On Sunday, Ariana Grande will deliver one-hitters engineered to lift moods and sell out stadiums.
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Outward Bound Mixtape
10 p.m. Monday, April 3, RBC, 2617 Commerce St., 469-487-6149 or rbcdeepellum.com, Free
We actually look forward to Mondays now, thanks to the work of Stefan Gonzalez. The lineup he curates on that day every week at RBC is one of the best places in the city to discover new music. Outward Bound Mixtape began a few years ago at Crown and Harp on Lower Greenville before it moved to Deep Ellum, but in its new home it offers the same opportunity for local and touring acts to try out something new in front of an enthusiastic and open-minded crowd of regulars, whether that means a first show, brand new songs or a sound that defies genre labels. If you ask the act du jour in Dallas noise, punk, goth or free jazz where they played some of their first shows, you'll likely be told Outward Bound, so attend Mondays and stay ahead of the curve. Caroline North
Paul Slavens and Friends
10 p.m. Monday, April 3, Dan's Silverleaf, 103 N. Industrial St., Denton, danssilverleaf.com, Free
Paul Slavens is a local legend. He was the frontman of the late '80s and early '90s outfit, Ten Hands. He’s a renowned radio host at KXT 91.7 FM as well. He also does this kooky little thing at Dan’s Silver Leaf in Denton every Monday. He takes song title suggestions from people and makes up a song right there. It’s like a freestyle. Whatever you do, don’t be the jerk who tries to make him rhyme orange. H. Drew Blackburn.
The Dallas Music Experience
4 p.m. Friday, April 7, Fashion Industry Gallery, 1807 Ross Ave., dallasartfair.com, Free
You cannot go wrong with a lineup of Sam Lao, Cygnus, Bobby Sessions, Sealion, Party Static and DJ Picnictyme, all of whom will be on display at the Dallas Art Fair Friday.The Fashion Industry Gallery is located right next to the Dallas Museum of Art and the Nasher, so even when you’re done at the fair, it should be a great opportunity to walk around downtown and get your fill of art. You’d be hard-pressed to find a show that better lives up to the name Dallas Music Experience on this night. Eric Grubbs
Vince Staples
8:30 p.m. Friday, April 7, South Side Music Hall, 1135 S. Lamar St., 214-421-2021 or ssmusichall.com, $15 to $20
Vince Staples has made quite a name for himself as an excellent wordsmith with his anthems of a rough adolescence, and he's only 23. His fame was kindled with his role in the hip-hop trio Cutthroat Boyz and through collaborations with various members of Odd Future. Staples' second release on Def Jam Records, The Big Fish Theory, will release sometime this year, though no exact date has been set. Diamond Victoria
Chronixx
with Jesse Royal, Max Glazer Federation Sound, 8 p.m. Saturday, April 8, Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-112 or treesdallas.com, $24
Jamaican artist Chronixx, formerly known as Little Chronicle, has been making waves in the reggae world since he began touring outside of his native country in 2012. Today he's performed for thousands at festivals worldwide and on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon; scored a hit with "Here Comes Trouble”; and even starred in an Adidas short film. When the dynamic performer hits the stage at Trees on Saturday night, he'll be flanked by his new Zinc Fence Redemption Band, who’ve helped broaden his traditional reggae sound. Expect to encounter an amped-up crowd of revelers and a fully dedicated Chronixx, ready to give them his all. Jeff Strowe
Thursday
6:30 p.m. Friday, April 8, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com, $25 to $39.50
Thursday ignited the screamo scene of the early 2000s. But after taking an indefinite hiatus in 2011, they announced two years later that they had disbanded. However, just last year Thursday decided to rekindle their post-hardcore legacy by playing the inaugural Sound on Sound Fest in Austin and booking a swift tour through the U.S. during March and April. The band, known for singles such as "Understanding in a Car Crash" and "War All the Time," haven't released new material since 2011. And with no set plans to do so as of yet, this may be the last chance fans have to see the band live. DV
Blues Traveler
10:30 p.m. Friday, April 8, Billy Bob's, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, billybobstexas.com, $16/$25
The bluesy rock band from Princeton, New Jersey, that rose to fame with "Run-Around" in 1994 is still at it. Blues Traveler's unique vocals and harmonica-driven melodies are all thanks to John Popper, whose emergency spinal surgery late last year is the reason the band had to push back their tour to this year. Despite the band's various Top 40 hits, they're known for their improvisational live shows and released their latest album, Blow Up the Moon, in 2015. DV
Dick Dale
8 p.m. Friday, April 8, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com, $36 to $53
One of the loudest and most recognizable guitarists in the world, both from his headband and his reverb-soaked guitar tone, Dick Dale is an icon of both surfing and music. Seasoned enough to have appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show alongside the Three Stooges, the 79-year-old Californian renewed his cool credentials when Quentin Tarantino used 1963's "Misirlou" in the title sequence of 1994's Pulp Fiction, enchanting Generation Xers the same way Dale had their parents on early singles like "Let's Go Trippin'" and "Surf Beat." Chris Gray
10,000 Maniacs
With Vanessa Peters, 6 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. Saturday, April 8, Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., 214-272-8346 or thekessler.org, $28/$38
It's hard to say anything bad about a band that's been around for 36 years, especially one as nonthreatening as 10,000 Maniacs. They've made a career out of being that band you sort of recognize on independent radio stations. Being a musician is a hard road to travel and any band that makes it 36 years, including 20-plus years after it lost its lead singer and biggest star, Natalie Merchant, deserves at least a passing glance. So Friday night at the Kessler try to keep quiet and watch the band play. They must be doing something right to last this long. Jaime-Paul Falcon
Ariana Grande
7:30 p.m. Sunday, April 9, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., 214-222-3687 or americanairlinescenter.com, $29 and up
Big-beat, hip-hop-flavored pop is having a moment. Ariana Grande is smack dab in the center of this new approach to radio bangers: Her singing voice is malleable and beyond reproach, her coy image feels somehow both carefully fabricated and accessible, and her singles all feel like parties — fleshed out with a litany of on-point collaborations and glittery, hi-res production flair. There’s no pretense or posturing in Grande’s deliveries; just cooly rendered one-hitters engineered to lift moods and sell out stadiums. Don’t trust anyone who says sugary pop like this is fodder for the kids, because losing yourself in unabashedly fun music is a form of entertainment with no age requirement or shelf life. Those with consciously hip, inhibited music taste should stay clear. Everyone else: Hop the velvet rope and let’s have some fun. Jonathan Patrick
