A friend of mine, on hearing that I was to see Daniel Johnston perform live, said, “his stuff is rough, but he is plugged into a scary truth.” That is a brilliant summary of Johnston’s music. His style is raw and unsophisticated, but also hyper-direct and fiercely penetrating. His lyrics…
Another Texas State Fair is upon us and when you’re not trying to stuff as much fried, doughy goodness into you or riding any number of spinning rides hoping said dough won’t unexpectedly leave your body, you might want to take a breather and listen to some music. It’s just…
With Fall Out Boy and Yellowcard both in town this week, there are plenty of opportunities to get your early aughts nostalgia on. You might as well make a thing of it and watch Mean Girls, or go searching the depths of your closet for that old first generation iPod…
Following an understated introduction, Black Milk’s band appeared on stage and began to play, starting with an actual drum roll. Those drumstick snaps seemed to stretch for an impossible duration, each thump another block stacked atop a mounting tension that felt like it could topple at any moment. And then…
On July 17, 2001 my mom took me to see Depeche Mode. I had just turned 12 years old, and it was my first concert. By the time we walked up First Avenue to what was then called the Smirnoff Music Center, my palms were already sweaty and my feet…
Good god, Dallas. It’s going to be a cheap Monday. This weekend you’ve got live music in the city, in the suburbs, Fort Worth, and everywhere else in between. Unfortunately it’s not a matter of who you’re going to see, it’s who you’re going to have to miss. It’s 2013,…
This week brought us another local festival announcement when Prekindle went live for Oaktopia tickets. The brainchild of old friends Matt Battaglia and Corey Claytor, the fest is $10 and will take place on Saturday, November 16 across Denton’s town square: Andy’s, Hailey’s, Banter, J&J’s Pizza and Williams’ Square (the…
Every week more and more shows are added to the Dallas Observer live music calendar — here’s how to make sure your show is included. And you can always peruse every upcoming concert on our calendar. Below are this month’s additions, the newest are in bold…
Let’s not bury the lede here: John Densmore played drums for one of the ten most famous rock bands ever, and he’s coming to hang out with you at Good Records tomorrow, September 18, at 7:30 p.m. The occasion is a signing for his new book Unhinged: Jim Morrison’s Legacy…
On Friday (the 13th) I went to see David Cronenberg’s The Brood at Texas Theatre. Arriving thirty minutes early seems like an unnecessary precaution. The place was sparsely populated save for a few regulars, some employees, and two DJs — Gabe and Gavin G — set up in a corner…
Gavin Cleaver: Who wants to pay twice for a thing? No one, that’s who. So when Deep Ellum venues come together for a night like this weekend’s Sailor Jerry/Oliver Peck/Reverend Horton Heat Elm Street Tattoo and Music Festival, and you can see several bands by simply walking around Elm Street…
Of all the different live show scenarios, all the varying combinations of performer and setting, there’s nothing quite like seeing a band in their hometown. The sixth annual Dia De Los Toadies Festival, a Texas institution, was the perfect hometown hero live music experience. This year, the fest took place…
It is not every day that an email lands in my mailbox from my editor with confirmation that I’ll be seeing Vanilla Ice at a restaurant/venue in Frisco. The Farmers Branch native’s music may not be on top of most people’s Spotify playlists these days, but there are clearly more…
Seriously though, how excited are you Mumford & Sons fans? After canceling their show earlier in the summer due to health reasons, the boys are back in town. It’s always nice to see a band make it up to the fans, and that’s exactly what the indie folk/bluegrass darlings will…
Gimmicks and insipid meme-generating fare can rockets a video into viral heaven, but it can also pigeonhole the video’s creator. Austin’s The Possum Posse are a crack band of roots musicians that, thanks to an ingenious mix of comedy, musicianship and pure silliness, have millions upon millions of YouTube views…
George Strait, he of the black cowboy hat and the 70 million album sales, is going on a Jay-Z style farewell tour of the country (meaning it’s not goodbye by any standard definition). Yesterday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, he announced several things, including that this tour will finish right…
This weekend, a breezy early September night on the Lower Greenville strip hummed and glowed with Dallas’ end of summer relief. It’s finally getting to the point where the temperature is actually dropping, if just a few degrees, after dark. The idea of stepping out for a patio drink and…
GC:: You’d better get used to Untapped. The Spune/Paste Magazine baby is beginning to spread out of Texas around the country, and the second Dallas incarnation (after a successful Fort Worth version earlier in the year) had shifted and expanded into the parking lot outside the Gilley’s complex, complete with…
Yeezus has risen! This morning, Kanye West took to Twitter to announce his first solo tour in five years. The 23 city run starts on October 19th in Seattle, and will hit Dallas’ American Airlines Center on December 6th, before wrapping up in Houston. As if that wasn’t enough to…
You’re more than likely familiar with Record Store Day. It’s the holiest of high holidays here at DC9 At Night, in which we all face east and pray toward Good Records. What you might not know, is that vinyl’s plastic, two-reeled cousin has a dedicated spot on the calendar too…
Do you like potentially life-altering scavenger hunts? Do you like Slayer, M.I.A., and the great capital of the state of Texas? If the answer to both of these things is yes, you may be interested in the Dallas leg of the Fun Fun Fun Fest Scavenger Hunt, in which people…
Summer is coming to an end, but not without one more festival to tie the season up with a bow. Paste Untapped is touting about 200 craft beers on deck, so that ought to help you battle out the heat outside Gilley’s. Hopefully they won’t make the same mistake as…
