The Best Free and Cheap Dallas Concerts This Week: Nov. 14-20

Tuesday, Nov. 14

Alex Aguilar
7:30 p.m., The Rustic, 3656 Howell St. Free

Texas country singer/songwriter Alex Aguilar released his first EP in 2019 and has been slowly climbing his way up on the local music scene. Aguilar had a minor country hit on Texas country stations in 2020 with his song “Round,” which was followed closely by his next single, “Honky Tonk Love.” He’s made the biggest impact on the scene with his live performances that demonstrate his love for music and his home state. His most recent single, “Hey Babe,” was released in August.

Royal Dukes Band
8 p.m., Sundown at Granada, 3520 Greenville Ave. Free

One of Dallas’s premier wedding bands, the. Royal Dukes Band will be hosting a free showcase on Lower Greenville this week, giving prospective bookers an opportunity to sample the energy they can bring. With a 14-person roster that can be customized for any event, Royal Dukes Band brings an array of songs to the table with showmanship that is sure to impress your guests.

Wednesday, Nov. 15

Chad Stockslager & John Pedigo
7 p.m., AllGood Cafe, 2934 Main St. Free

Chad Stockslager of The Drams and King Bucks, together with John Pedigo of The O’s, The 40 Acre Mule and John Pedigo’s Magic Pilsner, will perform a song swap in the round Wednesday night at the corner of Walton and Main streets. Part of the “In-The-Round” series, which was created and named by Joshua Ray Walker, the evening will pay tribute to the late Trey Johnson of State Fair Records, a longtime patron of the AllGood Cafe and friend of Stockslager and Pedigo. Look forward to a night of song-swapping and storytelling to go with the venue’s famous chicken-fried steak and full bar.

Urban Heat
8 p.m., Rubber Gloves, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton. $15 at prekindle.com

Austin-based band Urban Heat is starting to attract a lot of attention around the country for its modern art-punk take on classic goth music. The band made its biggest impression at the 2022 SXSW festival in Austin, where it created a huge buzz for its summer tour, concluding with a memorable performance at Austin City Limits. In January, Urban Heat was honored at the Austin Music Awards, where its song, “Have You Ever?,” received the award for “Song of the Year.” Opening will be Welcome Center and Char-X.

Thursday, Nov. 16

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Truth x Lies
9 p.m., It’ll Do Club, 4322 Elm St. $8 at eventbrite.com

NYC DJ/producer duo Truth x Lies have been making house music together since 2014, releasing their first single, “City Lights,” in 2017. The various electronic music genres can be difficult to sort out for the uninitiated, but briefly, house music grew from DJs mixing ’70s disco with mechanical beats, giving it a sound that is lighter, dancier and just more fun than the darker, louder and scarier EDM that is associated with acts like Skrillex. In the case of Truth x Lies, it means cool tunes to get your spirits up and your body moving.

Friday, Nov. 17

Cut Throat Finches
6 p.m., Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ, 1950 Market Center Blvd. Free

It’s been a while since we got a proper release out of Fort Worth rock band Cut Throat Finches. The band’s concept EP, In Event of Moon Disaster, came out in 2019 followed by sporadically released singles through 2022. Singer Sean Russell spent some time this year promoting his side project, The Nancys, and its new release, Cuss Words, but he will be getting together his main band Friday night for a free show in the Design District. Americana act Brandon Callies Band will open the show.

Overshare
8:30 p.m., Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St. $12 at prekindle.com

Hot off the release of its new single, “Cool Off,” Overshare is a four-piece art-rock band that evolved from a two-piece indie-pop act. The band gained new members as well as a lot of buzz from its live performances in Deep Ellum rock clubs, building up its Patreon in the process. Thanks to the band’s supporters, Overshare is planning to release its first full-length album, Overstimulated, early next year. Overshare will have local support from Primo Danger and Yolanda Cruz & The Daydreamers as well as touring Chicago band North By North.

Saturday, Nov. 18

Cedars Open Studios Tour
11 a.m., The Cedars Neighborhood. Free

For the past 21 years, Cedars neighborhood artists have welcomed the public into their homes to show off their work and give insight into their creative processes. This is a free event that draws visitors from all walks of life to experience these neighborhood studios. While much of the tour is focused on the visual arts, the tour does feature a stop at the Dallas Music Academy. For more information about the tour, visit cedarsopenstudios.org.

Deep Ellum Music Festival
Noon, Main Street, Deep Ellum. Free

Deep Ellum is celebrating 150 years as a Dallas cultural district with its first-ever festival dedicated solely to music. The lineup for the day includes producer RC Williams, hip-hop group Cure for Paranoia, funk band The Grays, rock band The 40 Acre Mule, cumbia band Cayuga All-Stars and DJs Edgar Blue and Christy Ray. The day will be headlined by Bowling For Soup, which got its start playing at North Texas venues. This free event will be hosted by hip-hop royalty Rev. Run of Run-D.M.C. and the “Human Beat Box,” Doug E. Fresh.

Piff Marti
6:30 p.m., Ruins, 2653 Commerce St. $16 at squadup.com

Rapper Piff Marti started releasing music in 2017 and got absolutely nowhere with it until 2021, when his song “Boys Do Cry” went viral on TikTok and Instagram. Piff is definitely from the new school of rappers, but he is working in an old-school way. Whereas many of today’s leading rappers are getting by on songs that mine the deepest, darkest places in the subconscious for material with haunting beats to match, Piff focuses on uplifting messages with clear lyrics and brighter beats.

Sunday, Nov. 19

Rahim Quazi
5 p.m., The Kessler, 1230 W. Davis St. Free

This week on The Kessler Green Rahim Quazi joins Stephanie Bohn for a performance dedicated to the late Dallas cultural icon, Bucks Burnett. Rahim came up in the North Texas music scene playing in the bands OHNO, Matthew and The Arrogant Sea, Chemistry Set and Vibrolux, but he has since gone solo, releasing three albums between 2006 and 2015, with a fourth coming soon. His most recent album, Ghost Hunting, received Grammy considerations in both “Best American Roots Performance” and “Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical” categories.

Monday, Nov. 20

Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique
8 p.m., Rubber Gloves, 411 E. Sycamore St., Denton. $10 at the door

Do you have a relative or perhaps know-it-all friend who says dumb things like “rock music is dead” or “these kids don’t know anything about real music?” Well, first, all music is real music, and second, Rubber Gloves is hosting a full night of young, up-and-coming rock bands who play electric guitars and everything on Monday night. Five Point Palm Exploding Heart Technique headlines the night after sets from Room 13, Clover Lane and Dead Stereo. So, invite that relative or friend out for a night of rock from the next generation, or invite them to shut up.