By Chip Chandler — Producer
Here's a quick take on your 10 best entertainment bets in the next 10 days.
1. The Underpants
Amarillo Little Theatre's 2019-20 season opener, a surprisingly raunchy Steve Martin-adapted comedy of manners, will run through Aug. 25 in the Adventure Space, 2751 Civic Circle.
2. Birthday Bash Benefit
The Golden Light Cantina, 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave., and The 806 Coffee + Lounge, 2812 S.W. Sixth Ave., will celebrate their 73rd and 12th birthdays, respectively, by raising needed school supplies (and funds) for San Jacinto Elementary School at this Aug. 24 party. The Golden Light party will feature karaoke and cupcakes, while The 806's festivities will include a bake sale, silent art auction, raffle and tunes from DJs 4!Flush and Kevin Salami. Other parties will include a Boys Ranch Block Party at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 24 at Ellwood Park, 1100 S. Jackson St.; and the Civic Circle Block Party at 3 p.m. Aug. 30 at Copper Fire, 2800 Civic Circle, Suite 500, featuring Velvet Funk and Lindsey Lane.
3. Amarillo Sod Poodles
The Soddies will start a long home stretch to wrap up their first successful season with games against the Tulsa Drillers from Aug. 26 to 29 and the Arkansas Travelers from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2 at Hodgetown, 715 S. Buchanan St.
4. Quentin Tarantino marathon
The Regal United Artists Amarillo Star, 8275 W. Amarillo Blvd., will screen three classic Tarantino films — Kill Bill Vol. 1 and 2, and Pulp Fiction — as well as his current hit Once Upon a Time in Hollywood on Aug. 30. Opening this week: action thriller Angel Has Fallen, faith-based sports drama Overcomer, inspirational drama The Peanut Butter Falcon and horror comedy Ready or Not. Other special engagements will include an anniversary, final-cut screening of Apocalypse Now on Aug. 25 and a Studio Ghibli Fest 2019 screening of My Neighbor Totoro on Aug. 25, 26 and 28. Plus, animated film Wonder Park will screen at 8:30 p.m. Aug. 23 at Thompson Park, 2401 Dumas Drive, as part of Amarillo Parks and Recreation's Starlight Cinema series.
5. Peace & Love Tour
Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Woodstock (presumably, without the mud and, hopefully, bad trips) with this Paisley Craze concert featuring tunes by the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, The Who and more. The show will begin at 6:30 p.m. Aug. 30 in the Amarillo Civic Center Complex Auditorium, 401 S. Buchanan St.
6. Paw Patrol Live
The ruff-and-ready animated TV stars come to life for "The Great Pirate Adventure" for five shows between Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 in the Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts, 500 S. Buchanan St.
7. Amarillo Crime Stoppers Car Show
The 11th annual show, which benefits Amarillo Crime Stoppers and Student Crime Stoppers, will feature hundreds of cars, from classics to the latest, on Aug. 31 throughout the Amarillo Civic Center Complex, 401 S. Buchanan St.
8. Boys Ranch Rodeo
Children ages 5 to 18 will compete in a variety of events, from mutton busting to bronc riding, at the 75th annual rodeo on Aug. 31 on the Boys Ranch grounds, about 43 miles northwest of Amarillo on Farm-to-Market Road 1061. Festivities begin at 10 a.m., including the accompanying Adventurefest, a family-friendly midway event with food, games, educational activities and more. Rodeo action begins at 2:30 p.m. following a noon barbecue lunch, which is included in the ticket price.
9. Tribute to the Greatest Generation
Patrick Swindell & Esquire Jazz will perform big band music at this annual celebration of the end of World War II at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at Texas Air & Space Museum, 10001 American Drive.
10. Travis Tritt
The '90s country sensation will give a backyard show at 8 p.m. Aug. 31 at Starlight Ranch Event Center, 1415 Sunset Drive. Other concerts of note: Americana singer Tennessee Tuckness with guitarist Gary Thomason at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 22, the Del Cueto Quartet and the James Barger Quartet on Aug. 23, Mike Fuller on Aug. 29 and Devlon Jones on Aug. 31 at Esquire Jazz Club, 626 S. Polk St.; Jackie Haney & The Geezers Gone Wild at 7 p.m. Aug. 23 at Bar Z Winery, 19290 Farm-to-Market Road 1541; Texas country star Parker McCollum with Kevin Galloway at 8 p.m. Aug. 23 at Starlight Ranch; Amarillo rock band Jen Williams & The Potty Mouths at 10 p.m. Aug. 23 at Whiskey River, 4001 S.W. 51st Ave.; Amarillo rock band Monarch at 8 p.m. Aug. 24 and Amarillo party band The Tweeks with Motor of Love and Johnny Reverb at 6 p.m. Aug. 31 at Smokey Joe's, 2903 S.W. Sixth Ave.; Amarillo rock band Moon Dog for the 28th anniversary celebration at 8 p.m. Aug. 24 at Broken Spoke Lounge, 3101 S.W. Sixth Ave.; Amarillo metal band Dedlocked at 10 p.m. Aug. 24 and hard rock bands A Special Case and Visions Scarred at 10 p.m. Aug. 30 at Skooterz, 4100 Bushland Blvd.; country music great Rodney Crowell at 10 p.m. Aug. 24 with openers Matt Martindale and Charlie Shafter, singer-songwriter Szlachetka at 10 p.m. Aug. 29 and Texas country star Zane Williams at 10 p.m. Aug. 30 at Hoots Pub, 2424 Hobbs Road; Amarillo rock band The Wookies at 10 p.m. Aug. 24 and trash-grass band Tejon Street Corner Thieves at 10 p.m. Aug. 26 at Leftwoods, 2511 S.W. Sixth Ave.; Americana blues singer Baby Boy Bartels at 9 p.m. Aug. 27 at The 806 Coffee + Lounge, 2812 S.W. Sixth Ave.; an HPPR Living Room Concert with jazz-blues duo Paper Moon Shiners at 7:30 p.m. Aug. 30 at Chalice Abbey, 2717 Stanley St.; and Ragland with Native Crowds and Gunner Fore & The Interstate at 10 p.m. Aug. 30 and Amarillo indie bands Vamping and Laeom at 10 p.m. Aug. 31 at the Golden Light Cantina, 2908 S.W. Sixth Ave.
Chip Chandler is a producer for Panhandle PBS and a member of GALECA. He can be contacted at Chip.Chandler@actx.edu, at @chipchandler1 on Twitter and on Facebook.
