If you're looking for some variety to help spice up your weekend, then the concert schedule around North Texas should be just the thing to help make it happen. We're talking everything from Pegasus Music Fest to John Fogerty to Tech N9ne. If you have yet to set up any weekend plans, take comfort in the fact that the Dallas music scene's always got your back.
John Fogerty
7pm, Friday, June 21 at Choctaw Casino Resort, 4216 S. Highway 69/75, Durant, 800-788-2464 or choctawcasinos.com/durant, $35-185
Though the legend of Creedence Clearwater Revival as one of America's greatest rock bands had been cemented for decades, CCR leader-gone-solo John Fogerty hadn't played classics such as "Up Around the Bend" or "Born on the Bayou" for many years by the time the late '90s rolledaround. Thanks to a long-running record label dispute, Fogerty had been performing only tunes from his solo catalog, most notably the summertime anthem, "Centerfield." It took a Robert Johnson-inspired epiphany for him to loosen the self-employed musical shackles and celebrate the legendary body of work he had built, which effectively ushered in a new phase to his storied journey. Indeed, more recently released works have been respectably solid and show the now 69- year-old guitar slinger in fine form. Even more impressive, however, is the conviction with which Fogerty can still belt out the opening notes to "Fortunate Son," perhaps his most epochal anthem in a long line of them. Kelly Dearmore
Balance and Composure With Seahaven and Creepoid, 8 p.m., Friday, June 20 at The House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St, 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $15 When these Doylestown heroes first appeared within the hardcore scene, plenty of people took notice. B&C's muddy sound and detailed lyrics have over time earned them comparisons to grunge overlords like Nirvana and post-hardcore stationaries like Circa Survive, but it's their modern sound that makes one hesitant to actually accept any of these claims. Still, it's nice to know that someone, somewhere is trying to keep the grunge dream alive; if their latest release, The Things We Think We're Missing is anything to go by, they have plenty of opportunity to define themselves before all is said and done. Michelle Ofiwe
The Mountain Goats With Loamlands, 9pm, Friday, June 20 at Dan's Silverleaf, 103 N. Industrial St, Denton, 940-320-2000, $20-23 It's been a while since TMG's last effort, but it's safe to say that the folk-indie favorites have found a way to keep going strong. 2013 saw some pretty high-profile performances for Darnielle and co., including an appearance at Carneige Hall in support of author John Green. Now, they're set to revist "old stomping grounds" (as they termed it) with the Twin Inhuman Highway Fiends Tour, set to make its way through the West and South before the end of June. MO
Blake Shelton With The Band Perry and Neal McCoy, 7pm, Saturday, June 21 at Gexa Energy Pavillion, 1818 First Avenue, 214-421-1111, $40.75-76.99 After toiling away for years in the country music scene, Blake Shelton has enjoyed massive mainstream success in recent years, making several appearances on the Billboard pop charts. A stint on NBC's wildly popular singing competition, The Voice, has helped cement Shelton as a bona-fide crossover star, but both he and his music have changed a great deal since his smash hit "Austin" blew up the airwaves in 2001. Now, Shelton is the definition of pop country, and hits like "Boys 'Round Here" and "Doin' What She Likes" laid the groundwork that has made twangy bro- country tunes of his contemporaries like Eric Church some of the most popular music in Middle America. Amy McCarthy
Pegasus Music Festival With Cold War Kids, Bad Books, Circa Survive, PM Today and more, 5pm, Saturday, June 21 at Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie, 972-854-5111 or verizontheatre.com, $39.50-87.99 At first glance, the Pegasus Music Festival might seem like an anomaly (an "emo" festival?), but take one-look at its short-but-packed lineup to get a better sense of its place in the festival landscape. Although they might come from (mostly) different musical backgrounds, each band sports a healthy career full of popularity, longevity and success. Most importantly, they can all put on one hell of a show, which can be pretty important when you're lined-up for one of the biggest venues in the DFW area. Sure, it'll always be a little disconcerting when anyone tries to pack a bunch of rock fans into a theatre, but you can bet such fans won't be sitting in their seats for long. MO
Hercules & the Love Affair With DJ Red Eye, 10:00 p.m., Saturday, June 21 at It'll Do Club, 4322 Elm St. Dallas, 214-827-0262, $15 From the time Hercules and Love Affair first charged on to the world dance music scene in 2008 with their self titled debut album for indie dance label giant DFA, they have always worn their love of synth-driven disco and old-school house on their sleeve. Since then, they have been forced to live in the shadow of their initial success. Perhaps not surprisingly, they hit a bit of a sophomore slump with the somewhat meandering Blue Songs, but their third studio album, The Feast of the Broken Heart, is a full-on return to form. More than their previous efforts this record is committed to a very raw, throwback drum machine house sound. When Hercules and Love Affair pass through It'll Do for a weekend DJ set, it prove to be a master class in classic house music. It will be an extra special treat, too, because it's one of only two U.S. cities they're visiting on this tour. Wanz Dover
Cut/Copy With Classixx, 8pm, Sunday, June 22 at The Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave, 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com, $39 Some of the rowdiest shows ever held at the Granada have been Cut Copy shows, so it's not surprising to see that this one has already sold out. In 2009 the Aussies brought party-poppers Matt & Kim with them and left Dallas is a sweaty, smiling mess. In 2011 a co- headlined affair with Foals set off a baby boom in the DFW hipster community. Don't quote us on that, but it's our way of saying that people in Dallas really love this band and that they incite the type of wild, partygoing behavior rarely seen at shows around these parts. People just shut up and have a good time. If you're lucky enough to have a ticket make sure you hydrate, because when "Lights and Music" get's played it's going to get pretty wild in there. Jaime-Paul Falcon
Tech N9ne With Krizz Kalko, Freddie Gibbs, and more, 8pm, Sunday, June 22 at The House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $27 Say what you will about Tech N9ne, but you gotta admit the guy's hardworking. Since his debut in 1999, the Kansas City rapper, named for his fast and choppy vocal delivery, has already put out 14 albums, including 2014's Strangeulation, which was met with positive reviews. Any other rapper might be tempted to rest on his laurels after such a successful mid-year release, but N9ne already has another album in the works. It's titled Special Effects, probably in reference to the many industry gimmicks he so obviously doesn't need to use. MO
