The big event on the table this week is Super Bowl Sunday. The New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks will face off in Glendale, Arizona to determine who is the world champion of a sport played exclusively in the United States of America for the most part. So, there's that. But who the hell cares? The Cowboys won't be playing, so... We have a bunch of better ideas, namely concerts. RAGONK-A-THON with Son of Stan, Sealion, the Outfit, TX, Bummer Vacation, -topic, Bobby Sessions, the Azalea Project and more takes place at Trees. TV Girl plays Three Links. Rhett Miller, of the Old 97's does a set at The Kessler Theater. Vacationer hits Club Dada and there's more music to be listened to in a live setting other than those suggestions. Check them out:
See also: Mark Cuban Swing-Danced His Ass Off at Standard Pour Last Night [VIDEO] Rhett Miller Found His Philanthropic Calling with the Cystic Fibrosis Concert Series
Sugarfoote and Co. 10 p.m., Monday, January 26, at Adairs Saloon, 2624 Commerce Street, 214-939-9900, Free Sugarfoote and Co. are a staple at Adairs Saloon. Every Monday night, they serve as the resident band at the rustic Southwestern-themed bar. It's a perfect fit, too, because Sugarfoote and Co., led by lead singer and namesake Cody Foote, have the sound to match the environment. They're a folk country band with soulful crooning, harmonicas and a sound that's the audio manifestation of a pair of cowboy boots worn by a city slicker with a thirst and familiarity with all that is pastoral. H. Drew Blackburn
The Free Loaders 7 p.m., Tuesday, January 27, at The Free Man, 2626 Commerce Street, 214-377-9893, Free The Free Loaders have earned their praise in this city. They haven't been sitting around on their asses all these years. It was show after show, no matter if it was in a club, at a party, or some boogie event where the music isn't meant to be appreciated, yet it is there for the ambiance like flowers in a vase. This band of blues, jazz and swing musicians can range anywhere from three to eight members depending on the situation. However, expect a great show packed with fun from experts at their craft. And, if we're all lucky, Mavericks owner and dance savant Mark Cuban will show up and teach us how to do some line dancing. HDB
TV Girl With 8 p.m., Wednesday, January 28, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., 214-653-8228, $7-$10 Indie pop: forever the oxymoron. At their base and purest form, those two words just mean mainstream vs. independent. That's technically speaking, though. But these words have come to be adopted as descriptors of a genre. TV Girl is a perfect example of indie pop in these regards. The music is "indie" as in very comfortable, middle class and holding forth an idealistic view of art in music. Yet, it is "pop" as well: Easy on the ears, melodic and harmonic, and bright. In the end, though, all that shit really doesn't matter all that much because TV Girl sounds great and all anybody in their right mind wants to hear is good music. HDB
Rhett Miller With Daphne Willis, 8 p.m. Thursday, January 29, at Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., 214-272-8346 or thekessler.org, $20-$34 If you live in the great progressive state of Texas and have yet to see Rhett Miller perform, you should fix that shit. This show at the Kessler Theater, a venue with sound as good if not better than any in town, is a great way to start with this celebrated artist, who plays alt-country or punk, depending on your disposition. His band, the Old 97's from Dallas, is now old enough to legally purchase alcohol and released their tenth album last year. But Miller, the front man with the rock-star looks and shaggy hair, actually started his solo career years earlier, releasing his first album in 1989. Expect an intimate acoustic set from an accomplished singer-songwriter and seasoned performer who belts out songs that often make a point of mentioning the names of the places they are set in. The adoring crowd will surely rally around this local favorite and many ladies will swoon with reckless abandon after a couple drinks. Jeremy Hallock
Yonatan Gat With Fun Button and La Migra, 9.p.m, Friday, January 30, at Rubber Gloves, 411 East Sycamore Street, Denton, TX, 940-387-7781, $10-$12 Yonatan Gat was once in a garage rock band called Monotonix. The band, from Tel Aviv, Israel, broke up in 2011, but that wasn't before they released two albums, Where Were You When It Happened? and Not Yet on Drag City Records. As a solo artist, the music Gat makes is as high-energy and strident as anything he ever did in the past. His latest effort, an EP with Portuguese drummer Igor Domingues, marries Eastern music influences with rock 'n' roll and is philosophically a child of jazz. Your face gets melted at a whim, so just close your eyes and let the abstract shredding hit you. HDB
Vacationer With Valise, 8 p.m. Friday, January 30, at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., dadadallas.com, $12-$14 You ever wonder what happened to the guy from the Starting Line? I'm talking about singer Kenny Vasoli, whose vocals and coming-of-age lyrics made the band a staple of the 2000s pop-rock scene. Well, it shouldn't be too hard to get you caught up: Vasoli has been in Vacationer. What is Vacationer, you ask? They are an acclaimed "nu hula" (yeah, the subgenre game has gone too far) band based out of Brooklyn. Formed in 2010, Vacationer has made a lot of, forgive the pun, waves in the indie rock community touring with many of the genre's hottest acts. They released their debut LP Gone in 2012, incorporating elements of tropical music styles (hence hula) along with a lot of contemporary music elements (notably electronic). This is all in keeping with Vasoli's original designs for his new, post-Starting Line band, as he wanted to do something that incorporated electronics after seeing LCD Soundsystem at Bonnaroo in 2010. Catching Vacationer at Deep Ellum hotspot Club Dada is as good a place as any to pick up on those warm-weather vibes. James Khubiar
Paul Collins and The Beat With The Rich Hands, The Lash Outs, The Gabies, 9 p.m., Saturday January 31, at Rubber Gloves, 411 East Sycamore Street, Denton, 940-387-7781, $10-$12 Paul Collins has had a long and fruitful career in music. He studied music at the Julliard School in his hometown of New York City. He was in a power pop trio in the The Nerves in the 1970s. He's toured and released albums as a solo act. This Saturday, Paul Collins will bring his cult favorite power pop band, The Beat, to Denton. Since its incarnation in 1979, The Beat has influenced many a band's that have followed and featured a revolving door of musicians. The King of Power Pop title for Paul Collins has been well earned. HDB
Dark Rooms With The Orange, and Adam & Ev, 9 p.m. Saturday, January 31, at Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St., double-wide.com, $5 Dark Rooms is fronted by seasoned violinist and vocalist, Daniel Hart. The band is an indie-rock outfit that incorporates said violin and electronic sounds to create a sensual noir atmosphere. Dark Room's self-titled debut album from 2013 finds itself being mysterious and melancholy at times and throttling us into a groove the next. Generally, when we're welcomed into Dark Rooms' luminescent territory, the production is warm and full, developing a photo of unrest coupled with escape. When you hear it (and see it) live, it becomes a wild, rollicking beast, the modern-day incarnate of Talking Heads a la Stop Making Sense. HDB
RAGONK-A-THON With Son of Stan, Sealion, the Outfit, TX, Bummer Vacation, -topic, Bobby Sessions, the Azalea Project and surprises guests, 7 p.m. Saturday, January 31, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $10 Poor T.C. Flemming. He made one verbal miscue while talking about Renaldo McClain and "Ragonk" was born. And since that faithful moment fans of the Ticket have run with it, and run with it, and run with it ever since. There's Ragonk songs, #RAGONK is all over Twitter, there's merch, an interactive web site, a radio 15 for 15 segment, RAGONK signs are making it on TV and now we have the RAGONK-A-THON, a five-act concert that's invading Trees this weekend. It's as if we collectively deiced the right thing for our bottoms was to have a Ragonking good time at the expense of poor Flemming's pride. So, if you're a P1 to be one you'll make sure to be at Trees to cheer along as some of the best local acts flat the five and play special sets complete with Ragonk songs and TC's heart break. There'll even be "special guests." Sounds downright ragonkulous to us. Jaime-Paul Falcon
Raquel Nguyen w Blu Pearl, 10 p.m. Sunday, February 1, at Sundown at Granada Theater, 3520 Greenville Ave., 214-823-8305 or granadatheater.com, Free Raquel Nguyen and Blu Pearl have a residency going on at the Sundown at Granada Theater. You'll catch them every Sunday at on Lower Greenville for the next couple of weeks. What you'll run into here are some heartfelt, soulful blues. It's the type of music where you feel like the guitar is speaking to you, bemoaning and sharing its pain. And as per usual, being a show at the Sundown means it's free, which is always a very welcome occurrence. HDB
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