If you take a look around, pretty much anywhere music lovers find themselves, you’ll likely see that classic rock is in the air. No, we’re not talking about the gentle tones of REO Speedwagon wafting overhead while you shop at Nordstrom Rack. We’re talking about the old-school rockers still out…
This week we let one major cat out of the DOMA bag: Our first lifetime achievement award recipient will be Erykah Badu, who will be attending the Dallas Observer Music Awards ceremony on Dec. 10 and receiving the award from none other than hip-hop legend The D.O.C. But before we can…
Ray LaMontagne did a lot with a little Sunday night at the Music Hall at Fair Park, before an attentive, largely respectful room full of fans (itself a miracle; more on that momentarily). His Just Passing Through tour is a stripped-down affair. Apart from a guitar tech’s fleeting appearances to…
There are many shows to choose from this week, but here are a few to get the ball rolling if you’re not sure where to start. Singer-songwriter Angel Olsen will hit the stage for a magical night at Granada Theater on Friday. Also performing that night at House of Blues…
You’ll have another opportunity, if you missed the first one last year, to catch a rock legend in person on a farewell tour. The days of enjoying the intimacy of seeing a genre-bending firebrand in venues like Dada and The Bomb Factory have officially passed. You’ll now need to bring…
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…
Craig Finn has had a busy year, with the April release of his fourth solo album, I Need a New War, and the release of The Hold Steady’s seventh album, Thrashing Thru the Passion, in August. After a brief run through Antwerp, Amsterdam and the U.K., Finn is bringing his…
Ask anyone who’s ever attended an Erykah Badu concert and, inevitably, the same topic comes up: “Why does she have to start so late?” It’s a fair question: In the handful of times I’ve seen the Dallas native perform, exactly one concert has begun even remotely close to its scheduled…
“That was an exaggeration in the Texan tall tale tradition,” guitarist Buck Meek says with a laugh. He’s referencing a statement made by his friend Mat Davidson in press notes stating that Meek is a 16th generation Texan. However, he soon confesses to being an 8th generation citizen of the…
In the wake of what can only be described as America’s mass shooting epidemic, some local folks use music to express sentiments of camaraderie over fear and intimidation. During a cool late-October dawn, dozens of free-spirited musicians congregated toward the middle of the Ronald Kirk Bridge, tuning their instruments on…
From R&B to doom metal, there is no shortage of variety in this week’s concerts. The Screaming Females kick off the week at Club Dada. The same night, Summer Walker will be giving Deep Ellum a dose of R&B at The Bomb Factory. On Thursday, you can choose between Melvins…
Tyler, the Creator is late. The clock turns to 9:06, past the five minute grace period, and the legions of fans, mostly young, begin to get anxious. This wait gives a pair of teenagers in front of me enough time to discuss the merits of Igor, Tyler’s latest album, versus…
This week, we’ve got plenty of interesting dates to add to the live music calendar, with artists big and small across genres. Take a peek ahead at more things to expect this fall and next winter and spring. Big things are happening at Globe Life Field, the soon-to-be-home of the…
Sasha, a Welsh-born DJ-producer, perks up when our phone chat veers toward the subject of food. He loves the rare Amazonian vegetables found in Peruvian cuisine and has great admiration for the sushi chefs in Tokyo. Music is forever his first love, but food is his side piece. We bat…
Justin Pearson is a busy man, with four part-time, active bands. One of these bands is the notoriously enigmatic and oft-misunderstood noise-rock band The Locust, in which Pearson sings and plays bass. The group is playing three Texas dates in addition to its first show in five years, which was…
After two years, the Open Carry Guitar Rally is back for a fifth set. From 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 27, several guitar-yielding musicians plan to occupy Ronald Kirk Bridge, formerly Continental Avenue Bridge, to participate in Dallas’ biggest jam session, which will take place over the Trinity…
Things were going well for Ashnikko when she took the stage at Canton Hall this past Friday night. The North Carolina-based rapper, who is currently on tour in support of fellow Detroit rapper Danny Brown, seemed to be in her element during her lively set. The crowd of roughly 600…
With only three more shows left touring to support her debut studio album, Maggie Rogers made a stop at the Bomb Factory on Friday night — but it wasn’t not the first time she’s walked the streets of Deep Ellum. “When I was in college, I dated a Dallas boy…
If you’re looking to get jazzed, this is the week for you. The fusion jazz band The Funky Knuckles will kick off the week at Three Links in Dallas. Then, you’ll have to hop over to Commerce Street on Tuesday for The Free Loaders if you want that swing to…
If Tenacious D is the “greatest band on Earth,” as they proclaim, then — naturally —Tenacious NR/CD is Earth’s greatest cover band. One could say, then, that this past weekend, the two greatest bands in the world came together for one song in a Deep Ellum bar. Tenacious D, the comedy rock…
Before President Donald Trump’s rally Thursday night as at American Airlines Center, thousands of ardent supporters gathered outside on Victory Plaza to tailgate. A video of the festivities made the rounds on Twitter, offering images of red-hatted Trumpsters dancing to … a band. Which band, you ask? So do we. Despite…
There are many things that folks in Dallas like. Tacos, brunches, tall highway overpasses and Cowboys football. Add The Eagles (the band, not the Philly football team) to the list. By popular demand, the classic rock group has added another local show to its latest tour itinerary — in addition…
