Laughter is the best medicine, as the saying goes, and thankfully Nurse Blake has a bunch of new tour dates lined up. Blake Lynch – aka comedian, nurse and viral video star Nurse Blake – is following up his 2022 “PTO Comedy Tour” with a massive 100-city “Shock Advised Comedy Tour.”

Nurse Blake made a name for himself with his original comedy videos about the healthcare profession, which he originally shared as a way to deal with the stress of his job.

His “2022 PTO Comedy Tour” began as a 140-show run and expanded to 55 shows, thanks to demand. Nurse Blake’s shows feature live skits, videos and interactive stories from his life.

“I’m so excited to hit the road again this year and meet my amazing community IRL,” said Nurse Blake. “The 2022 PTO tour was my biggest tour to date and I know this year will be even better. The room will be so electric, shock is advised!”

The “Shock Advised Comedy Tour” kicks off July 25 with a show at the William A. Egan Civic Center in Anchorage, Alaska. Stops include Las Vegas’ The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan, Denver’s Ellie Caulkins Opera House, Los Angeles’ The Novo, Montreal’s L’Olympia, Brooklyn’s Kings Theatre and more. Check out the routing below.

Blake has worked in a number of healthcare roles including serving as a registered nurse. Highlights from his career include managing several large programs including The Banned4Life Project, which ended an outdated FDA blood donor policy, and creating the nursing conference NurseCon at Sea. He is also behind NurseCon App, which promises free continuing nursing education courses, and released the children’s book “I Want To Be A Nurse When I Grow Up,” which topped Amazon’s best-seller’s list in the children’s book category.

Box office reports submitted to Pollstar for Nurse Blake include a Nov. 14, 2021, show at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco that sold 1,268 tickets and grossed $60,966.

Fans can register now for an artist presale that starts Wednesday, March 1 at 9 a.m. PT. The general public onsale begins March 3 at 12 p.m. local time. Visit nurseblake.com for more information.

Tuesday, July 25 Anchorage, AK

William A. Egan Civic Center

Saturday, July 29 Las Vegas, NV

The Chelsea | The Cosmopolitan

Sunday, July 30 Salt Lake City, UT

Eccles Theatre

Wednesday, August 2 Denver, CO

Ellie Caulkins Opera House

Thursday, August 3 Colorado Springs, CO

Pikes Peak Center

Friday, August 4 Albuquerque, NM

Kiva Auditorium

Saturday, August 5 El Paso, TX

Abraham Chavez Theatre

Sunday, August 6 Tucson, AZ

Fox Tucson Theatre

Tuesday, August 8 Phoenix, AZ

Symphony Hall

Wednesday, August 9 San Diego, CA

San Diego Civic Center

Thursday, August 10 Los Angeles, CA

The Novo

Friday, August 11 Santa Barbara, CA

Granada Theatre

Saturday, August 12 Long Beach, CA

Terrace Theater

Sunday, August 13 Fresno, CA

Saroyan Theatre

Wednesday, August 16 Santa Rosa, CA

Luther Burbank Center for the Arts

Friday, August 18 San Jose, CA

San Jose Civic

Saturday, August 19 San Francisco, CA

The Warfield

Wednesday, August 23 Eugene, OR

Hult Center for the Performing Arts

Thursday, August 24 Boise, ID

Morrison Center

Friday, August 25 Portland, OR

Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

Saturday, August 26 Seattle, WA

Paramount Theatre

Sunday, August 27 Spokane, WA

Martin Woldson Theatre at the Fox

Tuesday, August 29 Victoria, BC

Royal Theatre

Wednesday, August 30 Vancouver, BC

Queen Elizabeth Theatre

Friday, September 1 Calgary, AB

Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Saturday, September 2 Edmonton, AB

Northern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium

Tuesday, September 5 Regina, SK

Conexus Arts Centre

Wednesday, September 6 Winnipeg, MB

Burton Cummings Theatre

Saturday, September 9 Toronto, ON

Meridian Hall

Sunday, September 10 Ottawa, ON

Southam Hall

Monday, September 11 Hamilton, ON

First Ontario Concert Hall

Tuesday, September 12 Montreal, QC

L’Olympia

Monday, September 18 Rochester, NY

Auditorium Theatre

Tuesday, September 19 Buffalo, NY

UB Center for the Arts

Wednesday, September 20 Ithaca, NY

State Theatre of Ithaca

Thursday, September 21 Burlington, VT

Flynn Center for the Performing Arts

Friday, September 22 Albany, NY

Palace Performing Arts Center

Saturday, September 23 Concord, NH

Capitol Center for the Arts

Tuesday, September 26 Portland, ME

State Theatre

Wednesday, September 27 Providence, RI

The VETS

Thursday, September 28 New Haven, CT

College Street Music Hall

Friday, September 29 Greenvale, NY

Tilles Center

Saturday, September 30 Brooklyn, NY

Kings Theatre

Sunday, October 1 Red Bank, NJ

Count Basie Center for the Arts

Wednesday, October 4 Reading, PA

Santander PAC

Thursday, October 5 Springfield, MA

Symphony Hall

Friday, October 6 Wilkes-Barre, PA

FM Kirby Center For The Performing Arts

Saturday, October 7 Washington D.C.

DAR Constitution Hall

Sunday, October 8 Baltimore, MD

Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Hall

Tuesday, October 10 Richmond, VA

Carpenter Theatre

Wednesday, October 11 Charlotte, NC

Belk Theater

Thursday, October 12 Knoxville, TN

Knoxville Civic Auditorium

Saturday, October 14 Philadelphia, PA

Miller Theatre

Sunday, October 15 Medford, MA

Chevalier Theatre

Monday, October 16 Boston, MA

The Wilbur

Tuesday, October 17 Boston, MA

The Wilbur

Friday, October 20 Columbus, OH

Palace Theatre

Saturday, October 21 Detroit, MI

Masonic Temple Theatre

Sunday, October 22 Indianapolis, IN

Clowes Memorial Hall

Tuesday, October 24 Louisville, KY

W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre

Wednesday, October 25 Cleveland, OH

Connor Palace

Thursday, October 26 Kalamazoo, MI

James W. Miller Auditorium

Friday, October 27 Madison, WI

Overture Center for the Arts – Overture Hall

Saturday, October 28 Green Bay, WI

Weidner Center

Sunday, October 29 Chicago, IL

Chicago Theatre

Tuesday, October 31 Toledo, OH

Stranahan Theater

Wednesday, November 1 Milwaukee, WI

Riverside Theater

Thursday, November 2 Minneapolis, MN

Orpheum Theatre

Friday, November 3 Fargo, ND

Fargo Theatre

Saturday, November 4 Des Moines, IA

Hoyt Sherman Place

Sunday, November 5 Kansas City, MO

Midland Theatre

Tuesday, November 7 Omaha, NE

Holland Performing Arts Center

Wednesday, November 8 St Louis, MO

Stifel Theatre

Thursday, November 9 Davenport, IA

RiverCenter – Adler Theatre

Friday, November 10 Peoria, IL

Peoria Civic Center – Theatre

Saturday, November 11 Cincinnati, OH

Taft Theatre

Sunday, November 12 Lexington, KY

Singletary Theater

Tuesday, November 14 Oklahoma City, OK

The Criterion

Wednesday, November 15 Wichita, KS

Orpheum Theatre

Friday, November 17 Grand Prairie, TX

Texas Trust CU Theatre at Grand Prairie

Saturday, November 18 Sugar Land, TX

Smart Financial Center

Sunday, November 19 Austin, TX

ACL Live at the Moody Theater

Monday, November 20 Little Rock, AR

Robinson Center Music Hall

Tuesday, November 21 San Antonio, TX

Tobin Center

Friday, November 24 New Orleans, LA

Saenger Theatre

Saturday, November 25 Nashville, TN

TPAC – Andrew Jackson Hall

Sunday, November 26 Huntsville, AL

VBC – Mark C Smith Concert Hall

Tuesday, November 28 Birmingham, AL

Alabama Theatre

Thursday, November 30 Memphis, TN

Orpheum Theatre

Friday, December 1 Atlanta, GA

Symphony Hall – Woodruff Arts Center

Saturday, December 2 Raleigh, NC

Duke Energy PAC – Raleigh Memorial Auditorium

Monday, December 4 Pittsburgh, PA

Heinz Hall

Tuesday, December 5 Norfolk, VA

Chrysler Hall

Wednesday, December 6 North Charleston, SC

North Charleston PAC

Friday, December 8 Fort Myers, FL

Barbara Mann Performing Arts Hall

Saturday, December 9 Tampa, FL

Straz Center for the Arts – Morsani Hall

Sunday, December 10 Jacksonville, FL

Florida Theatre

Monday, December 11 Orlando, FL

Dr Phillips Center – Walt Disney Theater

Tuesday, December 19 Ft Lauderdale, FL

Au-Rene Theater

Thursday, December 21 Honolulu, HI

Hawaii Theater

Erykah Badu

February 24, 8:30 p.m. | The Factory at Deep Ellum

It’s time for another Badu Birthday Bash, with everything you’d expect — a big lineup of famous party guests that are friends of Erykah Badu—previous parties have included Dave Chappelle, Jada Pinkett Smith, and Willow Smith—and plenty of local talent. Expect to see her joined by Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug, musician Marc Rebillet, and Wu-Tang Clan’s Raekwon. If you’re getting a sitter, make sure they can stay overnight—Ms. Badu’s parties don’t really get started until she arrives, and they don’t end until she says they can. Get tickets here

Turnpike Troubadours

February 25, 6:30 p.m. | American Airlines Center

Oklahoma-based Turnpike Troubadours are back from a self-imposed hiatus that began in 2019. The band had a handful of reunion shows (including a sell-out one at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth) a couple of years later, and a few more mid-sized shows last year. They’ll hit the American Airlines Center Saturday as their second stop in their newest arena tour, with the Avett Brothers opening. Get tickets here.

Harlem Renaissance Extravaganza

February 25, 7 p.m. | Frisco Hall, Frisco

The 10th Annual Harlem Renaissance Performing Arts Gala Extravaganza will make a stop in Frisco Saturday. The event will feature members of the Duke Ellington Orchestra, and will pay tribute to the Harlem Renaissance Era by celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the Harlem Cotton Club and the 100-year anniversary of the Duke Ellington Orchestra. Get tickets here.

Sunny Day Real Estate

February 26, 8 p.m. | The Studio at the Factory

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Seattle-based Sunny Day Real Estate gained a following in the 90s, releasing four albums before their breakup in 2000. Their Dallas visit is part of their fourth reunion tour, and there have been rumors of a fifth album at some point. Get tickets here.

Maggie Rogers

February 26, 8 p.m. | The Factory at Deep Ellum

Maggie Rogers is fresh out of Harvard Divinity School with a new master’s degree, and her time there has informed her music, she says, by making her approach to subjects more philosophical. While she’s always recorded music, a 2016 master class with Pharrell gave her a big break after she hit him with her song “Alaska.” Get tickets here.

Also check out:

August Burns Red, February 24, 7:30 p.m., Southside Ballroom. Get tickets

Kodak Black and Kevin Gates, February 24, 8 p.m., Texas Trust Credit Union Theater, Grand Prairie. Get tickets

Dylan Scott, February 24, 10 p.m., Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth. Get tickets

Black Tie Vendetta, February 25, 8 p.m., Three Links Deep Ellum. Get tickets

Tooloji, February 25, 8 p.m., Trees. Get tickets

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David Ramirez and Dylan LeBlanc, February 25, 8 p.m., The Kessler. Get tickets

The Stews, February 25, 9 p.m., The Granada Theater. Get tickets

Vini Vici, February 25, 10 p.m., Stereo Live. Get tickets

Nessa Barrett, February 26, 7 p.m., House of Blues. Get tickets

Salata, a built-to-order salad kitchen, is celebrating the grand opening of a new location in West Plano on Friday, February 24. The new location will be at 1801 Preston Rd. Suite D.

The West Plano Salata is the 92nd location open nationwide, and the first new Salata to open in 2023 for the growing brand. The location will be franchisee Ryan Nickel’s fourth Salata.

“We’ve been serving the North Texas community through our Grand Prairie, Mansfield, and Mesquite locations, and are thrilled to have the opportunity to be opening our new Salata in West Plano,” said Nickel. “I live close to Plano and know firsthand how supportive and welcoming the community is, and I am excited to make Salata even more convenient and accessible to the area.”

The West Plano Salata will offer guests fully customizable, built-to-order salads and wraps, as well as soups, a selection of organic teas and lemonades. Salata features five salad bases, more than 50 toppings, and 11 house-made, gluten-free dressings. The new Salata will offer online ordering and mobile app orders with both pickup and delivery available, as well as dine-in and catering.

To celebrate its grand opening, the first guest in line on February 24th will receive a custom Salata swag bag featuring a lunchbox, reusable straw keychain, water bottle and $25 gift card. Additionally, the first 100 guests in line will receive a free tee-shirt designed by local artist Alli K, displaying a custom Texas-themed Salata design on the front.

Inside the restaurant, Salata will offer complimentary salad samples and a variety of organic teas and lemonades so guests can try some of the extensive offerings available.

Salata’s West Plano location will donate 15% of all opening day sales to Minnie’s Food Pantry, a nonprofit organization who believes that overall wellness begins with healthy food and financial education. Their ultimate goal is to offer programs that help families gain long-term food security and break the generational curse of people, especially children, in low-income areas not having access to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Additionally, Second Chance SPCA, Dog Training Elite North Texas, MADabolic Plano and Stretch Lab Plano will join Salata for the celebration on opening day. MADabolic Plano will host their own booth at the event with cornhole boards and fitness equipment for guests to try. They will also be giving away free classes and raffling off a one-month unlimited membership.

The new Salata location will be open from Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m-9 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m.

Thackerville, Okla.’s Winstar World Casino and Resort is bringing a Midwest name down south for its latest 250,000-square-foot addition.

“The world’s biggest casino” just north of the Texas-Oklahoma border along Interstate 35 is partnering with Lucas Oil, the Indianapolis-based producer of automotive lubricants and additives, on a new 6,500-seat entertainment venue. The venue will be called Lucas Oil Live when it opens in early fall.

“We visited with a lot of different people,” said Dan Boren, secretary of commerce of the Chickasaw Nation. “They’re not just a brand that a lot of people know, but they’re a company that wants to be engaged nationally.”

Winstar already spans about 600,000 square feet, according to Casino.com, and over 90% of its customers are Texans.

Lucas Oil Live will include new VIP, club and suite seating. It’s replacing Winstar’s Global Event Center, which was renovated in 2022 into a nonsmoking gaming destination in the Rome Gaming Plaza. Boren said the arena will draw big names in country and rock music as well as comedians.

Morgan Lucas, president of Lucas Oil, said the company’s evolution has allowed it to dive into new partnerships.

“This opportunity presents us with a chance to reach new audiences of vehicle owners and drivers who can benefit from our products, and we are extremely proud to have the Lucas name associated with WinStar’s new events arena, an entertainment destination that will serve as host to some of the nation’s best live music and events,” Lucas said in a statement.

Lucas Oil is best known for its naming rights to Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, home of the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts.

The concourse of the new Winstar arena will be connected to a new 304-room hotel tower that opened in January. There’s already an existing 1,800 hotel rooms, which Boren said are full nearly every night.

Winstar hopes to open a new two-story spa by May, along with a new pool with cabanas. The additions will help appeal to younger audiences, he said, while still catering to the traditional gambler between the ages of 45 and 65.

Winstar did not disclose the cost of the new projects nor the price tag on naming rights leased to Lucas Oil.

In 2021, Choctaw unveiled a $600 million expansion called the Sky Tower, with 1,000 new hotel rooms, six restaurants, 11 bars and a 3-acre, two-swimming pool area. Choctaw is also on track to complete a new $165 million gaming resort in Hochatown, Okla., later this year.

Boren said the Chickasaw Nation has a great partnership and “friendly competition” with the Choctaw Nation.

“We have customers that go to both locations,” Boren said. “Anytime one of us adds a new venue or a new amenity, it only makes us better.”

The additions to two of the largest gambling spots for Texans come as gambling and sports betting conversations have been occurring in the Legislature. This month, a North Texas lawmaker filed legislation calling for a constitutional amendment election to legalize casino and sports gambling in Texas, including at Lone Star Park horse racing track in Grand Prairie. The Chickasaw Nation, which owns Lone Star Park through a subsidiary, said in a statement that it supports the lawmaker’s bill.

Boren said he believes the gambling customer is “ever-evolving.”

“If you look at venues like Las Vegas, they’ve over time gone from just gambling to adding a lot more shows and restaurants,” he said. “We’re hoping for them to stay, not just go to the venue for an hour.”

Chickasaw and other tribes pay fees to the state of Oklahoma based on revenue from gaming activities. In fiscal year 2022, fees collected from gaming increased 18% to $191.5 million. Chickasaw contributed $71 million of that.

Winstar operates over 10,000 gaming machines, nearly 100 table games a 55-table poker room and two 18-hole golf courses, according to its website. The casino also has more than 20 restaurants and 12 bars.

South Grand Prairie rides blowout to district championship

GRAND PRAIRIE — After being a state-title favorite before the year began, the South Grand Prairie girls basketball team has played most of the season without its two star players.

Five-star junior center Adhel Tac, the Dallas area’s top recruit in the Class of 2024, is expected to miss the rest of the season with an undisclosed injury that was suffered Dec. 8. Four-star guard Taliyah Parker, rated the 22nd-best junior in the country, missed nearly two months with an injury and was playing just her third game since returning Tuesday night.

But South Grand Prairie is the District 8-6A champion after routing Arlington Bowie 70-33 behind eight made 3-pointers. Sophomore guard Taylor Barnes scored a game-high 19 points, including 17 in the first half as SGP built a 36-16 lead.

Joy Madison-Key with another assist, this one to Taylor Barnes, who has 21 points. South Grand Prairie leads Arlington Bowie 57-27 in fourth quarter.@SportsDayHS @grandprairieisd @Tabchoops pic.twitter.com/SeAibVwpPw

— Greg Riddle (@DMNGregRiddle) February 8, 2023

Tulane signee Joy Madison-Key added 11 points and a couple of impressive no-look assists for South Grand Prairie (25-6, 12-0), and Parker and Laila Jackson scored eight points apiece. Bowie (22-9, 10-2) could have earned a share of the district title with a win.

“It feels pretty good. Not the year we wanted health-wise, but we had good results, and the kids are getting better. I’m excited that hopefully the district title leads to good things in the playoffs,” SGP coach Brion Raven said. “Even before Taliyah came back, I thought we could have a long playoff run. Now that she is back I obviously feel the same way. We’ve dealt with adversity, we’ve dealt with injuries, and now we’re starting to get healthy.”

SGP, the Class 6A state runner-up last season, is ranked No. 3 in the state despite its injury woes. It has won 10 in a row and has outscored the opposition by an average of 42.6 points per game during its winning streak.

— Greg Riddle

Lancaster boys win key District 14-5A game

LANCASTER — It took Lancaster’s boys basketball team four quarters and then some to beat Forney the last time the two played. Forney, the state’s sixth-ranked 5A team, beat seventh-ranked Forney 70-66 in overtime on Jan. 13.

This time around? A little more breathing room.

Lancaster (19-7, 9-1 District 14-5A) beat Forney 74-59 on Tuesday night to take a one-game lead in the district standings. Senior Joseph Mayberry scored a team-high 18 points while Jordan Williams (15 points), Dillon Battie (14 points) and Kade Douglas (13 points) each scored in double figures.

“I know [Forney] had marked this game on their calendar,” Lancaster coach Ferrin Douglas said. “For our guys to come in and fight against that, hats off to us.”

Forney (26-4, 8-2) led 15-14 after the first quarter, but Lancaster used a 16-0 run which spanned the first and second periods to take a 38-27 halftime lead.

Jaden Jefferson scored a game-high 19 points for Forney.

Hillcrest honors 18-year NBA vet

Kurt Thomas, a former star at TCU, a veteran of 18 NBA seasons and a graduate of Hillcrest (Class of 1990), was honored by his high school in a ceremony that included the retirement of his jersey No. 33 prior to the start of a game against Thomas Jefferson on Tuesday night at Hillcrest Competition Gym.

A banner of the jersey with “Thomas’' above the No. 33 now hangs on the east wall of the gym.

“The two years I played here, so many great memories,’’ Thomas told the crowd after becoming the school’s first to have his jersey retired. “It’s an honor to be recognized. I am so happy.’’

Thomas’ son, Kurt, is a junior on Hillcrest’s basketball team.

— Randy Jennings

Longtime Irving MacArthur coach has gym renamed in her honor

Elsewhere across the metroplex, Irving MacArthur renamed its basketball gymnasium after Suzie Oelschlegel, who coached MacArthur for 41 years.

Oelschlegel, who played basketball and softball at Baylor, retired retired in 2022 with 885 career victories. She led MacArthur to a 5A state championship in 2011 and was selected as the national coach of the year by the National Federation of High School Sports that year.

Boys

Aric Demings, Duncanville: The senior guard scored 25 points in Duncanville’s 110-57 rout over Skyline. Five-star Texas signee Ron Holland added 16 points for Duncanville, ranked No. 3 in ESPN’s national boys basketball rankings.

Phill Thomas Jr., Madison: Thomas was one five Madison players to score in double digits in its 90-49 win over Cedar Hill Trinity Leadership. Thomas scored a team-best 21 points for Madison, the state’s top-ranked 3A team and the reigning state champions.

Damondre McKnight, McKinney Boyd: McKnight scored 24 points in Boyd’s 64-59 win over Denton Guyer. He kept it balanced, with 12 points in the first half and another 12 in the second.

King Grace, Waxahachie: Grace scored a team-high 27 points in Waxahachie’s 67-50 win over Mansfield. Grace, a four-star recruit in the class of 2025, holds scholarship offers from TCU, Texas Tech, LSU and others.

M.J. Thomas, Denton: Thomas posted a double-double in Denton’s 37-36 win over Argyle. The 6-7 forward had 11 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks.

Girls

Amarachi Kimpson and Shiloh Kimpson, Little Elm: The two combined for 46 points in Little Elm’s 69-53 win over Allen. Amarachi Kimpson scored 24 points while Shiloh Kimpson scored 22 points for Little Elm, the state’s 20th-ranked 6A team.

Kaelyn Hamilton, McKinney North: The junior guard scored 30 points in McKinney North’s 63-28 win over Melissa. Hamilton single handily outscored Melissa in the first half, 17-14, and scored 15 points in the first quarter alone thanks to three 3-pointers. McKinney North is ranked No. 14 in the state for 5A teams.

Milania Jordan, Southlake Carroll: Jordan scored 28 points in Southlake Carroll’s 66-48 win over Keller Fossil Ridge. She was one of three players to score in the double digits for Carroll (which is 14-0 in District 4-6A play), joining Army pledge Camryn Tade (18 points) and Natalia Jordan (12 points).

Madison Crawford and Savannah Catalon, Mansfield Legacy: The two combined for 48 points in Legacy’s 55-44 win over Mansfield Lake Ridge. Crawford scored a game-high 26 points while Catalon added 22. Texas A&M signee Kylie Marshall, the state’s top girls basketball recruit in the class of 2023, scored 11 points for Lake Ridge.

Julianna LaMendola, Coppell: The Indiana signee scored 21 points in Coppell’s 85-66 win over Plano. She was one of four Coppell players with double digit points, and helped withstand a 33-point outing from Plano’s Salese Blow.

2,705

The number of career points that Trophy Club Byron Nelson senior Finley Bizjack has. The three-star Butler signee scored 21 points in a 59-46 win over Northwest Eaton on Tuesday night, and has scored 30-plus points in 19 games this season.

3

The number of first-half points which Sachse held North Garland to in its 73-18 win on on Tuesday night. CC Thompson and Crislyn Rose each scored 14 points for Sachse.

1

The number of times that W.T. White girls basketball team has won its district championship as of Tuesday. W.T. White (18-6, 15-1 District 11-5A) beat Molina 42-33 on Monday night to clinch the program’s first-ever girls basketball district title.