Year-end lists are all the rage this time of the year. It’s always fun to delve into and sample critics’ tastes as various publications churn out the content of best songs, best albums, best videos and best concerts. Get a jump-start on some 2020 memories as artists continue to announce…
Ariana Grande can’t seem to stay away from Dallas. The singer wowed Dallas audiences when she made a stop on her Sweetener World Tour this past May, and she’s bringing her powerhouse vocals back once more this December to American Airlines Center. Fans are waiting with anticipation for the megastar to perform…
iHeartRadio’s annual Jingle Ball (or 106.1 KISS FM’s Jingle Ball, as far as DFW is concerned) made its way through Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena on Tuesday night, and as tradition has it, half a dozen of the hottest names in pop music played 20-30 minute sets with five minute intermissions…
Here are a few shows to help you get ready for the Dallas Observer Music Awards this weekend. Billy Law, the Dallas-native indie-rock group, is playing a free show at Sundown at Granada on Tuesday. Then on Wednesday, you can check out acoustic soul-pop singer-songwriter Key LeBlanc at Opening Bell Coffee…
Tom Waits once said: “This whole division between genres has more to do with marketing than anything else. It’s terrible for the culture of music. Like anything that is purely economic, it ignores the most important component.” Progress. The “important component” the venerable Waits was referring to in the above…
After last week’s big rollout of concert announcements, things are beginning to slow down to the end-of-year crawl. There are a few casino shows to check out as well as a couple on the club circuit that should prove entertaining. The details are below. The Doobie Brothers are celebrating 50…
Dallas Observer Music Awards season is upon us yet again, a time when we reflect on the achievements made by local artists, promoters, DJs, radio hosts, producers, etc. We truly have something special with the music scene here in DFW, and while we certainly take pride in the artistic community,…
Time seemed more slippery than usual this past Friday night at the Majestic Theatre. Standing before a near-capacity audience, Rufus Wainwright, clad in a Western shirt, black jeans and glittering ruby slippers, sang in his ageless voice — rich, resonant and riveting — of youthful hedonism and domestic pleasures, collapsing…
For the last five years, Josey Records in Farmers Branch has steadily expanded from a spot for intensive crate-digging into a one-stop shop for music, books, DVDs, T-shirts, novelties and even beer-related glassware. There are now Josey Records locations in Tulsa, Kansas City and a Josey Books and Records in…
Pop music has a dirty, not-so-well-kept secret: A lot of songs are often composed of four chords. Even the greats — your Beatles, your Fleetwood Mac — have employed two to four chords to make the timeless hits that will still be around long after we are not. But Carleigh…
This week is chock-full of badass shows to go to in North Texas. If you’re planning to attend the Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase though, you might want to clear your schedule for Monday, Thursday and Saturday so you can get a little taste of some of the acts on…
Dan Auerbach, an electric guitar slung around his neck, stood just to the side of center stage. “Let’s go back to Akron right now, down in the basement, and play some basement music,” he said to the howling audience arrayed before him, glowing phones and overpriced plastic cups of beer…
It’s a lengthy list of concert announcements this week, so settle in. There’s a Brit global superstar, a retooled classic rock super group and a semi-underground cult favorite leading the way. Beyond that, there’s plenty more in venues large and small. Harry Styles is continuing his steady climb toward becoming…
Unless there’s a day off from work, most don’t give a damn about historical anniversaries. Nov. 9, 1989, saw the fall of the Berlin Wall. That date, exactly 30 years ago this month, spurred the reunification of East and West Germany and East and West Berlin. Born Matthias Paul, the…
Look, we are nothing if not objective. While the Dallas Observer Music Awards showcase on Dec. 7 offers a lineup of more than 40 local bands in one night, we can still recognize that another Dallas show happening in the same month might be the greatest local show of the…
Although they may be more “pop” than “punk,” the Simple Plan members are undeniably sweethearts. Fans haven’t been able to get enough of these guyliner-wearing Canadians since we first heard their debut album No Pads, No Helmets … Just Balls in 2002, with megahits like “I’m Just a Kid” and…
It’s going to be a busy week for North Texas concertgoers. Miami-based garage rockers (with psych, punk and surf influences) Jacuzzi Boys are taking over Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios in Denton with some local favorites on the bill. The same night in Dallas, Matt and Kim will take the stage at…
Embarking on arena tours and playing to thousands of adoring fans every night might seem glamorous and enticing on the surface, but the grating minutiae of this routine can take its toll on an artist. Meet-and-greets, for example, are unanimously considered a chore in the music industry, but just like…
Kenny Vasoli was only 14 when he formed The Starting Line back in 1999, but the Pennsylvania native’s drive to become a musician began even earlier. When he was just 9, his parents bought him a cheap bass guitar, and he started taking lessons. “I knew I wanted to start…
Good times ahead for 2020 as new concert dates roll in to our market. We’ve got some things lined up for The Granada, The Kessler and some of the bigger sheds, too. If you haven’t found your calendar filling up yet, this week might change that. Read on for the…
The Coathangers have a history with Dallas that is almost as old as the band itself. In March 2009, the Atlanta punk trio played South by Southwest, then made their way to Dallas to play a festival called “South by South Flesh” at the Lounge on Elm Street. From there,…
If diamonds are a girl’s best friend, they have become precious lifetime pals with Tiffany Young, one of the brightest hopes among K-pop stars trying to bring more than bling to a solo pop act gaining universal appeal. With the stage name Tiffany identifying more with a certain jewelry company…
