Craig Finn Stays Positive at Dada

Craig Finn, Mount Moriah, Beau Jennings & the Tigers Dada Wednesday, February 1 Craig Finn stepped on stage with his four bandmates and declared, “I’m Craig Finn. This is my band. We need a name.” Serving as the opening date for a two-month tour ahead of them, the erstwhile Hold…

Shelby Lynne’s Story Time at the Kessler

Shelby Lynne The Kessler Theater Friday, January 27 Shelby Lynne does things her way, and that’s how it was Friday at The Kessler. She has a voice that rivals anyone in terms of control, clarity and power, with a honeyed Southern twang used to good effect. She applies that amazing…

Deleted Scenes on Petra, Ska, and Les Savy Fav

Deleted Scenes, a four-piece from the Washington D.C. area, comes to Denton Tuesday, January 31, as they continue a lengthy tour through the states. As a little preview of the band’s post-rock/post-hardcore sound, we asked vocalist/guitarist Dan Scheuerman about his first show experiences. Not only did Sheuerman get to see…

The Kills Raise Blood Pressures at the Granada

The Kills Granada Theater Monday, January 23 Better than: No! No no no no no no!!!!! A mediocre performance by The Kills has more rock star quality than an excellent night for most bands. Hate to say it, but last night at the Granada, the band was a bit on…

The Boom Boom Box Set LaGrange To Vibrate

The Boom Boom Box LaGrange Saturday, January 21 With the release of Until Your Eyes Get Used to the Darkness this week and Saturday night’s preemptive strike at LaGrange, the Boom Boom Box’s long-awaited return to the stage was met with a full house, rife with a who’s-who of Denton/Dallas…

Freaks and Geeks: Tool Rocks the Verizon Theatre

Tool Verizon Theatre Friday, January 20 Hitting a Tool show is a little like stepping back into the mid- to late-’90s, in all the best ways. As we threaded a packed Verizon Theatre lobby before the sold-out Friday night show in an herbally-induced state of euphoric nostalgia, draining plastic cups…

Welcome to the Human Brain: Erykah Badu at The Granada

Erykah Badu & the Cannabinoids Granada Theater Friday, January 20 First of all, props to Erykah Badu for putting on close to a two-hour show while wearing those boots. Those amazing white boots with a stiletto heel that looked like modified ice skates and haunted my dreams. Just after midnight,…

Hood Loved It: Kendrick Lamar Gets Intimate at Trees

Kendrick Lamar Trees Thursday, January 19 Since the last time Kendrick Lamar graced a Dallas stage, his star has only been on the rise. His most recent mix tape, Section.80, has garnered buzz, rave reviews and a spot on Drake’s upcoming tour with ASAP Rocky. That’s one buzzy tour, but…

The Life and Times Light Up Dan’s Silverleaf

The Life and Times, The Cush, Calhoun Dan’s Silverleaf Thursday, January 19 The Life and Times didn’t get their set going until 15 minutes after midnight, but almost everyone who came stayed until the very end. The trio, lit only by four lights placed at waist level around the stage,…

Starfucker Aim For Head and Hips at The Prophet Bar

Starfucker, Painted Palms and Alexico The Prophet Bar Friday, January 13 An interesting sampling was in attendance at Friday’s sold-out Prophet Bar show, one that spanned teens, 20, 30 and 40-somethings. Monterrey-based one-man band Alexico’s computer-assisted performance was, at first, an acquired taste, but as the set progressed, his hip-hop…

Wu-Tang Clan Fog Out House of Blues

Wu-Tang Clan House of Blues Friday, January 13 Contrary to popular belief, a majority of Wu-Tang Clan crowded the House of Blues stage Friday night, opening with “Clan in da Front.” While most rappers I review these days present their speech in fragments, groups like Wu-Tang Clan remind us how…

PHOTOS: Erykah Badu and The Rebirth Brass Band’s “Final Voyage”

Before Erykah Badu completed the PM Nightlife Lounge’s final DJ set last night, there was a motorcade and funeral band in the streets. The New Orleans-style procession started late, ’round 11:30, at Pegasus Plaza, and completed its “final voyage” outside the Joule Hotel. The funeral band was, of course, The…

Deb Does Elm Street Tattoo, Goes Deep in the Armpit of Texas

Every year, on Friday the 13th, Elm Street Tattoo’s talented staff executes small pieces that must include the number 13 somewhere, for $13 and a $7 tip. On most sleeves in Dallas, you can spot the 13s hidden among larger décor, identifying the shop’s fans and loyalists. I was inside…

Darstar Fondly Recall The Smashing Pumpkins, Foo Fighters

Usually with this column, we might interview one or two people from a band. With Darstar, all five members were kind enough to share the first shows they saw and played. And, if you wanted a reminder of how effective Smashing Pumpkins were in their heyday, listen to what Lisa…

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra So Played The Legend of Zelda

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra Plays The Legend of Zelda Music The Meyerson Symphony Center Tuesday, January 10 Better Than: Playing the games in 1998. Also, the childish “in your face, in your face!” chant I’m going to throw at my mom later for all those years she limited me to…

Terry Glaze and Taz Bentley Slip Inside the Single Wide

Terry Glaze and Taz BentleySingle WideThursday, January 5Better than: Listening to a guy slaughter songs on an acoustic while trying to eat your lunch at Potbelly.The Single Wide doesn’t normally host shows, even if it’s just a guy and a guitar. Last night’s double bill was a very special one,…