It’s only right that “Mr. Saturday Night” himself closed out Saturday night of Nashville’s Music City Rodeo.
Some of the best rodeo cowboys and cowgirls put on an absolute show last night Bridgestone Arena. The best in the world were all at the venue that sits on Broadway to compete in the third and final day of the event put on by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA). It’s the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi and the largest in the entire Southeastern Circuit.
Oh, and it’s also important to note that the 2026 Music City Rodeo was designated as an official Cinch Playoff Series Rodeo.
What does that mean? Well, that designation brings in the top rodeo stars like Stetson Wright, Kade Bruno, Hailey Kinzel, and over 30 other World Champions. That means that the best of the best were getting into the bucking chute each and every night. Dakota Warnken had an impressive showing when the bull riding event took place:
That’s a solid ride right there.
The night was chock full of exciting events, like mutton busting, roping, and bull riding, and after a full and exciting slate of rodeo competitions, the dirt that was laid down on the floor of Bridgestone Arena turned into a pit for a performance from Jon Pardi. Once the pit opened up, fans rushed to get to the front to get the best view of the country music star from California.
“Tequila Little Time” went over quite well with those in attendance
No doubt about it… a little salt and lime will always do.
And though one of Pardi’s biggest hits is almost always in his set list, fans were eagerly waiting for the country star to cue up “Mr. Saturday Night.” After all, it was a Saturday night in Nashville at the Music City Rodeo… how could Pardi pass up an opportunity like that?
Sure enough, Pardi mentioned that the stars had aligned just before he broke into “Mr. Saturday Night.” The rodeo crowd absolutely ate it up:
Throughout the night, it was abundantly clear how much of a match rodeo and country music are. When we sat down with rodeo stars Kade Bruno and Rocker Steiner earlier this year, they both said that Music City Rodeo acts as the perfect crossroads.
As Rocker Steiner described, the sport and the genre have shared the same thread throughout the years:
“You’ve got to think, for the last however many decades, country music has been written about rodeoing. Look at ‘July in Cheyenne’ by Aaron Watson, ‘I Can Still Make Cheyenne’ and ‘Amarillo By Morning’ by George Strait. A lot of country songs are written around rodeo. Really, we live the same lifestyle. We really kind of have the same attitudes… if you love country music, rodeo really is a part of you.”
And Kade Bruno had much of the same to say.
The saddle bronc rider stated that there’s a lot of overlap when it comes to the fanbases of the rodeo and country music. In his mind, and in the mind of many other rodeo stars, if you like one, there’s a great chance you like the other:
“We go hand in hand. 90% of our fans are also country music fans, and vice versa. If you are a rodeo fan through and through, you are probably listening to country music.”
@whiskeyriff @Rocker Steiner @kadebrunoooo @musiccityrodeo #whiskeyriff #whiskeyriffraff ♬ original sound – Whiskey Riff
There’s definitely a harmony between country music and the rodeo.
The world’s best rodeo stars left everything out there at the second annual Music City Rodeo. Simply put… the cowboys took over Broadway and Bridgestone Arena, and they looked quite comfortable doing it in front of a packed house each and every night.
You can hear Rocker and Kade talk more about Music City Rodeo in our full interview below. Check it out on YouTube or make sure to download the podcast on Apple Podcasts by searching “Whiskey Riff Raff” or by clicking here.
We’re also available on Spotify and wherever else you can listen to podcasts.
