23 Things To Do in Dallas This Week, March 2 – 8

Monday, March 2

Banding Together
The McKinney and Plano community bands join their ensembles of volunteer musicians for a free performance at 7:30 p.m. Monday, March 2, at the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive, Richardson. For more information, visit Planoband.com. Eva Raggio

Tuesday, March 3

Super Tuesday Watch Party
The 2020 Democratic primary seems to be dragging on for an eternity, but we’re getting that much closer to knowing the answer to the Bern-ing question of who will go up against Donald Trump in the next presidential election. Whether you’ll be celebrating or crying because your candidate won or lost, you’ll likely want to drink and be around others who can stop you from making bad decisions. The best place to do this is at the Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., where the Dallas County Young Democrats will be celebrating the end of a hard campaign. The event runs 7-10 p.m. on Tuesday, March 3. Entrance to the venue is free. For more info, visit eventbrite.com. Eva Raggio

Wednesday, March 4

Owls of North Texas
Rats suck. You can tell how many people agree by the number of poison-bait boxes that line the ground outside of so many businesses in town. Owls, however, are super cool — high-powered hearing and vision, designed to fly quietly, neck on a swivel. They also eat rats, which is good, so it's probably a good idea not to poison the raptors. Some research suggests that the latest generation of rat poisons, which kill relatively slowly, do exactly that. Hear about the threat rodenticides pose toward owls from two animal experts, Erich Neupert and Tracy Cassidy, as they speak at a meeting of the North Texas Chapter Master Naturalists meeting. It's free and open to everyone who wants to hear about saving owls. A potluck social begins at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday and the talks start at 7:30 p.m. at the Texas A&M AgriLife Dallas County Extension Satellite Office, 715 Rowlett Road, Garland. (An odd event for our calendar, you say? You must not have ever seen an owl in flight at night in the city. So freaking cool.) Patrick Williams

The Red Pears
One hot summer day in 2014, a seed was planted somewhere around El Monte, California. It happened the moment musicians Henry Vargas and José Corona began talking about starting a band. The two played their first show with Vargas on guitar and vocals, Corona on drums, at an open mic hosted by a local church. However, the tree that would later produce The Red Pears didn't really take root until the addition of Patrick Juarez on bass. About a year into its growth, the band released their album We Bring Anything to the Table … Except Tables, We Can’t Bring Tables to the Table — and that was it, The Red Pears finally fell from the tree and were ready to be consumed by the masses. That means you. Swing by Ruins to catch this El Monte, California, gem. It starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, at Ruins, 2653 Commerce St. Tickets are $12-$15 at eventbrite.com. Jacob Vaughn

La Pompe
Self-described as "A little bit of gypsy, a little bit of French, a whole lotta swing!," the four members of La Pompe bring a completely unique perspective to the local music scene. With a mandolin, guitar and upright bass anchoring Kat Hackett's charming vocals, their music swells with nostalgia and brims with a breezy pep that will have audiences tapping their toes and transported back in time to French cafés or dimly lit New York City jazz haunts. You'll likely recognize several songs in their vast songbook, but they're quick to also bust out an original composition or put a current spin on an old standard. Kick back and enjoy the free show as the band takes  center stage at 8 p.m. on Wednesday, March 4, at The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge, 2626-2630 Commerce St. Jeff Strowe

Thursday, March 5

Liberty & Laughter: The Lighter Side of the White House
How fitting that a comedian who became wildly wealthy telling toothless, mediocre jokes and maintaining a common-man façade that masked the conniving and backstabbing that led to his success would perform at the George W. Bush Presidential Center. Jay Leno is the perfect choice to headline the launch event for Liberty & Laughter: The Lighter Side of the White House, an exhibition that includes purportedly funny anecdotes from first families, “amusing artifacts” from presidential pranks, multimedia and more showing chief executive humor from the Founding Fathers’ time to the present. The exhibition opens Thursday at the center, 2943 SMU Blvd., and runs through Oct. 4. Leno will show clips and tell stories about his Tonight Show interviews with past candidates and presidents at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 10. Auditorium seats are no longer available, but overflow-seating tickets are $45 at 214-200-4300 or bushcenter.org. Museum admission is $10 to $16 depending on age and group size, and hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Jesse Hughey

Voices of Women
The Women’s Chorus of Dallas amplifies the voices of women year-round, but we particularly love their annual celebration of Women’s History Month. The choral group, comprising more than 70 members, is a mighty aural force all by itself, but when combined with the voices of singer/composer Moira Smiley, her vocal quintet VOCO and over 100 collegiate and high school choir singers? It’s gonna be a truly powerful and uplifting salute to the experience, contribution and expression of women everywhere. Voices of Women VI: Travelin’ Voices is visceral, inspiring and fun, and it’s slated for 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 5 at the Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora Street. Tickets are $15 to $45 at thewomenschorusofdallas.com. Jennifer Davis-Lamm

North By North
Touring behind their new album Get Weird, the Chicago rockers in North By North will roll through North Texas for a set at Double Wide, featuring Dallas native singer-songwriter Billy Law and others. The brainchild of Nate Girard (guitar, vocals) and Kendra Blank (drums), North By North was formed in 2012 and has performed hundreds of times in several countries. The band will share the stage with Billy Law, Danielle Grubb and Paper Saints. It starts at 8 p.m. Thursday, March 5, at Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St. Tickets are $10 at the door. Jacob Vaughn

Friday, March 6

One Night of Queen
Not like we needed proof, but a scientific study has determined that, technically speaking, Freddie Mercury had the greatest voice of all time. It wasn’t just Mercury’s gorgeously rich tone that made him an anomaly; the Queen frontman also had spellbinding stage presence, superb songwriting ability and endless charisma. Mercury is so inimitable, that when the remaining members tour these days with guest singers, like Adam Lambert, they don’t try to pass as Mercury decoys but instead bring their own flair to the band’s live shows. But One Night of Queen brings Gary Mullen, a Mercury impersonator who has won a record number of votes on the reality competition in which he first earned recognition. Even faithful subjects who bend the knee for Queen can enjoy the imitation brand every once in a while. It starts at 8 p.m. Friday, March 6, at 2403 Flora St. Tickets are $29-69 at attpac.org. Eva Raggio

North Texas Irish Festival
St. Patrick's Day is so pedestrian these days. It's just an excuse to wear green and drink until you can't feel your feet, all to celebrate some outdated ethnic stereotype. Why not attend an Irish festivity that actually celebrates the impact Irish culture has had on the world? The 38th annual North Texas Irish Festival runs Friday-Sunday, March 6-8, at Fair Park, 3809 Grand Ave. Guests can enjoy the soul-stirring sounds of renowned Irish folk music band Altan, hear authentic Celtic stories from passionate storytellers and enjoy whiskeys from distilleries like Teeling, Glendalough and Skrewball. Tickets for one day are $10 on Friday and $20 on Saturday and Sunday. Weekend passes are $30 for Saturday and Sunday and $35 for all three days. Guests who show up between 6 and 7 p.m. Friday get in for free. Tickets are available online at ntif.org. Danny Gallagher

Playwrights in the Newsroom
Brigham Mosley and Janielle Kastner spent hundreds of hours in The Dallas Morning News' offices researching their new two-person play, Playwrights in the Newsroom. They play fictionalized versions of themselves learning all about the work of newspaper reporters and editors. It's supposedly supportive of the good work done by journalists, local ones in this case. So ... thanks, you two, for the support. And really, everyone should go see this play at the Wyly Studio Theatre and, more important, subscribe to a newspaper or 20. Everyone, that is, except me. I've been in the Morning News' newsroom, been in newsrooms of some sort all my life. We type and talk on the phone for a living, so action-packed drama is going to be a stretch.  But, hey, it's new to you, and it's important stuff, so show the love and go. I suspect even I'll see it eventually and eternally if certain unpleasant theories about the afterlife are true. Performances run March 5-15, at the Wyly, 2400 Flora St. Friday's show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $29 plus fees. Patrick Williams

She-Rock
The light-purple-skinned heroine on the vibrant, eye-catching gig poster for the two-day She-Rock event in Denton is stylized after the She-Ra: Princess of Power cartoon series, and like last year’s event, this year’s poster for the two-day concert boasts a similarly attention-grabbing lineup of 25 all-female or female-fronted bands, singer-songwriters and acts, including musical performances by Jessie Frye, Summer Dean, Claire Morales, Holly and the Mystery Lights, Trees Marie and the Heavy Hearts, Lorelei K, Helium Queens and Girls Rock Dallas Year-Round Band — to name a few. At last year’s first mini-fest, the Denton-based nonprofit Friends With Benefits behind She-Rock raised $4,000 for American Women’s Veterans of Denton. This year, She-Rock returns to celebrate International Women’s Day (which is actually Sunday, March 8) with more bands on three stages to benefit Girls Rock Dallas and the Denton Music and Arts Collaborative’s You Are Here Program, which helps local artists receive mental health care. The event opens at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 6, and picks back up 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton, $10 at eventbrite.com. Daniel Rodrigue

The 40 Acre Mule
We like Three Links a lot. In fact, we've given the Deep Ellum club multiple best venue awards over the last several years. Now, they're celebrating their seventh anniversary with an impressive bill on March 6. Three local favorites take the stage to ring in another year of great live music, including roots rock five-piece band The 40 Acre Mule, known for their highly infectious live performances, and who also released their debut album late last year titled Goodnight and Good Luck. Also onstage will be rock 'n' roll outfit Dead Flowers and longtime Denton alt-country rock band Slobberbone. Three Links will continue the anniversary celebration Saturday night with a no-cover punk rock karaoke with a live band. It starts at 8 p.m. Friday, March 6, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St. Tickets are $17 at seetickets.us. Diamond Rodrigue

Saturday, March 7

Ivan Amodei: Secrets and Illusions
The Louvre is moving to the Eisemann Center, 2351 Performance Drive in Richardson. Sort of. Illusionist Ivan Amodei has built his fantastical touring production around famous works of art from the legendary French galleries. Amodei won on the magic TV challenge Penn & Teller Fool Us, and now it’s time for him to wow local audiences with his mystifying and gorgeous vignettes that bring beloved art to life. There are a fair amount of “ahhh!” moments as well, especially considering Amodei doesn’t shy away from sharp weaponry. It’s safe to say that during Secrets & Illusions the opportunity for audience participation is as great as the thrill count. It’s two hours of magic and mystery perfectly poised to hang in the walls of one’s memory for quite some time. Tickets are $49-$99, available at eisemanncenter.com. Merritt Martin
T.J. Miller
It wasn’t the multiple allegations of sexual harassment and assault, including accusations that he punched and choked a college girlfriend during sex (without consent), that resulted in T.J. Miller leaving the HBO comedy Silicon Valley, according to show creator Mike Judge. It was Miller’s behavior on set, including unpreparedness and falling asleep between takes, that led to his character being written off the show. Miller maintains that his Silicon Valley troubles were caused by his being unable to give up his one true love: stand-up comedy. If you want to see Miller do something even more important to him than portraying an obnoxious stoner tech bro, slapping Uber drivers and calling in bomb threats, he performs at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Saturday and 7 p.m. Sunday at Hyena’s Comedy Nightclub, 521 E. Mockingbird Lane. Tickets are $30 to $55 at 214-823-5233 or hyenascomedynightclub.com. Jesse Hughey

Alabaster
Alabaster completes its run this weekend at Kitchen Dog Theater, Trinity River Arts Center, 2600 N. Stemmons Freeway, where it is one of 11 stops of the Theater National New Play Network. The setting is a farm in northern Alabama in the aftermath of a tornado that has wiped out just about everything and everybody except a struggling folk artist, June (Kristi Funk Dana), discovering life after death along with her talking goats Weezy (Tina Parker, KD’s co-artistic director) and Bib (Lana K. Hoover). When photographer Alice (Chase Crosano) arrives on the scene to capture June’s scars on film, love and healing begin. The Audrey Cefaly play is directed by the playwright’s pick, Clare Shaffer. For tickets ($15-$30), call 214-053-1055. Need more info? Head to kitchendogtheater.org. Reba Liner

Lila Downs
The Grammy and Latin Grammy award-winning singer Lila Downs will be lighting up the stage at Winspear Opera House this Saturday. About five years after Downs broke out with her album Ofrenda, she achieved critical and commercial success with the release of La Sandunga, the artist’s debut studio album. Today, Downs is not only known for her powerful voice, stage presence and storytelling; through her career, she’s used her music to tackle social injustice. Don’t miss the music icon at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St. Tickets are $39 at attpac.org. Jacob Vaughn

88 Fingers Louie 
In celebration of Three Links' seventh time around the sun, Elm Street's one and only punk club will be hosting three nights of absolutely epic shows. On night two, longtime, Chicago-based, melodic hardcore band 88 Fingers Louie will be supported by those satirical art-rockers from Phoenix, Playboy Manbaby, and Dallas punk rockers From Parts Unknown. 88 Fingers Louie is where guitarist Dan "Mr. Precision" Wleklinski and bassist Joe Principe of Rise Against got their start. Wleklinski is still in the band, which got its name from a Flintstones gangster who sells bad pianos. The band has had a rocky history. In their 27 years as a band, 88 Fingers Louie has been active for a total of about 12 years, with lots of stops and starts along the way. Their last seven years together in their current lineup have been their longest time they've spent as an active band, with 2017's Thank You for Being a Friend being their first release in almost 20 years. If not for 88 Fingers Louie alone, this show should also be attended for Playboy Manbaby's incredible live show. It starts at 7 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St. Tickets are $17 at seetickets.us. David Fletcher

Avi Kaplan
One of Avi Kaplan's primary goals as a musician is "to hopefully soothe souls like music soothed mine." A lifetime anxiety sufferer, the singer-songwriter emphasized soulful rhythms and encouraging lyrics when crafting the songs that comprise his latest EP, I'll Get By. Produced by indie veteran Mike Mogis, the new tracks delve into the aftermath of a relationship with reserved grace and appreciation rather than disappointment and regret. With melodic harmonies and gentle pedal steel, the songs aren't exactly frenetic celebrations, but they do pull back enough to find a sweet middle ground. Kaplan earned his stripes playing large venues as a member of Pentatonix, but over the last few years, he's found a groove playing more intimate theaters like the Kessler, where his songs can command quiet spaces. It starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 7, at Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St. Tickets are $24 at prekindle.com. Jeff Strowe

Sunday, March 8

Pee-wee’s Big Adventure 35th Anniversary Tour with Paul Reubens
The surreal kitsch comedy directed by Tim Burton turns 35 this year, and star Paul Reubens is on a nationwide tour that brings him to 20 cities, including Dallas, to celebrate the cult classic that’s still beloved by adults and weird children. Reubens will discuss behind-the-scenes anecdotes and participate in an audience Q&A session following the screening. Cellphones are strictly forbidden and patrons will be scanned — which adds another level of excitement and exclusivity to the whole event. It starts at 7.30 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at the Majestic Theatre at 1925 Elm St. Tickets are $39.50-59.50 at Ticketmaster.com. Eva Raggio

Dancing With the Stars Live
The early 2000s were nothing short of cheese-tastic, and in between the excruciatingly mediocre pop-rock music and Ed Hardy fashion, the competition Dancing With the Stars, which saw (mostly) B-list celebrities ballroom rumba-ing their way to a trophy in shimmery outfit, was just peak aughts culture. The show’s following has persisted and seen a range of stars since, from several Kardashians and Jerry Springer, to the last people on earth you’d ever have imagined you’d witness doing the mambo, like Penn Gillette and Sean Spicer. The guest star on the Dallas stop, which includes the show’s favorite dancers, is Christie Brinkley Cook. The all-ages show starts at 7 p.m. at The Theatre at Grand Prairie, 1001 Performance Place. Tickets are $29.75-$129.75 at axs.com. Eva Raggio

Harry Connick Jr.
Harry Connick Jr. has jam-packed his life with the pursuit of many talents. He’s been in movies, in TV shows and acted on Broadway. But besides all of that, he’s sold over 28 million albums around the globe, he’s been ranked in the top 60 best-selling male artists in the U.S. by the Recording Industry Association of America and has put out countless chart-topping records in his decades-long career. And this weekend, you can see some of those talents in action at the Winspear Opera House. It starts at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St. Tickets are $92.75 at attpac.org. Jacob Vaughn
LockJohnson's Showcase
Every Sunday night, acts like Shaun Martin, Cure for Paranoia and many others hop onstage for an artist showcase that has rocked Louie Louie's Piano Bar for the last two years. Even Alessia Cara joined in this year. Presented by local musician and promoter Gino “LockJohnson” Iglehart, LockJohnson's Playground showcase has become a staple for many North Texans' Deep Ellum music experience. If you haven't already, stroll into Louie Louie's on a Sunday night. You'll like what you hear. It starts at 7 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at Louie Louie's Piano Bar, 2605 Elm St. Tickets are $15 at the door. Jacob Vaughn