10 Best Concerts of the Week: Metallica, Snoop Dogg, Beck and More

There is so much talent coming to North Texas stages this week, it's hard to know where to start. First, Metallica will take over Dallas this weekend with a host of sponsored concerts and films in addition to its No Repeat Weekend at AT&T Stadium. Then, Snoop Dogg and Wiz Khalifa will smoke out Dos Equis Pavilion on Sunday, where Beck and Phoenix will be blasting those end-of-summer vibes the next night. Alt-country legends Son Volt celebrate 28 years together at the Kessler Wednesday night, and Counting Crows and Dashboard Confessional bring Gen-Xers and millennials together for one massive, multigenerational emotional purge at Toyota Music Factory. Beyond the big names, though, there are some really specials shows coming to smaller venues this week, like Nathan Mongol Wells reviving vaudeville variety shows for two nights in Oak Cliff, Zamrock band W.I.T.C.H. doing a rare performance with psych legend Jacco Gardner in Deep Ellum, John Fullbright playing with a full band in Fort Worth and Afroman being Afroman. So, whether you're looking to give into the Metallica takeover this weekend or avoid it completely, we've got you covered with this doozy of a concert week.
Metallica Takeover
Thursday – Sunday, Aug. 17–20, various locations. More info at metallica.com/tour

Metallica takes over Dallas this weekend. The first sign will be a Metallica pop-up shop open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting on Thursday in Dallas's East Quarter at 2117 Commerce St.; it's open daily through Sunday. On Friday, Metallica plays the first of two nights at AT&T Stadium, with the band playing a completely different set each night. On night one, Pantera and Mammoth WVH open the show. On Saturday between the shows, Metallica will take over several Dallas venues with an array of sponsored events. Texas Theatre will host a book signing by photographer Ross Halfin, author of Metallica: The Black Album in Black & White and screen a Metallica Film Festival showcasing three films from three eras: Cliff ‘Em All, Cunning Stunts and Orgullo, Pasión y Gloria: Tres Noches en la Ciudad de México. There will be two shows from OTTTO and Bastardane with local support from Van Damme at Three Links in Deep Ellum while Fugitive, 200 Stab Wounds, Spirit World and Trial Gaze play at South Side Ballroom in The Cedars. The Echo Lounge & Music Hall will host ...And Tributes for All! A Celebration of Metallica, with three Metallica tribute acts: Damage Inc. from Southern California, Motorbreath from Portland and Sandman from Canada. The takeover will conclude on Sunday back at AT&T Stadium with Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills opening.
Nathan Mongol Wells
7 p.m., Thursday and Friday, Aug. 17 and 18, Revelers Hall, 412 N. Bishop Ave. $10 at prekindle.com

Leading into the weekend, Dallas singer-songwriter Nathan Mongol Wells will host two nights of shows in honor of the release of his debut solo album, From A Dark Corner. To celebrate, Wells will be joined by a rotating cast onstage, forgoing the traditional show format with six different musicians playing over the course of the evening as a nod to vaudeville variety shows of early Americana music. For the first night's The Curtain Raiser: A Record Preview show, Wells will be joined by Davey, Katrina Cain, Corina Grove, Billy Law and Frankie Leonie. For the release show on night two, Wells will again be joined by Davey, Law and Leonie, with the addition of Ceci Ceci, Baba Yaga Orkestar, John Pedigo of The O's and The 40 Acre Mule and Wells's own cowpunk band, Ottoman Turks. To keep the show intimate, a very limited number of tickets is available, so it would behoove you not to wait to get in at the door. John Fullbright
8 p.m., Friday, Aug. 18, The Post at River East, 2925 Race St., Fort Worth. Sold out.

John Fullbright may not be the most recognizable of names in country music, but he should be. This former member of the Turnpike Troubadours has laid down deeply emotional and introspective songs on country music's large underground circuit for about 15 years now. Fullbright came out swinging with a debut live album in 2009, but it was his first studio effort, From the Ground Up, that caught the attention of critics outside the country world. With songs like "Jericho" and "Satan & St. Paul" sending listeners soaring through biblical allusions and the search for new meaning, Fullbright showed that Oklahoma farm boys could get emo too. Though 2014's Songs may have gotten more attention than its predecessor, Fullbright all but disappeared after the tour, popping up for short tours here and there. Last September, the singer-songwriter released his first album in eight years, The Liar, which shows no letdown in his songwriting. Fullbright will be performing with a full band this Saturday in Fort Worth. Bob Schneider
7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, Tulips, 112 St. Louis Ave., Fort Worth. $28+ at prekindle.com

Winner of 55 Austin Music Awards from 1992 to 2017, Bob Schneider has woven himself into the fabric of Texas music with a blend of pop, country, folk and rock. Schneider has played in an array of projects, ranging from funk band Joe Rockhead to rock band Ugly Americans, the latter of which opened for Dave Matthews Band on its 1997 tour. A prolific songwriter, Schneider has released either an album or an EP every year since 1998. He received his first radio play in 2001 with "Big Blue Sea" and scored in 2004 with "Come With Me Tonight." It was in 2009, however, that Schneider made it to No. 14 on Billboard's AAA Radio Chart with his sweet, talk-singing single "40 Dogs (Like Romeo & Juliet)." Schneider will perform this weekend in Fort Worth with hometown singer-songwriter Denver Williams. W.I.T.C.H.
7 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 19, Deep Ellum Art Co. 3200 Commerce St. $20 at prekindle.com

In 1970s, there was an explosion of interest in metal bands like Black Sabbath, Blue Cheer and Deep Purple in Zambia after that country gained independence from British rule. This interest gave rise to a fusion of African music and hard psychedelic rock called Zamrock. The most popular band to come out of the Zamrock movement was W.I.T.C.H. (a backronym for We Intend To Cause Havoc). The band released seven albums between its formation in 1972 and its disbanding in 1984 after the Zambian economy collapsed, forcing the band's members to find more traditional means of employment. The band faded into obscurity along with the Zamrock genre, but interest in both was resurrected in 2011 when Now-Again Records, an LA-based music imprint, began reissuing the band's albums. In June, the band released its first album in nearly 40 years, Zango. W.I.T.C.H. bassist Jacco Gardner will have a double shift Saturday night, leading the band's opening act, Metius. Snoop Dogg
6 p.m., Sunday, Aug. 20, Dos Equis Pavilion, 1818 First Ave. $39+ at livenation.com

There are sure to be hazy purple smoke clouds hanging over Fair Park on Sunday night when Snoop Dogg's High School Reunion Tour rolls up. This will be the second time he has toured with with Wiz Khalifa, and this time they are bringing Too $hort, Warren G and Berner along with DJ Drama on the 1s and 2s. While the ubiquitous West Coast rapper made his name by taking hip-hop music into the pop charts, in recent years, Snoop Dogg has made an even bigger name for himself as a businessman. Last year, he acquired his former record label, Death Row Records, along with the rights to every previous Death Row release including his debut studio album Doggystyle, Dr. Dre's The Chronic and 2Pac's All Eyez On Me. Later this year, Snoop Dogg will release his 20th studio album, Missionary, which is entirely produced by Dr. Dre and released as a joint venture between Death Row Records and Dr. Dre's Aftermath Entertainment label. Beck
5:45 p.m., Monday, Aug. 21, Dos Equis Pavilion, 1818 First Ave. $45+ at livenation.com

In the early '90s, Beck broke the mold when he managed to seamlessly weave together the genres of folk, funk, soul, hip-hop, pop, electronic, alternative rock, country and psychedelia. A child of composer and conductor David Campbell and one of Andy Warhol's superstars, Bibbe Hansen, young Beck grew up in a world surrounded by music and art. In his teenage years, Beck was a folk artist inspired by the country blues, working as a coffeehouse and street performer. As he made his way across the U.S., however, Beck began drawing inspiration from alternative and punk rock as well as the burgeoning hip-hop scene. After an introduction to Carl Stephenson, a record producer for Rap-A-Lot Records, Beck recorded the timeless classic "Loser," and the rest was history. This summer, Beck hit the road with the French synth-pop band and new single, "Odyssey," collaborator Phoenix. Indie rock bands Weyes Blood and Sir Chloe open the show.
Afroman
7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, Tulips, 112 St. Louis Ave., Fort Worth. $25+ at prekindle.com

Iconic rapper and 2024 presidential candidate Afroman makes a midweek stop in Fort Worth. Sure, you may only know his song "Because I Got High" from the time it was absolutely freaking everywhere in 2001, but honestly, Afroman knows that. In fact, his 2014 single "One Hit Wonder" is about that exactly. That is why you may be quite surprised to find out that, since the release of "Because I Got High," Afroman has released 16 or so albums and a galaxy of singles including last year's collaboration with Houston rapper Devin the Dude, "Gas." Though you may have forgotten about him, Afroman remains as irreverent and humorous as ever with live shows that are wildly entertaining. Afroman is a performer through and through, and he is certain to show concertgoers a good time, no matter their familiarity with his deep cuts. He will be joined by See Style, Hugh Glass and Kid Lennon.
Son Volt
7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 23, The Kessler, 1230 W. Davis St. Sold Out

In the late '80s, Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy founded the trailblazing alternative country band Uncle Tupelo, which broke the country mold with its lo-fi sound, punk ethos and bleak lyrics. In 1994, after releasing four albums, Uncle Tupelo split in half, with Tweedy forming Wilco and Farrar forming Son Volt. In 2020, Son Volt planned to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its debut album, Trace, with an anniversary tour, playing the album start to finish, but the pandemic canceled all of that. Earlier this summer, the band released Day of the Doug, a tribute album to Tex-Mex musician Doug Sahm of Sir Douglas Quintet and Texas Tornados. For these reasons, the band will play Trace from beginning to end and pay homage to Sahm with songs from the new album. Son Volt will have opening support from special guest Anders Parker, who formed Gob Iron with Farrar in 2006 and released the collaborative album, Death Songs for the Living.
Counting Crows
7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Aug. 23, The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, 300 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving. $29.95+ at livenation.com

In the early '90s, Counting Crows brought a lot of pop sensibility to the world of alternative rock. The band embraced the aesthetics and grim lyrics of its grunge counterparts, but its debut, the T Bone Burnett-produced album, August and Everything, demonstrated that a grim outlook could be presented with a lot of polish and even a few rays of sunshine. "Mr. Jones," "Round Here" and "Rain King" showed off the many sides of the band — desperate, introspective and ironically jubilant. It was a sound that made it OK to smile through the pain. Though the band's biggest hits came in the '90s, Counting Crows kept a steady pace throughout its three-decade career. In 2021, the band released its first EP, Butter Miracle, Suite One, which showed that singer Adam Duritz's songwriting is as strong as ever. The band is expected to complete Butter Miracle, Suite Two after the conclusion of its Banshee Season Tour with Dashboard Confessional.