10 Best Concerts of the Week: Dinosaur Jr., Seal, Lil Wayne and More

With five of this week's best concerts taking place on Friday and three taking place on Wednesday, this will be another week of big decisions for music fans across North Texas. Friday night is a night of legends, with shows from alternative rock star Dinosaur Jr. in the Cedars, hard rock great Anvil in Deep Ellum, soft rock icon Kenny Loggins in Fort Worth, Chicano rock powerhouses Los Lobos in the Stockyards and local country artist Vincent Neil Emerson in Denton. The concert week picks back up on Sunday with an anniversary show from progressive soul singer Seal in Fair Park. House of Blues will host two of this week's best concerts — on Tuesday with post-punk act The Psychedelic Furs and on Wednesday with rapper Lil Wayne. Wednesday night will also see shows from blues rocker Melissa Etheridge in Downtown Dallas and hardcore punk supergroup OFF! in Deep Ellum.
Dinosaur Jr.
6:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, Longhorn Ballroom, 216 Corinth St. $30+ at prekindle.com

Like many bands, Dinosaur Jr. has had its share of lineup changes through the years, but since 2005, the Massachusetts alternative rock pioneers have stuck together. Co-founded by singer and primary songwriter J Mascis, bassist Lou Barlow and drummer Murph, Dinosaur Jr. borrowed heavily from the distorted garage rock of the '60s and '70s to formulate a sound that wasn't pop, wasn't punk, wasn't rock but was definitely related in some way. This alternative rock sound would come to define the grunge rock of the '90s. Countless musicians from that era of underground rock in the mid- to late-'80s have cited Dinosaur Jr. as primary influences. Singer Frank Black told Kerrang! in 2021 that Mascis served as a model for him as he was putting together his own band, the Pixies. Local rock band The Infamists has been picked to open Friday night's show at Longhorn Ballroom supporting its brand new album Live Evil.
Anvil
7 p.m. Friday, April 28, Club Dada, 2720 Elm St. $20 at prekindle.com

Canadian heavy metal band Anvil is the ultimate underdog. The band's touching story of being one of the progenitors of 1980s metal and subsequently being overlooked by the music industry was chronicled in the award-winning documentary Anvil! The Story of Anvil in 2008. The band had minor success throughout the '80s, and their biggest album was their Metal Blade Records debut Strength of Steel in 1987, which managed to rise only to No. 191 on the Billboard 200. For over 15 years, the band lived in complete obscurity as its members took regular jobs driving catering trucks and working construction. The documentary served its purpose, however, reigniting interest in the defunct band as forgotten legends in the history of metal. Since the documentary's release, Anvil has become a much sought-after act, touring around the world. They'll be at Club Dada in Deep Ellum on Friday with support from Midnite Hellion and Todopoderoso.
Vincent Neil Emerson
7 p.m. Friday, April 28, Dan's Silverleaf, 103 N. Industrial St., Denton. Free with registration at thinline.us/registration

In another lifetime, Vincent Neil Emerson and Townes Van Zandt would have had the most epic song swaps of all time. Since Van Zandt's death, it's rare to find a songwriter who gets what country songwriting should do the way Emerson does. The Fort Worth musician has shown himself capable of handling all the funny, fraught and fantastic elements of the genre. Emerson worked with the legendary (and old friend of Van Zandt) Rodney Crowell, who produced his 2021 self-titled release. Since then, Emerson has released a few singles and a live EP. He's the top-billed act for this year's Thin Line Fest in Denton. The five-day festival celebrates the music, arts and film of North Texas, and all of it is absolutely free with registration. Supporter and VIP packages are also available for those looking for some extra perks and that warm, fuzzy feeling that comes with supporting your local arts community.
Kenny Loggins
7:30 p.m. Friday, April 28, Dickies Arena, 1911 Montgomery St., Fort Worth. $35.50+ at ticketmaster.com

Are you ready to cut loose, footloose, one last time? Coming to Fort Worth Friday night is singer-songwriter Kenny Loggins on his This Is It! His Final Tour. Celebrating over 50 years in the world of popular music, Loggins will perform a career-spanning set, including songs from his time with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and from the period he spent recording with Buffalo Springfield and Poco's Jim Messina as Loggins & Messina. It was during the '80s when Loggins saw his greatest success, recording hit songs for hit films: "I'm Alright" from Caddyshack, "Footloose" from Footloose and "Danger Zone" from the original Top Gun movie. Since his heyday, Loggins has kept busy recording songs for soundtracks, working on a children's album and fundraising for various charities. Yacht rock tribute act turned original band Yacht Rock Revue opens the show.
Los Lobos
8 p.m. Friday, April 28, Tannahill's Tavern & Music Hall, 122 E. Exchange Ave., Ste. 200, Fort Worth. $47+ at ticketmaster.com

Los Angeles-based Chicano rock band Los Lobos had its biggest hit in 1987 when the band's cover of Richie Valens' "La Bamba" became an international hit. Popular as the song was, the cover doesn't do a lot to introduce uninformed listeners to Los Lobos' signature sound. Beginning all the way back in 1973, Los Lobos became dissatisfied playing cover songs from Top 40 radio and began playing the Spanish-language songs with which its members grew up. Over time, the band combined the sounds of South America and North America into something that was truly unique in the late '70s, and found a home in L.A.'s early punk scene where all bands that didn't fit the mold went to grow. In 2021, Los Lobos took home the Grammy Award for Best Americana Album for the band's 17th album, Native Sons. No opening act has been announced for the band's Friday night show in Fort Worth.
Seal
7 p.m. Sunday, April 30, Music Hall at Fair Park, 909 First Ave. $49.50+ at ticketmaster.com

R&B singer Seal blew up in the '90s thanks to a sound that combined progressive soul with pop music and dance, a sound Seal adopted thanks in large part to his producer Trevor Horn. Horn had previously made his mark on the world of dance pop, producing Frankie Goes to Hollywood's debut album and its hit single, "Relax," and with his own band, The Buggles, and its debut hit single, "Video Killed the Radio Star." But Horn's work as a producer really took off when he worked on Seal's first two albums, which have defined the career of the artist and producer. In honor of the 30-year anniversary of their work together, Seal is taking both albums on tour with Horn as the musical director. Horn will also be bringing The Buggles back together, touring with Seal as opening support. Fans in attendance for the night's show will be treated to all the songs from both albums as they were recorded, with some surprises thrown in the mix.
The Psychedelic Furs
7 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. $39.50+ at livenation.com

After nearly two decades of studio silence, legendary London post-punk band The Psychedelic Furs released its eighth studio album, Made of Rain, in January 2020 just as the world was starting to close down. The band was able to tour the record in late 2021, playing one show in Dallas in October, and into 2022 for a worldwide tour. Returning to Dallas this Tuesday, The Psychedelic Furs come bearing nothing new necessarily, though Psychedelic Furs singer Richard Butler did co-write songs with Martin Gore for his band Depeche Mode's 2023 Memento Mori album, including its lead single "Ghosts Again." The Psychedelic Furs seem to be revisiting the towns they toured when the pandemic was still cancelling shows and keeping us quarantined. Alt-rock band The Lemonheads' singer and guitarist Evan Dando has been tapped to open the show as a solo act.
Melissa Etheridge
7 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm St. $39+ at axs.com

Blues rocker Melissa Etheridge had her biggest year in 1993 when her iconic fourth album, Yes I Am, went platinum six times over. That album was the fourth in a string of five albums that all sold well over a million units. Etheridge made her debut in 1988 with an eponymous album and the lead single "Bring Me Some Water," which became an instant hit and earned her the first of many Grammy Award nominations for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance. Etheridge would go on to win that award in 1993 for "Ain't It Heavy" and in 1995 for "Come to My Window," the singer's first hit after she publicly announced that she is a lesbian — a way bigger deal in the early '90s. It's been over a decade since Etheridge had a song enter the charts, but her rock prowess remains as masterful as ever. Her last album of new material, The Medicine Show, was nominated for "Best Mainstream Rock Album" by the American Association of Independent Music in 2020.
Lil Wayne
7 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St. $541+ at livenation.com

Born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. in 1982, Lil Wayne began rapping at age 12 when he formed a duo with rapper B.G. in 1995. Two years later, that duo would join with Juvenile and Turk to form a foursome known as Hot Boy$. By 1999, the group and Lil Wayne, specifically, would take the world by storm and change the English lexicon in the process with the song "Bling Bling." For the next decade, there wasn't really much that distinguished Lil Wayne from any other New Orleans rapper aside from his trademark voice. But in 2008, everything changed with the release of The Carter III. For that album, Lil Wayne pulled out all the stops, establishing himself as a highly-skilled wordsmith with a fearless approach to music. On March 31, Lil Wayne released his first greatest hits album, I Am Music. Currently on his Welcome to Tha Carter Tour, Lil Wayne packs House of Blues for a sold-out show Wednesday night. Verified resale tickets are still available.
OFF!
7 p.m. Wednesday, May 3, Deep Ellum Art Co. 3200 Commerce St. $20 at prekindle.com

Hardcore punk supergroup OFF! formed in L.A. in late 2009 with Circle Jerks and former Black Flag singer Keith Morris at the helm. Burning Brides frontman Dimitri Coats, Redd Kross bassist Steven Shane McDonald and drummer Mario Rubalcaba from Rocket From The Crypt and Hot Snakes were also there at the outset, but McDonald and Rubalcaba have since left the band to pursue other projects. OFF! came out swinging in its first five years, releasing two full-length albums, nearly a dozen music videos and a slew of EPs. Not much happened with the band between 2014 and 2021. Morris got back together with the Circle Jerks for some touring while OFF! replaced its rhythm section with ...And You Will Know Us by the Trail bassist Autry Fulbright II and Thundercat drummer Justin Brown. Last September, OFF! released its first album in eight years, Free LSD. Die Spitz and Band of Bastards open the show Wednesday night in Deep Ellum