This weekend will be insane. And it all starts with Swedish pop star Robyn, who will be performing at South Side Music Hall tonight. She's managed to find a nice happy medium with her highly credible, highly danceable, modern pop music, and tonight will afford her fans a chance to see just how good her live performance is.
But, even if you're not in the mood for that sort of thing, we've all got plenty of other shows going on this weekend -- starting with the ones we've already mentioned.
Tonight, Beth Orton will be over at Dan's Silverleaf. Word on the street is that members of Midlake may or may not (update: definitely will) be backing her. And over at Granada Theater, Sebadoh, Quasi and a reunited Dove Hunter will perform. Meanwhile, Miranda Lambert will be over at Billy Bob's Texas on Friday and Saturday.
On Saturday, Broken Social Scene, or "Broke Sosh," as we call them around the office, will be at House Of Blues with opening act Zeus, and The Pretty Reckless will be there, too, but in the small room. At The Loft, Tapes N' Tapes and Oberhofer will perform. Up in Denton, Ty Segall will perform at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios.
Lastly, on Sunday, Jeff Coffin and Nadia Washington will perform at The Kessler Theater.
More of this weekend's shows after the jump...
Diamond Age, The Flowers Of God
Friday, February 18, at Pastime Tavern
There's an event for this show on the Pastime Tavern Facebook page that points out that tonight's show will be the Dallas debut of The Flowers Of God. So, for only five dollars, you can witness history. Even if the "witnessing history" part is a tall claim, this is one of the best shows to see on a jam-packed weekend.
Menkena, Novaak
Friday, February 18, at Hailey's Club
With Menkena's mellow yet loud shoegaze and Novaak's cinematic, sugar-coated pop, this is the place to be in Denton tonight. Well, OK, one of the places to be in Denton tonight. Yes, a certain British lass is playing down the street. But Menkena and Novaak certainly make a pretty strong case for their show.
Pimpadelic, Funk Among Us, American Ritual
Friday, February 18, at Curtain Club
Wow. Can't believe these guys are still around.
Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, Jonathan Tyler & The Northern Lights
Friday, February 18, at House Of Blues
There are so many similarities between these two acts. Both have an ampersand in their band name. Both dress, act, and play like bands from the '70s, in that order. And both will share the stage tonight at the House Of Blues. So grab your bandannas, your sunglasses -- to be worn indoors, of course -- and head up to the House Of Blues for some real, authentic rock 'n' roll.
Record Hop, Watching The Moon, Oh Lewis
Friday, February 18, at Double Wide
The Double Wide is the perfect venue for the aggressive rock from Denton's beloved veterans, Record Hop. Add in Austin's Watching The Moon and Denton's Oh Lewis and you've got yourself a solid show.
Electro Magnetics, DJ EWI, Club Wood
Saturday, February 19, at Sons Of Hermann Hall
Dallas' slightly psychedelic, throwback rock band The Electro Magnetics have worked really hard to create their sophomore album. At least that's what they say in their video promoting their concert on Saturday, which will mark the release of the aforementioned record, titled Open Sky.
Toby Keith
Saturday, February 19, at Dallas Cowboys Stadium
Yes, it's true. The Beer For My Horses star, and entrepreneur behind "I Love This Bar & Grill" will be in Arlington this weekend. But don't be fooled: He's not the headliner for tomorrow's performance. It's actually a rodeo. Professional Bull Riding's Iron Cowboy Invitational, to be exact. So, if that's what you want to do with your Saturday night, more power to you.
Mixmaster Mike
Saturday, February 19, at Granada Theater
He's the DJ in the Beastie Boys' song "3 MC's & 1 DJ," and he's headlining the Red Bull THRE3style DJ Competition on Saturday night. Makes perfect sense. There are only a handful of DJs in the world who've surpassed Mixmaster Mike critically or commercially. He's one of the most well-regarded DJs in the game. This show offers a great opportunity to see a legend, and it's definitely worth the $15 to $30 cost of admission.
Swans, Wooden Wand
Saturday, February 19, at South Side Music Hall
Swans, a legendary post-punk band from the '80s and '90s, have reformed after initially breaking up 14 years ago. Their menacing yet powerful sound was forged in the New York No Wave scene in the early '80s. And, if their Myspace site, which has them listed as "Swans Are Not Dead" is any indication, they will be around for a while longer.
Tapes N' Tapes
Saturday, February 19, at Good Records
Sure, these indie darlings are playing at The Loft on Saturday night, but head over to Good Records and catch them live on the astro-turf earlier that afternoon. Who knows? The kind folks at Good might even have a beer keg tapped and ready to go, as they often do.
Hares On The Mountain
Sunday, February 20, at Dan's Silverleaf
Surprise, surprise: Ryan Thomas Becker is in another band, and judging by the video on their Facebook page, it's another really good one. He and his Slow Burners band mate, George Neal (also of Little Grizzly), have teamed up to form Hares On The Mountain, which features Becker on drums and bass, and Neal on vocals, guitar, and other various instruments.
...and that's about it from us. Feel free to add more show suggestions in the comments, and have fun deciding what to do this weekend. There's a lot to choose from.
We'll see you back here on Monday...