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Texas

Texas officials are expecting more than 1 million people to visit the state Monday (April 8) for a chance to experience a rare total solar eclipse in the state that will be visible from the Texas border town of Eagle Point all the way to Texarkana.
To mark the event, the state will be home to more than a dozen festivals celebrating in true Texas style: from the Salt Lick BBQ festival honoring the beloved Driftwood brisket and ribs joint in Texas Hill Country to the rugged Texas Traditions camping fest, where attendees must sign a waiver acknowledging the danger posed by “poisonous snakes, reptiles, spiders and insects; diseased or startled animals, dogs, snares and traps; ladders, deer blinds, trucks, jeeps and four-wheelers.”

But the state’s largest celebration will be the Texas Eclipse festival, to be held on a sprawling ranch in Burnet, Tex., 100 miles north of San Antonio. Texas Eclipse is organized by a newly formed alliance of independent promoters including longtime EDM promoter James Estopinal and his recently rebranded Texas concert outfit Disco Presents; technologist, entrepreneur and Texas Eclipse festival founder and “head of alignment” Mitch Morales; and California-based festival organizer, curator and producer Gwen Gruesen from Symbiosis Gathering.

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Texas Eclipse is being headlined by U.K. superproducer Paul Oakenfold, American indie dance duo Big Gigantic, veteran dance producer Tycho and Philly dubstep superstar Subtronics. Other performers include jam scene super franchises like String Cheese Incident, Disco Biscuits, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead along with dozens of others, including CloZee, Boogie T, LP Giobbi, Zeds Dead and Bob Moses, who will appear across six stages curated and designed by the festival’s 12 global partners.

“People are drawn to eclipses in part because of the potential to experience something bigger than themselves,” says Gruesen, who is the only one of the three organizers to have witnessed an eclipse in person, having put together more than a half-dozen festivals and experiences from North America to Australia around totality events like the one taking place Monday. She notes that it’s the job of event organizers not to supplement the experience but to create opportunities to highlight the eclipse as a headliner.

To that point, adds Morales, “We’re not programming any content during the totality event. We don’t think we need to augment that experience.”

Music only represents a fraction of the bookings for the camping festival, which also includes hundreds of speakers including funghi expert Paul Stamets, environmentalist Adrian Grenier and more than 20 astronauts and researchers from the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies. Attendees can attend yoga, movement and meditation instruction and experience immersive art from collective Meow Wolf as well as workshops from visionary artist and storyteller Hannah Muse.

Estopinal, a veteran live music promoter who played a key role popularizing raves and live EDM shows beginning in the 1990s, tells Billboard that Texas Eclipse has been one of the most challenging events he’s ever promoted due to its geographic isolation and the sheer size of the site being built.

“This is one I will never forget and I’m excited to pull it off,” Estopinal says. “From the size of the event, to the sheer scale, it’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to see what happens.”

The 2024 eclipse will first be viewable in the coastal Sinaloan city of Mazatlan, Mexico around 11 a.m. CT. In the U.S., it will be visible at Eagle Pass, Tex., starting at 1:30 pm CT and slowly moving Northeast through Texarkana, Ark., before crossing into, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennyslvania, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire. The total eclipse will end its U.S. journey in Caribou, Maine, before crossing into New Brunswick, Canada. It will last be viewable on the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

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Crystal Mason, who was sentenced to five years in Texas for trying to vote with a ballot in 2016 that was rejected, was acquitted.
On Thursday (March 28), an appeals court in Texas threw out a five-year prison sentence given to Crystal Mason, who was sentenced for trying to vote in the 2016 presidential election using a provisional ballot in Fort Worth that was rejected. Mason maintained that she had no idea she was ineligible due to being on supervised release for a tax felony at the time. The case became nationally known and was regarded as an attempt to intimidate Black voters as they saw the sentence as egregious for what legal observers saw as a simple error.

“We conclude that the quantum of the evidence presented in this case is insufficient to support the conclusion that Mason actually realized that she voted knowing that she was ineligible to do so and, therefore, insufficient to support her conviction for illegal voting,” Justice Wade Birdwell wrote in the ruling. The 49-year-old Mason was initially convicted in 2018 after a trial lasting just hours. The highest court in the state reviewed the case in 2022 and told the lower appellate court to reconsider. Mason had remained out of jail on an appeal bond but wound up losing her job at a bank and spent months in federal prison for being arrested for a federal crime while on probation.
“I was thrown into this fight for voting rights and will keep swinging to ensure no other citizen has to face what I’ve faced and endured for the past seven years, a political ploy where minority voting rights are under attack,” Mason said in an interview Thursday night. “Although I’ve cried for seven years straight, seven nights a week … I’ve also prayed for seven years straight, seven nights a week. Prayed that I would remain a free black woman,” she said in a statement released later. “I am overjoyed to see my faith rewarded today.”
“Crystal and her family have suffered for over six years as the target of a vanity project by Texas political leaders,” said Alison Grinter Allen, a criminal defense attorney who represented Mason. “We’re happy that the court saw this for the perversion of justice that it is, but the harm that this political prosecution has done to shake Americans’ confidence in their own franchise is incalculable.”
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Grammy winners Miranda Lambert and Jon Randall have partnered with Big Loud Records to launch their own imprint, Big Loud Texas. Lambert and Randall will be directly instrumental in signing and developing artists on the roster. Meanwhile, Randall will serve as president of A&R for the imprint, while also contributing as a producer.

“As a teenager chasing my dreams in the honky-tonks of Texas, Nashville seemed so far away,” Lambert said in a statement. “Every time I’m back home I get to hear the incredible talent our state produces, and I feel a responsibility to help get more of those Texas voices heard. I’m really excited to team up with my buddy Jon Randall and Big Loud to do just that. Get ready, y’all – we’re bringing even more Texas to town!” 

“When I was a kid playing in bands and kicking around Texas, I knew that making music was all I wanted to do for the rest of my life,” Randall added. “Since then, I’ve gotten to play with so many of my heroes produce legends and friends and travel all over the world… but all those roads lead right back home. I feel very blessed to share this full circle moment with one of my best pals, Miranda Lambert, and help some other dreamers chase their song around the world.”

Longtime friends and creative allies, Lambert and Randall collaborated on 2021’s Grammy-nominated The Marfa Tapes, alongside fellow Texas singer-songwriter Jack Ingram. Randall also served as a producer alongside Lambert and Luke Dick on her 2022 album, Palomino. A Grammy, CMA and ACM Award-winner, Randall has spent three-plus decades in the music business seemingly doing it all as a solo artist, guitarist, songwriter and critically acclaimed producer. In addition to his longstanding relationship with Lambert, he has written with and for artists including Guy Clark, Kenny Chesney, Reba McEntire and many others, plus produced projects for Dierks Bentley, Parker McCollum, Dwight Yoakam, Jack Ingram, Pat Green and more.

“I’ve admired what Miranda and Jon have done – both as musicians and as champions of young talent – for many years, so it’s an honor to join forces in this way,” Big Loud CEO/partner Seth England said in a statement. “One of the most important things to us at Big Loud is to align with cultural camaraderie. Texas exudes that spirit and no one knows that better than Miranda and Jon.”

Big Loud Records is also home to Morgan Wallen, who has had a stellar year, dominating the Billboard Hot 100 with “Last Night” and the Billboard 200 with One Thing at a Time. The label’s roster also includes Lauren Alaina, HARDY, ERNEST, Hailey Whitters, MacKenzie Porter, Larry Fleet, Charles Wesley Godwin, Stephen Wilson Jr., Dallas Smith, Maggie Rose, Griffen Palmer, Shawn Austin, Lily Rose, Jake Worthington, Ashley Cooke, Lauren Watkins and Zandi Holup. 

Big Loud Records was honored as the No. 1 Billboard Hot Country Songs label in 2021 and 2022. Big Loud’s executive team has earned recognition as part of the Billboard 40 Under 40: svp / GM Patch Culbertson (’22), svp of radio promotion Stacy Blythe (’21) and CEO / partner Seth England (’14). Additionally, members of the Big Loud brass — partners England, Moi and Craig Wiseman, as well as Adams, Blythe and SVP of Marketing Candice Watkins — have been honored as Billboard Indie Power Players and Billboard Country Power Players. England was named the inaugural peer-voted Country Power Players’ Choice Award recipient, an industry-wide nod honoring the executive that voters believe made the most impact across the country music business over the past year.

For the last few shows of her record-breaking Renaissance World Tour, Beyoncé is headed back home. The Houston-bred megastar is set to play two shows at the city’s NRG Stadium — just two days after gracing Arlington’s AT&T Stadium — and her hometown is pulling out all the stops in her honor.
According to a Sept. 21 KPRC 2 report, the Harris County Commissioners Court passed a resolution to temporarily rename itself “Bey County” in honor of Beyoncé’s first tour stops in Houston since 2016, when she graced the stage for her Formation World Tour.

On Sept. 19, the official X (formerly Twitter) page for the city of Houston tweeted a graphic announcing an event called “Hou Run The World” — a tribute to the “Breaky My Soul” singer in collaboration with Houston First and Central Houston, complete with a “homecoming party on the plaza.”

At her Thursday night (Sept. 21) show in Arlington, Beyoncé squealed, “It feels so good to be home! Texas girl!” Born and raised in Houston, both the city and the larger state of Texas have provided a sturdy foundation for Beyoncé’s personal life and a bevy of musical throughlines for her catalog — from country music to Southern hip-hop.

Beyoncé’s homecoming will also coincide with the launch of the Knowles-Rowland House, which was first teased back in June. On June 27, officials announced that Harris County would be collaborating with Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland to create 31 permanent housing units using $7.2 million in American Rescue Plan funds. “Initiatives like this one I certainly will be supportive of it no matter who’s behind it, but it’s especially interesting… because there are these names of Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland, who, of course, have been supportive of the community for a very long time,” Judge Lina Hildago said during a press conference.

Officials also teased an “even bigger launch” for the project — which will include case managers, peer specialists, service specialists and support services, like transportation, mental health and physical and behavioral health support — upon Beyoncé’s homecoming. Queen Bey was spotted with her mother Tina Knowles at the renovation celebration for the Knowles-Rowland House on Friday morning (Sept. 22).

The “America Has A Problem” singer is riding out the final four shows of the tour’s North American leg. According to figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, Beyoncé earned $141.4 million in the first 12 Renaissance shows in the U.S. and Canada, selling 553,000 tickets and putting the tour’s figures at $295.8 million and 1.6 million tickets (as of Aug. 1). With more numbers yet to be reported, the Renaissance World Tour is already Beyoncé’s highest-grossing tour yet, passing 2016’s The Formation World Tour ($256.1 million) and 2018’s Jay-Z-assisted On the Run II Tour ($253.5 million).

Trisha Yearwood and the late John Prine are this year’s inductees into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Induction & Celebration, set for Oct. 26 at The Moody Theater in Austin, Texas.
Actor/filmmaker Ethan Hawke will induct Prine, while Don Henley will induct Yearwood. Henley is also set to perform in tribute to Yearwood, with whom he paired on the 1992 country smash “Walkaway Joe” and a 2001 reunion hit, “Inside Out.” Yearwood will also perform.

Other music guests include Tyler Childers, Allison Russell, Tommy Prine and Kurt Vile, honoring Prine, and Jo Dee Messina and Ronnie Dunn, saluting Yearwood.

Yearwood debuted on Austin City Limits in 1992 and went on to make two additional headlining appearances in 1996 and 2000. She returned in 2015 as a guest of Henley’s. The Austin City Limits website amusingly (and no doubt affectionately) describes Yearwood as a “country music star and a culinary mastermind.” While giving her TV side-gig equal weight to her recording career is a bit jarring, she has been awarded for both. She won a Daytime Emmy in 2013 as the host of Trisha’s Southern Kitchen. She has also won three Grammys, three CMA Awards and three ACM Awards for her non-culinary efforts.

One woman has been inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame every year since 2015, the Hall’s second year. Yearwood follows Loretta Lynn (2015), Bonnie Raitt (2016), Rosanne Cash (2017), Marcia Ball (2018), Shawn Colvin (2019), Lucinda Williams (2021) and Sheryl Crow (2022). (There was no ceremony in 2020 because of the pandemic.)

Trisha Yearwood and Don Henley perform on ‘The Tonight Show’ on September 06, 2001.

Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images

Prine appeared regularly on Austin City Limits throughout his celebrated five-decade career. He made his first appearance in 1978 and returned for his eighth and final appearance in 2018. Prine, a four-time Grammy winner, was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2019. He died in 2020. Prine is the fifth musician to be inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame posthumously, following Stevie Ray Vaughan (2014), B.B. King (2016), Roy Orbison (2017) and Ray Charles (2018).

The annual Austin City Limits Hall of Fame Induction & Celebration is Austin PBS’ largest fundraising event. The live production will be recorded and broadcast across PBS stations nationwide in 2024. Tickets for the 2023 edition can be purchased online.

Established in 2014, the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame recognizes musicians and other individuals who have been instrumental in making television’s longest-running popular music show an institution.

Austin City Limits and the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame are produced by Austin PBS, KLRU-TV. Proceeds from the event benefit Austin PBS, a community-supported, non-profit organization providing public television and educational resources to Central Texas as well as producing quality national programming.

The Moody Theater is, appropriately, located on W. Willie Nelson Blvd in Austin. A VIP party begins at 6 p.m. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Attire is “Austin fun.”

A federal judge in Texas ruled Thursday that the state’s new law restricting drag performances was likely unconstitutional, issuing a temporary restraining order blocking the statute from going into effect on Friday.

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Following similar rulings by federal courts on such laws in Tennessee and Florida, U.S. District Judge David Hittner ruled that Texas’ statute, called Senate Bill 12, likely violated the First Amendment by restricting free speech.

“The Court finds there is a substantial likelihood that S.B. 12 as drafted violates the First Amendment of the United States Constitution under one or more of the legal theories put forward by the plaintiffs,” the judge wrote.

The ruling went in favor of a group of drag performers, drag production companies and non-profits that challenged the law. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, they argued that that S.B. 12 “criminalizes and restricts an enormous swath of constitutionally protected activity.”

Thursday’s order came as a temporary restraining order, which will only be in effect until the judge can issue a full written ruling. But the wording of the order indicates that he will likely strike down the law whenever he issues the more detailed decision.

Such a TRO, which can only be issued if a plaintiff proves they will suffer “irreparable harm” without one, was necessary because the law was set to go into effect on Friday.

“The court considers the impending infringement on the plaintiffs’ constitutional rights sufficient irreparable harm to warrant enjoining S.B. 12 while a final judgment is drafted,” Judge Hittner wrote.

Following the ruling, Paige Willey, spokeswoman for the Attorney General of Texas, told Billboard: “The people of Texas were appalled to learn of an increasing trend of obscene, sexually explicit so-called “drag” performances being marketed to families with children. The Office of the Attorney General will pursue all legal remedies possible to aggressively defend SB 12, the state law that regulates such performances to protect children and uphold public decency.”

A spokesperson for the ACLU did not immediately return a request for comment.

Passed by Texas lawmakers in May and signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in June, S.B. 12 expands criminal restrictions on public performance of sexual conduct. The original bill included explicit references to drag shows, but they were removed in response to criticism. Instead, the final version bans sexual gestures that use “accessories or prosthetics that exaggerate male or female sexual characteristics.” Violators can face up to a year in jail, and businesses hosting events can be fined $10,000 for each violation.

Critics say such statutes, proposed or passed in states across the country over the past two years, are a thinly-veiled attack on the LGBTQ community. The new laws have been closely-watched by the music industry, over concerns that aspects of concerts could run afoul of broad new restrictions.

The ACLU filed its lawsuit earlier this month, arguing that – despite the changes to the wording – the new statute “unconstitutionally singles out drag.” They said it was also “sweepingly overbroad and vague and fails to give adequate notice of what it proscribes.”

“In its zeal to target drag, the Legislature also passed a bill so yawning in scope that it criminalizes and restricts an enormous swath of constitutionally protected activity, including theater, ballet, comedy, and even cheerleading,” the group wrote.

The suit was filed on behalf of nonprofit LGBTQIA+ organizations The Woodlands Pride and Abilene Pride Alliance; drag entertainment companies Extragrams, LLC and 360 Queen Entertainment LLC; and drag performer Brigitte Bandit.

Earlier this week, Judge Hittner held a two-day trial-like hearing on the arguments from both sides. A final ruling is expected early next week.

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President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, which ended the legal practice of slavery, went into effect on January 1, 1863, a reluctant move on his part that satisfied the wants of abolitionists. On June 19, 1865, enslaved Blacks in Texas were finally alerted that they were freed and thus, Emancipation Day, better known as Juneteenth, was born.

Lincoln’s path to signing the proclamation was wrought with barriers that were mostly political, if not racially motivated. Slavery was a big business and with the Union victorious over the southern Confederate states, there was some resentment for the North’s desire to do away with one of its best money-makers in slavery. Lincoln treaded carefully but signed the law in 1862 before it went into effect.

On that day in 1865, Union troops made their way to the coastal city of Galveston, Texas. Texas, like many southern and non-battleground states, was resistant to ending slavery. However, the law of the land prevailed and the slaves being held in bondage finally enjoyed true freedom. But as expected, the newly emancipated were given their “Freedom Day” with a bit of a warning.
From Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger:
The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and hired labor. The freedmen are advised to remain quietly at their present homes and work for wages. They are informed that they will not be allowed to collect at military posts and that they will not be supported in idleness either there or elsewhere.
From that point, Juneteenth became a moment of pride and togetherness for Blacks in Texas and across the South. The celebration eventually spread to other states and cities, primarily in rural areas before expanding wider.
Public figures and celebrated Black writers such as Maya Angelou and Ralph Ellison both have centered their work on the holiday as well. Juneteenth even found itself in the crossfire of Hip-Hop angst at a time.
In 1992, Geto Boys rapper Wille D’s “U Still a aggiN” references the holiday, although not positively.
“Mama’s outside, barbecuing ribs and links/It’s Juneteenth, but to me it don’t mean stink/It’s a day of emancipation, but everybody wonder why Willie ain’t celebrating/But things ain’t perfect, I’m looking beyond the surface/So instead of drinking beer, and playing Dominoes/I’m sitting in the room with my eyes closed,” Willie D rapped.
Today, 28 states recognize Juneteenth as a public holiday, which means state government offices are closed. Juneteenth became a federal holiday in 2021, with some states offering the day off as a paid holiday or a day of observance.

Learn more about the Juneteenth holiday here.

Photo: Getty

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It’s Juneteenth weekend and there are numerous celebrations around the country that one can participate in now that it’s an official holiday, which we’ve compiled in a shortlist.

As a cherished part of Black history, Juneteenth has gained greater recognition nationwide within the last few years thanks to the efforts of advocates like Opal Lee. Also known as The momentum culminated in it being recognized as a federal holiday by President Joe Biden in 2021. As this weekend kicks in, we’ve assembled a list of events taking place nationwide that one can attend to honor Juneteenth the right way.
Fort Worth, Texas

Opal Lee began her crusade to get Juneteenth recognized in her hometown of Fort Worth, first beginning in 2016 with a walking campaign from Fort Worth to Washington D.C. at the age of 89. This year, several events held in honor of the day include the chance to recreate part of the activist’s walking campaign and a cookout. More information can be found on their website.
Atlanta, Georgia
The city of Atlanta is steeped in Black history, which lends itself well to its slate of Juneteenth celebrations. There is the annual Juneteenth Parade, held at the Centennial Olympic Park in addition to free concerts sponsored by the NAACP and a 10K event. There will also be a beauty pageant and a block party event downtown. More information can be found on the Discover Atlanta website.
New York City, New York
The nonprofit organization Juneteenth NYC has set up a full weekend of events under the theme “Kaleidoscope of Culture”. Per their website, their aim is to have “20,000+ attendees local to the NYC community to enjoy a vibrant day of rich culture through music, dance, poetry, skits, history, vendors, and family activities,” all set in Brooklyn with a virtual summit held on Friday (June 17). Tickets to the festivities can be found here.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The “City of Brotherly Love” is home to the Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival. It promotes itself as the largest celebration of Juneteenth nationwide with 25,000 people who have attended since its 2016 inception. This year will see festivities held at Malcolm X Park, featuring an art festival and vendors. There will also be a Hip-Hop concert with Lil Jon, Lil Mo, and Fatman Scoop performing.
Los Angeles, California

As home to many Black Americans who trace their roots to emancipation in southern states after Juneteenth, Los Angeles is putting on an extensive and varied celebration this weekend. In addition to the Juneteenth Festival taking place at Leimert Park on Juneteenth itself, there will be a star-studded concert at the Greek Theatre to be aired live on CNN. Miguel, Kirk Franklin, SWV, Davido, Coi Leray, and Jodeci will be performing at the event among other guests, with Vice President Kamala Harris making an appearance.
Washington, D.C.
The nation’s capital will play host to multiple events celebrating Juneteenth this weekend, from the National Museum of African American History and Culture hosting a Juneteenth Community Day with indoor and outdoor events including African drumming concerts to the Scotland Freedom Day concert being held on Sunday (June 18th) featuring Wyclef Jean, Tarrus Riley with Dean Fraser & Black Soil Band, Patrice Roberts, DJ Ablaze and other performers live at the Anthem concert venue. The National Archives will also be displaying the original Emancipation Proclamation and General Order No.3 which was read in Galveston, Texas ending slavery in that state on June 19th, 1865.
 

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You might not be seeing many headlines these days about the massive litigation underway in Houston over the deadly 2021 disaster at Travis Scott‘s Astroworld festival. That’s by design.

In a ruling Tuesday, an appeals court in Texas refused to lift a strict gag order that for more than a year has barred attorneys and others from discussing the sprawling litigation over the crowd crush at Astroworld, which left 10 dead and hundreds physically injured.

ABC News had challenged the “sweeping” restrictions, arguing they clearly violated the First Amendment’s protections on free speech and had created a “news desert,” in which almost no reliable information about an important case was being shared with the public.

But in its decision on Tuesday, a three-judge panel from the Court of Appeals For The First District of Texas rejected those arguments. Ruling on a battle over judicial transparency, the appeals court did not issue any written explanation for why it had denied ABC’s challenge.

Starting hours after Nov. 5, 2021 incident, lawyers claiming to represent more than 4,900 victims eventually filed more than 400 lawsuits against Scott, Live Nation and other organizers. The cases, later consolidated into a single “multidistrict litigation,” accuse the Astroworld organizers of being legally negligent in how they planned and conducted the event, including not providing enough security and having insufficient emergency protocols in place. Combined, the victims are seeking billions in damages.

But for a case dealing with a mass-casualty event at a popular music festival with billions at stake, relatively little is known about the Astroworld litigation.

Shortly after Judge Kristen Brauchle Hawkins was appointed to oversee the cases, she issued a “publicity order” that largely prohibited attorneys from speaking about the case, citing concerns that “extensive media coverage” threatened to deprive the parties of their right to a fair trial by tainting the jury pool.

The Feb. 15 ruling was both specific and broad – banning attorneys from discussing a wide range of particular topics, including “the strength and weaknesses of any party” and “rulings of the court,“ but also imposing catch-all restrictions on “any other information” that would “prejudice the trial.”

In challenging that order to the appeals court, ABC News argued that it had deprived the public of information about important judicial proceedings over a newsworthy event. The network warned that attorneys were refusing to share even basic information about the case with journalists, out of “fear of violating its broad and vague provisions.”

“The Gag Order, coupled with the lack of transparency from local and state officials, has created a news desert where many questions raised in the days after the Astroworld Festival remain unanswered,” the company wrote. “By [lifting] the Gag Order, this court would provide those connected to both the Astroworld Festival and the litigation the ‘breathing space’ needed to freely share their experiences, the press the ability to hold them to account, and the public the valuable information they need to better understand the events of November 5, 2021.”

But on Tuesday, the appeals court rejected those arguments. In a one-paragraph decision, the panel recounted ABC News’ argument and said simply: “We deny the petition.”

ABC News can appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court. An attorney for the company did not return a request for comment on Wednesday.

Peachtree Premier and 46 Entertainment have announced the inaugural At the Station Festival, headlined by country star Zach Bryan. At the Station takes place Oct. 21, 2023, at the Snook Rodeo Grounds in Snook, TX. Flatland Cavalry, Treaty Oak Revival and Jacob Stelly have also been added to the lineup.

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“Zach Bryan is one of the hottest talents in country music right now,” says Shane Quick, festival owner. “The community and culture in Texas are unmatched. We’ve wanted to bring a festival there for years. BYE week in the fall gave us the opportunity for “At the Station,” and Zach as the headliner is a dream come true.”

Peachtree Premier is the partnership of two independent promoters: Premier Productions and Peachtree Entertainment. Founded in 1996, Premier Productions has been a top 20 global promoter, producing events with over 20 million tickets sold. Peachtree Entertainment, founded by Bradley Jordan in 2013, has been essential in discovering and developing country music acts throughout the Southeast. 46 Entertainment is an all-encompassing event management and production company.

Pre-sale registration for Live at the Station is available at atthestationfest.com. Pre-sale is Thursday, April 20, from 10 AM – 10 PM CT, and tickets will go on-sale to the public on Friday, April 21 at 10 AM CT.