The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Sam Lao, Breaking Benjamin, Posival and More

There are plenty of good shows to attend this week, but here are a few suggestions if you don't know where to start. If you're looking for new wave, you'll want to be at Granada Theater on Monday for British act The Fixx. If you're looking for something with a little more bite, the iconic hardcore punk band Black Flag will be in town that night as well, alongside Shonen Knife and The Linecutters. On Tuesday, if you're trying to save a few bucks, you can catch The Free Loaders at The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge or the Jason Bucklin Trio at The Balcony Club. But, if you've got a little more money to spend, you can also catch Breaking Benjamin at Dos Equis Pavilion and Whitney at Canton Hall before you're cut loose for the weekend. On Friday, you'll have to choose between New Fumes at the Texas Theatre, Posival at Double Wide or the Girls Club showcase at Granada Theater. Then, to cap off the weekend, you can catch The Revelers Hall Band at their home turf on Saturday and Sunday.


The Fixx
7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., $35-$50 at prekindle.com

The British new wave band The Fixx, mostly remembered for '80s hits such as "One Thing Leads to Another" and "Red Skies at Night," released a new album titled Beautiful Friction in 2012 after nine years of studio silence. The album received a warm welcome from critics then and is still a great fit into the record collection of anyone who prefers to remember the band as it was 30 years ago. Diamond Rodrigue


Jason Bucklin Trio
9:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept 10, at The Balcony Club, 1825 Abrams Road, free

When Jason Bucklin isn’t teaching guitar and bass lessons, like he’s done for most of his life, he’s usually onstage with his jazz trio at The Balcony Club. In teaching guitar and bass, including master classes at the University of North Texas, Bucklin has grown an appreciation and passion for all kinds of music. But jazz was his first love. Bucklin used to play with Café Noir, the Dallas-based sextet, but every Tuesday, at least from now until sometime in December, Bucklin hits The Balcony Club stage with his trio for a night of jazz. And, it’s free. Go see the Jason Bucklin Trio while you still can. Jacob Vaughn

Breaking Benjamin
5:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at Dos Equis Pavilion, 3839 S. Fitzhugh Ave., $29.50-$110.50 at livenation.com

Despite Breaking Benjamin's ever-revolving door of members, they've remained pretty consistent in their sound, likely due to Benjamin Burnley staying firmly planted as lead composer and vocalist. The original lineup formed in 1999, and the band seems to be part of a resurgence of early-2000s hardcore acts making their way through town as of late. Breaking Benjamin's latest album, Ember, was released in 2018 and rose to the top of several Billboard charts. Check the band out Tuesday at Dos Equis Pavilion and see for yourself how they've managed to keep even their earliest fans satisfied. Diamond Rodrigue

The Free Loaders
7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10, at The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge, 2626-2630 Commerce St., free

If a movie was made about The Free Man, a Deep Ellum Cajun restaurant and live music venue, the soundtrack would consist of songs by one band: The Free Loaders. Luckily, a three-piece variation of the band plays at the venue every Tuesday, so there, you don’t have to wait for the movie to come out to hear its killer soundtrack. Just hop over to The Free Man on a Tuesday evening, order a po' boy and listen to frontman and venue owner John Jay Myers slam on his drums and bark into the microphone with keys and stand-up bass behind him. Jacob Vaughn

Whitney / Hand Habits
8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 12, at Canton Hall, 2727 Canton St., $18-$25 at ticketfly.com

Large festival stages, prime television and podcast appearances and some trendy fashion shoots have all greeted Chicago-based duo Whitney upon the release of its latest album, Forever Turned Around. Guitarist Max Kakacek and drummer/vocalist Julian Ehrlich spent time in the late, great indie band Smith Westerns before leaving a few years ago to take up their current project. With a gentle, soulful grace applied to most of their melodies and Kakacek's nimble guitar notes propping up Ehrlich's falsetto vocals, the pair have found a sound that has catapulted them to success. You'll find "warmth" used as a common descriptor for their songs. A deeper dive into the lyrics, however, finds them wrestling with some heavier and more troubling big-picture issues. It's a dichotomy that forces listeners to think a little deeper while tapping their toes in unison to the generally joyful sounds emanating from the instruments. Check it out for yourself as they take over Canton Hall on Thursday night. Jeff Strowe

New Fumes
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd., tickets at texastheatre.com

Dallas native Daniel Huffman's solo project New Fumes is a wonderfully weird blend of distorted vocals, synthesizers, guitars and drums. His colorful electronic sound matches wits with his unique live performances, which have long been Instagram gold, including masks, inflatables, colorful lights and several other props. Huffman collaborated with Flaming Lips' Wayne Coyne on the album, Teeming2, which came out in November of 2017. New Fumes will be joined by Oklahoma City act Net for one of Texas Theatre's Behind the Screen shows. Diamond Rodrigue

Posival
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St., $7 at prekindle.com

With a sound hearkening back to Green Day's time on Lookout! Records, Posival does wistful, mid-tempo pop-punk with a substantive focus on social consciousness and personal introspection, singing songs about self-medicating depression, struggling to meet the demands of daily existence and running to escape feelings of rejection. Posival began as a personal project when singer and guitarist Michael Zamora was in high school, recording material for a few self-released albums before they dissolved in 2015. While writing and recording with the now-defunct band The Delzells, Zamora restarted the project in Denton with Colin Smith and Adrian Raddons in late 2017 and put out their first studio single, "Songbird," in March. The band is celebrating their new self-titled album on Barf Wave Records with an album release show Friday night at Double Wide alongside Joe Fisher, Hen & The Cocks and The Infamists. Fans who wear a Barf Wave, Posival or Delzells T-shirt will be given a free copy of the new CD. Putting their message into action, the band has asked nonprofit Foundation 45 to be in attendance in order to raise awareness about their services and defeat the stigma around depression. David Fletcher

Sam Lao / The Bralettes / M3cca
8 p.m. Friday, Sept. 13, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., $10-$20 at prekindle.com

This Friday the 13th proves to be a lucky night for fans of homegrown music hoping to hear a fantastic all-local, mixed-genre showcase boasting some of the strongest established and up-and-coming female performers the area has to offer. The all-female “Girls Club” bill features Sam Lao, The Bralettes, M3cca, Corina Grove and Emma Oliver. At the 28th Dallas Observer Music Awards in 2016, Lao swept the DOMAs in all five categories in which she'd garnered a nomination, winning Best Female Vocalist and Best Rap/Hip-Hop Act, to name a few. The Bralettes play a catchy brand of bubblegum punk that’s sure to have many attendees singing along by the end of the trio’s memorable earworms. M3cca’s known for her groovy, evolving style that mixes soul, R&B, gospel and hip-hop to create an out-of-this-world gospel sound she’s described as “galactic hip-hop soul.” Grove’s a bluesy singer-songwriter. And Oliver’s vocals and delivery draw comparisons to many past and contemporary vocalists, but she deserves more than to be reduced to those influences and is truly a young talent on the up. Daniel Rodrigue



Black Flag / Shonen Knife / The Linecutters
8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Gas Monkey Live, 10110 Technology Blvd E, $20 at ticketfly.com

Not much introduction is needed for a band as iconic and influential as Black Flag. Their iconography and sound have been an ever-present element of the hardcore punk scene ever since the band helped to create it. Nearly half a century later they are still here, with a kind of smoky youthfulness that comes from having a lineup as inconsistent as they do. In January, the band announced their return to touring duties since they last reunited back in 2013. Their latest iteration features Houston-based newcomer Isaias Gil on drums as well as Tyler Smith and legendary skateboard ruffian, Mike Vallely, who return to take up bass and vocal duties respectively. Rounding out the band is its only consistent member as well as founder, Greg Ginn, the same man who penned the songs “Rise Above,” “Nervous Breakdown” and “White Minority.” While perhaps not boasting the most iconic lineup by the legendary band, seeing Black Flag move past the tension brought about by Ginn’s messy trademark drama and a disastrous reunion with former vocalist Ron Reyes, is more than worth the price of admission. Nicholas Bostick


Revelers Hall Band
2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 15, at Revelers Hall, 412 N. Bishop Ave., free

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