The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Louis the Child, Vans Warped Tour, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and More

In between hot dogs and beer, celebrate America's birthday this week with some great music. Catch the final Vans Warped Tour when it stops through town Friday, EDM darling Louis the Child at South Side Ballroom on Thursday night, ska legends The Might Mighty Bosstones at Dos Equis Pavilion on Thursday and several others.


Quiet Slang
8 p.m., Tuesday, July 3, Dada, 2720 Elm St., 214-742-3400, dadadallas.com, $12-$15

A spinoff act from punk band Beach Slang, Quiet Slang slows things down a notch. James Alex, frontman for both, mixes piano, strings and vocals in Quiet Slang that easily expose lyrics through his raspy voice. Quiet Slang released its first studio album, Everything Matters But No One Is Listening, earlier this year. Alex cites his admiration for singer-songwriter Stephin Merritt as inspiration for the new act. Diamond Victoria


Bane's World
With Michael Seyer and Inner Wave, 8 p.m. Thursday, July 5, Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., eventbrite.com, $15

Bane's World is the creation of Shane Blanchard, a chilled-out Californian who makes what he calls "dreamy, jazzy pop" songs. He writes his own material and records using GarageBand, a process that gives his hangdog songs a rustic and authentic feel. Listening feels like stumbling upon a band rehearsing in a backyard and deciding to eavesdrop through the fence. His methods and sharp writing caught the ears of Tyler, the Creator, who quickly signed Blanchard to his record label while offering loads of public support and fanfare. In a live setting, Blanchard expands Bane's World to a full band lineup, which should provide additional muscle and heft to the proceedings. Catch him while you can in a smaller environment like Club Dada. He may be moving into larger venues soon. Jeff Strowe


Louis the Child
8 p.m. Thursday, July 5, South Side Ballroom, 1135 S. Lamar St., livenation.com, $37 and up

EDM — or electronic dance music for those asleep the last half-decade — is all but on the way out. After several feverish summers of megaton festivals and figureheads like Deadmau5, the genre is more or less teetering on its last legs. But don’t tell that to EDM duo Louis the Child, whose subtle variations on the EDM formula suggest the euphoric dance style isn’t dying but finally maturing, evolving. Trading anthemic builds for pop-savvy, hip-hop percussion and fluttering, neon-drenched synths, Louis the Child’s singles more so float than erupt. Amid glassy keys and sensual, party-ready moods, the duo show what a sea change might look like for EDM — and how much fun surfing those waves could be. Jonathan Patrick


Sam Johnston
With Carter Gardner and M'Lynn, 7 p.m., Thursday, July 5, Deep Ellum Art Co., 3200 Commerce St., deepellumartcompany.com, $7

Sam Johnston released his debut album, Longing, earlier this year. The Nashville resident, who was born and raised in Dallas, spends his time creating a sound that mixes blues, psychedelia, Neo soul and classic rock. He draws influences from John Mayer, Gary Clark Jr. and Jimi Hendrix. Johnston also lends a hand as lead guitarist and vocalist for local blues rock band Canvas. DV


Vans Warped Tour
11 a.m. Friday, July 6, Dos Equis Pavilion, 3839 S. Fitzhugh Ave, 214-421-1111 or livenation.com, $45 and up

It’s the end of an era. After close to a quarter of a century, one of the most iconic traveling punk-rock tours will be screaming its swan song in Dallas this year. Love it or hate it, the tour broke the bands that were big in high school (at least mine). Acts such as Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance and Blink-182 gained massive exposure thanks to the tour. It should be noted that none of those bands will be showing up in Dallas or on any Warped Tour stage in this final year. But while bigger names may be few and far between on the Dallas portion of the bill, tour veterans 3OH!3, Senses Fail, Simple Plan and Bowling for Soup, hometown act, will all be on hand. These names and more than 50 others are the lucky few who’ll get to say they closed out 24 years of history. That is, of course, until the nostalgia wheel comes full circle and the tour inevitably gets rebooted. Wishful thinking aside, the occasion is still bittersweet for some, so be ready to doff your trilbies and lower your Anti-Flags to half-mast as Warped Tour 2018 makes its final stop. Nicholas Bostick


Marcia Ball
8:30 p.m. Friday, July 6, Levitt Pavilion, 100 W. Abram St., Arlington, levittpavilionarlington.org, free

With roots in Texas and Louisiana, Marcia Ball has been a part of the blues scene for decades. The pianist and singer has been described as sensational, saucy and irresistible from the likes of USA Today and Boston Globe. Swamp blues, boogie woogie and swamp rock are just a few genres describing Ball's unique sound. Her latest album, The Tattoed Lady and the Alligator Man, playfully embraces all of these descriptions. DV



The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
7 p.m. Saturday, July 7, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or livenation.com, $25

Any longtime ska fan eventually encounters Dicky Barrett’s unforgettable gravely vocals as the frontman of influential third-wave ska act The Mighty Mighty Bosstones. And thanks to his attention-grabbing vocals and the nine-member band’s brassy horn section on catchy singles "The Impression That I Get," “Someday I Suppose" and "Where'd You Go?" the Boston-bred act continues to attract new fans 25 years after forming. The always sharply dressed band was one of the first to find success merging high-energy ska with elements of punk and hardcore, triggering a surge in ska punk’s popularity and inspiring many other acts to follow suit in the late ’90s. Speaking of sharp suits, expect to see a well-dressed crowd mirroring the band because this show’s sure to bring out lots of ready-to-skank rudeboys and rudegirls from around North Texas donning tight-fitted dark suits, narrow ties, and pork pie hats or thin-brimmed trilbies. After forming in 1983, the Bosstones went on a hiatus from 2003-07. This will be Dallas’ first chance to skank along live since the band reactivated. The Bosstones are on tour supporting the band’s 10th studio album, While We’re at It. Daniel Rodrigue


Gary Allan
10:30 p.m. Saturday, July 7, Billy Bob's Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, 817-624-7117 or billybobstexas.com, $20 and up

Country music artist Gary Allan has had more chart-topping hits than a lot of others in his field of work. But it's not just Allan's accolades that highlight his talent. With a career spanning two decades, his music is on par with his electric live performances. Allan's latest album, Hard Way, saw its first single hit air waves in 2015, but its release date is still unclear. DV


Mozez tha Great: I Am Dallas Hip-Hop
9 p.m., Saturday, July 7, Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122, treesdallas.com, $16-$21

Mozez tha Great returned to Dallas about a year ago after working with Bun B, Paul Wall, and Rakim & Eric B. His latest project is slated to help other up-and-coming local hip-hop artists garner recognition through the I Am Dallas Hip-Hop night at Trees and features FL Loud, Previs The Best, Jui$e Leroy, IqMuzic, Contrabandz, Hyperfenton, Alex the Great, Amber Bee and Shoose McGee. DV


Last Chance Records Summer Hangout
7 p.m. Friday through Sunday, July 6-8, Dan's Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St., Denton, danssilverleaf.com, $30

For three days, get to know some great local bands as Last Chance Records hosts its Summer Hangout concert series at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton. Featuring some of the best bands to come out of North Texas, including Slobberbone and Danny Diamonds, the weekend promises plenty of "beer, sun and live screen printing." Tickets are $30 for a day or $75 for the weekend. DV