The hottest ticket in town is gonna be Index Fest. There's no doubt about this. The lineup includes Future Islands, Local Natives, Foxygen, the Cool Kids and more. We already gave you a list of the can't-miss shows to see at Index. However, if you aren't doing the festival thing this week there are still a few shows to catch. The War on Drugs is stopping by and prospectively tearing the Granada Theater down, the O'Jays and Brian McKnight have a concert in Oklahoma, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are taking roots rock to the American Airlines Center.
Index Festival With Local Natives, Future Islands and more, 4:00 p.m., Friday, September 26-Sunday, September 28, in Deep Ellum, index-festival.com, single day passes $40-$45, 3-day passes $99-$199 You guys! It's festival season! Wait, I thought spring was supposed to be festival season? Or was that summer? Is it ever not festival season in Dallas? Are we festivaled out? Are we going to these festivals out of some bizarre Stockholm Syndrome brought on by our mad bookers who take every opportunity to bring wristbanded parties to the area, so as to sate the public's endless appetite for trying to keep to a set schedule to see bands play? I have no idea, but I do know the folks at Spune have yet again put together an eclectic mix of national, regional and local acts (including Ryan Bingham, Future Islands, Blitzen Trapper, Dan Deacon, Dawes, and on anon) that would usually sell out whatever venue they'd normally be performing in on their own. So you're getting a pretty decent deal by dropping $100 and venue-hopping to see these 96 bands for the weekend. So go overdose on some live music. Or don't. Just give me a wristband, and let me buy some beer. I can't fight the lure of three nights full of music. Damn Stockholm Syndrome. Jaime-Paul Falcon
Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers With Steve Winwood, 7:30 p.m. Friday, September 26, at American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., 214-222-3687 or americanairlinescenter.com, $57-$145 The notion of whether rock is dead or not has been discussed for years, and recently the impossible-to-answer-question has seemed to get louder. The short answer is no, of course it isn't, and you're stupid for asking. The less harsh reply would be to direct anyone wondering if rock 'n' roll and the Grim Reaper are hanging out towards the current state of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Not only have reviews for the legendary group's latest LP Hypnotic Eye been rightfully positive, but the classically groove-laden gem debuted at the top of the Billboard charts after its release just a couple of months ago As hard as it is to believe, it's his first album to do so, beating out Eric Clapton's latest release. Only Petty's Wildlfowers in 1994, unquestionably one of the best rock records of that seminal musical year, had a better sales week for the 63 year-old, Florida-born rocker. Reviews for the current Heartbreakers' tour have also been glowing and serve notice to any doubters that as long as Petty is running down a dream, rock 'n' roll will still be alive and well. Kelly Dearmore
War on Drugs With Califone, 8:00 p.m., Friday, September 26, at Granada Theater, 524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com, $24 Are the War On Drugs some kind of modern heartland rock band? Because if you play a song like "Red Eyes" for your dad, chances are he might remark how it reminds him of a Springsteen song. Sure, there are lots of fuzzy, meandering guitar jams, but they do kind of have those driving, gated-reverb vibe of hoary Springsteen chestnuts like "Dancing in the Dark." Then there's this Stereogum story from the other day about how the Sun Kil Moon frontman Mark Kozelek referred to WoD as "John Cougar Mellencamp" to a crowd at the Ottawa Folk Fest, grousing about how much he hated "that beer commercial lead guitar shit." Apparently, both bands played opposite each other, and the War on Drugs' sound bled over into Sun Kil Moon's set. Does Mark Kozelek dislike fun things? Because rock music and beer both generally qualify as fun, certainly more so than cranky fat guys playing sad songs on acoustic guitars. The War on Drugs play the Granada Theater on September 26, along with Califone. Steve Steward
Better Than Ezra With Scars on 45, 9:00 p.m., Friday, September 26, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $33-$57 After forming at Louisiana State University in 1988, Better Than Eza steadily became a fixture in the expansive alternative rock scene of the 1990s. The band released three well-received albums through Elektra Records, but none as revered or rare as their 2001 release Closer, which went out of print thanks to their new label, Beyond, going bankrupt. Fast forward to 2014 and the band has released their eighth studio album, All Together Now, and are bringing their tour to Dallas for anybody who dreams of the '90s. H. Drew Blackburn
The O'Jays and Brian McKnight 8:00 p.m., Saturday, September 27, at Choctaw Casino Resort, 4216 S. Highway 69/75 Durant, OK, 800-788-2464, http://www.choctawcasinos.com/Durant, $35 - $60 The O'Jays were formed way back in 1958 in a high school in Canton, Ohio. So naturally a casino in Oklahoma will have yet another legendary act you didn't have a clue still tours pop into town. Accolades for the soul and R&B group run deep: Seven of their studio albums have placed in the top 20 of Billboard's Top 200 chart and their 1973 single, "Love Train" earned the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100. All of this pales in comparison to being inducted in the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame in 2005. Also on the bill is Brian McKnight, who you may recognize for his singles "Back at One" and "Anytime," or his foray into satire with Funny or Die, "If Ur Ready to Learn." The safest bet at Choctaw this Saturday evening is easily the probability of a great show. HDB Pop That Hosted by Chuck Inglish With Dj Sober, Booty, Fade, Pase Rock, and Zach Witness, 10:00 p.m., Friday, September 26, at Sons of Hermann Hall, 3414 Elm St, 214-747-4422, www.sonsofhermann.com, Free w/ Index Fest Wristband or $10 The folks over at the blog Central Track put together this after party deal for Index Fest's first night. It's a part of their recurring "Pop That" series, which features DJ Sober. The ultimate goal is making you shake your ass -- or pop that, rather. This special version will be hosted by none other than one-half of the Cool Kids, Chuck Inglish. Also on the ones and twos: Ohioan Pase Rock, Dallas' own Zach Whitness and the always delightful combination of PICNICTYME and DJ Sober that forms Booty Fade. Go ahead, pop that, don't stop. HDB
The Baptist Generals 9:00 p.m., Saturday, September 27, at Dan's Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St, Denton, TX, http://www.danssilverleaf.com, 940- 320-2000 This is more than just any old show; it's the Baptist Generals' 15-year anniversary party. The revered Denton band is setting their sites on none other than Dan's Silverleaf to host the momentous occasion. The Sub Pop-signed band plans to play two different sets: One down on the floor (a "rug show") and another on the stage that grazes along the band's entire catalog, with a few surprises as well. HDB
The Pretty Reckless With Adelitas Way, 7:00.pm., Saturday, September 27, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583 or houseofblues.com/dallas, $28 The Pretty Reckless' debut album, Light Me Up, was released in 2010 by Interscope Records. For a New York rock band on a major label, they didn't do so great Stateside, selling a mere 8,700 copies in its first week. However, across the pond, ears perk up a bit more when they hear the Pretty Reckless. Each of the album's singles placed on the U.K. rock charts, but "Make Me Wanna Die" reached No. 1. The band's 2014 release, Going To Hell, flipped the script a bit selling 35,000 copies in its first week. It's back home because there aren't many things more American than the Pretty Reckless' sound, save for an apple pie and a hamburger. HDB
Eluviate With Tyr, Metsatoll, 7:00 p.m., Saturday, September 27, at Granada Theater, 524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933 or granadatheater.com, $22-$27 Take two things that generally don't have anything to do with one another, like the National Football League and arts and crafts, and combine them. Hell, you might strike gold like the Swedes, Eluviate. The eight piece band combines folk music and metal, making it oddly even more sinister than it is without a fiddle. HDB
Rigor Mortis With Deadhorse, Wizards Of Gore, Chemicaust, Dead Earth Politics, Explodery, 7:00.pm., Saturday, September 27, at the Curtain Club, 2800 Main St, Dallas, TX 75226, 214-342-1700 or http://www.curtainclub.com, $10-$15 There's local lore surrounding Rigor Mortis' shows in the 1980s. They're said to have been loud, rambunctious and rowdy occasions. Bruised faces, battered knees, everyone drenched in sweat; there's nothing else you could want more from a metal show. The band is doing Curtain Club for the release of their newest album, Slaves to the Grave . You can expect some of that storied fervor to reverberate through. HDB
