Concerts

Stone Mecca is brimming with creative energy as he assembles his band for rehearsal at an unremarkable shopping-center studio in Northwest Dallas. The chemistry is immediately apparent between Mecca, Rakim Al-Jabbaar and DQ Hampton, two prominent Dallas hip-hop artists he has chosen to join him as opening acts at the…

Tame Impala is a big deal, and it’s a big deal that they are a big deal. When the Australian psychedelic rock outfit released its sophomore full-length, Lonerism, in 2012, they encountered a level of hype that, in hindsight, sort of mirrored Arcade Fire’s ascension to the top 15 years ago…

Globe Life Park is closing to make room for Globe Life Field, and in the former’s entire 25-year history, there have only ever been three full concerts booked at the stadium. Back in June, Paul McCartney became the first artist to ever play a full performance at the venue, and…

They say you are the company you keep, and by that logic, Tanya Tucker’s friendships and associations with figures such as Elvis Presley, Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings and Glen Campbell mean she is an icon of formidable stature. She is, of course, an icon for reasons far greater…

Music festivals have been in full swing around Dallas, and to kick off the fall season, Texas Latino Pride will host its sixth annual LatinX Pride Music Festival in Dallas at the Longhorn Ballroom. It will be a one-day Latin-style fiesta that takes place Saturday, Oct. 5, from 2 until…

On Sept. 6, Post Malone released his third studio album, Hollywood’s Bleeding, a twisted metal infusion of rock, pop, folk and hip-hop. The 24-year-old Grapevine native enlisted the aid of the biggest music acts in the modern era, including Travis Scott, Halsey and Future, as well as rock and metal legend…

Getting to know more about Banks (the performance artist formerly known as Jillian Rose Banks) might not seem too easy on the surface, especially during a 15-minute phone interview.  Maybe the 31-year-old, Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, whose brand of electronic dance music has been arbitrarily labeled Goth-pop, wants her keep-you-guessing image…

If you haven’t cleared your schedule for Saturday night yet, you might want to go ahead and do that. Charley Crockett, Oliver Tree and Snarky Puppy are all coming to town to play that night, so you’ll be pretty busy. But if you have to stay in Saturday night, you’ve…

You may not have heard of Cassandra’s Curse, but the Dallas band has been playing in the margins of the Dallas music scene for over 12 years now. “We started in July 2007,” says singer and guitarist Charan Bhamidi (aka Charan SpidaFingaz). “We released what they called a ‘cross-over prog’…

To stand or not to stand? That is the question folks often find themselves pondering when attending a show at a theater or other seated venues. At a recent event, my concert partner and I found ourselves sitting in the back balcony section where normally folks would remain seated for…

Before the curtains parted to a wall of darkness and fog, the crowd had reached that decibel often associated with Beatlemania and Bieber concerts. This audience spanned a wide range of ages, genders and time spent in the performer’s fan club, but everyone — boy, girl, young, old and at…

The Jonas Brothers come home but can’t tell anyone because Diplo hacked their Instagram. The pre-show energy was electric Wednesday night, as a packed American Airlines Center got ready to welcome back their favorite band of brothers. Maybe you could partially attribute the vibes to the openers, Olivia Somerlyn and…

During the Dixie Chicks’ commercial peak, they were the target of intense acrimony and ostracism after lead vocalist Natalie Maines made critical remarks of President George W. Bush and the invasion of Iraq. As such, the jingoistic boy’s club that was the ’00s country music industry blackballed them and kept their…

For those of you still without YouTube access, Babymetal is an act from Japan that overlays a teenage J-pop girl band on top of a heavy metal base. If everything in life has its opposite, then this is about as divergent as it gets. Both the group and the performance…

Picture a dark, quiet street. Neighbors loiter here and there in the sleepy neighborhood as you stroll toward the house in  the middle of a Garland block with a blood-red porch light and a glow emanating from the windows. Enter the dim crimson and ebony coven to find all manner…

During a short break from Bad Religion’s hectic tour schedule, bass player Jay Bentley is using his free time to do some normal dad stuff like making his daughter’s lunch, sending her off to school and drinking “like a hundred cups of coffee, bouncing off the walls and not doing…

As far as rock star entrances go, it was unorthodox. On Monday night at the American Airlines Center, Phil Collins entered leaning heavily on a cane. His feet shuffling steadily forward, the 68-year-old Collins made a beeline for a swivel chair. The affectionate roars from the sold-out room greeting the…

For a Swedish triple-threat pop sensation ready to rule the world, Zara Larsson sounds more like the all-American girl next door while chatting on the phone. She’s funny, self-deprecating even, apologetic when betrayed by her cellphone connection, opinionated, eager to answer any question thrown at her, even just after hitting the…

After his February announcement that he will be retiring from touring due in part to his inclusion body myositis diagnosis, Peter Frampton made one last stop in DFW on Sunday night at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory. Kicking off the night was Led Zeppelin Evening, who ran through Zeppelin’s…

It’s been over a decade since avant-pop juggernaut Stereolab toured in the States, and anticipation of their return was apparent in the mere hours it took them to sell out the Granada Theater. Those lucky enough to grab a ticket to Saturday night’s show were privy to why the band…