London Wulff, the 11-year-old daughter of our wonderful music writer Eva Raggio, reviewed the Grace VanderWaal show for us. Wullf is a straight-A student, singer, dancer and ukulele player who can kill a grown man with her karate moves. She enjoys live music and meeting artists — she has sat…
With the heavy lifting of programming completed, the team behind Fortress Festival is now focused on sales and promotion. This morning they announced the daily schedule for the burgeoning festival’s second year. The first round of performers, on Saturday, April 28, will include De La Soul, RZA featuring Stone Mecca,…
“In Bed With” is a Dallas Observer series in which we delve into the homes and personal lives of Dallas music industry professionals. Sammy “Rat” Rios and Rob Martinez are two of Dallas’ most promising artists. Rios is a singer and stage actress, and Martinez is a videographer. They’re both…
Scotty Isaacs, a local musician who created a GoFundMe campaign to pay for his defense against domestic violence charges, agreed to complete a 24-week batterer’s intervention prevention program, according to Dallas County court records. If he successfully completes the program and commits no new offenses, prosecutors will drop the charges. If…
Seasoned Dallas-music devotees last month commemorated the 40th anniversary of an odd — or as Frank Campagna calls it, “off” — concert experience. It’s one that left Campagna bitter, a belligerent bassist bloody and musician Barry Kooda set to fight all four Sex Pistols after his blade-earring collection went missing…
Getting your name out there in the music business was tough before the internet came along. Things got way more complicated with emerging media, so old business models have been trying to hang in there ever since. Frisco-based Music Audience Exchange, known as MAX, is taking a modern approach to…
Whether you’re celebrating a relationship or treating yourself this week, love is in the air — and not just Book of Love (although the ’90s synth-pop band’s show at Granada Theater on Friday night is sure to spark some romance). The week’s musical possibilities seem endless, with indie rock icon…
About three songs into her set at the House of Blues on Friday night, Demi Lovato sat down on the stage, untied her white lace up heels, and threw them beside her. “Forget these heels,” Lovato shouted, drawing cheers from the audience. “I love playing intimate shows like this,” Lovato…
Boulders, tall grass, and palm trees created a beach bum’s grotto on the stage of American Airlines Center on Thursday night, and basking in the video projection’s faux waves was the quintessential nostalgic California crooner. Lana Del Rey only let her native upstate New York accent slip a couple of…
For faithful JMBLYA fans the wait is over. ScoreMore Shows announced this morning that acclaimed North Carolina rapper J. Cole will headline the sixth installment of the annual Hip Hop/EDM music festival. With Fayetteville’s finest anchoring this year’s lineup the complete roster of artist includes, Migos, Cardi B, Kevin Gates,…
Retirement announcements seem to be happening on a weekly basis for some of our most beloved musical acts. On the heels of last week’s farewell call from Elton John, Paul Simon and Ozzy Osbourne are making plans for life away from the road. Fortunately for us, they’ll both hit Dallas…
Given the continued decline in CD sales overall for the past 15 years, it’s only been a matter of time for big-box stores to stop selling them. The dominant format from the early ’90s to the early ’00s is about to be gone from all Best Buy locations, and Target…
On a chilly Sunday morning, Bill Wisener turns on the “open” sign at his vinyl record store, one of the oldest in Dallas. You’ll recognize Wisener’s shop when you spot the red “Bill’s” sign hanging outside the store, which is nestled next to Poor David’s Pub on Lamar Street in Dallas’…
Dance music genres go in and out of popularity, and electrofunk is about to have its moment again. DJ Flash 45s is best known for spinning his vinyl 45s, but this week he takes a stab at electro. Today, the genre is most commonly associated with techno, but it has…
Dallas hip-hop artist Bobby Sessions announced today that he has signed with Def Jam. The announcement comes almost three years to the day since Sessions quit his day job to pursue music full time. In a 2015 interview with the Observer, Sessions said that he only had $50 in his…
Ozzy Osbourne is slowing down, but not before he goes on one last, epic tour. This week the 69-year-old heavy metal legend announced “No More Tours 2,” the sequel to his 1992 tour. So far, 47 dates have been revealed, but the tour is anticipated to continue into 2020, so…
EDM is a visual experience as much as it is an aural one. Dallas’ Lights All Night, which has grown to be one of the largest music festivals in the state, features giant LED boards, complex lighting systems and a troupe of ethereal performers hired to enchant the crowd of…
Unlike most musicians, Sealion bassist Sam Villavert wakes up at 4:30 a.m. “It’s a ridiculous hour,” Villavert says, “but it helps jumpstart my morning and puts me in a healthier mental state.” For Villavert, 26, exercise is indispensable. Usually, she works out before her 8 a.m. arrival at Nature’s Plate,…
It’s three months away, and anticipation is building for the sixth annual JMBLYA, which is expanding to Houston this year. ScoreMore Shows just released the locations for each date of the hip-hop and EDM festival — which stops in Dallas and Austin first — as well as the majority of…
Former DJ and morning show host Jerry Lentz loved what he did for a living. Lentz, who died at age 54 on Jan. 27, was one of the first on-air personalities for the now-defunct station The Edge KDGE-FM, and he made the job look easy. “He was extremely devoted to the…
This week offers up local singer-songwriters and several national touring acts. The only problem is having to choose between them all. Catch Sleigh Bells as they kick off the week with a powerful show at Granada Theater on Tuesday night, followed by Alejandro Escovedo; Tyler, the Creator; Lana Del Ray…
We’re one month into 2018 and the concert calendar continues to fill up. There’s good stuff ahead, including a pretty cool alt-rock/metal pairing, a classic blues double-bill, and a visit from the Vampire Weekend mastermind. Also, a local favorite hits a big stage and a couple international acts make rare…
