This week offers North Texas music fans a wide array of genres and venues to choose from as we welcome warmer weather. From a three-night residency from an old country singer who came up on the punk stages of Los Angeles, to hip-hop with a community perspective, these 10 shows are sure to get you ready and into action. They should also give you a pretty solid idea of the local bands to be looking out for weekly.
Dwight Yoakam
6 p.m. Thursday, April 15– Saturday, April 17, at Billy Bob’s Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, $25-$80 at axs.com
Well, it’ll be guitars, Cadillacs and hillbilly music when Dwight Yoakam takes the stage for three nights in a row in celebration of Billy Bob’s Texas’s 40th anniversary celebration. A Nashville outsider who made it big in the LA country scene, Yoakam has always played his own brand of country music — a signature mix of honky-tonk, rock and bluegrass — by his own rules. Yoakam’s most recent release, a bluegrass album called Swimming Pools, Movie Stars… taken from The Beverly Hillbillies theme song, was released in 2016. Yoakam will receive opening support all three nights from country music deconstructionist Tennessee Jet.
Tristan Thorndyke's Rock'n'roll Cannibals
7 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at Gas Monkey Bar ‘n’ Grill, 10261 Technology Blvd. E. $10-$100 at eventbrite.com
Are you ready for A Night of Rockabilly Terror? Presented by DJ Crash, Tristan Thorndyke’s Rock’n’roll Cannibals will be headlining a night saluting the darker side of old-time rhythm and blues. For those unfamiliar with the “psychobilly” genre, just imagine a T-Bone Walker with Screamin’ Jay Hawkins aesthetic. While the genre may seem morose with its energetic songs about death and serial killers, those in attendance at Gas Monkey Bar ‘n’ Grill Thursday night will see that it is all pretty tongue-in-cheek. Things kick off with sets by The Chilling Archives, a Rockabilly Tribute to 80's Hits, and surf-punk ‘n’ roll band Crooked Bones.
Noogy
8 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., $10 at seetickets.us
Hot off the release of their most recent split EP with Texas punk legends MDC, Bye Bye Donny, Noogy will be headlining this Thursday night at Three Links in Deep Ellum. The band also released the Teen Idol / 2020 digital 7-inch in January. While “Teen Idol,” with its breakneck pace and anti-establishment themes, is more in line with what you might expect from a band like Noogy, you’ll want to stay tuned for the song’s B-Side, the punk-rap fusion “2020.” Opening for Noogy is High Life — a street punk band featuring members of Rosegarden Funeral Party — who will return to the Three Links stage for the first time since “The Last Picture Show” in March of 2020.
Siamese Hips
9 p.m. Thursday, April 15, at Tulips, 112 St. Louis Ave., $0-$20 at prekindle.com
Psych-rock band Siamese Hips never got the chance to play many shows before the lockdowns. Way back in July, back when we were all coming to grips with the fact that the pandemic lockdowns were going to last a lot longer than we had initially planned, Siamese Hips decided that if they couldn’t play a show, they would release a video that would give people a sense of what their live show would be like. That video, “Analysis Paralysis,” displays the light show Siamese Hips always wanted to have. Fans will finally get a chance to see the show the band always wanted Thursday night at Tulips.
Cutthroat Conspiracy
6 p.m. Friday, April 16, at The Rail Club Live, 3101 Joyce Dr., $10-$15 at eventbrite.com
Fans of Lamb of God, Killswitch Engage and Chimaira can look forward to a night of serious metal when Fort Worth metal-core band Cutthroat Conspiracy comes banging their heads to The Rail Club Live this weekend with a little help from Post Profit, Civil Unrest TX and Mile Zero. Since forming in 2016, Cutthroat Conspiracy released just four singles before their 13-track, debut album The Trials of Self dropped earlier this year. It’s sure to be a night of high energy and some serious respect for metal.
The Wee-Beasties
8 p.m. Friday, April 16, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., $10 at seetickets.us
For over 10 years, The Wee-Beasties have perhaps been known for their outrageous stage show rather than they have for their music, and that’s really a shame. Yes, front man Richard Haskins has been known to get mostly, if not completely, naked in the band’s live performances, and yes, that is surely a spectacle to be seen. However, The Wee-Beasties are more than just their gimmicky stage antics. This is some seriously symphonic hardcore punk rock music. Making the evening more enchanting is the return of Tonya and the Hardings for their first show in over a year and a performance by the one-man Ramones cover band The Ramone.
Medicine Man Revival
7 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at Trees, 2707 Elm St., $20 at axs.com
Mixing blues, rock, funk and gospel, Medicine Man Revival has been pleasing the eardrums of North Texas music fans since 2015. They released their debut, full-length album WAR in the months just prior to the pandemic, so there was not much of a chance to perform cuts from the Observer nominated for “Best Album” in 2020. Singer Keite Young, who has been nominated for the Observer’s “Best Vocalist” award multiple times, takes the Trees stage with Medicine Man Revival alongside Dallas’s prodigal MC rapper Topic.
SEVIT
9 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at Main at South Side (M.A.S.S.), 1002 S Main St., Free
Late last year, SEVIT took the Dallas Goth scene global after their debut album On the Edge of a Darker Place was picked up and released by Peruvian label InClub Records. While they are still waiting to take their stage show on an international tour, you have a chance to catch them live for free in this one-off show at Main at South Side (M.A.S.S.) in Fort Worth. Keeping things going that night will be resident DJ Gokart Mozart who will be spinning Goth, industrial and post-punk music until close.
Thomas Csorba
9 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Ave., $16-$29 at prekindle.com
Thomas Csorba (pronounced “chore-buh”) is a young country singer from Waco who has been making quite the impression on North Texas crowds opening for absolutely anybody and everybody who would take him on as an opener as bigger country acts came through the area. Now supporting his own, self-titled, debut album, Csorba will be bringing his soft and witty style of country to Sundown’s main stage as a headliner. You won’t want to miss him for his humor, his heart and his disarmingly honest lyrics.
Flower Child
9 p.m. Saturday, April 17, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., $10 at seetickets.us
The pandemic never kept Flower Child down. Despite the lockdowns, the rapper released freestyles and videos staying conscious of the critical cultural moments of the past year. In her video for “Love Will Save the Day,” the rapper walks in front of the formerly boarded-up businesses in Deep Ellum with portraits from the Black Lives Matter movement prominently displayed, rapping about the need for love, self-love, love between friends and love of our community. She performs Saturday night at Three Links with support from Sherm STX and Kaution.
