10 Best Concerts of the Week: Robert Earl Keen, Keith Sweat, Zakk Sabbath and More

As we prepare for the weekend's arctic blast, this week's concert list offers up many ways to stay warm. Your concert week begins as the cold air first crosses the U.S.-Canada border on Thursday, with the Smoking Popes in Deep Ellum. On Friday, as the cold air makes its way to the northern Rockies, all three corners of North Texas will be hit with performers who are breaking the mold in one way or another: Matt Hillyer in Dallas, The Spits in Denton and Dale Watson in Fort Worth. As the arctic blast crosses the Texas border on Saturday, you can grab a bite to eat at Elaina Kay's Cornbread & Country, say goodbye to Mr. Big or welcome back Robert Earl Keen. As the temperature reaches its coldest on Sunday, you can warm up with the indie-rock of The Lone Bellow on Greenville Avenue or turn the heat all the way up with Keith Sweat in Grand Prairie. On Tuesday, guitar god Zakk Wylde leads us back to our normal temperatures with a set of Black Sabbath songs.
Smoking Popes
7 p.m., Thursday, Jan. 11, Club Dada, 2720 Elm St. $20 at seetickets.us

Punk band Smoking Popes includes brothers Matt, Josh and Eli Caterer as well as one-time Alkaline Trio drummer Mike Felumlee. Founded in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, the band came up in the heyday of the city's DIY scene playing with a style that toed the line between pop punk and Midwest emo. The band's 1993 debut album, Get Fired, piqued the interest of a then up-and-coming band out of California's East Bay, Green Day, who invited the band on the road as an opener to support Green Day's 1994 release, Dookie. Smoking Popes had a different trajectory, struggling with labels unsure what to do with their somber approach to high-energy punk. The band broke up in 1999 when singer Josh Caterer converted to Christianity, but reunited in 2005 as he learned to see the band as an extension rather than a contradiction of his faith. San Antonio punk band Fea and Nashville femmecore band Dreaded Laramie will open the show on Thursday.
Matt Hillyer
7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave. $20+ at prekindle.com

Two summers ago, when Matt Hillyer, leader of the longstanding Dallas honky-tonk band Eleven Hundred Springs, parted ways with his bandmates of 23 years, he saw his newfound freedom as an opportunity to try something new with his songwriting. Hillyer joined a songwriting group with a strict rule of "one new song a week," which became the basis of his 2023 release, Glorieta. Hillyer also challenged himself to work with new people and present his music in new ways on the album. While his voice and guitar prowess remain familiar to longtime fans of Eleven Hundred Springs, Hillyer's new material has jazzy, spooky stories in songs closer to '60s pop-rock. Hillyer will perform at the Granada Friday night with opening support from J. Isaiah Evans & The Boss Tweed.
The Spits
7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, Rubber Gloves, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton. $20 at etix.com

Formed in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1993 before relocating to Seattle, punk band The Spits describe themselves as "punk for the people," with loud performances and band members appearing in costumes on stage — graduation robes, nun outfits, Ronald Reagan masks or as toilet paper mummies. The band has independently released six self-titled albums throughout its career, unofficially known by their numbers in order of release. Twisted and distorted, the band's sound is created with a traditional lineup of punk musicians and the addition of a keyboard player who fills in any potential negative space. The band will have opening support from Austin punk band Die Spitz, an all-woman band known for its unhinged stage show. It's sure to get everyone in the audience in on the excitement. Also opening is Denton punk band Laughing Matter.
Dale Watson
7 p.m., Friday, Jan. 12, Magnolia Motor Lounge, 3005 Morton St., Fort Worth. $20+ at outhousetickets.com

At around the age of 14, Texas country singer Dale Watson became an emancipated minor. Going to high school in the daytime and playing Houston clubs and honky-tonks at night, Watson spent eight years with his brother Jim in The Classic Country Band before moving to Los Angeles on the advice of friend and fellow country singer Rosie Flores. Between his singles, EPs, full-length records and live albums, Watson has put out nearly 40 releases since 1989 — his most successful record being 2013's El Rancho Azul, with its classic country throwback "I Lie When I Drink." Coining the term "Ameripolitan" to describe his authentic country sound, Watson plays music that goes hand-in-hand with the outlaw country of Merle Haggard, George Jones and Waylon Jennings. No openers have been announced for Watson's Friday night show in Fort Worth.
Elaina Kay's Cornbread & Country
6 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13, Longhorn Ballroom, 216 Corinth St. $35+ at prekindle.com

Back in 2019, country artist Elaina Kay hosted her first Cornbread & Country festival at the Garden Cafe to raise money to record her first single, "Issues." Six years, one album and several singles later, Kay is back with the sixth installment of a festival that has only gotten bigger and better with time. This will be the first time the legendary Longhorn Ballroom has hosted the event, and for the fourth year, Dallas firemen-owned company Smoke Showin' BBQ will cater the event. Fans opting to pay a little more for the VIP experience will have early access to all the food and drinks, reserved seating and the opportunity to meet all of the festival artists. Speaking of which, along with Elaina Kay & Co., the all-night event will present performances from Summer Dean, Darby Sparkman, Dallas Burrow and Gabe Lee. Proceeds from the evening will benefit Dallas First Responders.
Mr. Big
7 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13, The Factory in Deep Ellum, 2713 Canton St. $25+ at axs.com

It's hard to say if this will be the end of LA rock band Mr. Big. The band announced its Big Finish farewell tour with special guest Adam Nanez last spring, but in November, singer Eric Martin confirmed that the band had been working on material for a new album. So whether this is the end of the band, the end of touring or just the end of all things past remains to be seen. The band is probably best known for its 1991 single, "To Be With You," which appeared on its second album, Lean Into It. The song was the band's only hit single in the U.S., but success in America isn't everything. In Japan, Lean Into It and all eight albums after it have been in the country's top 10, and a few of them have been certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan. Let that be a lesson in how dismissive a term like "one-hit wonder" can be. What have you and the rest of America been missing? Find out Saturday in Deep Ellum.
Robert Earl Keen
7:30 p.m., Saturday, Jan. 13, Bass Performance Hall, 525 Commerce St., Fort Worth. $66+ at basshall.com

When Texas country singer Robert Earl Keen retired from touring in 2022, he didn't say that he was calling it quits. Keen still makes time for one-off shows, mostly in Texas, and will appear in Fort Worth this weekend as part of the BNSF Popular Entertainment Series at Bass Performance Hall. Keen will play a solo acoustic concert that night, showcasing his incredible songwriting. The singer developed his talent in Austin nightclubs in the late '70s and early '80s and won the New Folk competition at the Kerrville Folk Festival in 1983. From 1984 to 2022, Keen played all across America, charming audiences with a mix of songs that ranged from a haunting vision of an 18th-century heroine to hilarious takes on Copenhagen dip. His songs have also reached new audiences, having been covered by everyone from The Highwaymen to The Chicks.
The Lone Bellow
7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14, Granada Theater, 3424 Greenville Ave. $35+ at prekindle.com

Brooklyn indie-folk trio The Lone Bellow was formed as an outgrowth of singer Zach Williams' diaries. Williams had taken to writing as a way to cope with his wife's temporary paralysis following a horseback riding accident. When he shared his entries with friends, Williams heeded advice to learn the guitar and turn his thoughts into songs. After his wife recovered, the couple moved to New York and he founded the band. While the band takes a more collaborative approach to songwriting these days, Williams is still known for penning songs in tribute to his wife, which he has done across all five of the band's albums. The Lone Bellow's most recent, Love Songs for Losers, was written in Roy Orbison's former (and supposedly haunted) home and is full of stories about love and death. The band will be in town this weekend for its 10-Year Anniversary Tour with Liz Longley.
Keith Sweat
7 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 14, Texas Trust CU Theatre, 1001 Texas Trust Way, Grand Prairie. $49+ at axs.com

It may be getting colder here in the middle of January, but the heat will be turned all the way up in Grand Prairie on Sunday with a full night of '90s R&B. The night will begin with the band Troop, whose platinum-certified album Attitude gave us the singles "Spread My Wings" and "All I Do Is Think of You" in 1990. Next on stage will be Jon B., whose string of hits in the mid-to-late '90s included "Are U Still Down," which featured the last verse Tupac Shakur recorded before his death. Legendary singer and pioneer of new jack swing Bobby Brown takes the night's penultimate spot leading to the night's headliner, Keith Sweat. Sweat, another early figure in the new jack swing sub-genre of R&B, is perhaps best known for his smooth-as-silk single "Twisted" in 1996. If the new year already has you stressed, this kick-back concert is sure to bring some relief.
Zakk Sabbath
6:30 p.m., Tuesday, Jan. 16, Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave. $32.50 at prekindle.com

We don't usually feature cover bands on this list, but when the band is led by legendary guitarist Zakk Wylde, we'll make an exception. Since 2014, amid developing his solo work, playing guitar in Ozzy Osbourne's band, leading Black Label Society and taking Dimebag Darrell's spot in Pantera, Wylde has led the Black Sabbath cover band Zakk Sabbath. The three-piece band consists of Wylde on guitar and vocal duties, Rob Zombie bassist Rob Blasko and Danzig drummer Joey Castillo. Suffice it to say that this group knows the source material inside and out. No one can ever replace the original Black Sabbath, but this is one of the best treatments the band will ever receive. Since it's performed by a group clearly doing it for the fun, the show is certain to be a good time for all fans of metal. Bluegrass and thrash metal fusion band The Native Howl opens.