Friday: Already said it in this week's And Another Thing column, but I can't impress upon you enough how exciting a prospect Thesis is to the city's R&B/neo-soul scene. Her demos are nothing compared to her live show, backed by one helluva band that serves a delectable tray of organ, bass, drums and tables. She's the first act at the Curtain Club tonight (and easily the best on its bill), so arrive early. At the other end of Deep Ellum, Rose County Fair lights up the venerable Sons of Hermann Hall with its fresh, deservedly lauded take on the alt-country genre. If you're in need of a good, Dallas-area rock show, you really can't beat their set (though unexciting openers Airline and the Tommy Hale Band give you an excuse to arrive fashionably late).
Or if you want something that doesn't have a single recognizable musical instrument involved, stop by the Dallas Video Festival to see a very special Laptop Deathmatch performance at 9 p.m. in the Videotheque, which I also touted in And Another Thing. It's the series' eight winning performers converging together to make the most insane digital noises they can possibly muster, and the video show should be stellar as well. Get high and go have yourself a merry (or at least entirely unique) time.
If you've got a spare $5,200 to blow on gas, Denton has a fine pair of shows up for grabs. The Numbers Twist make a rare appearance at Hailey's, and, really, this local hard-rock super-group is worth enduring even the worst opening acts, let alone the promising sounds of the Invincible Czars. These polka-metal kids from Amarillo sound like a batch of carnie kids who escaped their lot in life and started a band instead of inheriting the midway...since they're from Amarillo, we're not ruling that out as an actual possibility. Down the street, Rubber Gloves hosts Mathstorm's last-ever concert, which is funny, because this is the first time I've ever heard about them...but from the sound of their quality, post-punk-influenced MySpace demos, they will be missed. Sarah Reddington and Voot Cha Index open; I've seen both bands in the past two weeks and the sets were so horrid I wanted to gouge my ears out with Casio keyboards, but I've been assured that those were fluke shows by otherwise good bands. Still, proceed with caution.
Saturday: Broke and stuck in Dallas? Then ride your bicycle to Lee Harvey's to see Pleasant Grove play on the patio for free (even better, cheapskates: They're advertising an offer to buy you a beer if you repost their ad for the show on your MySpace account...watch out for your impending tab, fellas). Assuming the band actually shows up on time at 9 p.m. (they were hours late to their last Harvey's gig), you can expect a rare, extra-long set from the band, newly exciting with the support of Chris Mayes as their latest auxiliary musician. Elsewhere, if you're not afraid to turn your hands into devil horns, Hogpig will make mincemeat of your senses at the Double Wide, playing unapologetic, unironic hard rock that is as fun as it is aggressive. Or get a caravan together and haul ass to Hailey's, where Brit outfit the Clientele performs with the excellent supporting cast that is Great Lakes and the Theater Fire--best show of the night, undoubtedly. --Sam Machkovech
Bonus MP3s:
Pleasant Grove, "Elaborate Son" (from the album The Art of Leaving)Hogpig, "Fuck You Mike Love"
