It doesn’t take a comic book nerd to see the significance that the genre’s had on pop culture over the years. And thanks to Hollywood blockbuster movies, you don’t even have to read comics anymore to know the stories of popular characters like Batman, Superman and Iron Man. But real…
Backyard on Bell shuttered unexpectedly Tuesday, leaving many concertgoers of the beloved Denton music venue and bar taking to social media with speculations over why. Owner Scott Bonfield confirmed to the Observer that the venue closed for good, but declined to elaborate because of legal reasons. “We’re just calling it…
It’s long been understood that hindsight is 20/20, making it no surprise that each generation takes its turn criticizing the one before it. Today, millenials are the poster children of political correctness and cancel culture, warriors of climate change who spit in the face of hypocrisy and corruption in government…
It’s almost noon on a Monday when John Calvin Abney wakes up from some much needed sleep. He’d played a show in Sheffield, Alabama, hours before and stayed at a buddy’s place for the night. “I slept in like crazy,” he says in a follow-up text ahead of our interview…
The Bacon Brothers, Kevin and Michael, are wrapping up their Shaky Ground Tour in support of their 2018 eponymous album and will stop at Billy Bob’s Texas on Oct. 11. The Philadelphia natives have been making music professionally for about 25 years, with nine albums under their belts. The band…
Chris Flemmons sits at a bench on the dimly lit, smoke-filled patio of Dan’s Silverleaf in Denton on a Monday evening, sipping a bitters and soda between tugs off his cigarette. He’s gearing up for an upcoming celebratory three-gig Texas tour with his band, the Baptist Generals, and the stress…
In an imperfect world, it’s naive to assume there will ever be a perfect concert experience. Some things are just out of our control: noisy audiences during intimate sets, slow bar service or a band that starts an hour after its set time. But, like in the wonderful world of…
Lord knows it’s hard to support a family as a regionally successful singer-songwriter, especially a big family. That’s why Doug Burr decided early on to work full time during the day to support his wife and four kids, switching hats to write music during the dark and quiet hours of…
Just a few feet from the train tracks that run through Denton’s industrial district is a club that recalls the college town’s rough-and-tumble early days of DIY music venues. Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios was a place that welcomed the experimental, the eccentric, the talented and the uninhibited. In its heyday,…
After a string of renovations and soft re-openings earlier this year, Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios is poised to ring in a new era for Denton’s creative scene. With more than just concerts on the books these days, the club is undergoing an identity change under the ownership of a retired…
Stop us if you’ve heard this before: Morrissey’s political views have made headlines, and the former Smiths frontman is no stranger to controversy. Even his most loyal fans cringe at the dissonance of his earlier and seemingly whimsical and romantic lyrics and his statements on race and allegiance to the far-right…
Late last month, longtime Midlake band member McKenzie Smith and his wife, Felicia, weren’t sure if their unborn son, Garrett Noble, would survive very long after birth or be born alive at all. “The day we delivered [Noble], all of our family came into town because we were prepared for…
Father’s Day is like a second birthday for dads and one of the highlights of parenthood. But instead of gifting him (another) neck tie or shave kit, ditch the prepackaged gift sets and show the dad in your life that he can do much better with any of the following…
It’s fitting that this Beatles-loving Clubs Editor’s last weekly roundup of best concerts would include a Beatle. After all, it’s thanks to the iconic British band that I even got into music — in a digging-through-record-crates kind of way — in the first place (and named my son Harrison after George, and played…
Nine out of 10 of this week’s best concert picks take place over the weekend, so there’s really no excuse not to check out at least one. Catch local polka kings Brave Combo on Friday night at Andy’s Bar as they celebrate 40 years of playing together, or E.B. the…
Enjoy your extra day off this week with a Memorial Day show with singer-songwriter Danny Worsnop at High & Tight Barbershop. Catch Japanese band Mono at Club Dada on Wednesday night with Emma Ruth Rundle. Snow tha Product plays new music at Trees on Thursday night, and the Dallas Zoo…
School’s out for the summer, which means plenty of you can get your concert jollies on. Go big with Ariana Grande at American Airlines Center on Tuesday night or catch a family-friendly free show at The Rustic on Friday night with Esther Rose. John Oates, Rude King and more pad…
Dallas sees two of its most influential tastemakers in music this week with a rare show at Top Ten Records featuring Kill the World (Paul Slavens’ solo project) and Wanz Dover. On Friday, fans of local music will also get to catch Quaker City Night Hawks in Deep Ellum and…
This week boasts plenty of touring acts, including Slayer, The Cult, The Strumbellas and The Killers to name a few. Gorilla vs. Bear hosts its seventh showcase featuring the Chromatics at Granada Theater, and Bonnie Bishop plays a Mother’s Day concert at Fort Worth Live on Sunday. Paul Slavens and…
Dallas has some seriously cool shows to check out this week. Catch Sum 41 and Earl Sweatshirt midweek before the weekend lights up with down-and-dirty rock ‘n’ roll from Dead Mockingbirds, the daylong music festival JMBLYA, a reunion for Dallas electronic band Channel 69 and more. Sum 41 7 p.m…
This week starts off quiet, but if you missed Of Montreal a few months ago when they stopped through Fort Worth, you can see them at Trees on Monday night. This weekend is packed full of local singer-songwriters and punk bands like Claire Morales and The Bralettes, two hip-hop heavyweights…
That line of mopeds that’s likely to form outside Three Links this week won’t be a Vespa convention. It’s the fifth annual Ska by Skawest, a two-day celebration of all things ska starting Friday and including Denton favorite Madaline. If your skanking days are long behind you, Joan Baez stops…
