It feels like the first weekend with nice weather since Zach Morris had the brick phone. That's because it has been roughly two decades since our weekends weren't a polar vortex. Enjoy yourself with these concerts. The Josh Abbot Band is even playing outside for St. Patty's Day. Charlie Wilson is at Grand Prairie. 35 Denton comes back as a now three day festival. Larry g(EE) and a slew of other gifted local musicians do Club Dada, and hell there's a lot of great choices this weekend. Go to every single one of them if you can.
See also: 35 Denton Lives to Fight Another Day After a Year on the Brink Josh Abbott Band is Ready to Make the Jump from Texas Country to the Mainstream
Charlie Wilson With KEM and Joe, 8 p.m. Friday, March 13, at Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Pl., Grand Prairie, 972-854-5111 or verizontheatre.com, $35-$125 Kanye West's Yeezus was a rock 'em, sock 'em punk opera. But on "Bound 2," Kanye shirked his multiple coats of war paint for a toast to domestic bliss. The behemoth falsetto you hear on this track's outro belongs to "Uncle" Charlie Wilson, an avuncular sixtysomething with the oratorical command and fashion sense of a televangelist. For 40 years, Wilson has been belting out candlelit R&B ballads, first as a member of the Gap Band, then as a solo performer. His new album, Forever Charlie (RCA/Sony), is not materially different than his past work. Wilson issues recurrent appeals to matrimonial harmony, singing with preacherly conviction; it's not hard to imagine him convening a summit on how to arrest our nation's divorce rate. Forever Charlie's tidily arranged backing tracks might be a little anodyne -- Uncle Char has always been faithfully observant of quiet storm doctrine -- but Wilson's voice is powerful enough to send chills through a packed cathedral. M.T. Richards
Larry g(EE) With -topic, Kirk Thurmond & the Millennials, Olu Blis, 9 p.m., Friday, March 13, at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., dadadallas.com, $10 It's a local music extravaganza. Your headliner is Larry g(EE), a wildly talented soul singer who, if he doesn't at the very least make you dance with your arms, shows that you are a person with a black soul for a heart. Revered backpack rapper, (who can sometimes be spotted with a backpack, while riding a skateboard) -topic is gets second billing. Kirk Thurmond and his band The Millennials provide some more soul on the smoother side of things, Olu Bliss, and r&b singer round out this solid bill. H. Drew Blackburn
Aesop Rock With Rob Sonic and DJ Abilities, Friday, 7 p.m. March 13, at Gas Monkey Bar & Grill, 10261 Technology Blvd. E., 214-350-1904 or gasmonkeybarngrill.com, $20-$40 If you've ever taken over the auxiliary cord at a party to put on your go-to Drake banger, only to be accosted by a rando white dude talking insistently about "real hip-hop," there's a good chance you've heard of Aesop Rock. But we can't blame the guy for his obnoxious audience (ditto for A$AP Rocky) and even a cursory listen to 2001's underground-classic Labor Days or 2012's self-produced Skelethon will convince you he's a ridiculous wordsmith and a capable MC, albeit something of an acquired taste. The latter album also gives us a window into an oddball recent pastime to look out for, collaborating with former Moldy Peach Kimya Dawson; they put out a joint full-length as the Uncluded in 2013 (and it's weird). This isn't Big Sean party rap, or even Run the Jewels message rap; it's for digging into and poring over, because he has scrupulously avoided sonics you could conceivably call catchy. If you're going to see Aesop live, you better hope his brand of word collage has already tickled your fancy somewhere along the line, otherwise you might be in for some alienation. But hey, that can be good for you, too. Brian J. Peterson
Josh Abbot Band With Cory Morrow, Ray Johnston Band, Tyler & the Tribe, Breaking Southwest, 12 p.m., Saturday, March 14, at Energy Square. 4849 Greenville Ave, 877-987-6487, $15-$100 We are gonna self promote this here. We're gonna basically do the same thing as retweeting every compliment you receive. Not because our parents don't love us (they don't, who could love a music writer?). But, because it's best you know that for our annual St. Patrick's Day concert, we're witching things up from the previous washed up rap acts and giving you a relevant country band in the Josh Abbot Band from Lubbock, Texas. The red dirt stars hail from the west Texas town that's know for it's stink, but stink this band does not. Drink yourself green and enjoy the show. HDB
RJD2 With Option4, 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at Gas Monkey Live, 10110 Technology Blvd. E, gasmonkeybarngrill.com, $15-40 Hip hop beats, '70s funk, rap, indie rock and electronic experimentation have all had an intertwining and innovative place in DJ and producer RJD2's repertoire since his first full-length album Dead Ringer appeared in 2002. The Philadelphia native otherwise known as Ramble Jon Krohn hasn't released an album since More Is Than Isn't in 2013, but he steadily continues to share remixes and tour with either a backing band or on his own. In addition to running his own label, Electrical Connections, Krohn is also working on new music. His instrumental version of "A Beautiful Mine," which originally appeared on an album with vocals by rapper Aceyalone, is the theme song for the ever-cool Mad Men. On stage, Krohn sometimes appears as a very uncool robot donning a look situated somewhere between a sloppily dressed Daft Punk and Gort from The Day the Earth Stood Still. But with his genre-defying creativity, RJD2 surpasses the often-monotonous EDM permeating the current mainstream dance and electronic music scene. Kristin Lockhart
Indie-Rock Latin America 2015 with Chancha Via Circuito, Pommez Internacional, Mayta, Making Movies, SuperSonic Lips, 7 p.m., Saturday, March 14, at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., dadadallas.com, $10 One of the most under-appreciated genres of music out there is Latin music. The closest Latin music has gotten to the Billboard charts since the Spanish version of hit songs by J-Lo and Christina Aguilera in the past ten years was that one time Drake said Spanish girls love him like he's Aventura. Here's a whole bill of Spanish rock, some if it more rockish than others, some more jazzish, all of it rich in culture and most importantly awesome sounds. HDB
Rob Thomas 7 p.m. Saturday, March 14, Choctaw Casino, 4216 S. Hwy 69/75, Durant, Oklahoma, 1-888-652-4628 or choctawcasinos.com/choctaw-durant, $55-$75 Rob Thomas is playing at Choctaw Event Center in Durant, Oklahoma on Saturday, March 14th. But, you already knew that. You screamed, "OH, HELL YES" when you saw the giant billboard on I-75 with his giant Rob Thomas face on it and those intense Rob Thomas eyeballs staring right into your white-blues soul. You went online to buy tickets, and things got even better: this is a Rob Thomas solo tour. No other Matchboxes will be there. Just him, his Rob Thomas guitar, his Rob Thomas piano, and his fuckin' bad-to-the-bone Rob Thomas voice. You immediately see yourself at the concert, saving the day for Rob Thomas because he was like, "Aww dang, the other Matchboxes aren't here and I need someone who can play the tambourine. What will I do? I'm Rob Thomas and I'm in trouble." And you whip out your travel tambourine and start rocking the shit out of it and then Rob Thomas high-fives you and then you share a mic with him back-to-back and you're all, "Gimme your heart! Make it real! OR ELSE FORGETMMBADDIT!" It's the best. The Chocktaw buffalo nods: "Yes. This is, indeed, The Best." Alice Laussade
35 Denton With The Zombies, Slobberbone, Cymbals Eat Guitars, Jamaican Queens, Happyness and more, Friday March 13 - Sunday March 15, Denton, TX, 35Denton.com, $25-$100 The crown jewel of Denton music took a bit of a sabbatical in hopes of returning stronger than ever. Sadly, though, that isn't really the case. To its credit, though, the Zombies have been brought on to headline and some skilled national acts like Cymbals Eat Guitars, Jamaican Queens and Happyness are coming into town as well. But, the collective bill in terms of national acts leaves us wishing for a bit more. The crown jewel of this year's fest is the local bill which hosts plenty of great local bands from around the area. Still, that's nothing new or different than previous years. HDB
Surfer Blood With Turbo Fruits, Sun Club, 7 p.m., Sunday, March 15, at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., dadadallas.com, $12-$15 Surf rock can get a little hectic and heavy sometimes. That's exactly what Surfer Blood from West Palm Beach, Florida is here for. The band's debut album from 2010 made waves (er) for it's raw take on the genre. In 2012 the lead vocalist, John Paul Pitts got arrested for battery and the charges were dropped. The arrest caused a little bit of a rift in the band, but they're still going at it. This year, the band releases their third studio album, 1000 Palms. HDB
The Phuss with FEA, From Parts Unknown, The Wyldz, The Costanzas, 8 p.m., Sunday, March 15, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., www.threelinksdeepellum.com, $5-$7 What's all the fuss about, The Phuss? Wait, yes that was corny, but please don't close the tab. Out of Fort Worth, The Phuss is one of North Texas' most exciting rock acts and we're not slacking at all in that sphere. The band's got a knack for dirty guitar riffs and a whole lot of energy. They're best described as a cross between garage and punk. Well, actually, best described as a hell of a good time if you like guitars, explosive drums, and amps turned up to 11. HDB
DC9 AT NIGHT'S GREATEST HITS
50 Signs You've Been Partying Too Long in Denton
Florida Georgia Line Danced on the Grave of Country at Gexa on Saturday
HOT 93.3 FM Has Already Given Up on Classic Hip Hop
The 50 Best Red Dirt Texas Country Songs
The Best Places in Dallas to Go When You're Stoned
