The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Frankie Leonie, Remy Reilly, Allison Moorer and More

This week is chock-full of badass shows to go to in North Texas. If you're planning to attend the Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase though, you might want to clear your schedule for Monday, Thursday and Saturday so you can get a little taste of some of the acts on the bill for this publication's annual music awards event. Start off your week with one of this year's Best Jazz Act nominees, The Funky Knuckles, who will play a free set Monday night at Three Links. Then, on Thursday, hop over to Plano to catch Remy Reilly, who's up for Best Female Vocalist, for free at the Box Garden at Legacy Hall. The last DOMA nominee on this week's list is Frankie Leonie, who will take the stage at Mama Tried in Irving for a free set as well. Leonie is up for Best Country Act this year, the same DOMA she won in 2018.


The Funky Knuckles
9:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 18, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., free

If The Funky Knuckles aren’t a part of your weekly jazz intake, they should be. The Funky Knuckles have been together for nearly seven years. The fusion jazz band released an album called Meta-Musica in 2014 that climbed to No. 1 on iTunes’ jazz charts the first day of its release. Individually, the Knuckles are all seasoned players who’ve worked with superstars such as Beyoncé, Erykah Badu, Chrisette Michele, Talib Kweli, Puff Daddy and the Polyphonic Spree. H. Drew Blackburn

The Free Loaders
7 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 19, 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

Remy Reilly
8 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21, at Box Garden at Legacy Hall, 7800 Windrose Ave., Plano, free

The 15-year-old powerhouse singer-songwriter Remy Reilly will take the stage at the Box Garden at Legacy Hall for her last full-band show of the year. Reilly will perform new covers and new songs at her show in Plano, so you won't want to miss it. The young star in the making is up for a Dallas Observer Music Award this year for Best Female Singer. Most recently, Reilly released her song "Burn," a "ladies anthem" with the alt-country band Vandoliers. Reilly told the Observer the inspiration behind the song was female empowerment. The artist is already making waves in the local music scene, and the future of her music career is looking even brighter with each release she puts out. Jacob Vaughn

Chancy with Ruff Wizard, Black Hole Bears and Local Man Dies
8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at The Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St., $7 at prekindle.com

In the dog-pet-dog world that is Dallas-Fort Worth’s local music scene, it’s as common as carbon to find lineups of homegrown heroes looking to make their bones. But none on the November night in question are likely to pack as much value per dollar as this Chancy-headlined show. A rock-tinged neo-disco quintet out of Dallas, Chancy released their first EP on this most recent April Fool’s Day, and it includes the track “Oceans Over Me,” a slapper of supreme quality that’s sure to induce spontaneous gyrations. Before them, Ruff Wizard will take to the stage with jazzy effervescence, fresh off their most recent album Ruff Times. This band’s rhythm has just enough touch of the blues to round out their yacht rock edges. Black Hole Bears and Local Man Dies will be the night’s obligatory representatives from Denton, a super necessary component to any night grooving in Deep Ellum. Both acts are a bit more somber, apropos for openers, with the latter dipping into emo territory while the former contains as much Texas twang as one is bound to pick on at this show (it’s subtle but it’s there). All told, there’s not much more you could ask for from a night out in Dallas. Nicholas Bostick

Toys 4 Tots with Drowning Pool, Overseen, Adakain and Begotten
7:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 22, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., $9.71-$20 at axs.com

We know it's getting close to the holidays when Drowning Pool makes its way through town for the annual Toys 4 Tots at Trees in Deep Ellum. Catch them this week along with fellow rock bands Overseen, Adakain and Begotten for the annual charitable event. The band has played several times since the beginning of the event, which has collected more than 5,000 toys over the years for children whose families suffer financial strain. You'll remember Drowning Pool's breakout hit, "Bodies," in 2001. Since then, the Dallas-born band has seen some lineup changes throughout its six-album career. Earlier this year they teased on social media to a seventh studio album in the works. Diamond Rodrigue

Cursive
8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., $23 at axs.com

After the digital release of their surprise ninth studio album Get Fixed in October, post-hardcore band Cursive set out on the road earlier this month with Cloud Nothings and The Appleseed Cast. Grappling with anger, frustration, helplessness and loss, Cursive's new album picks up where their 2018 release, Vitriola, left off. Largely composed during the same sessions as Vitriola, Get Fixed is very much a companion piece to their last album, filled with the band's trademark intensity and melodicism. You'll want to arrive on time for this stacked lineup. The last date of this leg of their tour, Dallas will be Cursive's last show with Lawrence, Kansas-based emo band The Appleseed Cast as their support before picking the tour back up with Cloud Nothings and Criteria in January. Both supporting acts fit together perfectly with the headliner, both known for their visceral instrumentals and evocative wordplay. It is sure to be a night of high energy and high emotion. David Fletcher

Frankie Leonie
9 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Mama Tried, 340 W. Las Colinas Blvd. #120, Irving, free

We're all about local country folk darling Frankie Leonie right now. This teenage sensation will blow you away with her powerful voice, talented guitar playing and compelling songwriting. Last year, the young artist with an old soul took home the award for Best Country Act at the DOMAs and she's up for the same award in 2019. Often you'll find Leonie in Dallas or Fort Worth playing shows with the likes of country acts Vincent Neil Emerson and Joshua Ray Walker at venues like Flying Saucer and The Kessler, respectively. This Saturday, however, Leonie will take the stage at Mama Tried in Irving. It might be a bit of a drive for some, but trust us, you'll want to keep your eye on this one and catch her live wherever you can. Diamond Rodrigue

Allison Moorer
7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 23, at Sons of Hermann Hall, 3414 Elm St., $13-$40 at prekindle.com

Whether it's on her own or in collaboration with some leading figures in the Americana scene, including her sister Shelby Lynne, singer-songwriter Allison Moorer has been making heartfelt, introspective music for over 20 years. Though she's hinted at the incident in the past, the tragic murder-suicide of her and Lynne's parents is directly being discussed for the first time with the release of Moorer's autobiography Blood: A Memoir and its accompanying album, Blood. On tour as part of a combination book reading/concert tour, she'll appear in Dallas for an extended evening at Sons of Hermann Hall. Things will begin with a conversation moderated by acclaimed music journalist Mario Tarradell to discuss the book, followed by an acoustic solo set in which Moorer will perform select songs from the book’s accompanying album. Jeff Strowe

Pigface
7 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., $24-$41 at prekindle.com

Touring for the first time in 14 years, experimental industrial-rock supergroup Pigface’s list of former members and collaborators is truly remarkable. In fact, we could not unpack a complete roster listing the dozens of influential and noteworthy past and present alternative and industrial artists who have recorded or performed with Pigface over the decades since Martin Atkins formed the industrial supergroup in 1990. Collaborators going from Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails to En Esch of KMFDM, to Nivek Ogre of Skinny Puppy, to Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, to the members of Shonen Knife — just to name a handful. While it’s been a decade since Full Effects Records released Pigface’s album 6, it’s worth noting that drummer, producer and record label founder (Invisible Records) Atkins is also a well-respected lecturer and writer who wrote what’s arguably one of the best books for up-and-coming bands to read, Tour:Smart: And Break the Band, which when published in 2007 was billed as “the first real book about the business of touring,” and the 2018 sequel Band:Smart: And Succeed In the Music Business On Your Own Terms. Daniel Rodrigue

Revelers Hall Band
2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 24, 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