In a shocking development caused by the economic devastation of COVID-19, two respected Deep Ellum venues located a mere half mile from each other announced they would be closing this week. Lizard Lounge, a Dallas institution that has stood for 28 years as a mecca of electronic music and Goth/post-punk,…
You never know when music will be important. When avant-jazz act Yells at Eels and avant-metal act Pinkish Black entered the studio together in April 2018, there was no way they could have known that the tracks they would be laying down then would become the soundtrack to the isolation…
Concerts are officially joining the list of drive-thru American experiences, along with dining, banking and prescription pickups. It’s possible that the pandemic drive-in experience all started in Dallas, first with a series called “Carbaret Drive-In,” a series of sold-out events outside of Brixzo in Richardson that included magic and other…
A lone light shines down on a stage shrouded in darkness. There’s the faint sound of movement, of shoes shuffling, throats clearing. Seconds pass, and the electric feeling of anticipation rises, the moment of, “They’re here; the show is finally starting.” The performer finally steps into that spotlight and begins…
Concerts are something we look forward to for weeks or months. They mark our lives with a meaningful timestamp that interrupts the drudgery of our daily responsibilities. A concert can be a significant life event, where our idols’ lives intersect with our own, as we feel at one with a…
You might not feel too safe stepping out of the house yet. Luckily, if you just want to hear some live music, you don’t have to go anywhere. Artists from all over Dallas-Fort Worth are still hopping online to bring their music to the people. Whether you’re looking to hear…
Live Nation Entertainment is organizing the first of what they hope to be many concerts that comply with social distancing protocols, Bloomberg reports. Travis McCready, vocalist of Americana band Bishop Gunn, will be Patient Zero for this new experiment, which will take place on May 15 at Fort Smith, Arkansas…
Wavers, rejoice: It’s time to show our kids that being a little weird isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s pretty cool. If your child shows interest in the experimental or the obscure and prefers to march to the beat of his or her own synthesizer, this list is your…
While the future of live music remains uncertain, and some sources predict there will be no large concerts until 2021, one Dallas musician found a way to continue touring around the lockdowns. This Monday, famed electronic musician Marc Rebillet announced via Twitter that he’ll be embarking on a national tour…
There’s no denying that spending extra time at home during the COVID-19 pandemic has led many folks to see things in a new, unexpected light. That’s certainly the case for Wade Bowen, one of the biggest stars of the Texas country circuit. The Waco native is deriving unexpected pleasure from…
While it may be a tough time to have the name “Corona” associated with your brand, it’s a name that’s working well for a local singer-songwriter. Kristina Corona is gaining lots of local recognition with her song “Missing,” which has been picked up for radio play on Dallas stations. Corona…
MATTIE is easy to crush on. The Dallas musician and hairdresser is a force of creativity whose work is boundlessly original. She’s a superb live performer with a transfixing onstage act rooted in storytelling. Offstage, she’s just as fascinating, an all-caps mystic with inimitable style. Here’s why we love her…
People gathered outside of an old Dallas shopping strip. Some wore masks and others openly carried firearms. One held a flag that bore the words: “Trump 2020 — Make America Great Again.” They were rallying in support of Shelley Luther and her business A La Mode, the Dallas salon that decided…
As we’re cautiously beginning to transition back to some semblance of normal life, it may be hard to find shows to attend right away. But never fear, local acts are still doing their thing online. From longtime local singer-songwriter Kristy Krüger to the Pink Floyd tribute band Bricks in the Wall,…
Like many of us these days, Nicholas Altobelli has abundant time on his hands. And, like some of us these days, Altobelli is making productive use of it. As a lark, the musician recently wrote, recorded and released a new EP — the evocatively titled I Took My Hockey Stick…
Some people know Damo Suzuki as the former vocalist of krautrock pioneers CAN. Most people don’t know him at all. Suzuki was supposed to play Club Dada on May 4, but this rare visit became one of the coronavirus’s many concert casualties. This says nothing, either, of the fact that…
Dallas folk duo Penny & Dime first met in the summer of 2016, through a Craigslist ad. The meeting culminated in what may be one of the best albums of 2020 with the band’s eponymous debut EP. “Because we were both transplants to Dallas, we didn’t really know where to start,” Kylie…
For the past five years, Master of the Mic has been one of the most important events in the local music scene. The hip-hop competition, which crowns the best rapper in North Texas, is a crucial platform for local talent, who have the chance to showcase their skills in front of…
Darren Eubank, a local singer-songwriter and frontman of the Dallas band D and Chi, says that in times like these, musicians have to find ways to keep their art alive. Many have turned to livestreaming performances for fans on social media, like Eubank, who regularly showcases artists and performs himself…
Our woman crush this week is Denton-based singer-songwriter Lorelei K. The excitingly ethereal avant- popstress is not only a local queer icon, but a collaborative artist who keeps the music scene at large thriving through connectivity. This week she premiered a video for “White Dress,” the closing track on her…
Mike Brooks is a longtime Observer concert photographer who has shot seemingly every type of artist at every type of local venue. Here he breaks down five of his favorite concert photos. Five pictures, five stories. Or, 10 pounds of talent in a 5-pound bag. I’ve been lucky enough to…
While we’re all anxiously waiting to be able to go out again, it’s easy to forget there are other things to look forward to — like the local livestreamed concerts you can catch every week right from home. While it is always worth it, for the time being, you don’t have to…
