Opening a live music venue is a capital-intensive business venture, and generally speaking, the return on investment is abysmal. So why do investors keep sinking hundreds of thousands of dollars into them? Are the investments a tax write-off? Are they an ego project to alleviate a midlife crisis? Having been…
DFW brought home a win on the season 15 finale of NBC’s The Voice. OK, technically Farmington, New Mexico, did when 16-year-old contestant Chevel Shepherd won, but North Texas native Kelly Clarkson was her coach. Surely that counts for something. While no one actually competing from DFW collected the chrome,…
For the fifth year in a row, we are pleased to have DJ Santa drop a set for the holidays for the Dallas Observer Mixtape series. He’s out once again to prove that Christmas music does not have to suck. It can come in the form of punk, funk, dance…
Our music series Busking with the Dallas Observer is now in its fifth year and heading into its 43rd episode (Old 97’s later this month). So I sat down with my co-producer Mike Williams (that’s Dallas Observer’s Best-Magician-in-Dallas Mike Williams) over some suspiciously chunky eggnog to take a look back…
Get into the spirit of the season this week as Old 97’s play a holiday show at The Statler. Share some original music at Josh Fleming’s singer-songwriter night at Fort Worth Live. And catch Washed Out at Canton Hall and others this week. Singer-Songwriter Night with Josh Fleming 7 p.m…
Calling Charlie Crockett a bit eccentric is more than an understatement. Everything from his wild youth spent strumming tunes for change to the 10-plus years of wandering that took him across the country and beyond is evidence enough of that. His history makes even more sense after you find out…
There are still a couple of days left for Christmas shopping. Here are some new concert listings as you perhaps consider ticket purchases for your friends and family. It’s almost that time of year again. Time for Another Badu Birthday, the annual celebration honoring the birth of Dallas’ own Erykah…
Back in 2016, the Dallas music scene rallied around Kevin and Becki Howard. Becki had given birth to their son Felix 12 weeks before his expected due date. He ended up staying in the NICU for months before he got the clearance to go home. Trees hosted a benefit show…
Twenty-five years ago, Baptist Generals’ Chris Flemmons was recording songs on a four-track tape recorder. Oftentimes, he would end up hating the music six months later, because he was in a hurry to find his style. As a result, a lot got left behind. In the past year, Baptist Generals…
Deandre Conway’s Oak Cliff upbringing would seem outlandish and exaggerated if it were the plot of a movie. The rapper known as Yella Beezy was 12 when he lost his father. He started hustling to help provide for his family by 13 and sold his last rock of crack right…
It’s 11 p.m. on a stormy Friday in Denton when band practice finally gets going. Intermittent claps of thunder and the unmistakable shriek of feedback pierce the tranquility of a quiet neighborhood. Guitarist Ariel Hartley sets up the closet-sized rehearsal space in the back of her cozy rental house. She…
Since early December, Spotify listeners have been able to use a feature called Spotify Wrapped that shows the top artists, songs and genres they’ve listened to throughout the year. It also reveals how many minutes were spent listening to music through the service and even puts the user’s top 100…
It’s that time of year when music fans everywhere reflect on the best releases of the last 12 months. Publications’ top-album lists have started to populate the internet to celebrate the standout albums and singles of 2018. With streaming music taking over as the dominant conduit for most listeners, sorting through…
National touring acts may have slowed down, but locals are giving us plenty to look forward to this week. Catch country teen Frankie Leonie, cover bands Queen For A Day and Raised Right Men, rock band Dead Mockingbirds and others. Curren$y and Playboi Carti top the national acts this week…
Lately, it seems as if nothing ever really ends in this era of endless pop-culture reboots, reimaginings and reconfigurings. Therefore, the notion of a definitive conclusion carries more weight these days than it might otherwise. That air of finality permeated Elton John’s Friday night performance at American Airlines Center, the…
A pop superstar, a six-time Grammy nominee for this year’s ceremony and a legendary metal outfit are heading this way. All that and more in this week’s edition of new concert announcements. Pop megastar Ariana Grande is bringing her worldwide Sweetener tour to American Airlines Center for a May 21…
Music connoisseurs with a heart for bluegrass should make it a point to stop by The Rustic on Sunday to catch Asheville, North Carolina, outfit Town Mountain. The critically acclaimed bluegrass band is swinging through Texas and Oklahoma on a short stint with Tyler Childers, promoting their sixth studio record,…
Between a consistent stretch of residencies and dipping his toes into the production realm, Chrs Roze has come a long way since he last popped up on Mixtape three years ago. Roze has a long history as a musician but has focused on expanding his craft as a DJ the…
When news broke that an off-duty Dallas police officer shot and killed Botham Jean, an unarmed black man, in his Dallas apartment, Alex Crawford was angry. That was the feeling of many, but Crawford says it affected him on another level because he is a black artist. “Where are we safe at?”…
Nathan Adamson got some devastating news Monday. Ferralog Recording Studios, the studio he has invested many hours and dollars in for the past seven years, is in danger of closing if he doesn’t find a new investor in time. If a new one does not appear between now and next…
One day, Ashley Paige Somogyi, a local musician who goes by Somogyi, was walking around the Dallas Arts District with a friend when they found a wine bottle on the ground. Somogyi picked it up and read the word “Yes” on the cork. On one side of the bottle was…
What is there to say about Taylor Swift that hasn’t been said before? She’s the princess of pop, the queen of open letters to streaming services, the goddess of breakup and beef songs. There’s nothing she can’t or won’t do at this point. But even with all she’s accomplished, it…
