The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Nightwish, Foo Fighters, Lee Ann Womack and More

We've got a couple of festivals and a welcome-back show for a local favorite this week. Denton's Thin Line Fest offers us more than just three days of documentaries and photography; it's packed with an excellent lineup of local and nonlocal music acts. And Ska by Skawest celebrates all things ska and punk over two days at Three Links. Charley Crockett visits the Majestic Theatre, and punk outfit Screaming Females rounds out the week with a show at Dada. But catch plenty of other great music in between.


Josh Fleming
7 p.m. Monday, April 16, Fort Worth Live, 306 N. Houston St., 817-945-8890 or fortworthlive.live, free

Joshua Fleming, vocalist and guitarist for local cowpunk sextet Vandoliers, began hosting a recurring gig welcoming new songwriters at Fort Worth Live last month. Sharing his knowledge of the music biz, Fleming hopes to help young musicians find their foothold in the industry. During this "songwriter's night," as he calls it, Fleming plays his music and considers it a great chance to try out new material for the audience. He also wants the Monday night sets to be a way for young songwriters to hone their craft and network with local veteran musicians for potential collaborations. If you're looking to catch a first glimpse at some of the area's best up-and-coming singer-songwriters, this weekly gig is the place to be. Diamond Victoria


Nightwish
8 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, The Bomb Factory, 2713 Canton St., thebombfactory.com, $53.50.

Since forming in 1996, this Finnish group has become one of the biggest symphonic metal bands in the world. A listen through the band's vast catalog, epic and grand in nature, is like taking a trip through a cinematic action-adventure wonderland. Orchestral strings and keyboard swirls intersperse alongside power guitars and thunderous drumming. At the center of things is lead singer Floor Jansen, a powerful female voice who commands the songs with grace and aplomb. This tour finds the ensemble working its way through much of its Decades album, a recently released double-disc retrospective of hits. This should provide most of the Nightwishers (as their die-hard fans are known) a pleasant evening of memories and celebration. Jeff Strowe


Thin Line Fest
Wednesday through Sunday, April 18-22, Dan's Silverleaf, Andy's, J&J's Basement, Harvest House, Mulberry Street Cantina and more, Denton, thinline.us

In addition to the impressive slate of film and photography scheduled throughout the weekend, Denton's annual Thin Line Fest boasts an impressive collection of live music performances. The festival curators went out of their way this year to ensure that a wide variety of genres and performers are represented. If you're a fan of a certain type of music, you won't have to look far to find satisfaction. Dezi-5, 88 Killa, A Giant Dog, Mothership, Jessie Frye and Chris Watson are some of the more recognizable names on the bill. However, dig deep into the schedule to seek out many of the up-and-comers and hidden gems that dot the packed itinerary. Make a personal schedule or just go with the flow. In fact, your best bet may be to spend the four days simply walking around and popping in for hearty doses of live music in between movie screenings and exhibits. Plus, admission for all shows is free. Jeff Strowe


The Wailers
8 p.m. Thursday, April 19, Canton Hall, 2727 Canton St., cantonhall.com, $31.50

The legend of Bob Marley lives on through the relentless touring schedule of the Wailers. Just to be clear, though, these aren’t the original Wailers. However, a few of them played with Marley after his most iconic releases and after original members of the band left. These Wailers are also renowned for their live shows and deliver fantastic renditions of classic hits from the Marley catalog. Their Grammy-nominated works bear Latin and jazz influences. Mikel Galicia


Ska by Skawest
With The Holophonics, Abraskadabara, Flip & the Combined Effort and more, 8 p.m. and 3 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 20-21, Three Links, 2704 Elm St., threelinksdeepellum.com, $15-$35

Ska by Skawest celebrates all things ska and punk. For its fourth year around, catch 19 bands over two days that embody elements of ska, reggae, two-tone, rocksteady, third wave and dance. Of the bands taking the stage, Denton-based The Holophonics has taken its roots as a ska cover party band to self-recording and self-releasing a 13-album discography — three of which are all original music — since 2012. DV


Claptone
9 p.m. Friday, April 20, It'll Do, 4322 Elm St., 214-827-0262, $25-$30

Claptone is a German DJ and EDM producer. He's released two albums since 2013 — Charmer and The Masquerade Mixes, the first having collaborations with indie outfits  Peter Bjorn and John, Boxer Rebellion and others. Little is known about the ever-elusive masked and gloved Berlin native. DV


Charley Crockett
7:30 p.m. Friday, April 20, Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St., $60

Charley Crockett was destined to be an outsider. A mixed-race kid born into poverty in the Rio Grande Valley, he found refuge in the in-between spaces, first among the squatters of New Orleans and then as a busker in New York’s subways. He couldn’t have been anything but a blues musician. His music is rich with Southern flavor, a musical gumbo of Delta blues, honky-tonk, gospel and Cajun jazz. It’s the manifestation of a hard-lived life, and it’s earned the attention of many in Dallas. Eva Raggio


Foo Fighters
With the Struts, 7 p.m. Saturday, April 21, Starplex Pavillion, 3839 S. Fitzhugh Ave., sold out

They played a secret show in an East Dallas garage a few years ago, but the Foo Fighters have not played a large venue here in 10 years. The band continues to be a huge draw, and this show is already sold out. For those going, expect a long and intense set from Dave Grohl and his bandmates. They're touring off their latest, Concrete and Gold, but expect this set to be filled with their biggest hits, from "Everlong' to "The Pretender." People might slag Grohl for being almost everywhere in the media, from articles to documentaries, but the guy is one of a kind — a knowledgeable, entertaining and smart dude who has successfully run his band for a couple of decades now. Eric Grubbs


Lee Ann Womack
7 p.m. Sunday, April 22, The Kessler, 1230 W. Davis St., 214-272-8346, $75

Nowadays, country music evokes a sense of cynicism in some listeners. It's been co-opted in part by the revival of a more folk-leaning sound and diluted by the cheap pop callbacks to mom and God and country, so prevalent with the Luke Bryan set. A legend like Lee Ann Womack transcends the genre. Where most pop-country acts have seemingly turned back to the analytics in search for the lowest common denominator, Womack’s 2017 release, The Lonely, The Lonesome & The Gone, combines a mix of modern convention with a reverence for the old days of George Jones, Nudie Suits and porch swing troubadours. Cover tracks like “Long Black Veil” and “He Called me Baby” brush the dust off of folk-country classics. “Long Black Veil” showcases the characteristic subtlety with a spacious rendition of the classic tune. Womack takes things back to basics, aiming for emotional integrity and embodying the old “three cords and the truth” method of songwriting without ignoring the impact of the modern era. Accessible and complex at the same time, Womack goes further than country, pop or Americana. She takes the best from each and breathes her soul in to each track, sparking new worlds with every verse. Nicholas Bostick


Screaming Females
7 p.m. Sunday, April 22, Dada, 2720 Elm St., 214-742-3400, dadadallas.com, $13

The New Jersey natives of punk rock trio Screaming Females just released their seventh full-length album, All At Once, which has some critics cheering its "pop-punk" sound. The band, however, doesn't note any effort on its part to create a specific sound. Spin magazine dubbed frontwoman Marissa Paternoster the 77th-greatest guitar player of all time. DV