Big Time Rush Is Playing Every Song From Their TV Show in Dallas

Aside from sunscreen, nothing goes with the summer sun quite like a healthy dose of nostalgia. Luckily, the biggest nostalgia bomb of the summer is on its way; Big Time Rush’s In Real Life Tour is coming to Dos Equis Pavilion on Saturday, Aug. 16. Just try not to think about how old you are while singing songs that most of us first heard back in the fourth grade.

The dogs are hitting more than 50 cities across the U.S. and Europe to perform every song from every episode of the show, including some that were never officially released. They’ll also be playing newer material from Another Life and their latest single, “I Want You Here All The Time.” Altogether, the setlist has more than 40 songs, so they're bound to play everyone’s favorite, even the deep cuts.
We spoke to Logan Henderson ahead of BTR’s Dallas date. We touched on the band’s past and their seamless transition into this next phase of BTR without Nickelodeon’s influence.

“We’re really proud to be on an independent label and do things ourselves, and have a clear vision of what Big Time Rush means to us at this stage in our lives,” he says.

Back in 2021, they officially secured creative control and freedom for the use of Big Time Rush’s name and music. They also established Bought The Rights (BTR) LLC as their own independent label.

“I had a lot of hesitation going back into this second round of Big Time Rush, but I think the fact that we were able to control the music and present this next stage of BTR how we wanted was a big selling point for me,” he says. “I don’t really like to dabble; if I’m going to do something, I want it to be 100% and I want to believe in the project I’m working on.”

Before moving to pursue a career in acting, Henderson grew up in North Richland Hills. Although he still vividly remembers the heat, shows in his home state are always extra special for Henderson.

“It always feels good to go back home,” he says. “Whenever I was a teen and moved to L.A., I was ready to get out of there, but now that I’ve grown up a bit, there’s something very special about Texas that’ll always have a place in my heart.”

Alongside James Maslow, Henderson was one of the first members chosen for the band when it started more than 15 years ago. Looking back, he recalls going through many different lineups during the two-year audition process, but says something clicked when they added Kendall Schmidt and Carlos PenaVega to the group.
“There were so many gifted musicians, but there was some kind of magic with the four of us,” Henderson recalls. “We really got along and our voices blended well. We’re all very different, but we have a lot of the same qualities as far as drive and work ethic, and we laugh a lot. Those are the things that keep us together.”

But remember, Big Time Rush wasn’t just a band; on top of making music, the dogs also acted and starred in four seasons of one of Nickelodeon’s primetime sitcoms. The Scott Fellows-helmed show of the same name had a cartoonish, wacky sense of humor but also delivered many heartfelt moments. Their lovable personalities and silly antics made the four guys a group that was easy to root for, especially after hearing their amazing voices.

Following the show's finale, the band went on hiatus in 2014 and Henderson continued to pursue a career as a solo musician with a darker, more seductive blend of pop. “Disappear” is a good example; Henderson sings lustfully over a pulsating electronic beat with an addictive chorus and nice vocal layering. He says his time spent writing for himself and honing his craft individually helped his work with the dogs when BTR reunited.

“It really opened my eyes to where the band can be and also where we could take it,” Henderson says. “That was probably one of the best experiences to have before going back into this project.”
Henderson had a hand in writing every song on their latest record, Another Life (14 out of 15 tracks, if you count the deluxe, which is still impressive). The album was a fitting return for the boy band, and the progression from their older material to this newer collection of tunes feels unbelievably organic. It’s great to see that old dogs can still learn new tricks, but Henderson says the songs from their younger days still mean a lot to the guys.

“I was talking to Kendall about this the other day… Sometimes you go into the studio and say the same thing 1,000 different ways, but now listening back when we’re older, it hits us in a different way,” Henderson says. “Now, going through different stages, the lyrics mean something different to us, and I think that’s one of the joys of music.”

It’s been nearly two decades since Big Time Rush hit the airwaves, but there’s still a lot of life left in the band. We asked Henderson if he’d expected Big Time Rush to last as long as it has back in 2009 when it all started, and he didn’t pull any punches in his response.

“I’m gonna be completely honest: I didn’t see myself doing Big Time Rush in the first place,” he says, chuckling. “When they said, ‘boy band,’ I was like, ‘I’m out!’ But I remind myself that the river’s wild, and sometimes you just have to go where life takes you.”

Despite his initial hesitance, Henderson and BTR seem to have worked out well, and it’d be hard to picture the band without him.

Stephen Kramer Glickman and Katelyn Tarver, better known to fans of the show as Gustavo Rocque and Jo Taylor, are also coming along for the ride. Glickman opens the show with covers of popular songs like Gnarls Barkley’s “Crazy” and Olivia Rodrigo’s “Drivers License,” using his deep, rich voice to shape each one into a work of his own.

At this point, it seems like everyone who was in the show’s cast is multi-talented. Before his time as the manager of Rocque Records, Glickman was on Last Comic Standing and originated the role of Shrek in Shrek: The Musical on Broadway.
Tarver follows with her deeply personal indie pop. She embraces vulnerability on tracks like “Nicer” and “What Makes A Life Good?” in a way that's easy for listeners to resonate with. Her latest EP, #1, is just under 20 minutes long and is a great sampler for anyone newly discovering Tarver’s music.

Getting to see the whole gang back together is gonna be a throwback for the ages. If you grew up watching the show or are a fan of BTR in any capacity, this is something you can’t miss.

Big Time Rush will perform on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 7 p.m. at Dos Equis Pavilion, 1818 1st Avenue. Tickets are available starting at $79.50 on ticketmaster.com.