Tuesday, Dec. 19
Darling Farm8 p.m., Rubber Gloves, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton. $10 at the door
Darling Farm, a three-person indie band, has been on the rise in Denton for the past few years. Tuesday night, the band will headline Rubber Gloves' indie-rock showcase supporting its new EP, Middle Child. Joining Darling Farm will be three more Denton indie bands: bedroom pop band Modern Modem, multimedia art collective Venetian Video Cats from Venus and punk band Bobo.
Wednesday, Dec. 20
Kelly's Lot6 p.m., Six Springs Tavern, 147 N. Plano Road, Richardson. $8.50 at prekindle.com
Formed in 1994 by folk singer Kelly Zirbes, blues band Kelly's Lot has released 15 albums and toured the world these past 30 years since first performing at the Roxy in Hollywood. The band has toured with several lineups, each one including Zirbes and guitar player and sound man Perry Robertson. The two have been putting together the band's new release, which is due out early next year. Rock band The Best Available opens the show.
HARBOUR
7 p.m., Tulips, 112 St. Louis Ave., Fort Worth. $18 at prekindle.com
Cincinnati band HARBOUR first got together in 2014, growing a following in its hometown big enough to fill the city's lower-capacity venues. Last year the band branched out of Cincinnati on three tours that took it across the country. The band started the year by releasing the LP, To Chase My Dreams Or To Just Lie Down, and embarking on the first leg of a tour in support of the album. HARBOUR is now on the second leg of that tour with LA rock band Arms Akimbo and fellow Cincinnati indie rock band Sylmar.
Thursday, Dec. 21
The Songbirds7 p.m., Three Links, 2704 Elm St. $10 at prekindle.com
Thursday night, the city's favorite punk club, Three Links, chills out a bit with an R&B showcase featuring three of Dallas' up-and-coming singers, Zipporah, Kayla E. and Laiya Renee, in the hope of giving the audience something they can feel. Zipporah has been a frequent guest singing on The Free Man stage, and Kayla E. released her first single last year in the spring.
Grady Spencer & The Work
9 p.m., Billy Bob's Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth. $18+ at axs.com
Grady Spencer & The Work was founded in Fort Worth and has been playing its groove-based rock 'n' roll around town for about 10 years. The band has built a solid following with its high-energy and highly engaging live show. This year, the band immortalized its live show, releasing Live From Tannahill's Tavern over the summer. Not only is it a great live album, it is also a wonderful collection of songs from across the band's catalog.
Friday, Dec. 22
The Ever Flower Company7 p.m., Club Dada, 2720 Elm St. $10 at prekindle.com
You may have heard the Rockwall-based alternative rock band The Ever Flower Company spotlighted on KXT or KNON, but if you haven't you really should check out this fuzzed-out, synth-heavy pop rock explosion. This is a band that really knows how to bring the fun as you can tell from its video for "Celtic Candy," which was filmed in lead singer Dariush Osorio’s backyard. The Ever Flower Company will have local support from indie-rock band Citrus, Southern rock band Willy & the Wild Cards and alt-rock band Moonbeam Machine.
Levi Cobb and the Big Smoke
7:30 p.m., Andy's Bar, 122 N. Locust St., Denton. $10 at prekindle.com
Denton folk rock band Levi Cobb and the Big Smoke have been going strong for over 12 years now, playing whenever and wherever it can. The band will play its Christmas show at Andy's on the Denton Square on Friday night. Jenna Clark and her band, The Salty Truth, will also appear. Clark moved from Dallas to Florida earlier this year, and she's excited to be back in town sharing a stage with the night's other opening act, folk singer Simone Nicole.
Kevin Fowler
10 p.m., Billy Bob's Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, Fort Worth. $18+ at axs.com
Amarillo country singer Kevin Fowler returns to Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth Friday night on his Deck the Dancehalls tour across Texas. Fowler is best known for his top 40 hit "Pound Sign (#?*!)," but he has also gotten a lot of praise for his songwriting, penning songs for Sammy Kershaw, Mark Chesnutt and Montgomery Gentry among others. Fowler has been playing with different acts at each of the tour's stops. San Antonio country group Kin Faux opens Friday night. The tour will make its way back to Dallas's Longhorn Ballroom on Dec. 30.
Saturday, Dec. 23
Tulips Tattoo Fest4 p.m., Tulips, 112 St. Louis Ave., Fort Worth. $10 at prekindle.com
Want a tattoo for Christmas? How about getting one with some killer, local, live tunes playing in the background? This Saturday, Tulips in Fort Worth will host its Tattoo Fest with tattoo artists from the Fade To Black Tattoo Company, including artists Eight and Sparrow, Hailey The Tat Lady and Kenzie Thurman. Music will be courtesy of cumbia punks Cayuga All-Stars, Fort Worth-based hip-hop lyricist 88 Killa and Dallas pop singer Dezi 5.
Crystal Shit
8 p.m., Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St. $12 at prekindle.com
If you were going to take the Dallas band Crystal Shit's bandcamp page at its word, you'd think it was a just surf rock band. At its core, maybe. But Crystal Shit has way too many electronic elements going on to be merely a surf rock band. If it is the galactic sea the band is surfing, however, the name fits perfectly. The band's Saturday night show in Deep Ellum will also bring performances by Dallas electronic acts Punktronica, Isopod and DJ Nova.
Ishi
9 p.m., Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Ave. $15 at prekindle.com
About 15 years ago, Dallas artists JT Mudd and Brad Dale came together on a mission to break soulful storytelling away from the static instrumentation of traditional folk music and mix it with the endless possibilities of electronic production. The result was Ishi, the electrofunk band that captivated this city for about a decade before its members stepped away from the public eye to recover from what had been an intense touring schedule. The group came back with Sweet Gold in 2021 and has started playing shows more frequently. This Saturday will be the band's inaugural holiday Ugly Sweater Show with special guest Tony Schwa and Shibby.
Sunday, Dec. 24
Averi Burk4 p.m., The Rustic, 3656 Howell St. Free
When she released her debut album Paradise in 2020, North Texas native Averi Burk was on a journey to heal. Her songs are an attempt to see light through all the darkness she has encountered and to find a heaven through hell. Her music incorporated elements of electronic pop over rock-driven beats, always bringing live instrumentation into her music. Burk's engaging live shows have gained a reputation for being raw and powerful, creating an immersive experience for the audience.
Monday, Dec. 25
Christmas MusicAll day, everywhere. Free
There may not be a concert to catch on Christmas Day, but everywhere you turn, there will be music. Whether its the local bar piping in holiday tunes, the choir at your house of worship, one of the many playlists on your streaming services, your record collection or a radio station broadcasting a carefully curated selection of songs, let your Christmas Day be filled with music that warms your heart and brings your people together. This year has been a lot, and next year is sure to be a lot, too. So, take this time to "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas."
