With a Bang (1994). He opened with “Out With a Bang.” His hour-long set consisted of mostly covers of songs that he has co-written. Some of those songs include, “Hurricane” by Parker McCollum, “Why We Drink” by Justin Moore, and Kenny Chesney’s “Living in Fast Forward.” He closed with his originals “Party Crowd” and “Dust on the Bottle.” 

After both openers, at about 9 PM, Brooks & Dunn’s giant LED back screen began to light up. The band walked out first and was promptly joined by the duo. As soon as the intro to “Brand New Man” began, the crowd went wild. Throughout the night, the LED screen showcased different nature landscapes. During “Red Dirt Road,” the screen showed red rocks and a desert type of landscape. Before performing “Play Something Country,” Dunn told the crowd they would have a little guest sing with them. Expecting an artist from their long list of collaborations to join them on stage, fans thought it was funny when a video of Lainey Wilson was blasted on the giant screen. On their most recent album, Reboot II, Lainey Wilson was featured on the song. 

They slowed it down a little bit by playing “Cowgirls Don’t Cry” from Cowboy Town (2007). They then, of course, played “Neon Moon” and “My Maria.” After “My Maria,” they and their band left the stage while the crowd got riled up. When they returned the LED screen displayed graphics of western-themed neon signs. They closed their set with “Boot Scootin’ Boogie” from Brand New Man (1991) and “Only in America” from their 2001 album Steers & Stripes. Their Neon Moon Tour will continue until the end of May.

BROOKS & DUNN
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DAVID LEE MURPHY
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MOLLY TUTTLE
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MOODY CENTER
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AUSTIN – Leaders of the Texas House are facing a very big decision after last week’s pressure-packed school choice rally and a marathon committee hearing on House Bill 3.

House Bill 3 is the House’s version of school choice. The bill is slightly different from Senate Bill 2, which passed last month.

In order for any bill to reach the governor’s desk, a backroom compromise will be needed.

School choice advocate on bills in Texas Legislature

What they’re saying:

FOX 7’s Rudy Koski sat down with Mandy Drogin, the campaign director of Next Generation Texas at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, to discuss school choice.

Drogin: “It’s critical that all lawmakers realize that we can empower parents to make the best decision for their child and love their child and know where they should be going to school and empower them to make that choice.”

Koski: “Is this a punt on public education?”

Drogin: “Absolutely not. I’m a public school parent myself. We have to acknowledge that there are 50% of the children in our classroom right now that cannot read on grade level. And that’s been going on for over a decade […]  This is not in any way saying that public schools should not be fully funded and lifted up. It means that every single parent should be in charge, and that a one-size-fits-all system based simply on the street that you live on, does not serve every child.”

Koski: “This current plan isn’t every parent. It really isn’t universal. The only universal part is the application process, not the selection process.”

Drogin: “The eligibility.”

Koski: “So a very limited number of people who are actually going to benefit from this program.”

Drogin: “I wouldn’t say it’s limited. 100,000 children will have access.”

Koski: “Of five million children.”

Drogin: “So let’s be clear. We can do both. We can say what we want to do and then HB 2 has about 8 billion more dollars. We are going to spend more than $100 billion.”

Koski: “Opponents will say that’s just a buy down. That’s buying down the tax rate, and it’s really not giving new money.”

Drogin: “Well, that is completely incorrect. There are two different pieces of legislation.”

Koski: “So, is it a labeling problem that the people are missing here?

Drogin: “It’s not a labeling problem. It’s not a voucher, which is what opposition likes to use. No. An education savings account allows parents to truly customize their child’s education […] it’s not a scholarship. […] There is not going to be a mass exodus from our public school system. So claiming that it’s not truly universal is false. Eligibility, every single child in the state of Texas is eligible. Now, the appropriation is what you’re talking about. There is $1 billion appropriated this year. That would be enough for approximately 100,000 students whose families needed another choice. And then there’s the prioritization. As we’ve heard in the committee, it is prioritized for low and middle-income families as well as our special education students.”

Koski: “Is the plan to come back later and create more money and is that contingent on the surplus?”

Drogin: “At this moment? Yeah, absolutely. It’s contingent on demand.”

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