We're changing it up here a bit, guys. For the past several months you've seen two blog posts outta me each week, breaking up the area's best concerts into two separate blog posts: Freakin' Weekday and Freakin' Weekend. Starting today, you'll get just one: Freakin' Week; which is a go-to guide for what we perceive are DFW's best concerts for the entire week. It's a one stop shop, you might say! This week gives us an assortment of both well-knowns, like Randy Travis and Sarah Jaffe, and lesser-known local acts that are just getting their feet wet in the DFW music scene. Any questions?
The Relatives Friday, March 22, at The Kessler Theater, $20-$30 It's often noted that clichés get that way because there's some truth in the phrase or word. A number of superlative clichés apply to the resurrected Dallas soul-edelic gospel funk masters The Relatives. Just a few days ago, the group of men, led by brothers the Reverend Gene West and Tommie West, stirred hundreds of sleepy souls into a hand-waving, tongues-speaking mass of revived spirits when the group performed an early-morning set of tunes during South by Southwest in a ballroom at the Four Seasons Hotel. Thanks to the majestic grooves found on their debut full-length, Electric Word, The Relatives will now be relevant for eternity. -- Kelly Dearmore
Tony Ferraro and the Satans of Soft Rock, It Hurts To Be Dead, Bad Design, Paper Robot Friday, March 22, at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, $5/$7 Wichita Falls' post-hardcore trio It Hurts To Be Dead couldn't be more lucky to be wedged in the middle of a lineup like this. We've talked quite a bit about Tony Ferraro and the Satans of Soft Rock lately, mainly because the group's infectious pop-rock nestles itself somewhere deep in your cerebellum. They will headline a bill with DOMA nominees Bad Design, who will bring their complex riffs and math-like approach to alternative rock, while Cody Robinson of Denton's Paper Robot will play his stripped down grunge. It's an eclectic blend of rock for just five bucks. -- Rachel Watts
DJ Red Eye, DJ Sober, Eli Escobar Saturday, March 23, at It'll Do, Free/$10 East Dallas' favorite dance club will host two of East Dallas' favorite DJs. Imagine that. DJ Red Eye has been DJing professionally for 20 years and was exposed to the art of spinning at an early age. DJ Sober, most well-known these days as the DJ for ADd+, is a skinny white guy who is swiftly becoming his own empire. See the two with Eli Escobar this Saturday for free--if, that is--you wear your warm up gear, if not, it's 10 bucks. -- Rachel Watts
Babar, Biographies, Blessin', Bashe Saturday, March 23, at The Crown & Harp, Free Lyric-less math rock band Babar will headline a show at The Crown & Harp in Dallas this week, after their latest release, You're Doing Alright. It lives up to every bit of the calculated, mathy shtick that the Babar trio has had since 2009, it's just updated and elevated. Experimental six-piece Biographies will co-headline, a band that has been packing every venue in DFW since their formation just last year. The group is about to drop their brand new self-titled debut album on March 30. Back in the fall, I told you about Blessin', a young group of guys who make shoegazey dream-pop, and who I said were a band to watch in 2013. It's true. More and more we've noticed that they're not just the opening act anymore. Another relative newbie on the block is Bashe, an experimental pop trio out of Denton, headed by former Peopleodeon and Gossamer member Joe Overman. Try to ignore all of the "B" alliteration on the show flier; this is one free show you don't wannna miss. -- Rachel Watts
Animal Spirit, Dog with a Black Tongue, Old Potion, Claire Morales Saturday, March 23, at Macaroni Island, Free As long as you follow the house rules, you're free to attend this awesome show: No jerks, no underage drinking, respect the house and neighbors and carpool, walk or bike over to the house if possible. The 2311 Houston Pl. house venue in Denton has seen a lot of action since its opening last summer. This weekend Michael Briggs of Gutterth Records has put together an excellent bill, bookended by two awesome acts. Sexy indie pop-rock group Animal Spirit and Denton's solo singer-songwriter Claire Morales are two amazing reasons to attend. Dog with a Black Tongue and Old Potion are two local acts with a penchant for fusing folk and rock 'n' roll, so, you know, go to the show already. -- Rachel Watts
Randy Travis Saturday, March 23, at Billy Bob's Texas, Fort Worth, $15-$35 Randy Travis had a rough 2012. We would never wish ill upon one of country music's living kings, but there is some truth that a rough year can make for great art. If you'd like to see the legend at his most unpredictable, now might be the time. Country music and gospel have always spoken to one another, but Travis' career in both genres has been especially bright -- his most recent collection of greatest hits, I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis, features the brightest moments from both. Travis still has the kind of catalog that even non-country fans find themselves singing along to. You may only hear "Forever and Ever Amen," in grocery stores these days, but I bet you still know all the words. Go find a spot to perch with a beer and listen to see if you can hear a new longing in his voice. And then maybe give the old boy a hug. -- Deb Doing Dallas
Sarah Jaffe Saturday, March 23, and Sunday, March 24, at Dan's Silverleaf, $15/$20 Sarah Jaffe never seems content to rest on her laurels. At least not in the past five years that she's spent recording, touring, experimenting and earning accolades. And if we took all of the music awards, hype and buzz away from Jaffe -- even the Jimmy Kimmel Live! appearance and the NPR Song of the Day pick for "Glorified High" -- and we set her up on a stage in Denton with a guitar, there would still be a confidant powder keg of a singer-songwriter capable of bringing couples to dance, moving fans to tears and defanging even the snarkiest of critics. She's playing back-to-back shows at Dan's with Dallas art-pop act These Machines Are Winning opening Saturday. John Dufilho (of The Deathray Davies and The Apples in Stereo) opens the early show Sunday with his solo alt-rock act, John Singer Sergeant. -- Daniel Rodrigue
DJG, Tommyboy, DJ Gavin G. and Brian Bishop Sunday, March 24, at B4, Free B4 is a retail shop at 2707 Main St. in Deep Ellum that offers an eclectic mix of post-consumer vintage goods and kitsch ranging from lunchboxes and action figures to musical instruments, typewriters and film cameras. B4 also stocks more than 10,000 used vinyl records -- LPs and 45s. And, to boost awareness of their stacks of wax, B4's owners are throwing an afternoon party at the store "celebrating the format of favor" with local DJs and giveaways. The B4 Vinyl Celebration will feature area vinyl DJs DJG (Jonathan Graham), Tommyboy (Tommy Blackburn), DJ Gavin G. (Gavin Guthrie) and Brian Bishop. The event is free and BYOB, and runs from 2 until 6 p.m. -- Daniel Rodrigue
Diamond Age, Single Lash, Lily Taylor Tuesday, March 26, at The Crown & Harp, Free If you're in the mood for ambient, drony pop-rock, drop by The Crown & Harp on Tuesday for a free show. Diamond Age's solo drone tones will headline the night, and if you catch him in the right mood, you might get some bits from his unintentional stand-up routine. Single Lash is an Austin-based trio who produce loud, beautiful, dark, hypnotic music, which will be followed by opener Lily Taylor, a solo keyboardist who creates what she calls "avant pop." It'll be the perfect place to go to get in a daze. -- Rachel Watts
The O's Wednesday, March 27, at Lola's Saloon, Free Since forming in 2008, Taylor Young & John Pedigo, aka The O's, have done just about everything an up-and-coming act can do. They've toured throughout the United States, they took off for Europe, played every festival that would have them and had their music pop up on various TV shows. Odds are that if you saw any large indie-Americana act in the last few years, you saw The O's stealing the show as the openers. In an effort to produce an album that could live up to their Stuart Sikes-produced debut, Between the Two of Us, the duo retreated to the legendary Sonic Ranch outside of the small border town of Tornillo to record. Catch a glimpse of the guys' new songs Saturday at the Deep Ellum Big Folkin' Festival along with Maricopa County, RTB2 and the Quaker City Nighthawks. -- Jaime-Paul Falcon
