Since 1974, the World Championship BBQ Cookoff has been the official kickoff of RodeoHouston and this year 100.3 The Bull took things to a new level! The entire tent would be without food if not for our friends at 1st Class BBQ out of Hempstead, Texas. They took home the 4th place prize for Brisket and cemented their legacy among the best bbq chefs in the world!
The Bull BBQ Shack is a giant tent that holds between 500-750 people and each night it's full of bbq, ice cold Bud Light, bartenders and the happiest listeners in the world! The three day weekend started on Thursday night and after a two-year hiatus, the good times were rollin' once again!
First on the Bull BBQ Shack stage was newcomer to country music, Dillon Carmichael! While his name be new to some, his country music lineage runs deep as he's the nephew of the iconic John Michael Montgomery & Eddie Montgomery of Montgomery Gentry. He took the stage shortly after 8:00p Thursday night and treated Houston to some of the best original country music they'd ever heard!
He performed his two most recent singles, "Hot Beer" and "Son of A" and was taken aback when the crowd sang his music back to him! There's no doubt that Dillon Carmichael has already created many fans in Houston and after this performance he had several hundred more die-hards!
Following Dillon's breakout performance, the night came alive like many had never seen when Niko Moon turned the entire place into Good Timers. From the first steps on the stage to the last moments when the crowd was in unison singing "Good Time" at the top of their lungs, check it out:
Friday Night, the crowds began gathering early at the tent as the energy was second to none! The gates opened shortly after 5:30p and the tent began filling up with Bull Listeners. The first performer of the night was fresh off a win with American Idol, Chayce Beckham! Beckham had won the hearts of America and was about to win the hearts of Houston in the Bull BBQ Shack.
The clock hit 8p and Chayce was on stage lighting up the evening! The crowd hung on to every note as they toasted Bud Lights and Yellow Rose whiskey. Chayce Beckham had arrived! During his performance, Beckham played "Courtesy of The Red White and Blue" by Toby Keith which was unplanned foreshadowing of what was to come in less than 30 hours.
The next performer had been booked to be here in mid to late 2021 as he began his emergence into country music. He was a former police officer from New Mexico who turned in his badge to take on Country Music. His name is Frank Ray and he's one of the only Hispanic artists in the country format and was ready to connect with Houston like nobody had ever done before.
A quick shot of tequila and a few ice cold Bud Lights later and Frank Ray was on stage with unbelievable energy! He kicked it off with a couple of originals but then turned inward and went full Houston by playing Cody Johnson's Dance Her Home and then a tribute to legendary late Hispanic artists' Vicente Fernandez and Selena with Volver Volver and Como Me Duele!
A little dance break with Foot Loose & Despacito set the stage for Frank Ray to deliver his first single at country radio to the listeners inside the Bull BBQ Shack, Country'd Look Good On You!
Then came Saturday and the cookoff gates opened up earlier than the previous two nights and more people had flooded into the cookoff than any other night. The weather was drizzly, cold and down right tough but the smiles were everywhere and the vibes were real as the stage was set for the final night in the Bull BBQ Shack at cookoff!
First to take the stage was up and coming local star, Rodell Duff! In the last year, his efforts as an independent artist have taken him to Nashville to work with great songwriters and producers; also, his work has garnered hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners on Spotify and his local stardom has grown exponentially. He was ready to take on one of the most legendary stages in Country Music, The Bull BBQ Shack!
From his first guitar strum to the final cheers from the crowd, Rodell Duff had the crowd eating out of the palm of his hand! This was the perfect lead into what would be the greatest ending to the Bull BBQ Shack, ever.
Michael Ray had been hanging out backstage taking in Rodell's performance and mingling with the Bull Staff prior to his performance. He shared incredible stories of his growth over the last few years and touted his pride in his new collection of music "Higher Education" and why he felt like it was his best work! This album is where you'd find his smash hit single, "Whiskey & Rain" which he was about to perform for 700+ Houston fans!
Before Michael took the stage, the legendary Toby Keith crashed the backstage area and shocked everyone in attendance. The orders were set, Toby would be bringing Michael Ray on stage and leading Bull Nation in a final toast! NOBODY knew this was coming and the reaction was priceless.
Once things settled down a bit, Michael Ray took the stage to a standing ovation and the final act was set! Hit after hit, Ray took the crowd higher and higher before stepping into a Toby cover of "Should've Been A Cowboy" but little did he know, Toby Keith was still hanging out backstage! Toby heard the song and decided he'd hop on stage and finish the track with Michael Ray!
You could see the excitement and joy in Michael Ray's eyes as he put the final touches on his set and led Houston in a farewell sing along of "Whiskey & Rain" as the night came to a close.
The joke about cookoff is that you make memories you'll never remember but there's no doubt, this year's 3 day bbq, Bud Light & country music binge was something nobody will ever forget. Lucky were those of us who got to experience the magic first hand inside The Bull BBQ Shack at cookoff.
Now, we Rodeo, Houston!