Dixie Chicks to headline Mack, Jack and McConaughey fandango
The Dixie Chicks will play ACL Live for the big Mack, Jack and McConaughey benefit on April 12. Tickets go on sale 10 a.m. March 2.
The Dixie Chicks with their backing band in 2016. Contributed by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for PMK
The last time that the beloved band played Austin was in August 2016 at the quickly sold-out Austin360 Amphitheater that seats 14,000.
Comparatively intimate ACL Live tops out at 2,750. Yet set up for the MJM affair with gala guests mingling on the ground floor, fewer concert tickets will be available.
RELATED: Bring back Mack, Jack and McConaughey.
Founded in 2013 by actor Matthew McConaughey, coach and sports analyst Mack Brown and recording artist Jack Ingram, along with their wives, Camila Alves, Sally Brown and Amy Ingram, MJ&M has already netted millions for selected children’s charities.
Mack Brown, Jack Ingram and Matthew McConaughey at 2017 MJ&M. Suzanne Cordeiro/American-Statesman
RELATED: Everything you ever wanted to know about MJ&M.
It’s a multi-tiered, star-studded affair with celebrity golf tourney, signature fashion show and two nights of music. The second concert, dubbed “Jack & Friends,” will feature Patty Griffin, Butch Walker and John Fullbright on April 13. That night, the spotlight falls on singer-songwriters.
Once controversial, the Dixie Chicks — Natalie Maines, Emily Strayer and Martie Maguire, in case anyone has not been paying attention — is the biggest selling all-female act in the country. They have taken home 13 Grammy Awards, sold more than 30 million albums and $100 million in concert tickets.
Past MJ&M headliners have included Miranda Lambert, Dierks Bentley, Kacey Musgraves, Toby Keith, Sheryl Crow and John Mellencamp.
In a statement, the three namesake fundraisers shared their excitement about this year’s big draw.
McConaughey: “The Dixie Chicks are incredible artists and we are looking forward to their performance.”
Jack Ingram: “Every year the music at MJ&M just gets better and better and this year is certainly no exception. We are honored to have the Dixie Chicks headline the gala concert.”
Mack Brown said: “The Dixie Chicks are so generous to support MJ&M with their incredible talent. Sally and I can’t wait to host them at MJ&M.”
Of course, Austinites claim the artists as their own.
“It’s always fun to play in Texas,” Maines says, “and supporting this incredible charity event which empowers kids and saves lives, is an opportunity we are inspired to be a part of.”
At age 10, the Long Center opens its doors wider 
See who in Austin are AU40 Awards finalists 