Austin City Limits is just a couple flips on the calendar away. This year’s inaugural two-weekend run on October 4 to 6 and 11 to 13 also features a series of late-night shows in Austin. And a run of bands from somewhere on the lineup in other Texas cities, including…
There are no shoes allowed in Wondaland. There is grass, however, and candlelight and there were free drinks and candy in Wondaland’s lobby, so no one seems to mind. Plus, Janelle Monae is here, standing barefoot in the grass. Wondaland, for now, is inside Luminous Sound in Richardson, where everyone…
The Best of Dallas is a month away — the issue hits newsstands on September 26. We’re finalizing our own picks via witchcraft and shoe leather, but we need your help on the reader’s poll, dear reader. Open nominations are over, and we have five finalists in several categories –…
Kurt Vile | Sonny & the Sunsets Trees August 19, 2013 Sound issues can ruin a good show. The band keeps stopping to fix things, the crowd grumbles because of all the stops, and no one has a good time. So it’s to Kurt Vile, and his copious crowd of…
Today marks one month since I took over as your Dallas Observer Clubs Editor. Among other things, I maintain our extensive concert calendar, and I’ve learned very quickly what a big job it is. With so much amazing live music going on in this city every week, it can be…
Update, 8/19: In addition to the pop medley we published Friday, we now also have Bean performing one of her original songs, “Cops and Robbers.” The video is below. Original post follows. Globe Trek Productions, a video production company based in Dallas, has been making videos of musicians busking in…
Dallas is home to one of the richest religious music scenes in the country. Over the summer, we’ll be attending services, both big and small, of many denominations, as well talking to musicians , directors and pastors. Here at DC9 at Night, we’ve covered many churches this summer, but none…
My Bloody Valentine | New Fumes Saturday, August 17, 2013 Verizon Theatre There is a universal truth about My Bloody Valentine, agreed upon by nearly everything ever written about them. They play ridiculously loud. It was at about two thirds of their way into “A New You,” a soft poppy…
Artists choose to write shockingly upsetting music for a number of reasons: To express extreme emotions or to provoke a visceral response in listeners or say something about a particular issue or for the shock itself. Sometimes, they’re presented as true story warnings, as in Bushwick Bill’s “Ever So Clear.”…
What do Harley Davidson motorcycles, Dean guitars and southern metal have in common? It’s all part of Ride For Dime, a two-day bike rally in honor of the fallen guitarslinger Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott, a Texas legend whose band Pantera helped to establish southern metal as the brutal force that it…
Kidd Kraddick Memorial August 15, 2013 AT&T Plaza in Victory Plaza Last night’s open-to-the-public memorial for Kidd Kraddick was a very moving and surprisingly upbeat affair. Feeling like a live episode of Kidd Kraddick in the Morning, there wasn’t any sugarcoating about Kidd’s death, but there were plenty of laughs…
Growing up in the late ’70s and early ’80s, bands like Heart were the bane of my existence. As a teenager, I cringed when hits like “Magic Man” or “Barracuda” were constantly coming from the radio in my dad’s car. Sure, both Ann and Nancy Wilson were easy on the…
Kim Lenz and the Jaguars play old school rockabilly with a fire and passion that is often missing from the hordes of retro-shtick, dress up cover bands that plague many music scenes. With a campy sense of humor and a ferocious persona, Lenz is a visual and musical magnet. Although…
In 1996, Dallas’ Old 97’s played a few songs with Waylon Jennings in Nashville. Those songs never saw the light of day until Record Store Day this year, when they came out as a limited-release 7″. But now, Omnivore Recordings will be giving the two songs a wide release, along…
This week brings us another installment of Red Bull Sound Select, one of Texas’ best country bands, a local radio milestone, and some of the most influential artists of their respective genres. Lil Wayne has had some health issues on the road this year, so here’s hoping that his time…
In July 2011, Fort Worth musician Josh Weathers dedicated a cover of Whitney Houston’s version of “I Will Always Love You” to his mother. It is world-class diva quality. Kessler Artistic Director Jeff Liles recorded it, and posted it on YouTube. This Tuesday, more than two years later, reddit user…
It’s time once again to start work on the Dallas Observer Music Awards — the city’s only opportunity to win a drinkable trophy*. This year’s award ceremony will be held on November 5, and the Music Showcase that accompanies it will be the Saturday before that: November 2. There will…
The Polyphonic Spree’s album release show at Granada Theater starts in seven minutes, and there is no water in the refrigerator backstage. A couple members of the choir ask band manager Chris Penn where the water bottles are. Penn asks Granada backstage manager Wes McIntyre. McIntyre says he just filled…
Together, Dean Allen Spunt and Randy Randall make up the experimental post-punk duo No Age. Since 2005, they’ve proven to be one of the most durable and exciting bands in punk. At the end of this month, they’ll hit Oak Cliff’s Texas Theatre for an intimate performance that promoter Spune…
From Keith Richards and his swagger to Jimmy Page with his operatic solos, sexy guitarists have been dominating our minds for more than four decades now, causing fans to riot as if the guitarist itself exuded something magical. In the ’50s, Beatle-mania forced police to wear riot gear while thousands…
Earlier, we told you about the sudden, rapid expansion of Oliver Peck’s Elm Street festival. This year, Reverend Horton Heat is onboard and helping curate five days of music at three venues in Deep Ellum from September 11 to 15. Today, the full schedule has been announced. It’s below, with…
From 1973 to 2008, Jody Payne played guitar in Willie Nelson’s Family band. The Kentucky-bred musician died over the weekend in Alabama, where he lived with his wife, teaching guitar lessons. Willie has posted several tributes to his old bandmate on Facebook, starting with, “Sad to report that Jody Payne…
