Outward Bound Mixtape
10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 23, RBC, 2617 Commerce St., 469-487-6149 or rbcdeepellum.com, Free
We actually look forward to Mondays now, thanks to the work of Stefan Gonzalez. The lineup he curates on that day every week makes RBC one of the best places in the city to discover new music. Outward Bound Mixtape began a few years ago at Crown and Harp on Lower Greenville before it moved to Deep Ellum, but in its new home it offers the same opportunity for local and touring acts to try out something new in front of an enthusiastic and open-minded crowd of regulars, whether that means a first show, brand new songs or a sound that defies genre labels. If you ask the act du jour in Dallas noise, punk, goth or free jazz where they played some of their first shows, you’ll likely be told Outward Bound, so attend Mondays and stay ahead of the curve. Caroline North
Pop Evil
With Red Sun Rising and Badflower, 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 25, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseoflbues.com, $20
Presented by 97.1 the Eagle, who inherited some of the music the Edge played when that station went off the air last year, Pop Evil seems like the kind of band that would lead the station into the future. The five-piece behind “Footsteps” has billed this tour with Red Sun Rising and Badflower as the Rock ’N’ Roll Now. If rock ’n’ roll means coating hard rock with an accessible pop sheen, then that’s what you will get. Lead vocalist Leigh Kakaty is definitely a show man, the kind who can make people put their hands in the air for the majority of a concert. But if you think real, life-affirming rock music has its roots in the MC5, the Stooges or the New York Dolls, this is definitely not the show for you. Eric Grubbs
U.D.O.
With Nytrate, 8 p.m. Jan. 26, Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $13.75 to $65
After garnering a following as the frontman of Accept, the German band that helped pioneer speed and thrash metal in the early to mid-1980s, Udo Dirkschneider went on to earn fame with several other metal bands as well as on his own. Nowadays, the standard bearer is visiting Dallas as part of the farewell tour for U.D.O., his largest project since 1987. The show tonight at Trees is slated to be one of the last ever performances of the band’s songs. Diamond Victoria
Wheatus
With Mike Doughty, 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., 214-748-5105 or dadadallas.com, $18 to $20
Remember “Teenage Dirtbag”? Upon its 2000 release, the rock single was ubiquitous, appearing on screen in everything from Dawson’s Creek to Jason Biggs’ Loser. If you were a teenager or twenty-something in the aughts chances are you couldn’t escape it. Lead singer Brendan Brown’s nasally, metallic caterwaul soundtracked a small but poignant moment in the lives of those first members of the millennial generation. Angst, coming-of-age confusion, sexual frustration, high school popularity politics — it’s all there. Part MTV punk, part indie emo, Wheatus’ early sound — straightforward rhythm sections and jangly guitar play — was just the right tone and texture to capture the attention of marketing execs and despondent teens alike. But that was 17 years ago, and after lineup changes and several subsequent releases, Wheatus have matured. Ruminative and considerably darker and richer, the present Wheatus bridges the brooding tones of ’90s alternative rock to the digital renderings of modern day production. Those looking for a nostalgia trip or simply a night of moody rock music should not be disappointed. Mike Doughty headlines the show. Jonathan Patrick
Dave Matthews
With Tim Reynolds, 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26, Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie, 972-854-5050 or verizontheatre.com, $85
Tim Reynolds and Dave Matthews share a friendship fit for a Billy Joel A-side. The duo first met in Miller’s Downtown, a small Virginia bar that served as the birthplace of the Dave Matthews Band. Reynolds and Matthews’ shows are acoustic journeys through their shared history consisting of original songs from both men, as well as stripped down DMB tracks with a few covers sprinkled in. DMB is on hiatus now, so this performance by two-sevenths of the iconic alt-rock band will likely be fans’ only chance to get a live fix in 2017. Regardless, the improvisational nature of Reynolds and Matthews’ shows will make the night a special one, and spending an evening with DMB’s guitar section is always a good time. Nicholas Bostick
Pitbull
9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27, WinStar Casino, 777 Casino Ave., Thackerville, Oklahoma, 800-622-6317 or winstarworldcasino.com, $65 to $250
You can’t mistake Pitbull for anyone other than Pitbull. With his shaved head, sunglasses, sharp suit and stellar dance moves, the Miami rapper is a force unto himself — a Latino sensation with crossover appeal and an international following. The Cuban heartthrob caught his big break in 2002 when a freestyle of his landed on Lil Jon’s Kings of Crunk album in 2002. Since then, he’s released nine albums, been a mainstay on the Billboard charts and recently won the Grammy Award for Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album. Just like the fun Miami bass music Pitbull grew up on, it will be a concert filled with happy spirits and an energy level that sets the roof, the roof, the roof on fire. Aria Bell
With the Skins, 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com, $29.50 to $35
The Jonas Brothers already seem like a relic of the past. With so many other youthful pop idols coming and going on a continuous basis, it’s easy to forget that the Disney-reared trio of brothers held a pretty solid grip on the hearts of young women as recently as 2010-2011. In the past several years, the group hasn’t so much disbanded as they’ve simply branched out into other projects. Joe Jonas, the middle brother in the family, has embarked on a career as the frontman for DNCE, a groove-oriented, L.A.-based outfit, named, according to Jonas, for that moment “when you’re too drunk drunk to spell ‘dance.’” They’re a raucous foursome that takes the stage wearing an eye-grabbing wardrobe that seeks to inspire a “throw caution to the wind” ethos from their audience. Buoyed by their catchy single “Cake By The Ocean,” their music moves along pleasantly enough, striving to illustrate Jonas’ longstanding vision of melding together the sounds of classic R&B acts Earth, Wind, and Fire and Hall & Oates. Expect lots of confetti, a disco ball or two, and perhaps a gathering of comfortably grown-up Jonas Brothers fans looking to let loose on a Saturday night. Jeff Strowe
Tom Chaplin
8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., 214-272-8346, $29
Best known as the voice of the British alt-rock band Keane, Tom Chaplin made his solo debut in October. After a couple of years of studio silence with the band, the singer-songwriter released The Wave — the album Chaplin says saved him from spiraling further into drug addiction. Availability for Saturday night’s show is now standing-room only, so you better grab the remaining tickets while you can. DV
Cloud Cult
9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., 214-742-3400 or dadadallas.com, $15 to $17
Rolling Stone has described experimental indie outfit Cloud Cult as “the instrumental arsenal of the Arcade Fire mixed with the gentle electronic throb of the Postal Service,” which is a pretty accurate description. Beginning as frontman Craig Minowa’s solo project in 1995, the band has reached eight members and released 10 albums. The band’s latest album, The Seeker, was accompanied by a feature film of the same name. Catch them Saturday night at Dada. DV
Will Johnson
9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, at Dan’s Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St., Denton, 940-320-2000 or danssilverleaf.com, $12
Will Johnson is a pretty familiar name among the Denton music scene. As Centro-matic’s former frontman, the singer-songwriter and painter explored the realms of folk, Americana and indie rock. His solo career has seen him digging deeper to the roots of folk rock and may be some of the best music he’s written and recorded. Catch him tonight at Dan’s Silverleaf. DV
