FORT WORTH, Texas — Grammy-winning Fort Worth native Leon Bridges said his newest album is, in part, an ode to Panther City. Now, Bridges will get to play the album to a sold-out Fort Worth crowd at Dickies Arena.
The Nov. 15 show is Bridges' debut performance at Dickies Arena. In an announcement on Instagram, he said he's come a long way from performing open mics at local Fort Worth bars.
"I’ve managed to do a lot since then, more than I would ever have imagined but what I am about to say has been a long time coming and I am honored to share this with you especially - my hometown fans... We are officially sold out at Dickies Arena on November 15th," Bridges wrote.
His fourth album is titled "Leon" and Bridges said it was inspired by growing up in Fort Worth. Dickies Arena, with its 14,000-person capacity, will be the final stop on Bridges' tour. It will be his biggest headline show to date, according to a press release from the arena.
He will be supported by Ecuadorian-Swiss duo Hermanos Gutiérrez and Dallas native Charley Crockett, whose latest album is centered around Fort Worth's neighbor to the east.
Bridges grew up in Fort Worth's Historic Southside neighborhood and remains highly connected to the city. He formed a nonprofit with former TCU coach Gary Patterson called The Big Good, which supports other local organizations.
But Fort Worth isn't the only Texas city that inspired his new album. One of the album's lead singles "Laredo" shows appreciation for the Rio Grande Valley. In that spirit, Bridges also announced three new performances in El Paso, Lubbock and San Antonio in October, bookended by performances at Austin City Limits.
"As I look back, I think about the magic that Texas holds for me - its heart, its spirit, and its incredible fans who’ve been here from the beginning," Bridges wrote. "Thank you."
