Carly Rae Jepsen House of Blues, Dallas Friday, February 19, 2016 Carly Rae Jepsen didn’t just come to Dallas to dance on Friday night. Visiting the House of Blues in support of 2015’s well-received Emotion, Jepsen’s high energy was assisted by a faux — at times almost forced — ’80s…
Kid Cudi The Bomb Factory, Dallas Friday, February 19, 2016 The polarization that surrounds Kid Cudi these days is genuinely curious. Yes, his latest albums have veered sharply from the sonics of his highly-praised early material but this behavior, depending on how well you know his discography, was largely predictable. On…
This week, there couldn’t be purer embodiment of Dallas than its crown jewel herself, Erykah Badu, performing for her annual birthday bash at The Bomb Factory. And if you want to stay hyperlocal, Sealion’s surf punk sensibilities will keep you rooted with a killer bill at RBC the same night…
Barry Manilow With Michael Lington American Airlines Center, Dallas Thursday, February 18, 2016 Despite health issues, generational shifts in taste, and the unavoidable passage of time, Barry Manilow is still bringing the goods. The pop legend rolled into the American Airlines Center Thursday night, just less than a week removed…
For a band whose earliest incarnation dates back to 1993, Third Eye Blind have experienced a ridiculous amount of change in their 18-year history. The band has undergone personnel shake-ups that could have tanked a lesser act’s success. But Third Eye Blind have been fiercely devoted to making the music…
Over the course of the past year, Jason Isbell has been on a wild ride. Along with the release of his much-anticipated follow-up to 2013’s Southeastern, Isbell had a baby, toured in support of the record, and finally started to receive some of the acclaim he’s spent the last ten…
It’s not every Valentine’s Day that you get to enjoy Lita Ford’s firey brand of glam rock for a room packed with every generation of misfit youth culture since the heyday of big messy hair and shiny black leather, relatively speaking. There was a light-hearted sense of escapism last night…
Whether you love or hate Kanye West, this was a bad week for you. If you hate him, your timelines were flooded with speculation about his cryptic album release and borderline schizophrenic tweets. And if you love him, you were taunted and Frank Ocean’d about the release date about three…
Murder City Devils With Riverboat Gamblers Granada Theater, Dallas Friday, February 12, 2016 On Friday night at 9:50pm, one question that was likely being asked around the crowded floor of the Granada Theater was “So, can the show actually get any better?” The Riverboat Gamblers had just blistered through a…
Unknown Mortal Orchestra With Lower Dens Trees, Dallas Tuesday, February 9, 2016 Unknown Mortal Orchestra absolutely tore through their set for a sold-out show at Trees on Fat Tuesday, playing in front of a backdrop of lights that looked like a bunch of giant Lifesavers. The only acknowledgement of the…
As we enter this month of love, it’s clear there’s no shortage of stuff from the music world at the moment. Rihanna dropped an album out of thin air, and Beyoncé was, well, Beyoncé, and stopped the world (carry on). In our own neck of the woods, we have the inimitable…
Lamb of God With Anthrax, Deafheaven and Power Trip The Bomb Factory, Dallas Friday, February 5, 2016 For all intents and purposes, Friday night’s Lamb of God concert at The Bomb Factory was a perfect heavy metal show. From the killer lineup, to the oppressive sound system cranked to 11, to the…
Alessia Cara With Kevin Garrett Granada Theater, Dallas Thursday, February 4, 2016 All hail Alessia Cara: the queen of the wallflowers, heroine of the introverts, YouTube cover artist extraordinaire. Her soulful voice would lead one to believe she’s lived through decades upon decades, but the Canadian singer and songwriter is…
G-Eazy With A$AP Ferg The Bomb Factory, Dallas Sunday, January 31, 2016 Trying to comprehend the magnitude of G-Eazy’s fan base is a tough task. They are an enormous, ravenous horde. Well before doors opened at The Bomb Factory on Sunday afternoon this dedicated bunch filed in a line that…
This week, we learned that all it takes to rekindle your fading rap career is deny heliocentrism. We can only hope that in the coming months we see some marketing moves such as refuting the laws of gravity and conservation of mass. But, if you’re looking to distract yourself from the…
Quick, name the last Coldplay song you listened to. Well okay, it’s been a little while, hasn’t it? It’s been a quiet stretch the past couple years for (one of the many) band(s) formerly known as “The Next Radiohead,” what with the conscious uncoupling and all. Chris Martin and co…
Trae the Truth Trees, Dallas Saturday, January 23, 2016 When mentioning rappers that are a true representation of the South, and a Houston rap legend at that, there’s absolutely no way you can leave underground rapper Trae Tha Truth off the list. Trae’s name automatically comes to mind, as it…
While the east coast is enduring the second ice age at the moment, Dallas is heating up with this week of shows. Get out there and appreciate the privilege of drivable roads by strapping on your heeled boots and marching with the KISS army or countdown the days until it…
Kacey Musgraves With Andrew Combs Majestic Theatre, Dallas Thursday, January 21, 2016 Kacey Musgraves isn’t quite a hometown girl, but Golden is close enough to Dallas, and we’re certainly happy to have her. The East Texas girl has come quite a long way since releasing her debut album to rave…
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Winstar World Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma Friday, January 15, 2016 Macklemore & Ryan Lewis played to more than 3,000 people on Friday night at Winstar World Casino in Oklahoma, skipping a Dallas date on their current tour. The pair also announced their sophomore studio album, a solid…
Tool With Primus Verizon Theatre, Grand Prairie Sunday, January 17, 2016 It’s weird to think of Tool as a band that just wants to get out on stage and rock, but how else do you explain their current round of touring? They’re out on the road with a setlist that…
Ah, Texas. No matter how many times you’ve experienced it, there’s nothing quite like braving 25-degree nights followed by a low of 65 the next day. And this week’s shows are just as scattered and unpredictable: Screamo-singer-turned-folk musician Dallas Green is coming to, well Dallas, and Reel Big Fish are…
