The members of KISS have done just about all there is to do in rock ‘n’ roll. After selling millions of records thanks to hit songs like “Detroit Rock City,” Rock ‘N’ Roll All Nite” and “I Was Made for Lovin’ You” over the past 40 years, the band was…
Francine 13 is a really shy person, but you’d never know it from seeing her perform. Inspired by theater, she wears elaborate costumes and performs as four different characters, or as she calls them, “sonic shadows.” She’s heterosexual, but people have thought she’s singing about the courage it takes to…
If you haven’t been paying close attention, you might have missed that one of Dallas’ most popular bands is no longer with us. Well, let’s rephrase that: They’re no longer here, in Dallas. Earlier this year, Somebody’s Darling — winner of the 2014 Dallas Observer Music Award for Best Country…
Michael Roos is not only a veteran of the DJ scene, but also the definition of a working DJ. Straddling that barrier between commercial DJ, working wedding and private parties, and club DJ, he makes a living and manages to push his craft by integrating the latest technology into his…
Alsace Carcione’s life has been one long, uphill battle. As an African American woman, the cards were stacked against her from the beginning. Being openly gay only made things that much harder — and that was before her stint in the military, before she got laid off from her job,…
Believe it or not, there are people who come to Dallas who don’t already live here. And while the summer might seem like the worst possible time for someone to visit our climate, one must always be prepared. But fear not: There’s always booze, and there are (almost always) bars…
Faith No More With Napalm Death South Side Ballroom, Dallas Monday, July 27, 2015 There was barely a hint of a nostalgia cash-grab with Faith No More’s 90-minute set last night. While that might have challenged the casual fan, the five-piece presented themselves as who they are, not what they…
Bobby Fisha is a modern day renaissance man. From his full-time gig working at Valley of the Kings Music, his part-time gig as a swim instructor at Emler Swim School, to writing an award-winning screenplay, Fisha, who’s legal name is Michael Victory, stays busy to say the least. But surprisingly,…
Last week, the results of the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission’s “Bottoms Up” sting revealed that in at least a few bars across Texas, you might not be getting that top-shelf booze that you ordered. The operation, the first ever of its kind, identified that at least five Dallas-Fort Worth Bars…
Something tells us that in the not-too-distant future we’ll look back on 2015 as a vintage year for Erykah Badu. Dallas’ Queen of Neo-Soul has been riding a hot streak this year with some pretty memorable public appearances: ushering in the new era at The Bomb Factory, performing an epic…
Miguel With Dorothy South Side Music Hall, Dallas Saturday, July 25, 2015 There’s a weird dichotomy being a person of mixed race in modern America. Too often we’re pushed to identify as one race or another, looked at as a foreigner by whichever group we’re currently associating with. We never…
Let’s face it. You’re probably sick of hearing about social media during the Week of Twitter Beef. So if you want to avoid the exhaustive subtweeting in the coming days, make a swift departure by going out to one of these shows. Whether you’re charged up for the week or feeling…
Fall Out Boy With Wiz Khalifa and Hoodie Allen Gexa Energy Pavilion, Dallas Saturday, July 25, 2015 Talk about an unusual pairing. Or was it? Fall Out Boy and Wiz Khalifa’s joint stop at Gexa Energy Pavilion on Saturday night for their Boys of Zummer tour followed a long tradition…
In your face, Jerry Jones. The Cowboys owner may get to boast the biggest indoor concert venue in the state of Texas, but Garth Brooks can sell plenty of tickets in Dallas without it, thank you very much. His strategy? Play seven — yes, seven — shows at the American…
Kid Rock With Foreigner Gexa Energy Pavilion, Dallas Thursday, July 23, 2015 Kid Rock, the scraggly haired, bad facial hair having owner of a smattering of No. 1 hits we’d all rather forget about, managed to sell out the Gexa Energy Pavilion last night thanks to an unabashed love of…
The Texas Musicians Museum has been more than a decade in the making. The brainchild of Tom Kreason and local radio legend George Gimarc, the privately run museum has previously been housed in Hillsboro and Waxahatchie, but this weekend it opens with new digs in Irving and an impressive collection…
When the City of Dallas decided to green light a grant for a cassette tape label, they probably got more than they bargained for. 2015 ain’t exactly peak time for cassette tapes, but when Vice Palace’s Arthur Peña put in his proposal he was planning to go all out. This…
In a culture as fickle as music fandom, where the currency of the trade is some mysterious and ill-defined spark of cool, “What’s in a name?” isn’t just a rhetorical question. For a band in its early years, and for any group aiming to reach new audiences in the future,…
Allen McDonald is a staple in the Dallas house and techno community mostly know for his affiliation with the Soundslike crew and one half of the DJ duo Dragonlazer. Dragonlazer was the first mixtape in this run of the Observer mixtape series almost a year ago. Allen is overdue for…
Brandon Curtis always stood by his little brother’s side. Going all the way back to the 1990s, Brandon and Benjamin shared the stage in bands like UFOFU and Secret Machines. Brandon was also at his brother’s side when Benjamin was diagnosed with T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma in 2013. He stayed there…
One of Texas country’s biggest stars is in some serious trouble. As News 9 in Oklahoma City first reported, Stoney LaRue was arrested on Monday, July 20 for domestic violence. According to Oklahoma City police, LaRue (whose real last name is actually Phillips), threw his girlfriend down a flight of…
It’s far too easy to get stuck in the bubble of Dallas’ hippest bars, to never leave the comfort of Deep Ellum, the Square in Denton or a bar named after a bird in Fort Worth. By doing so, we neglect the sheer number of unique locations that we’re afforded…
