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,…
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…
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,…
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…
Dead & Company American Airlines Center, Dallas Friday, Dec. 1, 2017 As John Mayer introduced his song “If I Ever Get Around to Living” at a show in San Antonio last August, he told the crowd that the album it’s on, Born and Raised, hadn’t sold very well. “I’ve played the…
If you haven’t noticed, holiday music is everywhere. And if turning the dial to Star 102.1 for a ’round-the-clock reminder of the season is overkill in your opinion, this week’s best concerts lineup offers a couple of great holiday concerts that will give you just enough warm fuzzies without overdoing…
Jingle Ball with Kesha, the Chainsmokers, Hailee Steinfeld and more American Airlines Center, Dallas Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2017 It was a who’s who of young pop acts Tuesday night at the American Airlines Center, which hosted KISS FM’s Jingle Ball. Kesha declared she’s a nasty woman, Charlie Puth rocked out…
My conversation with Paul Oakenfold at his home in Hollywood Hills, California, begins like most with a proper Englishman — with an offer for tea. “I learned to make a proper cup of tea while I was running around in India,” he says. “You make the tea and let it…
Nestled on West Jefferson Street in Oak Cliff, illuminated by a neon exterior and designed with an art deco interior, sits a theater as iconic as the stories that surround it. The Texas Theatre is a Dallas landmark and hosts rare 35mm films on a regular basis, but the 86-year-old theater doubles…
It’s Thanksgiving this week, but the music isn’t taking a vacation. Prep yourself for in-laws and extended family with shows by rapper Rittz; Tyler, the Creator; or Reverend Horton Heat. After the plates are cleared Thursday, Armoury D.E. hosts a night of Canadian electronica. And Band of Heathens kicks off…
Like any good music fest, there were plenty of disasters and spectacles at 2017’s Oaktopia Music Festival, which after four years in Denton has moved to Deep Ellum. Shows at The Bomb Factory, Canton Hall and Trees gave it a different feel than previous years. Here’s a rundown of what…
You could sense the anticipation before setting foot in the venue. The closed lots were packed full of cars as fans anxiously scanned side streets for any available spaces. The frantic young people clutched phones and portable chargers. Niall Horan’s sold-out Flicker Sessions tour stop Friday night at the South Side Ballroom…
Despite major headliner Big Boi, the focus was on the beer rather than the music at Saturday’s Index Fest in Fair Park. Things started to wind down around 9:30 when the Georgia rapper, best known as half of Outkast, took the stage. At that time, brewers began taking down their…
This week brings a chance to hear a few Dallas Observer Music Award nominees, such as Mothership and From Parts Unknown. It’s also Denton-born Oaktopia’s premiere in Dallas; it’ll feature 21 Savage, Phantogram, Lil Yachty and others. Imagine Dragons7:40 p.m. Monday, Nov. 13, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., 214-222-3687 or americanairlinescenter.com,…
Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett McFarlin Auditorium, Dallas Friday, Nov. 10, 2017 Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile brought a solid 90-minute set of indie rock, shuffling folk and aw-shucks charm to a nearly sold-out McFarlin Auditorium on Friday night. Barnett and Vile are coming to the end of their fall tour…
Straight from his hosting gig at the 41st annual CMAs, country musician Brad Paisley landed in Dallas for a surprise performance during Kershaw’s Challenge Live Benefit Concert. Kershaw’s Challenge is a nonprofit “committed to transforming the lives of children, in America, Africa and the Dominican Republic, through Jesus Christ,” according…
Jay-Z with Vic Mensa American Airlines Center, Dallas Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2017 There are some references in pop culture that are so ubiquitous it’s hard to remember where they started. For example, “ball so hard” turned into a Where’s Waldo meme while “I got 99 problems” is used to advertise…
With this week’s lineup, it may be hard to decide which show(s) to spend your money on. But any way you choose, you’ll be in for a treat. Jay-Z starts us off with a stop through town in support of his latest album, 4:44, and Kurt Vile and Courtney Barnett…
Based on the atmosphere inside the Bomb Factory last night, some might have guessed that it was a federal holiday. The venue was packed to the hilt with people guzzling beers and chatting up their neighbors. One woman, Allison Bonifay, wore a silver sequin body suit with matching shoes and…
Bruno Mars American Airlines Center, Dallas Friday, Oct. 27, 2017 Bruno Mars and his backing band, the Hooligans, brought the house down Friday night. They had the crowd dancing in the aisles for nearly the entire time. But during some of the slower ballads, Mars’ drawn face flickered with hints…
Chris Stapleton with Marty Stuart Starplex Pavilion, Dallas Oct. 28, 2017 Rarely does a musical forebear open for a scion, but so high has Chris Stapleton’s star risen in a short amount of time that Marty Stuart — with iconic hair and embroidered suit — opened the show before a…
