Critic's Notebook

Sixteen Dallas music industry veterans are milling about on a Deep Ellum patio on an unseasonably warm evening in November. It wouldn’t be odd to see any one of these promoters, radio personalities, musicians or DJs in thriving Deep Ellum on a Thursday, but it’s strange to see them all in…

It was love at first listen. The first time cellist Alisa Weilerstein heard Sergei Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante — on the radio in her parents’ car when she was 13 years old — she knew she needed to learn and perform it. She made her father buy the sheet music. Now,…

It’s less than two weeks until more than 50 bands convene in Deep Ellum for the 2017 Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase, which means it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty: where and how you can learn the winners. The awards ceremony begins at 8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec…

Deep Ellum has so many events and shows taking place every night that it can be hard to keep track without the help of an insider or a cabal of street orphans who report the latest shows and concerts. But you no longer need to violate child labor laws with a…

Captured! By Robots plays Double Wide Saturday Jay Vance started his one-man metal band Captured! By Robots in San Francisco 20 years ago because he couldn’t deal with people. “It was born out of my frustration with the human condition,” Vance says. “I’m just as bad as everybody else but I…

If Mozart was around, we’d most likely be gushing over his latest film score rather than a new sonata. Composers rarely get their due anymore — the “makers of music” are often called DJs, producers or singer-songwriters. But brilliantly composed orchestral music has never gone completely out of style. Longtime…

Taylor Swift mania will sweep across Dallas next summer. Log in to Ticketmaster and hope for the best when tickets go on sale. Elsewhere, we’ve got a couple of country and Americana legends passing through; and two of hip-hop’s strongest forces join together. All that and a bit more in…

“In Bed With” is a new Dallas Observer series where we delve into the homes and personal lives of Dallas music industry professionals.  The door mat outside photographers Cal Quinn and Aly Fae’s place announces “This must be the place.” It’s a necessary hint for visitors. The apartment numbers in…

Local artist Steve Hunter’s latest mural is a kaleidoscope of colors depicting the legendary musician Stevie Ray Vaughan. Even in the abstract block colors, viewers can recognize Vaughan’s iconic hat and see that the mural pays homage to the Dallas-born musician. “While painting the mural, even early on, people recognized…

Athena developed a passion for deejaying as a teenager and has been a mainstay in Dallas’ drum and bass scene ever since. You can find her serving drum and bass platters at Two Tone’s Thursday residency at Wit’s End in Deep Ellum. But her work and experience aren’t limited to…

The chance to see sixty of Dallas’ best music acts perform for $15 is already pretty sweet, but the deal just got sweeter. In honor of National Percussion Month, the Dallas Observer is running a two-day flash sale of Dallas Observer Music Awards tickets. From now until 11:59 p.m. Friday,…

Dallas concert promoter Gabe Reed pleaded guilty Monday morning to a federal charge for defrauding investors, promoters and performers who were investing in concerts and World Wrestling Entertainment events. Reed, 46, admitted in court that he received money from victims after he misled them into believing that the events would…

When Dallas native Tru Def opened for Bun B. at a show in San Antonio two weeks ago, it was another serendipitous moment in a career full of them. The rapper born as Desmond Williams and raised in Pleasant Grove has developed a talent for being at the right place at…

It’s the only news you need for this gloomy Monday. Country megastar turned pop star and tabloid goddess Taylor Swift has announced her tour for her just-released album, reputation (lowercase r). Swift will headline AT&T Stadium in Arlington on Oct. 6. It’s the last date in the announcement of her…

Far West nightclub, at the corner of South Buckner Boulevard and Elam Road in Dallas, has had its share of problems over the years. It’s one of the most popular Mexican nightclubs in Dallas and has more than 180,000 followers on Facebook. When it was located near the Lakewood Hills neighborhood, some…

Come year’s end, 40,000 people are expected to descend on Dallas Market Hall. That’s how many turned out for last year’s Lights All Night festival, a two-day extravaganza of electronic dance music and hip-hop planned this year for Dec. 29-30. Lights All Night announced the initial lineup for its eighth…

After long hiatuses, St. Vincent and Queens of the Stone Age are finally gracing us with their presence again. Three dance-inflected groups make their way through town, and country music royalty settles in for a night in Grand Prairie. All that and more in this week’s concert announcements. St. Vincent…

Tera Melos plays Three Links on Monday, Nov. 13. After seven years of commuting between Texas and California, drummer John Clardy has finally left Tarrant County for good. Clardy, who grew up in Colleyville, became the drummer for the Sacramento-based math rock three-piece Tera Melos in 2008, but it’s easy…

When St. Vincent announced a 23-date world tour in June, a gig in her hometown of Dallas was noticeably absent. But earlier this week, that all got sorted out. Twelve more dates were added to her Fear the Future tour, including a stop at Bomb Factory on Saturday, Feb. 24. Tickets…

Deep Ellum’s The Door, which opened in ’98, is the first Dallas music venue to host many now-famous rock musicians, including Fall Out Boy, Paramore and Brand New. It has overseen decades of change and growth in the neighborhood. But now The Door is packing its bags. Owner and talent buyer…