At the Drive-In

Ten Must-See Concerts in DFW This Week: May 23-29

Hello again, all! So, what you may not know is that each week I try to decide which picture of which band should go at the top of this weekly blog post. This week I settled on Guns N' Roses, since their fans span several generations; even though the tickets to their show this week are so totally out ... More >>

The Record Store Day Results are in at DFW Shops

This is not your everyday Billboard chart. Each week, we'll tell you which bands are selling in the fine record shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, where we consumers of music have impeccable taste. Record Store Day was a great success and brought outstanding numbers to last week's top sellin ... More >>

This Week's Top Show Announcements: Lil Wayne, Mumford & Sons, Keith Urban, P!NK and More

It's all pop stars and mainstreamers today. Lil Wayne, P!nk, John Mayer, Mumford & Sons ... this is a show announcement post that doesn't happen all too often. Soak it in. But let's not lie, the biggest announcement is Lil Wayne's tour, especially since we've all been wondering if he's OK since bein ... More >>

Ten Concerts We Can't Forget in 2012

My First Show: Best of 2012 Edition

We decided to check back in with some of the people we interviewed this year for My First Show, and ask about favorite concerts, records, and most-wanted Christmas gifts. Bad Design's Steven Altuna takes the cake for best answer for a Christmas wish. What was the best show you saw this year? Evan ... More >>

Ten of the Best Concerts of 2012

There were too many great performances this year, in venues big and small, by acts local and national, to thoroughly cover within the confines of a blog post. This year's DOMA showcase (self-indulgence alert!) provided some transcendent local sets, we had a wealth of great festival acts to consider, ... More >>

The Top Five Musical Resurrections of 2012

Top Five Musical Resurrections of 2012

2012 saw some big-name comebacks, emotional reunions, and just plain weird occurrences, proving that America's thirst for nostalgia has still not been quenched. Have recent years been the worst for this, or have I just forgotten about the last decade already? Could something as joyous as the resurre ... More >>

Get To Know Your 2012 DOMA Nominees: Bad Design

Leading up to our November 10 showcase, we'll be getting you familiar with some of our Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees, either via past features we've done on them, or new ones. As always, you can vote for your favorite acts, venues and more right here. This piece originally appeared in our F ... More >>

Joyce Manor's Matt Ebert On What To Do When Your Amp Is On Fire

It's easy to think four-piece Joyce Manor is a local band. They make their third appearance in the area this year on Sunday at Dada with Hate Your Friends, Hop Along and Fairbanks. We caught up with bassist Matt Ebert on his experiences playing in the area, an imaginary show with OFF!, and their wor ... More >>

Making My 16-Year-Old Cousin Listen To Therapy? and Hootie & the Blowfish

Unlike Jesse Hughey and Darryl Smyers, I do not have children yet. I come from a large family. My father is eldest of five, so it's understandable why I, a 33-year-old, have cousins who are teenagers. Something I've wondered about with my cousins is the kind of music they like these days. Is their ... More >>

A Road Trip Through Texas, And The State of Dallas Radio

In the last few months, research for a project has taken me across the state and, more recently, into Mexico. It may be something sentimental in me, or this weird notion that road trips are meant to be soundtracked by where you are and not by a list you cultivated online, but I noticed what was popu ... More >>

Waltz Around Our 100 Best Texas Songs

The 100 Best Texas Songs: The Complete List

100. Tripping Daisy, "Sonic Bloom" Before this album, the band had a grunge-pop affectation, but this song, from 1998's Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb, was more heartfelt than anything they'd done before. - Daniel Hopkins 99. Pleasant Grove, "The Plaque at 16ft" Bret Egner wrote "The Plaque at 16ft, ... More >>

The Best Texas Songs of All Time: #100-80

"Between the Hank Williams pain songs And Jerry Jeff's train songs And blue eyes cryin' in the rain Out in Luckenbach, Texas Ain't nobody feeling no pain" - Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, "Luckenbach, Texas" With that introduction, welcome to the first in a five-part series, in which we attempt ... More >>

This Weekend's Goings On: Summerland Tour, Gigamesh, And So I Watch You From Afar and More

Summerland TourSaturday, July 7, at Billy Bob's TexasThis tour consists of bands that have, at one time or another, annoyed the hell out of everyone in the Western world. The lineup -- all platinum selling artists -- consists of Everclear, Sugar Ray, Gin Blossoms, Lit and Marcy Playground.

House of Blues' Chris Spinks: "Venues Should Be Able to Help Each Other, Rather Than Fight Tooth and Nail"

Chris Spinks' folks raised him on a strict diet of classic rock. His friends upgraded that diet to all things Epitaph and Fat Wreck Chords when he got a little older, starting with Social Distortion's Live at the Roxy. From there, he played in a pop-punk band or two, landed a gig at the Vans store, ... More >>

The Rocket Summer's Bryce Avary on Reading Ray Bradbury and Being on Double Dare

Bryce Avary, the man behind The Rocket Summer, has been doing his project for more than a decade now. On the heels of his latest record, Life Will Write the Words, he returns to Dallas on Friday, with States and The Scene Aesthetic. En route to San Diego from Las Vegas, Avary called and we discuss ... More >>

At the Drive-In, Zechs Marquise - Trees - 4/10/12

At the Drive-In, Zechs Marquise Trees Tuesday, April 10 The last time At the Drive-In graced the stage at Trees, they looked like a band falling apart. Vocalist Cedric Bixler and guitarist Omar Rodriguez stayed on stage right, bouncing off each other while guitarist/vocalist Jim Ward, bassist Paul ... More >>

At The Drive-In To Play Intimate Gig At Trees Tomorrow

On Friday afternoon, clubs editor Daniel Hopkins played a fun game called How Many Promoters Does It Take To Confirm An At The Drive-In Show, and I believe the tally was three by day's end. As the weekend progressed, social media confirmed that the El Paso band's whereabouts on Tuesday night, especi ... More >>

Sealion on Playing Their First Show in Sweaters

You've seen the white and black Sealion sticker at most bars around Deep Ellum. Luckily, the band is worth the attention, and they're even hitting the road with the Toadies at the end of March. Friday, they play "the final Annex House show" at the fabled Lakewood crash pad. All four members of the ... More >>

Bad Design Talk About Their First Time

Bad Design's First Time, Plus the Premiere of Their New Video For "Stained Glass"

Remember when we said it was a busy week for Bad Design? Add the premiere of their new video for "Stained Glass," directed and shot by Christopher Bryan and starring Ally Hoffmann, both of Denton's Peopleodian. In this week's print edition, a shorter version of the My First Show Q&A appears due to ... More >>

Thrice Returns To The Form It Never Really Left