If you're not too busy on this Black Friday weekend--collecting everything you're owed and striking all the big red words from your little black book--you ought to go catch some live music.
First, the shows we've already mentioned. Tonight, Cursive plays at Hailey's in Denton and Ryan Bingham and Telegraph Canyon perform at House of Blues.
On Saturday, Fleet Foxes' J. Tillman brings his story songs to Hailey's, City Tavern makes a Real Estate investment and Erykah Badu makes a special appearance with Yo Gabba Gabba! Live in Frisco.
There's not a whole lot more going on this weekend, but we can help you out with a few more picks.
MFM, Jacob Wick: This Is It!, Yells At Eels, Hentai Improvising Orchestra
Friday, November 27, at Phoenix Project
MFM is an experimental sound art/performance art ensemble created by David Stanley Aponte and featuring a variety of players (including Aaron Gonzalez) on treated guitar, bass, keys and various pedals and electronics. These clips might give you some idea what to expect. Jacob Wick is a Brooklyn trumpeter who is touring with a graphic text-based score open for interpretation by musicians drawn from each city's improv scene. Ken Shimamoto, a Fort Worth Weekly contributor and musician in Hentai Improvising Orchestra, lists a few possible This Is It! performers on his Stash Dauber site.
Matthew Gray Delves..., Monastery, Delmore Pilcrow, Caleb Ian Campbell
Friday, November 27, at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios
A solid night of folk and quiet experimental composition at RGRS. You're probably already well aware of Matthew Gray's folkier side project to his Arrogant Sea and Chris Garver's Delmore Pilcrow. Get there early for Caleb Ian Campbell's delicate folk arrangements if you want to hear some very pretty acoustic fingerpicking. I hadn't heard of Monastery until I came across this bill, but the quiet minimalist and instrumental arrangements on the band's MySpace page are quite intriguing and should make a nice transition between Garver and Gray.
Slobberbone
Friday, November 27, at Dan's Silverleaf
Speaking of Matthew Gray, Daniel Rodrigue wrote this week about how booking at Dan's has expanded to embrace the "hipster set" now that Gray has started to schedule shows. That is not the case tonight, as the legendary Slobberbone's twangy rock is right in the Silverleaf's wheelhouse. It's a perfect fitting of venue and band, even if it might be a bit more crowded than the upcoming Slobberbone show at the Granada Theater.
Misfits, Scary Cherry and the Bang Bangs
Sunday, November 29, at House of Blues
Not entirely a nostalgia fest, as the legendary horror-punk band's new single "Land of the Dead" is actually pretty kick-ass. It's no "Last Caress," but what is? Opening band Scary Cherry And The Bang Bangs features former KDGE jock and current Dallas Observer contributor Alan Ayo on drums.
There are a few other decent shows, but pickings are slim. Be careful about drinking and driving, as there are three times as many cops on the streets in Dallas throughout the holidays. And as always, please add your recommendations in the comments.
