The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: The Toadies, Rosegarden Funeral Party, The Molly Ringwalds and More

Before you get started on your resolutions, ring in the new year with these 10 shows. Kick off the week with local favorites Toadies at Billy Bob's Texas this Monday. Then, you can listen to either Rosegarden Funeral Party, The Roomsounds and Atlantis Aquarius or Lynyrd Skynyrd as the ball drops and brings us into a new decade. If you're in the mood for jazz on the first day of 2020, hit up The Free Man Cajun Lounge & Cafe or Revelers Hall, and they'll get you taken care of on Wednesday. If you're still feeling jazzy on Sunday, swing back by Revelers Hall for its house band. In the meantime, you can catch cover acts like The Molly Ringwalds or The Thin White Dukes, or the EDM group Free Mode in Dallas on Friday and Saturday.


The Toadies
10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 30, at Billy Bob's Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth, $16 at billybobstexas.com

It’s been a wild ride since the Toadies cut their teeth playing rock clubs in Fort Worth 30 years ago, from facing studio albums shelved by their label to lineup shake-ups, band breakups, one-night reunions and finally to reuniting. And now Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price has reportedly proclaimed Dec. 30 “Toadies Day” over in Cowtown. So, for Toadies fans, there’s no better place to congregate and commemorate the day than at Billy Bob’s. The Toadies return to the famed venue for their annual pre-New Year’s concert — having recently announced an eighth studio album that sees them working with legendary producer and engineer Steve Albini, aka “The Godfather of Grunge.” To get a taste of what to expect Monday night, check out the band’s Live at Billy Bob’s album, which was recorded in 2017 and released at last year’s show. This show offers a perfect pairing of a bill, as alt-country cowpunk outfit Vandoliers open. Daniel Rodrigue

Rosegarden Funeral Party
4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton, $10 at prekindle.com

The members of Rosegarden Funeral Party reportedly won’t be in Texas too much longer, so you’ll want to catch them whenever you can. Rosegarden Funeral Party sounds like they were pulled out of the ’80s, but with every release they put out, and with every show played, they become bigger than the era itself. Rosegarden Funeral Party will share the stage at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio with Felt & Fur, Starfruit and Cpt Moon. Jacob Vaughn

The Roomsounds
9 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Ave., free

The Roomsounds may originally be from Connecticut, but they settled in Dallas a few years ago to immerse themselves in a rootsy-er, bluesy-er musical atmosphere. And after doing so, the five-piece roots-rock band fit right in, hosting some of the best house shows and parties as well. Reminiscent of the rock 'n' roll of yesteryear, The Roomsounds, with their long, flowing hair and an affinity for Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, embrace nostalgia but not without adding their own unique flavor to traditional Southern and roots-rock music. The band's last album, 2016's sophomore release Elm St., was recorded at Muscle Shoals' FAME Studios. The Roomsounds recently released a new single, "Take Me As I Am," off their forthcoming junior album. The band will share the stage with Atlantis Aquarius. Diamond Rodrigue

Lynyrd Skynyrd
8 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31, at American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., $27.50 at ticketmaster.com

Technically, Lynyrd Skynyrd hasn't existed since 1977, when Ronnie Van Zant and other band members died tragically in a plane crash. Nevertheless, Ronnie's younger brother, Johnny Van Zant, has insisted on keeping the band touring pretty consistently since 1987. Only one of the founding members, guitarist Gary Rossington, is still with the band, and nothing the second-generation version has done could even approach the band's original work, like "Simple Man," "Gimme Three Steps" or "Sweet Home Alabama." As such, there is really no reason to see Lynyrd Skynyrd live for the music — your records at home will sound much better — but there's no better people-watching than at a show like this. Lynyrd Skynyrd appeals to a certain rowdy type of crowd, so you'd better be ready to duck some elbows, drink some beer and maybe if you're lucky, see some boobs. Amy McCarthy

La Pompe
7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, at The Free Man Cajun Lounge & Cafe, 2626-2630 Commerce St., free

Self-described as "A little bit of gypsy, a little bit of French, a whole lotta swing!," the four members of La Pompe bring a completely unique perspective to the local music scene. With a mandolin, guitar and upright bass anchoring Kat Hackett's charming vocals, their music swells with nostalgia and brims with a breezy pep that will have audiences tapping their toes and transported back in time to French cafés or dimly lit New York City jazz haunts. You'll likely recognize several songs in their vast songbook, but they're quick to also bust out an original composition or put a current spin on an old standard. Kick back and enjoy some post-holiday festivities as they take center stage Wednesday at The Free Man Cajun Lounge & Cafe. Jeff Strowe

Shelley Carrol and Brad Leali
8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 1, at Revelers Hall, 412 N. Bishop Ave., $5 at venue

Every Wednesday, a couple of the baddest jazz musicians in the business take over Revelers Hall when Shelley Carrol and Brad Leali take the stage. Carrol comes from a Houston family of gospel singers and musicians. At a young age, he found himself in the famous Boys Choir of Houston. Later, Carrol picked up the saxophone and began learning from the likes of Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson from The Texas Tenors. For college, Carrol attended the University of North Texas and landed a spot in the Grammy-nominated One O’Clock Lab Band ... and the rest is history. Leali is just as decorated. The Colorado native began mixing gospel, jazz and R&B into his playing from a very early age. The New York Times wrote that Leali is an exciting and soulful saxophonist. You won't want to miss these two at Revelers Hall this Wednesday. Jacob Vaughn

The Molly Ringwalds
8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 3, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., $12.50-$39.50 at livenation.com

There probably are not many things more ’80s than Molly Ringwald, so it is naturally the perfect name for a band covering the music of the decade. The New Orleans band covers artists ranging from Guns N' Roses to Queen. The band’s embodiment of the era, and wild personas onstage, have made them the go-to ’80s cover band. Jacob Vaughn

Thin White Dukes
9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., $12-$20 at prekindle.com

Just a few days before David Bowie's birthday and the anniversary of his death, tribute band the Thin White Dukes will take the stage at Granada Theater to honor the late musical genius. Over a decade ago, six Bowie fans came together to form the Thin White Dukes. There are a handful of Bowie tribute shows going on in the next couple of weeks, but if you're at Granada this Saturday, frontman Scott Fuller might make you wonder if the glam-rock god ever left this world. Jacob Vaughn

Free Mode
11 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 4, Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Ave., free

Tomas Cook and Salman Farooq have been striving to make DJ'ing great again for presumably as long as six years. Meeting first in high school, the duo from Denton labeled themselves Free Mode shortly after graduation. Together they set to work crafting a DJ experience they didn’t feel was adequately represented in the then EDM-centric scene. Combining live drumming alongside live sampling and mixing, Free Mode is primarily known for generating mashups of popular songs from a wide range of genres. Add to that an energetically involved live show and a boatload of spicy memes, and the result is one of the most fun, up-and-coming local DJ groups around. If you don’t catch them this time, they’ll be playing several more shows at Sundown in the opening months of 2020. So catch them now while tickets are still free and hopefully before Austin steals them from us. Nicholas Bostick

Revelers Hall Band
2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5, at Revelers Hall, 412 N. Bishop Ave., $5 at venue

Every Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m., the Revelers Hall Band makes a not-so-subtle stop at their home venue. The six-piece brass band packs a punch that is near impossible to stand still against. The band embodies what Revelers Hall co-owner Jason Roberts and music director Kevin Butler want to get out of all the performers at the venue. It's acoustic, and they play real pianos and upright basses, instead of electric. Even if the power goes out, the Revelers Hall Band will keep the show going. The band can also be heard accompanying other acts booked at the venue throughout the week. Jacob Vaughn