The Dillinger Escape Plan
With Tera Melos, Vattnet Viskar and Baring Teeth, 7 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com
When they came to town last year, Dillinger Escape Plan played a venue that wasn't equipped for their controlled chaos. Issues with the barrier and human interaction between the band and audience were prevalent, stifling the whole show. This time, Trees is fully capable of avoiding such issues. The New Jersey five-piece is not an everyman kind of band, given its mix of King Crimson-by-way-of-mid-'90s hardcore. But if you love this band, you can't really get enough of seeing them play over and over again. Guitarist Ben Weinman will throw caution to the wind with his various jumps and planks around the stage, frontman Greg Puciato will test his vocal-cord capacity with the full spectrum of his voice and drummer Billy Rymer will make the almost-impossible look like training exercises. With some new material to share, it's an extra incentive to see Dillinger now, whether it's your first time or your 10th. Eric Grubbs
Trampled by Turtles
With Spirit Family Reunion, 8 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at South Side Music Hall, 1135 S. Lamar St., 214-421-2021 or gilleysdallas.com
Minnesota's Trampled by Turtles have long toyed with notions of tradition. In spite of its funny name, the band has channeled the Iron Range ruggedness of northern bluegrass outpost Duluth and become one of the most appreciated acoustic groups in the country in recent years. While the group, who just released the fantastic Live at First Avenue, keeps things unplugged, they still paint outside the lines of traditional bluegrass structure with their energy and rebellious spirit. Formed in 2003, TBT have managed to practically perfect an ability to believably go from frenetic thrashing ("Wait So Long") to pensive balladry that ends up as a rousing anthem ("Midnight on the Interstate"). Like many bluegrass groups, this five-piece knows how to bend cover tunes to fit their sonic sensibility, as their sublime take on the Pixies classic "Where Is My Mind" proves. Indeed, this group will trample most folks' expectations of what an acoustic band is supposed to be. Kelly Dearmore
The Faint
With Reptar and Solid Goldberg, 8 p.m. Thursday, May 1, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com
The post-punk-dance-metal-pop hybrid produced by Nebraska's the Faint can be fascinatingly intense or cloyingly annoying. The dichotomy can partly be attributed to a dizzying array of personnel changes that have resulted in five full-length releases that could easily have come from five different bands. The most recent effort, Doom Abuse, is the perfect introduction to the wild and woolly world of the Faint. Throughout it all, Todd Fink and crew remain intense and interesting, two qualities that are inherent in bands worthy of checking out on a Friday night. Darryl Smyers
Gavin DeGraw
With Parachute and Nick Gardner, 8 p.m. Friday, May 2, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas
Gavin DeGraw entered every teenage girl's living room in 2003 when he sang the theme song of the WB's One Tree Hill, "I Don't Want To Be." But he's so much more than that. As a singer-songwriter, DeGraw has the ability to produce a mega radio hit, and then strip it down to an acoustic version for a more romantic touch, something he did with albums Chariot and Chariot Stripped. And while he typically sings about love, heartache and the like, he also takes on different topics. "Medicate the Kids," for instance, takes on the irony of teaching children to say no to drugs and then turning around and prescribing them medication. But if you get the chance to see him at HOB, unpredictability will certainly be the norm: He tends to change up the arrangements of his hits, oftentimes with the accompaniment of a piano or guitar. Paige Skinner
The Warlocks
With Bravo Max! and Drug Animal, 8 p.m. Friday, May 2, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., threelinksdeepellum.com.
With a name that conjures up memories of late-'60s garage rock acts, The Warlocks are actually a sprawling and impressive ensemble that make music that is joyfully difficult to classify. Led by the enigmatic Bobby Hecksher, The Warlocks play dark, psychedelic rock that meanders but is rarely boring. Inspired of course by the Velvet Underground (a band once known as The Warlocks), Hecksher is a keen arranger, but only an average lyricist. Words hardly matter against the drone that is most of Skull Worship, the band's most recent buzzing opus. The Warlocks make tactile music that may not be earth-shattering, but it is certainly good at setting an ominous mood. Darryl Smyers
Suburbia Music Festival
10 a.m. Saturday, May 3, and Sunday, May 4, Oak Point Park & Nature Preserve, 2801 E. Spring Creek Parkway, Plano, suburbiamusicfest.com.
The suburbs often get a bad rap from those living inside the Big D bubble. And to be sure, some of the hatred is warranted. But let's give Plano some credit: Presented with a chance to host a big-ticket event that would make even the most metropolitan of urban dwellers envious, it snatched it up and has run with it admirably. The name of the event, Suburbia Music Festival, is even a bit of a middle finger to Dallas and Fort Worth. Bragging about living in white-flight sprawl isn't something folks around here are used to, but good for Plano, because it's a fun and varied lineup. With music spanning hip-hop (J. Cole, Run the Jewels), indie rock (Tegan and Sarah, Surfer Blood), roots (Delta Rae, Hayes Carll), radio-ready alt-rock (Blue October, Third Eye Blind) and electronic (David Guetta, GTA), the 'burbs are the place to be — for this weekend, at least. Kelly Dearmore
Tom Jones
With Roxy Roca, 8 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com
Brace yourselves ladies: The legendary singer and ever-handsome Tom Jones has broken up with Las Vegas and is on the prowl. The Welsh-born singer is a beloved American icon of Elvis-sized proportions, a seasoned performer with an enduring career, and a favorite lounge act for over 40 years. Aside from the wonderful fun of seeing your own mother (maybe even grandmother) dancing in the midst of near hysteria, the show promises an eclectic set list, in which Sir Tom (who was, seriously, knighted — we imagine for having the audacity to release a song called "Sex Bomb" at age 60) will perform his classic pop hits such as " It's Not Unusual" and "What's New Pussycat?" as well as songs off his 2012 album Spirit in the Room — a collection of American roots covers from artists such as Tom Waits and Leonard Cohen. Eva Raggio
