Can we just take a second to acknowledge that the weather in Dallas-Fort Worth these past couple of weeks has been glorious? Optimal for outdoor shows, BYOB events and the like, the weather should remain this awesome--barring a tornado or two--for a short while longer (before the inevitable Texas summer heatwave descends upon us all). To usher in the incredible, short-lived spring weather, we've roped-in several concerts for you this week, which includes Saturday's Untapped festival in Fort Worth, at which the weather will be decidedly sunny and 70 degrees. Beer-swillers and Jaffe fans rejoice! Dallas will be getting its Untapped pretty soon, too, so hold tight Big D. Read about the nine other must-see concerts below, including party boy Har Mar Superstar, Crystal motherfucking Castles, Record Store Day (also partially outdoors) and more.
See also: -The 100 Best Texas Songs: The Complete List -The Ten Most Badass Band Names in DFW -The Best Bands in DFW: 2012 Edition -Photo Essay: The Tattoos of Dallas' Nightlife Scene
Untapped Fort Worth: Justin Townes Earle, Deer Tick, Sarah Jaffe, Tennis Saturday, April 20, at Panther Island Pavilion, $22-$58 Imagine, if you will, a glorious future when the nation's premier craft brews, the best barbecue place within 200 miles (trust me here people, I'm not just a music writer) and the well-chosen cream of the folky-country style music that would perfectly accompany said food and drink were to collide in some sort of outdoor event, possibly on the banks of a river. People, this glorious future is Saturday, and it takes the form of the Untapped Festival. I don't feel like I'm exaggerating when I say that if you miss this event, people will spend years laughing at you. Literally years. Do you want that? Is that what you want to happen? Do you want to miss out on a day when you can watch Sarah Jaffe while sipping a Left Hand Milk Stout and eating Pecan Lodge brisket? Because if you do not want to go to this festival, you and I are no longer friends. Capiche? -- Gavin Cleaver
Adam Hood Thursday, April 18, at Billy Bob's, $10 In the world of Red Dirt rock and Texas country, there are plenty of familiar voices. There are also plenty of bland, indistinguishable voices. Alabama native Adam Hood has arguably the most instantly recognizable voice currently gracing regional radio waves, thanks to a spot-on drawl that just won't quit. While Hood's trademark tune, "22 Days Too Long," with its hook-packed chorus, is still getting regular spins, it isn't the tune that makes the strongest case for his distinctive greatness. "I'll Sing About Mine," a mainstream-country-bashing song that Hood co-wrote with Brian Keane, hit Texas gold when current Greek Row king Josh Abbott covered it on his latest album. For a quick, easy lesson in Red Dirt distinctiveness, listen to Hood's soulfully twangy version from his current album, "The Shape of Things," then immediately listen to Abbott's squeaky version of the same tune. The result will be akin to slugging a few ounces of Wild Turkey, only to then sip on a Mountain Cooler Capri Sun. At this point, Hood's name isn't the biggest in Texas, but his voice just damn well might be. -- Kelly Dearmore
Sans Soleil, Bludded Head, Akkolyte, Cerulean Giallo Friday, April 19, at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios, $3/5 The boys over at local label Gutterth Productions are at it again, and are presenting their bajillionth awesome "episode" this weekend at Rubber Gloves. It seems fitting that instrumental post-rock quintet San Soleil, a talented group that specializes in experimental psychedelia, should headline this bill. Songs like "Memento Mori" and "Oil of Vitriol" are lengthy, fuzz-drenched drones that should appeal to fans of Yo La Tengo's edgier material. Bludded Head have played sparsely in the past few months, so that should give fans of Nevada Hill and cellist Darcy Neal's whole-note-power-chord-death-fuzz something to drool about. Local openers Akkolyte and Cerulean Giallo fit the bill like a glove, so they will no doubt pick up any proverbial slack to be had on this experimental, psych-noise lineup. -- Rachel Watts
The O's, Telegraph Canyon, I Love Math Friday, April 19, at Granada Theater, $12-$29 It seems that, since 2009, every time I turn around I either see The O's listed on a flier, or someone's discussing them within earshot. The Americana-meets-Southern rock 'n' roll boys have quite the following these days, and have been hard at work planning the release of their follow-up to 2011's Between the Two. Local folk favorites Telegraph Canyon and I Love Math (made up of Old 97's members) will open the show. -- Rachel Watts
Record Store Day Saturday, April 20, at Good Records, Free On beautiful, hallowed Record Store Day, Good Records will be celebrating its 13th birthday, complete with limited releases, refreshments and, of course, 16 kick-ass local bands: Shinyribs, The Relatives, Myopic, Bashe, Blackstone Rangers, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Cutter, A.Dd+, Vulgar Fashion, War Party, Datahowler, Dark Rooms and ending the night with Unconscious Collective. Track Meet DJ Crew, which includes Ynfynyt Scroll, Air DJ, and Shooknite, will be spinning an eclectic blend of world beats, hip-hop and electronic music in the parking lot all day. And there will be food and drinks from the likes of Dough Boys Pizza, Hypnotic Donuts and Red Bull. The Vintage Mobile will be in the parking lot as well for all of your vintage clothing desires. This show is all ages, so bring out the pups. -- Rachel Watts
Har Mar Superstar, The People's Temple, Booty Stew Saturday, April 20, at Bryan Street Tavern, $10 Har Mar Superstar, real name Sean Tillman, is a true jack of all trades: He's served as producer for various albums, a ghostwriter for pop stars, a dancing villain in Hollywood films, a touring drummer for friends' bands and the host of one of EarWolf's best podcasts. Known for his aggressively sexual live shows and music, there's really no way to tell exactly what you'll get from him. There are two somewhat legendary stories that have come from Har Mar Superstar's last few stops in the DFW area: One involves Har Mar performing with GAYNGS at 35 Conferette in 2011 and how he arrived in town early, took several festival volunteers to a local college bar and proceeded to shut the bar down. The other involves the indie dance lothario completely derailing a Sia set at the House of Blues by walking out on stage wearing nothing but a piece of fur and taking turns grinding on the singer and her bandmates. These are just the sort of actions you come to expect from one of music's most mischievous minds. -- Jaime-Paul Falcon
Hares on the Mountain Sunday, April 21, at Dan's Silverleaf, Free Now that the weather has warmed back up, as I discussed at length earlier in this post, it's time to get back to Hares on the Mountain's epic Sunday residency (which is more like a gigantic party) at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton. You won't be disappointed. Read what Brian Rash said about it a few months back: "It's Denton church," Harlin Anderson, creator of the annual mini-extravaganza Lumberjack Fest, told me two months ago, when describing the weekly Hares on the Mountain residency at Dan's Silverleaf. To be sure, one can draw many parallels between the earmarks of a more lively church service and a typical Sunday Hares show. For instance, a collection vessel is passed around. George Neal, unofficial front man of the band, is the consummate preacher, clenching the crowd's attention with relentless showmanship from behind (and in front) of his skinny black pulpit. His choir of Hares harmonize with him gorgeously, each of them singing lead at one point or another. The comparison to church is something Neal and co-creator Becker don't find as apt as some, but the theme kept coming up. "We don't really try to put on a performance as much as we sort of throw a party," Neal said. "It's almost like a little revival or something." -- Rachel Watts
Crystal Castles Monday, April 22, at House of Blues, $25-$35 Since debuting in 2007, Toronto-based Crystal Castles have been at the forefront of a wave of bands that mix industrial clash with catchy pop beats. Ethan Kath's 8-bit Atari synths, paired with Alice Glass' often distorted, berserk voice, delivers a compelling spectrum between ultraviolet dance rhythms and infrared rock rage. The band's 2012 album (III) simmered their sharp chip-based sounds for more muffled and dismal notes. Despite the gloom, the band's signature rhythm still delivers to anyone who "got it" before. If you miss this set, Crystal Castles are also slated to open for Depeche Mode at Gexa Energy Pavilion in September. -- Shahryar Rizvi
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Bullet for My Valentine, Halestorm, Young Guns Tuesday, April 23, at House of Blues, $29 If you could care less about the music at hippie-dippie daytime shows or springtime festivals, you need something heavy and dark, and would rather keep on the black leather jacket you've been sporting all winter, there's a metalcore show for you next week. Welch quartet Bullet for my Valentine will be headed to town after just releasing their 2013 full-length Temper Temper. Check out their new stuff, then head to House of Blues for them and openers Halestorm and Young Guns. -- Rachel Watts
Danzig, Doyle Wednesday, April 24, at Palladium Ballroom, $33 At this point in his life, gloomy and gothic singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig is basically a parody of what came before. His glory days fronting The Misfits are long gone and his solo career with the band that bears his name has certainly seen its better days. But the guy still has one hell of a set of pipes. Even when the material is painfully uneven, Danzig's booming baritone almost single-handedly saves the day. Plus, the brawny wonder somehow managed to turn his obsession with horror B movies into a career spanning nearly four decades. So suspend your disbelief one more time and enjoy the silliness of "Mother," "Twist of Cain" and "Ju Ju Bone" so Danzig can continue to pillar the vaults of Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and keep up with those darn gym fees. -- Darryl Smyers
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