The Decemberists, Other LivesHouse of BluesApril 29, 2011 Better than: sitting in your bedroom, reading Melville, and wondering what it might be like to love someone as much as you love the sea. Friday night’s “sold out” show at the House of Blues didn’t really seem sold out. By the…
Joan As Policewoman, The New Mary Jane, Jessie FryeClub DadaApril 29, 2011Better than: superstars seen from great distance, and police from up close. Sometimes, expectations get exceeded. And, on Friday night at Club Dada, Joan Wasser, who performs under the monikers of Joan as Policewoman, easily exceeded those of her…
Technically, the doors to Travis Street’s Rio Room have been open for some time now, dating all the way back to the venue’s Super Bowl weekend festivities. But, last night, as we reported earlier this week, the Headington Companies-owned spot (along with the Joule Hotel, PM Nightlife Lounge and other…
Black Lips, Vivian GirlsThe LoftApril 28, 2011Better than: holding your dirty hand. You can tell that the Black Lips have been around for almost a decade at this point. It’s clear from the very start of their performance — although not necessarily because their offerings are especially crisp.Actually, it’s quite…
She’ll take on the big stage at Gexa Energy Pavilion (nee Starplex, a million other names) on August 4, but, last night, the unavoidable pop star known as K-E-Dollar Sign-Ha! stopped by the House of Blues in Dallas last night, playing before a jam-packed crowd for a show that sold…
We tried — really — but to no avail. We weren’t getting into the not-so-secret garage show the Foo Fighters played in Dallas last night. It came as part of the Blackberry-backed promotional tour where the band is playing their fan’s garages in celebration of their new album, Wasting Light,…
Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. Chuck Ragan may be best known as one of the frontmen of Hot Water Music, but for the past…
The Psychedelic FursGranada TheaterApril 24, 2011Better than: the last three times I saw the Furs. Seeing that this was the third time in less than two years that the Psychedelic Furs have played Dallas, it was somewhat of a surprise to see a full house packed in at the Granada…
Sleigh Bells, CSSGranada TheaterApril 22, 2011Better than: sticking around for the headliner, apparently. Perhaps it was to be expected given the circumstances at the Granada Theater on Friday night — Sleigh Bells, who couldn’t be hotter at the moment but only have 35 minutes of material, had to tour with…
William FitzsimmonsThe LoftApril 22, 2011Better than: having to stuff used ear plugs in my ears. On Friday night, at The Loft, William Fitzsimmons brought the quiet.Interesting, too, since throughout the entire 90-minute set performed by the Pennsylvania-raised Fitzsimmons performed there seemed to be a tonal tug of war in the…
In this week’s paper, Pete wrote of a dirty secret about local music: the rallying cry (“If only people would start supporting the scene, it could grow!”) is the same in every city.But the Dallas-Fort Worth-Denton music scene has some hulking support. In honor of that, DC9 at Night has…
Fitz & The TantrumsHouse of Blues’ Cambridge RoomApril 20, 2011Better than: a child throwing a tantrum in a public place. As if the band’s name alone didn’t already imply it, Los Angeles’ buzzing rock ‘n’ soul outfit, Fitz & The Tantrums, still riding high from a successful 2011 South by…
Cut Copy, Foals, Holy Ghost! and The Naked & FamousGranada TheaterApril 20, 2011Better than: going to see Foals and Cut Copy headline separate shows. Last night was a serious two-for-the-price-of-one experience. Blue lights hovered over the stage, as the crowd anxiously awaited Cut Copy’s arrival at the Granada Theater last…
Titus Andronicus, Soviet, Fight AmpClub DadaApril 20, 2011Better than: missing any of the number of shows that were going on last night. The name Titus Andronicus, taken from a Shakespearean tragedy, implies the anger, frustration, and a desire for the kind of vindication that the band’s musical material struggles with…
A-Trak, Kid Sister, The Gaslamp KillerTreesApril 19, 2011Better than: a rousing game of DJ Hero. There weren’t any grand entrances at Trees last night. Mostly, there were just transitions.And, in many regards, that was fitting. This show, after all, was curated by a DJ — one of the best, actually…
The KillsGranada TheaterApril 19, 2011 Better than: sweating in a real sauna. The early evening rain made for a swampy atmosphere at the Granada last night — entirely appropriate for the greasy sonic assault of The Kills, who played to a packed house of ecstatic fans. On a stage made…
Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. If you happened into Fallout Lounge on a Friday night a few years ago, chances were good you saw…
By the time 10 o’clock struck along Lowest Greenville on Saturday morning, the line of people waiting to get into Good Records stretched well past the confines of the store’s parking lot — and the music planned to take place over the course of the day within the store hadn’t…
British Sea Power, A Classic Education, ColourmusicThursday, April 14, 2011The LoftBetter than: being caught in a lightning storm anywhere else. When we spoke with British Sea Power lead singer Scott “Yan” Wilkinson earlier this week, he talked about the band’s lack of new fans. “I can’t really say we’ve got…
Marina and The Diamonds, IshiGranada TheaterApril 14, 2011Better than: seeing Marina and the Diamonds a year from now, after touring with Katy Perry, when she’s playing to sold-out venues. “I’ve never been here before” Marina Diamandis, the mastermind behind Marina & The Diamonds announced to her crowd at the Granada…
Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. Mwanza “Wanz” Dover has been a fixture around the Dallas area for what feels like forever at this point…
The Raveonettes, TamarynGranada TheaterApril 11, 2011Better than: quoting the raven nevermore. After a hazy, ethereal opening set from the San Francisco-by-way-of-New York-based, Mexican Summer-signed Tamaryn, who provided a fine example of how to best use the Granada’s projection screens, what with their performance fully engulfed in encapsulating visuals, the stage…
