Dallas’ Erykah Badu went on the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon yesterday to promote a new box set of Fela Kuti’s music that she curated. Knitting Factory Records has released this and three other vinyl box sets of the late afrobeat pioneer curated by famous musicians such as Brian Eno,…
Sixteen months after Dentonites showed up to mourn the loss of one of their most beloved music venues, J&J’s Pizza’s basement music venue is again open for shows. “Hey Y’all!! The Ol’ Dirty Basement is back!!!” a post to J&J’s Facebook page last night read. The first show back will…
For the fourth year in a row, DJ Santa gifts us an Observer mixtape filled with his latest and greatest Christmas jams. In the offseason, Santa travels the world playing his unique brand of “elf house.” This year, he has been part of of the rising tide of Christmas electro…
It hasn’t even been a year since Dallas’ Dezman Lehman, aka Dezi5, left Dallas to pursue a music career in New York City, but Lehman is already signed to a new bicoastal label, 11A, and is gearing up to release his first EP as a New York-based artist. At the…
At the Dallas Observer Music Awards ceremony earlier this month, we asked eight local bands to cover songs by their favorite Dallas musicians. The songs chosen by 88 Killa, Starfruit and others were by artists such as rapper D.O.C. and indie rock-pop auteur St. Vincent. In reviewing the best albums…
Two Texans are going at it this month. Dallasite and conservative pundit Tomi Lahren, who got her start on Glenn Beck’s Irving-based news and entertainment network The Blaze, referred to “police hating Beyonce” on Twitter. Houston native Beyoncé was in New York City to present former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick…
Local new media artist Eric Trich was thrilled when he got the call that Canton Hall needed his help. He’d attended the Grizzly Bear concert in November, the Deep Ellum venue’s first, and walked away impressed by the space. “I like how it’s straight to the point,” Trich says. “You…
It may be a slow time of year, but the musicians playing in town this week don’t know that. They’re here to bring you all the entertainment you’ll need before Monday has you checking what time the bars open after a long day of loafing on the sofa. Julien Baker…
When the sun finally set on the short-lived tiki bar Sunset Lounge in June, Dallas waited and watched the corner of Liberty Street and Ross Avenue to see what would be next for the location. The Sunset Lounge failed to capitalize on the recent growth along Ross in the no…
Concert promoters haven’t yet slowed down for the holidays. This week brings a bevy of new announcements with the likes of Kesha, Jack Johnson, Yanni and Jeezy all revealing Dallas performances in 2018. Also, a crew of Celtic rockers comes through, an up-and-coming rapper will appear on a larger stage,…
New Year’s Eve comes with a lot of excitement but also a lot of stress to plan the perfect night. It’s time to say goodbye to 2017 — and to all that planning-induced stress — with these 10 New Year’s Eve events in Dallas. A Very Texas New Year’s Eve…
Sometimes traditions have to be flexible. Just like our annual St. Patrick’s Day Concert, which encountered a minor snafu when its usual location, Energy Square on Greenville Avenue, began a major renovation that will still be in the works this March. The Dallas Observer looked hard for a creative solution,…
Michael Todd is a seasoned DJ who has been on the frontline of dance music culture since the ’90s. In that early era, he helped launch the Groov-e Company crew with Britton Schweitzer, DJ Merritt of Edge Club fame and Rob Vaughn. The crew hosted a who’s who of ’90s Dallas…
Photographer Will von Bolton was born Will Bolton in Belton. His “stage name,” as he calls it, is a remembrance from his earlier marriage to model Veda von Bergen, as friends referred to the couple as “the Von Boltons.” He sold all his possessions four months ago and is without…
Bucks Burnett has met most of his music idols, and he’s not afraid to share the details. In this column, he reveals tales from the front lines and backstage. I found about about the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion when I received an email with “Led Zeppelin Reunion” in the subject…
We’re spoiled. A huge number of tours visit Dallas and its surrounding cities every year. It’s a difficult task to choose the 10 best, but some were special for sheer star power, for the rarity of an artist’s appearance or because a show offered some other surprise. No all-local shows are…
Gary Numan plays Trees on Thursday, Dec. 14. Over the nearly 40 years Gary Numan has been recording and performing, he has made forays into punk, new wave, funk, jazz funk, R&B and straight ahead rock. Through all of these phases, his sweeping melodies, roaring hooks and introspective lyrics have…
Lewisville’s Vista Ridge Mall has a new owner and a new name: Music City Mall Lewisville. ICA Properties, an Odessa-based real estate management company, purchased the floundering, 1.05 million-square-foot Vista Ridge Mall for $17.3 million through an online auction in September. ICA is planning to attract tenants and shoppers to…
Lady Gaga American Airlines Center, Dallas Friday, Dec. 8, 2017 Out of all the big names to grace the American Airlines Center stage this past year: Adele, Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Lionel Richie, Jay-Z, Bon Jovi — and out of all their fantastic set designs, costuming, backup dancers and performances by the…
This year Dallas hosted some of music’s most talented performers and largest tours. The year kicked off with an early visit by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in January. In March, Dallas’ own Demi Lovato performed at AT&T Stadium. Chance the Rapper headlined JMBLYA on Cinco de Mayo. In May,…
Dimevision Vol. 2: Roll With it or Get Rolled Over, the follow-up to Dimebag Darrell Abbott’s video memorial set, debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s DVD music video chart in its first week of release. The DVD/CD set includes more footage of classic moments of Abbott’s life and five previously unreleased…
It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas — although that feeling will likely disappear this week because, well, Texas. At least we’ve got Saturday night’s Hair Metal Holiday concert headlined by Ace Frehley at The Bomb Factory to keep us in the seasonal spirit. Gary Numan also stops at…
