The Best Concerts in Dallas This Week, 8/18 - 8/24

It seem hard to believe, but it's already that time again: school is just around the corner. (Granted, if you're reading this there's a good chance that school isn't really at the forefront of your mind, but whatever.) That means that there are only so many more summer nights left to squeeze in those blockbuster concert experiences. Depending on where you are in school, and perhaps also which parent you happen to be going with, that could mean the 1D show at AT&T Stadium. Or it could mean Aerosmith at American Airlines Center. Either way, this week is chock full of opportunity.

It's a story that's become more and more familiar as rock and punk acts from the '80s grow into middle age: original members get replaced and sometimes even break into rival iterations of the same band. Interestingly, both versions of progressive metal act Queensrÿche have released new albums and both are playing Texas this summer. While the Todd LaTorre version of the band only makes it as close as Laredo on the 15th, original singer Geoff Tate's version makes it to Trees a few days later. Fans may quibble over which version is the best, but it's usually better to stick with the voice of the initial hits. Now whether or not Tate and his crew can deliver the pretentious goods of 1988's Operation: Mindcrime is up to those in attendance.

Post-rock is a rather sterile term to be applied to the infectious music produced by bassist and composer Kristian Dunn and drummer Tim Fogarty. Collectively known as El Ten Eleven, the duo has been creating their unique brand of propulsive instrumental rock for a dozen years. Kind of like a modern version of Devo without vocals, El Ten Eleven plays catchy, vaguely atmospheric rock that is definitely nerdy, but not as heavy-handed as many bands labeled post-rock. In fact, live these two talented musicians are fun and engaging, all without saying a word.

Man, Las Vegas is weird. Look at the list of bands from there: The Killers, Imagine Dragons and Friday night's headliner at the South Side Music Hall, Panic! at the Disco. One was the only band to survive the nu-new wave boom of the mid-2000s, one is currently selling out arenas and one is the only band not named Fall Out Boy who is still drawing pop-punk fans in the thousands. In other words, what happens (musically) in Vegas get's huge and doesn't stay in Vegas. Panic! at the Disco's 2013 release, Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! was a drastic move away from their pop-punk roots into the world of EDM, with heavy hip-hop influences. Honestly it's a smart move by a band who is trying not only to survive eight years after they broke through, but find new fans.

Despite the recent heart issues afflicting drummer Joey Kramer that caused the cancellation of a recent show in California, the seemingly ageless Aerosmith make their way back to Dallas this Friday. Surprisingly, out of all of the bands that had their heyday in the '70s, Aerosmith remains one of the few that have managed to make decent music in the decades since. The band's continued popularity is a statement to the enduring quality of Steven Tyler's sneering vocals and Joe Perry's always top-notch guitar playing. Of course, classic songs such as "Walk This Way," "Back in the Saddle Again" and "Sweet Emotion" don't hurt either.

Led by the terrifically talented Amber Farris, Somebody's Darling are out on tour in support the recently released Adult Roommates. Farris' Janis Joplin-like vocals have always been the band's focal point, but Roommates finds the band investigating all sorts of interesting territory only hinted at on previous efforts. Somebody's Darling has become one of Dallas' best bands on the strength of killer live performances and the ability to merge country, rock and soul into a seamless sound that beckons repeated listening.

For 18 years, 3 Doors Down has been packing out venues with their blend of faux-Nirvana alt-rock that burst into the mainstream in 1999. You can't begrudge an act for making a career for itself, so instead of slagging away at the band or making them the butt of some joke, pop culture has accepted 3 Doors Down as a band who avoided disappearing like some of their contemporaries. (Looking at you Marcy Playground.) Yeah, they doubled down on the military support to keep their careers going, but there's a lot to be said about a band from the south who decided to dedicate themselves to providing support for the children of the Gulf Coast region, something the band has done since 2003. So don't scoff at the notion of driving to Oklahoma; just let out, have a good time, gamble a bit, and pretend like "Kryptonite" is still the No. 1 song in the country, 'cause 3 Doors Down does it for the children.

After failed attempts at a solo career via the U.K.'s "The X Factor," judge Simon Cowell decided these five young Brits (actually four; one is Irish) could be bigger and better as a group. And they are. Since One Direction's inception, young girls -- probably some of them old, as well -- worldwide have been fawning over Harry, Zayn, Niall, Liam and Louis. They've sold millions of records. Between the five of them, they have 88.7 million Twitter followers. The band's first music video, "What Makes You Beautiful," has been watched more than 544 million times on YouTube. They are a boy band in the sense that they're boys in a band, but different because they don't dance, they don't wear matching outfits and they're open about having girlfriends -- something boy bands typically try to keep quiet to satisfy their hormonal young fans. And while their songs may not get much deeper than young love, the beat is catchy enough for you to turn up your radio dial and dance along.

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