10 Best Concerts This Week: Animal Collective, Har Mar Superstar, Wiz Khalifa & More

Well, it's been a hell of a week, Dallas. While the country continues flinging mud via social media regarding President-elect Donald Trump (and while we ALL get used to saying, and typing, "President-elect Donald Trump"), maybe disconnecting for a night or two will do us some good. Because no matter which side of this crazy toss-up you fought for, the show must go on. And there are a lot of shows going on this week — way more than can fit on this list. But Grouplove, Wiz Khalifa, Animal Collective and more will get us started off on the right note.


Paul Slavens and Friends
10 p.m. Monday, Nov. 14, at Dan's Silverleaf, 103 N. Industrial St., Denton, 940-320-2000, 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 audience members and makes up a song on the spot. It’s like a freestyle. Whatever you do, don’t be the dick who tries to make him rhyme orange. H. Drew Blackburn


Grouplove
7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 15, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com, $30 to $40

Grouplove is an indie rock band that formed in 2009, after the members met at a commune and became fast friends. It's unsurprising considering the bohemian undertones to a lot of their songs. In 2011, their first studio album was released and featured hit singles such as “Tongue Tied” and “Colors,” which were showcased in a variety of television commercials, including one for Apple. A few years later they showed up on the charts, and in other strange places. They penned the closing credits to cult hit Netflix original cartoon Bojack Horseman. This year, new upbeat and carefree music from the pop-rock outfit finally hit the airwaves. The new album is titled Big Mess and has been met with a fairly warm response from both fans and critics alike. Taylor Frantum


Animal Collective
8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 16, at The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., 214-932-6501 or thebombfactory.com, $25

One of the most pop-friendly experimental bands around released their 10th studio album, Painting With, earlier this year. Panda Bear, Avey Tare, Geologist and Deaken make up this quartet known as Animal Collective and have sent listeners on a psychedelic journey through synth, fast beats and trippy vocals for the past decade. Diamond Victoria


Har Mar Superstar
With Party Static and Tickle Torture, 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at Dada, 2720 Elm St., 214-742-3400 or dadadallas.com, $12

For the past 15 years, the eccentric musician Sean Tillmann has gyrated his nearly nude naughty bits to the delightful sounds of expertly crafted R&B as his alter ego, Har Mar Superstar. The rotund Lothario takes his music seriously however, crafting poppy synth beats that pair well against his crisp vocals. His latest album under the Har Mar banner, Best Summer Ever, came out in April and covers a cavalcade of stylistic time periods as a satirical take on a compilation album spanning from the '50s to the '80s. Tracks like the disco inspired “It Was Only Dancing (Sex),” give the album a feeling reminiscent of the Dan Band, and the Glenn Danzig-styled vocals of “Famous Last Words” show off Tillmann’s ability to replicate a wide swath of musical styles. So while the aesthetically closed-minded may find his live act to be a little intense, new comers will quickly learn that Tillman's antics take a back seat to the clear craftsmanship present in his work. Nicholas Bostick


Vice Palace: The End
9 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., 214-742-3400 or dadadallas.com, $5

Arthur Pena's Vice Palace has been at the center of the Dallas-area DIY scene for the last few years, but this month the "roving venue" project will call it quits. With rising costs and logistical hiccups being the main culprits, area folks will now be deprived of envelope-pushing, genre-stretching performances that consistently challenged artists' creativity and audience's perceptions. The final live show goes down Friday night at Club Dada, a venue with a sweaty, basement-esque atmosphere that makes it an appropriate location to say farewell. Attendees will be treated to a six-artist bill headlined by Badtwin, Def Rain and futuristic synthesizer interpreter Cygnus. The $5 admission includes Vice Palace Tapes' final cassette giveaway and is a small fee to pay for what will surely be a musical and visual spectacle. Jeff Strowe


Wiz Khalifa
With D.R.A.M., Smoke Dza, Sosamann, AV the Great, DJ SOBER and bemyfriend, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, at The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., 214-932-6501 or thebombfactory.com, $48 to $128

If you can look past the amount of weed Wiz Khalifa smokes and how much tabloid exposure he's had in the past few years, you will find someone who keeps honing his craft as a hip-hop artist. He's been pumping out music for 10 years now and his stature continues to rise. With smooth synth tunes like "We Dem Boyz" and "Pull Up," Khalifa keeps his rhymes steady and his tunes accessible. This Friday night show at one of the best venues in town should be packed. And it will probably be a pretty long one, too, as there are five opening acts. Pace yourself, friends. Eric Grubbs


Legends of Southern Hip Hop
With Mystikal, Juvenile, 8Ball & MJG, Trick Daddy, Bun B, Scarface and More, 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 18, at Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, 972-854-5111 or verizontheatre.com, $56.75 to $129.75

Now that classic hip-hop stations like Dallas’ Boom 94.5 are popping up across the country and giving hit rap songs from the late '90s to mid-2000s new life, touring lineups featuring legacy hip-hop acts are becoming the new norm. This particular lineup featuring Mystikal, Juvenile, 8Ball & MJG, Trick Daddy, Bun B and Scarface is a real treat for the city, though, as there is some regional pride involved. In their time, tracks like Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” and “Ha,” Mystikal’s “Shake Ya Ass” and Scarface’s “My Block” dominated Dallas’ hip-hop stations. And of course anywhere Bun B and Scarface go in Texas they’re treated like royalty. There’s no doubt this festival-like show will deliver hours of nostalgia-inducing classics. The most intriguing aspect of the night will be seeing if the artists have the stamina to deliver high energy shows like they used to. Mikel Galicia


Timeflies
9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at Dada, 2720 Elm St., 214-742-3400 or dadadallas.com, $27

We've come a long way since the four- to five-piece boy bands of the '90s and early 2000s. Now the roster for bubble gum pop acts is a lot shorter. Especially for bands like Timeflies. They get the job done just as well as a duo — and, heck, they even play a couple of their own instruments. Diamond Victoria


Mac Miller
7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 19, at The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., 214-932-6501 or thebombfactory.com, $30

A drunk dial to iconic record producer Rick Rubin led Mac Miller to a path of success the 23-year-old has walked since he was a 19-year-old independent legend with a No. 1 debut studio album under his belt. Miller’s tours are one of the most complete show experiences around, too. He has been known to experiment with his music in a live setting with the help of a backing band, and his past tours have included once-unknowns such as YG, Chance the Rapper, Vince Staples and Casey Veggies, so get there early. Mikel Galicia


The 2nd Annual Ghosty Awards
With 88 Killa and the High Moons, 7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St. or threelinksdeepellum.com, $5

Hosted by Dallas' own Ghost of Blind Lemon, the Ghosty Awards are back for their second year to highlight some of Dallas' best and brightest in the music scene. With six categories including best live act, best new act and best questionably local act, to name a few, locals can vote for their favorites before the winners are revealed Sunday night. Diamond Victoria