Midland Isn’t Intimidated by Houston Rodeo’s Opening Night Stage — This Texas Band Proves Worthy

Midland may be newer to the country music scene than past opening night Houston Rodeo performers, but this Dripping Springs-based band was seemingly unfazed by the size of NRG Stadium. They treated the giant venue as if it were an intimate dance hall in the middle of nowhere Texas filled with boot-wearing two-steppers and folks looking for an evening of fun.

And I can think of no better way to kick off the RodeoHouston.

Though NRG was by no means filled to the brim, the group of friends that make up the band proudly and excitedly strutted onto the Lone Star Stage immediately upon their arrival, commanding its presence (and fans’ attention) with their cool Texas swagger, cuffed jeans and eye-catching leather jackets emblazoned with dazzling glittered patterns. Lead vocalist Mark Wystrach’s jacket read “Midland. Est. 2014.”

These guys meant business, but in the most honky tonk way possible.

Right out of the gate, Midland came out strong, starting their evening set list with “Playboys” from the 2019 hit album Let It Roll, and following it with popular song “Burn Out” from On The Rocks, garnering an enthusiastic response from the Rodeo’s opening night concert crowd.

The band continued to pump out their honkytonk/Southern rock/Texas country tunes all night long (hardly taking any time to catch their breath or grab a sip of water), prompting fans to cheer and sing along to songs like “Cheatin’ Song,” “Mr. Lonely,” “Out of Sight” – even Jerry Reed’s 1977 song “East Bound and Down” from Smokey and the Bandit.

Yet of all the songs played, no song got fans to their feet like “Drinkin’ Problem.” As Midland performed the 2018 CMA-nominated song, Wystrach turned the giant stage into a small dance floor, two-stepping and swaying his hips in a smooth, nonchalant (dare I say sexy?) manner. Subtle, yet rather swoon worthy.

As the night wore on and the concert approached its end, one thing was clear: Midland had hit their stride, and each song sounded better than the last – especially impressive considering their lack of breaks. The tight, spine-chilling harmonies spotlighted the band-members’ raw and authentic talent, and their ability to play multiple instruments showcased each band-member’s great musicality.

Take, for instance, when bassist Cameron Duddy put up the guitar for a few moments to showcase his drumming and solo-singing skills. They can do it all.

Though Midland has hit it big in the past couple of years, they still remain a modest group of friends deeply awestruck by their recent successes. In one of their final statements to the crowd, the band thanked Houston for making their dreams a reality.

“This right here, the kickoff of 2020 Houston Rodeo, this is beyond a trip — we would never dream this,” Wystrach said. “Houston Rodeo, we love y’all. We’ll come back and honky tonk with you any time.”

And when that classic Ford truck rolled up and it was time for them to clear the stage, the band instead gleefully ran around the stage, each of them grinning widely like champions, waving at fans, and hugging each other so obviously excited and appreciative for their first (and hopefully not last) RodeoHouston performance.