Critic's Notebook

Legendary musician Patsy Cline took the stage for the final time over five decades ago, but starting this weekend, fans both old and new will be able to enjoy her music live in Plano. The Brick Road Theatre, founded and led by artistic director Noelle Chesney, will present Julie Johnson…

Ever wonder what the sound of a city or even an entire country might be? Thanks to the data wizards at Spotify, you can see that information plotted on an interactive map. Every week, the “Music Map of the World” gets an update with a list of songs played most…

DJs come in all shapes and sizes, varying from casual weekend raver to the career, full-time DJ. Mike Stewart is the latter. He makes people happy for a living by pulling from a wide variety of genres in the two DJ businesses of which he is part owner. Stewart is…

Last week, Dallas native Demi Lovato embarked on a seven-city house party tour to promote her new single, “Sorry Not Sorry.” Now we know why: The music video for the song, which dropped Wednesday, has a house party theme. The video depicts a party that Lovato threw in Los Angeles a…

Earlier this week, 23-year-old pop star Justin Bieber announced new dates for his “Purpose” world tour, in support of his 2015 album of the same name. Topping the list is a visit to AT&T Stadium in just 10 days. Bieber has visited Europe, Latin America,  Australia and New Zealand on…

Bruce Corbitt doesn’t move as he once did onstage. It’s usually gloriously brutal when he unleashes what he calls his “machine gun type of barking vocals” that often leave the crowd gasping for air by the end of the show. But Friday night at The Rail Club in Fort Worth, he could…

In 2014, the Observer described Stefan Gonzalez as “leading the Dallas noise scene,” and he’s still grinding more than three years later. Gonzalez, a versatile musician who plays free jazz with Yells at Eels and grindcore with Akkolyte, is helping out his metal buds in False, who needed a fill-in…

A Friday-night crowd of about 120 folks packed under the covered patio near The Foundry’s stage to see Brooklyn’s Andrew Savage perform songs off his upcoming solo full-length album, Thawing Dawn. Savage and his backing band, which he introduced as “The Fabulous Narcs,” delivered an attention-grabbing performance of songs from…

Along with the summer heat, Dallas concert announcements are cranking up. Jay-Z, Tori Amos and a member of One Direction are the bigger names making up this week’s rundown. Jay-Z brings the momentum of his 4:44 to Dallas for an American Airlines Center show Nov. 7. Mr. Beyoncé Knowles will surely…

Calhoun has been a band for more than a decade, but in many ways, it feels like it’s only now functioning as one. The indie-pop group formed as a vehicle for Tim Locke’s songwriting in 2004 after he became known in the late ’90s for his work with the bands…

Shawn Kasal has been a DJ for only a few years, but it’s clearly his calling. Under the alias Stone Castle, he spins and produces techno in support of local DJ crew Lolo and as a guest on other DJ nights throughout town. Unlike many DJs, Kasal has a background…

One Direction members are better apart than they ever were together. If you disagree, then the second you listen to each member’s solo attempts, you should be ready to agree. Or you’ll see for yourself in November, when you see Niall Horan in concert in Dallas. For anyone older than…

Last week, Kelly Clarkson made the news for her witty, self-confident response to someone who called her fat on Twitter. The hateful tweet that just said “you’re fat” was in response to a tweet Clarkson, 35, made July 4 in support of America’s troops. The original American Idol winner and…

Last Friday night in North Richland Hills, Nytex Sports Centre hosted its inaugural concert with recently reunited Tripping Daisy, which played what was likely its last concert — at least for a while. “Maybe in 18 more years we’ll have another reunion,” frontman Tim DeLaughter said to an ecstatic crowd…

Hans Zimmer will perform at Verizon Theatre on Thursday, July 13. At nearly 60 years old, the prolific film score composer Hans Zimmer decided to try something he’d never done before. He’s the go-to guy in Hollywood for creating monumental soundtracks for some of the most-loved movies: The Lion King,…

The Granada Theater is the place to be this month. Free Week is back for the second year, and Valise, Micky and the Motorcars, Quaker City Night Hawks, Night Drive, Eisley, and Savoy are all on the lineup. The festivities kick off at 8 p.m. Tuesday, July 18, and continue…

When he isn’t working for the Denton State Supported Living Center, Billy Hensley writes and records for his Wirerims project. It’s a one-man-band, and he plays every instrument and sings on the recordings. After he put out a full LP called Self-Construction earlier this year, he set a goal of…

The Washington Post’s recent article about the slow death of the electric guitar has caused some local North Texas artists to come forward and give their own take on the state of guitar-driven music.

Five years ago, Allen Falkner, managing partner at The Nines, came across a Craigslist ad offering roughly $800 worth of Deep Ellum club history in the form of video cassette tapes. The VHS tapes were from the archives of Video Bar, a club that provided an inclusive and eclectic soundtrack…

Aidin Hafezamini has played just about every role in DJ culture. First, he served time as a promoter, having co-founded the Dallas DJ promotion group Prime. But Hafezamini left that stressful gig five years ago to pursue deejaying. He’s also worked other day jobs. For a year, he was behind…

Late ’90s alt-rock band Jibe made an epic return in 2015 from its 11-year hiatus with a sold-out show at Gas Monkey Live. Now, the boys are back with the release of their first post-reunion album, Epic Tales of Human Nature, and another show at Gas Monkey Live on Saturday,…