The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Bon Jovi, Cut Copy, Taylor Bennett and More

Throw on your fringed leather jackets Monday night for a night of '80s rock 'n' roll as Bon Jovi takes the stage at American Airlines Center. Not your scene? Check out locals Midnight Opera and Lorelei K as they play intimate sets at Wild Detectives on Friday night, or embrace your inner metalhead at Canton Hall on Sunday night during the Michael Schenker Fest. If none of those shows sounds like a good time, keep reading.


Bon Jovi
7:30 p.m. Monday, March 26, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., americanairlinescenter.com, $19 and up

Legendary arena rock group Bon Jovi has electrified crowds since the ’80s, and nearly four decades since the band formed, it’s still packing venues. The band’s 2016 release, This House is Not for Sale, even briefly made it to the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 chart. On top of that, the Jersey-born group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the end of 2017. Bon Jovi became a cornerstone of the rock scene after its megahit album, Slippery When Wet. With classic tracks such as “Living on a Prayer” and “Wanted Dead or Alive,” Bon Jovi’s third release went platinum 12 times over. Despite the loss of its longtime guitarist and singer, this quintessential band is still living on a prayer as its 2018 tour rolls through Dallas. And as long as Bon Jovi keeps packing arenas like it always has, it’s sure to have as much impact as it did in ’86. Nicholas Bostick

 
Udo Dirkschneider
8 p.m., Monday, March 26, Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122, treesdallas.com, $27.50-$65

After garnering a following as the frontman of Accept, the German band that helped pioneer speed and thrash metal in the early to mid-1980s, Udo Dirkschneider went on to earn fame with several other metal bands and on his own. Nowadays, the standard bearer is visiting Dallas as part of the farewell tour for Accept. The show Monday at Trees is slated to be one of the last performances of the band’s songs. Diamond Victoria


Broken Social Scene
7 p.m., Tuesday, March 27, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com, $26-$50

Canadian indie-rock collective Broken Social Scene will bring its spring North American tour to House of Blues on March 27. The band recently released its first album in seven years, Hug of Thunder. Bring tissues. Jeff Strowe


Cut Copy
8 p.m., Thursday, March 29, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com, $42

Australian new-wave indie outfit Cut Copy originally landed on the disco punk scene in 2004 but has since embraced a more synth-heavy, pop-friendly sound. The band's latest album, last year's Haiku from Zero, received generally positive reviews and is considered a great catalogue of modern dance music. DV


Cradle of Filth
With Jinjer, Thursday, March 29, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com, $32

Dani Filth has been doing Cradle of Filth with various lineups since the early '90s. Blending King Diamond, Edgar Allan Poe and Hammer horror films, the band from England is meant to be a serious form of metal and classical music. It’s touring off last year's Cryptoriana — The Seductiveness of Decay, album No. 12 for the band. This is definitely metal meant to push buttons, especially to those easily offended by dark imagery. Think of it as an extension of the line that Alice Cooper, Kiss and Venom started in the late '70s. Deck yourself in all black and have some ghoulish fun. Eric Grubbs


Lorelei K
7:30 p.m., Friday, March 30, The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth St., 214-942-0108 or thewilddetectives.com, $15

Denton stylist turned alt-pop darling Dahlia Knowles, a.k.a. Lorelei K, had a breakout year in 2017. After making her bones playing the circuit of Denton house parties and DIY venues for years, Lorelei released her first full-length album, Be the Doll, in October. Since its release, Lorelei has gone from local favorite to DFW’s next big thing. She first started performing as a poet, and the blend of social consciousness and personal reflection found in the lyrics of Be the Doll have already landed the artist critical acclaim. Lorelei opens up to listeners over the course of the album’s 10 tracks, which include a rendition of “21,” the first poem Lorelei ever performed for a crowd. Sung in a chorus of a cappella voices, the track is a bit of a departure from the industrial and gothic atmospheric beats of the rest of the album, but it encapsulates Lorelei’s artistic philosophy. Whether touching on politics or personal struggles, Lorelei delivers her story with full force and stylistic grace. Nicholas Bostick


Ty Dolla $ign
8 p.m. Saturday, Mar. 31, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214–978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $25 to $75

Whether you know it or not, Ty Dolla $ign is one of your favorite singers — he just has to be. Few other artists have had the impact on this decade’s hip-hop/R&B landscape as the 32-year-old L.A. native has with his silky smooth hooks. The Rolodex of artists he’s worked with reads like a who’s who of Grammy winners and Billboard Hot 100 charts — Post Malone, Wiz Khalifa, Nicki Minaj, Ludacris, 2 Chainz, T.I. Nick Jonas, Big Sean, Migos, YG, Lil Wayne, Future and dozens more. Ty Dolla $ign is about as close as you can get to guaranteeing a hit if he’s a part of the track. On his own, he’s dominated radio waves and clubs with hits such as “Paranoid,” “Or Nah” and “Blasé” that lend themselves closer to the R&B side of life, and that’s where he wants to live. The Don’t Judge Me Tour’s namesake is from a track off his latest album, Beach House 3, and as he told Rolling Stone last fall about the work, "I sung my ass off. But it's still gonna be a mainstream vibe. That's all I'm trying to do: Make a lane for the singers." In a world dominated by hip-hop, Ty Dolla $ign is trying to make room for R&B. Be there Saturday to see him state his case. Mikel Galicia


Knifight
With Atop and Rei Clone, 9 p.m., Saturday, March 31, Armoury D.E., 2714 Elm St., 972-803-5151, free

Austin-based Knifight got its start in Tyler as a one-man show created by vocalist and writer John Gable. It's come a long way since those days as a small industrial act. Only a few years later, the now five-piece synth band has opened for Duran Duran and Future Islands and has played major music festivals such as Austin City Limits and South by Southwest. Knifight's a band to listen to, for sure, but is especially a band you'll want to experience live. Catch the band's latest material from its upcoming album, Worship, due out this summer, at tonight's show. DV


Taylor Bennett
7 p.m. Saturday, March 31, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $17

It's not an easy road working in the shadows of a world-famous sibling. After all, artists such as Solange Knowles, Ashlee Simpson and Rich Robinson have all done pretty well for themselves, but they can't avoid comparisons with their more recognizable family members. Taylor Bennett, the 22-year-old youngest brother of Chance the Rapper, likely knows this feeling. While Chance has been circling the globe and snagging Grammy nominations, Taylor has been busy creating an assured body of work headed by a successful string of EPs and mixtapes that served to greatly influence his 2017 full-length, Restoration of an American Idol. With a steady mix of influences that range from free jazz to gospel to rap and a killer lineup of collaborators, including Donnie Trumpet and King Louie, the hip-hop artist is primed to become a star in his own right. Catch him in the cozy confines of House of Blues' Cambridge Room on Saturday night so you can say you saw him back when. His next time through town will likely find him playing larger venues.Jeff Strowe


Michael Schenker Fest
With Supernova Remnant, 8 p.m., Sunday, April 1, Canton Hall (previously slated for The Bomb Factory), 2727 Canton St., 214-932-1563, cantonhall.com, $39.50

Former Scorpions and UFO guitarist Michael Schenker is a legend among metal guitarists. After his early days of stardom in the '70s, he started his own band, the Michael Schenker Group, with which he released most of his music. The German musician is now on tour for a festival named after him, featuring three original MSG members and Texas-based Supernova Remnant. DV