Johnson makes fifth performance at RodeoHouston worth the wait
For Cody Johnson, the last six years have chronicled the evolution of RodeoHouston.
The Sebastopol native, who made his fifth appearance Friday night, was a last-minute replacement in 2017 for country group Old Dominion. He recounted the moment onstage, saying he had “three days notice, I think” to prepare.
That first show drew just over 60,000. Every one since then has surpassed the 70,000 mark, including Friday’s crowd of 73,144. Johnson recorded the official RodeoHouston theme song, “Welcome to the Show,” in 2019. He opened the 2022 season.
He’s recorded with Brooks & Dunn and Reba McEntire and earned his first No. 1 country single, “‘Til You Can’t.”
“I’ve been waiting all year long this one,” he said.
The show started at 9 p.m. on the dot, the earliest so far this year. (Most acts have kicked off around 9:15 p.m. or later.) Johnson, in a green shirt for St. Patrick’s Day, jumped out of a truck and raced to catch one of the stage’s rising star points, as his band launched into “Texas Kind of Way.”
He’s one of the best at using the entirety of the stage and rose on several of the ramps throughout the set. Garth Brooks is a clear influence. Lots of running and yelping and riling up the crowd between songs.
Johnson presents a roughand-tumble exterior, part of his upbringing as a rodeo rider and prison guard. But he’s a bit of a softie at heart. His songs are romantic odes (”Diamond in My Pocket”) or aspirational anthems about living your dreams (”’Til You Can’t”).
He sometimes stopped to take in the moment and said he ran into old friend Rick Garza before the show, who owned Big Texas Dance Hall in Spring. It closed in 2020.
“He reminded me of the times I used to come up to the club and beg, beg, beg to play. We’d ask for $300 and a bar tab,” Johnson said. “On nights like tonight, playing the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in front of a sold-out crowd, I remember where I come from.”
The bluesy “Nothin’ on You,” an ode to getting “nekkid,” was dedicated to Johnson’s wife. “Son of a Ramblin’ Man” was a full-on barn burner. He preceded a cover of Charlie Daniels’ “Long Haired Country Boy” with his requisite speech about honoring first responders and military, though he was overpowered a bit by the band.
“‘Til You Can’t,” Johnson’s biggest hit to date, was the appropriate closer. But it was a cover of McEntire’s “Whoever’s in New England,” with just Johnson’s textured voice and guitar, that truly showcased his star power.