Eric Nadel's Birthday Benefit Was Southern Party for a Good Cause

Last night at Longhorn Ballroom, a party was in order. Servers walked around the building with trays of treats, but rather than cocktails or hors d'oeuvres, they were filled with Cracker Jacks, Baby Ruth candy bars and Big League Chew.

It was Eric Nadel’s birthday after all, and the longtime Texas Rangers announcer brought a piece of the ballpark to his annual benefit show. This year marks the 13th birthday benefit show and the first to be held at Longhorn Ballroom, with each prior being at the Kessler Theater. It’s Nadel’s 74th birthday, coinciding with the 75-year anniversary of Longhorn.

A large silent auction was held on the left side of the venue next to the bar area. Items included signed baseballs, dinners for four at Dallas’ finest restaurants, and an immersive golf simulator.

Traditionally, proceeds from the show are donated to a local mental health charity, a cause that Nadel has been vocal about for years.

“Whether you’re having anxiety or insomnia or depression,” Nadel said over the phone prior to the event. “It’s not only okay to talk about it, you need to talk about it to prevent from spiraling into something more serious.”

Proceeds from the event went to the Grant Halliburton Foundation, a nonprofit named for the Plano teenager who committed suicide in 2005 after a struggle with depression and bipolar disorder. This year marks the fifth consecutive partnership between the organization and Nadel’s benefit.

“If they can help erase the stigma around mental illness and help prevent teen suicides,” Nadel says. “It’s really worthwhile.”

The centerpiece of the evening was the two-act music bill. Hand-picked by Nadel, it opened with a folk duo, The Secret Sisters, and closed with the lively soul rock outfit, Shinyribs.

The Secret Sisters took the stage at around 7:40 p.m., bringing their signature haunting southern style to the stage.

“We’re Alabama girls but we have a soft spot for Texas,” said Laura Rogers, who performs in the duo with her real-life sister, Lydia Slagle.
The two opened with “Paperweight,” a cut from Mind, Man, Medicine, their latest release from March 2024, before launching into a career-spanning set. “Tennessee River Runs Low” was a standout, a 2017 Southern gothic singalong that Sierra Ferrell continues to rip off to this day. Just kidding, but listen to it and tell us you can’t hear the bones of like six Ferrell songs. You be the judge.

The Sisters closed with their biggest commercial hit, “He’s Fine,” before singing Happy Birthday to Nadel.

A raucous live auction followed, with a real, almost offensively stereotypical auctioneer at the helm peddling a number of exclusive Texas Rangers experiences. If you’ve never been to a country auction like this, we highly recommend it. It’s a blast, especially when you can write off the vanity from most of these purchases since they’re going to a good cause.

Shinyribs took the stage next, fusing New Orleans soul, rockabilly and Texas inflections into one plus-sized party band.

“I’ve seen them many times, both at the Kessler and at the Longhorn,” Nadel says. “They just put on such a fun show. I thought they had the kind of vibe that I’d love to have on my birthday.”
Lead singer Kevin Russell is a physical showman, moving his hips and feet like a man possessed throughout the night.

A few songs into the set, he walked down from the stage and made his way through the crowd, dancing with just about every woman in the room that he could get to stand up from her seat, which was most. In the entire Longhorn Ballroom, he exclusively picked on women of all ages, all races, and for some reason, me. I was the only guy in the room that he went for. What that says about me or him, I’ll choose not to overthink, but it made the night all the more fun.

Russell has the voice to back up his antics, particularly on the band’s signature “Who Built the Moon.” We see why the band has become a Nadel favorite, and we might have to stop by ourselves next time they’re in the city.

“It's my birthday, and I get to hear who I want to hear,” Nadel says. “Which is incredible.”