Well, we've made it to the week when the country sees U.S. political power handed to former reality TV star and six-time bankrupted businessman Donald Trump. Whether this reality excites or angers you, there are plenty of ways to work out that energy this week. Dallas sees two iconic ska bands, the Toasters and Less Than Jake, stop through town, along with country-folk darlings Evan Felker and Rhett Miller. But if you've really got some rage to unleash, you'll probably want to check out the mayhem at Trees on Wednesday night as Los Angeles deathgrind band Brujeria takes the stage.
The Toasters
8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, Three Links, 2704 Elm St., 214-653-8228 or threelinksdeepellum.com, $10 to $12
Love it or hate it, it's hard to deny the energy of ska. What a wonderfully weird genre (with roots tracing back to Jamaica in the 1950s). It's got everything: jazz, rhythm and blues, calypso, you name it. And roughly 30 years after its creation came the second wave, one which blended the heart of ska with the attitude of punk. The Toasters were one of the pioneers of New York City second-wave ska, and tonight they'll get you skankin' at Three Links just like they did in the smoky clubs of 1980s New York. Diamond Victoria
Outward Bound Mixtape
with Eggshells, Paper Saints and Tri Geamikoj, 10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16, RBC, 2617 Commerce St., 469-487-6149 or rbcdeepellum.com
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
Brujeria
with the Casualties, the Scandals and Piñata Protest, 8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 18, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., $21.50
Trees is hosting an eclectic night of punk mayhem, featuring a little something for every devilock-sporting lover of cerveza. With acts ranging from Los Angeles’ Brujeria, a Gwar-inspired deathgrind band who portray themselves as Mexican drug lords, to the power punk sounds of New Jersey van lovers the Scandals, the show casts a wide net but makes some deep cuts. Piñata Protest, a Tex-Mex infused punk band out of San Antonio, and New York street punks the Casualties round out the evening and add some depth. This is one show where you’ll definitely want to stretch before handing over your ticket. Nicholas Bostick
Pat Green
10:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at Billy Bob's, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, 817-624-7117 or billybobstexas.com, $18/$30
Before he released the long-awaited, perfectly titled and admirably solid Home last year, Texas country icon Pat Green hadn’t necessarily gone into hiding, but he wasn’t exactly the king of the Lone Star Castle in the way he had been in the first decade of the millennium. Sure, his always energetic live show could still be enjoyed with some regularity, but a new generation of performers and an influx of diversified sounds and styles in the Texas music mix led to a landscape far different than the one Green’s previous record, 2009’s less-than-impressive What I'm For, had surveyed. Many fans thought Green’s new record would offer up an overcompensating turn into the rough-hewn roots terrain after polishing his past few records with copious amounts of studio gloss. But Home managed to successfully represent Green’s vision both old and new, and as a result, the record feels as complete and truthful as anything he has done since his days playing to a few dozen people at Poor David’s Pub. Don’t call it a comeback, call it a homecoming. Kelly Dearmore
Evan Felker & Rhett Miller
8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, The Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., 214-272-8346 or thekessler.org, $28
At its best, country music can create an evocative whirlwind of honest lyrics, twanging steel guitar strings and a thumping heartbeat of Ariat heels on the dance floor. Stewart Ransom “Rhett” Miller and Evan Felker are two men who’ve built their lives around whipping up such storms and pushing the limits of what country music can be. The duo’s respective bands, The Old 97’s and Turnpike Troubadours, are at the forefront of the alt-country scene, so their stripped down acoustic set in Oak Cliff will be an intense experience for the uninitiated. Miller has been a fixture in the Dallas music scene since his first gig at age 15, and helped pioneer a revolution in country music alongside the likes of Uncle Tupelo, Drive-By Truckers and the Bottle Rockets. While Felker and his band of Troubadours may lack Miller’s provenance, the band’s eponymous 2015 release reached No. 3 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart. The Oklahoma native has built a name for himself since the late 2000s after years of local shows with the Turnpike Troubadours. Both men are masters at creating tension in their music, with rapturous exclamation shifting to pin-drop pensiveness at a moment’s notice. You won’t question it when you find yourself singing along with songs you’ve never heard, as these country cowboys coax you from the bar to the dance floor. Nicholas Bostick
Charley Pride
8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at WinStar Casino, 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville, Oklahoma, 580-276-4229 or winstarworldcasino.com, $25 to $45
Country Music Hall of Famer and legendary voice of the ’70s Charley Pride is swinging through the Winstar later this month. Soulful and warm, Pride’s crooning and effortless pop inclinations helped to define the way we think of country music today. As with much of the genre’s music, spiritual and romantic themes are a constant in Pride’s songs, but the artist’s rare knack for empathetic storytelling imbues his tracks with a poignancy unmatched by his contemporaries. Throughout his career, Pride has been exhaustively prolific, and at 76 his hunger for delivering memorable ballads in unforgettable ways is as steadfast as ever, as evidenced by the superb quality of his recent performances. Jonathan Patrick
Less Than Jake
with Pepper, Red City Radio and Kash'd Out, 6:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20, at Gas Monkey Live, 10110 Technology Blvd., $25 to $50
It’s been three years since ska punk band Less Than Jake has released an album. But having been around since 1992, the eight albums they have released are probably more than enough to get your fix of adolescence-drenched party songs (oh, and remember when they wrote music for Good Burger?). But it doesn’t matter what they release, because with Less Than Jake, it’s about live shows. Dance yourself into a sweat tonight when they perform at Gas Monkey Live. Diamond Victoria
Felix da Housecat
10 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at It’ll Do, 4322 Elm St., 214-827-7236. $15 to $20
For well over two decades, Chicago native Felix da Housecat has been one of the most ambitious and celebrated DJs on the techno circuit. Known for his ever adapting stylistics which have shifted over the years from an acid-drenched palette to a more understated avant-garde coolness, Felix has remained true to his ultimate goal of getting people out on the dance floor. His track record of achieving that has been pretty remarkable. As an in-demand performer, he’s crisscrossed the globe, taken home some prestigious awards and fought through the demons of addiction to emerge even more focused and dedicated to the craft. In addition to his studio recordings, his remixes aren’t too shabby either, as he’s attacked material from countless artists, ranging from Britney Spears and Madonna to New Order and Pet Shop Boys. Prepare to be properly entertained deep into the night as Felix takes over Deep Ellum’s It’ll Do on Saturday night. Jeff Strowe
Atmosphere
with Brother Ali, Dem Atlas and more, 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St, 214-932-6501 or thebombfactory.com, $25
Since its inception in 1995, Rhymesayers Entertainment has delivered some of the most revered hip-hop albums to date and consistently boasts a roster of emcees whose rapping and lyrical skills are among the best in the genre; so much so that the collective has turned Minneapolis into one of the richest hip-hop scenes in the country. Slug and Ant, two of the label’s founders and the duo behind Atmosphere, are bringing a sampling of the label’s talent to the Bomb Factory in support of their 2016 album Fishing Blues. Slug’s introspective, intentional lyricism and Ant’s rich, minimalist production will be on full display as the duo works through their 20-years-deep catalog. With the critically acclaimed Brother Ali and Dem Atlas in tow, this bill has the potential to be one of the strongest hip-hop shows Dallas sees this year. Mikel Galicia
Monica
with Tank, 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, at Music Hall at Fair Park, 909 First Ave., $59.75
Monica’s reign on the U.S. Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs chart has spanned three decades, earning her bragging rights as the first artist to do so consecutively since the 1990s. She was the queen of female-driven R&B with songs like "Angel of Mine" (and who could forget her duet with fellow crooner Brandy, "The Boy Is Mine"?). Since then, the singer-songwriter, producer and actor has started a family but is still lending a hand in the scene with the likes of Missy Elliot and Timbaland. Catch her tonight with Tank at Music Hall at Fair Park. Diamond Victoria