The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Mitchell Ferguson, Mothership, Le Cure and More

The new year is already shaping up to be a good one ... if only for live music in North Texas. There are plenty of great shows throughout the week, but if you're trying to get the most bang for your buck, you can be at the first four concerts on this list and only spend about $8. If you have a little more to spend after that, you can see other heavy-hitters in Dallas-Fort Worth like Mothership, The Untouchables, Le Cure and more.


The Funky Knuckles
9:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., free

The jazz-funk-fusion band The Funky Knuckles have been killing it in North Texas for about the last seven years. The band's 2014 album Meta-Musica reached No. 1 on iTunes' jazz charts the day it was released. Two years later, The Funky Knuckles put out their 11-song, hard-not-to-dance-to, full-length New Birth. The band has been on the bill every Monday night at Three Links for some time now. The Funky Knuckles celebrated the release of their fourth album, Delicious, at the venue this year and took home a Dallas Observer Music Award for Best Jazz Act just a few weeks ago. Jacob Vaughn

The Free Loaders
7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7, at The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge, 2626-2630 Commerce St., free

If a movie was made about The Free Man, a Deep Ellum Cajun restaurant and live music venue, the soundtrack would consist of songs by one band: The Free Loaders. Luckily, a three-piece variation of the band plays at the venue every Tuesday, so there, you don’t have to wait for the movie to come out to hear its killer soundtrack. Just hop over to The Free Man on a Tuesday evening, order a po' boy and listen to frontman and venue owner John Jay Myers slam on his drums and bark into the microphone with keys and stand-up bass behind him. Jacob Vaughn

La Pompe
7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 8, at The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge, 2626-2630 Commerce St., free

Self-described as "A little bit of gypsy, a little bit of French, a whole lotta swing!," the four members of La Pompe bring a completely unique perspective to the local music scene. With a mandolin, guitar and upright bass anchoring Kat Hackett's charming vocals, their music swells with nostalgia and brims with a breezy pep that will have audiences tapping their toes and transported back in time to French cafés or dimly lit New York City jazz haunts. You'll likely recognize several songs in their vast songbook, but they're quick to also bust out an original composition or put a current spin on an old standard. Kick back and enjoy some post-holiday festivities as they take center stage Wednesday at The Free Man Cajun Cafe & Lounge. Jeff Strowe

The Cavemen NZ
7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., $8 at seetickets.us

Hailing all the way from London via Auckland, New Zealand, The Cavemen will be bringing their scuzzy brand of truly international garage punk to Deep Ellum's favorite punk venue Three Links on Thursday night with local support from Arlington surf rock bands Phantomelo and Chillamundo. Touring their December release Night After Night on Reno-based label Slovenly Recordings, The Cavemen are all set to paint the neighborhood red before soaking it in beer and turning the volume up to 12. Known for their no-bullshit approach, The Cavemen make aggressive, distorted rock music driven by fast power chords and led by wild, screaming vocals. If you're a fan of garage rock, basement rock or basically any rock that isn't recorded, mixed up and smoothed out in the studio, The Cavemen are an absolute must-see. With their average song timing out at the two-minute mark, there is sure to be an extensive set list to be danced to as if it were high-intensity interval training. David Fletcher

Black Pumas
8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, at Canton Hall, 2727 Canton St., sold out

The Austin-based duo, consisting of singer Eric Burton and Grammy-winning guitarist/producer Adrian Quesada, make beat-heavy psychedelic soul that shimmers with energy and eclectic grooves. Described by KCRW as "Wu Tang Clan meets James Brown," their approach led to a coveted weekly residency at Austin's C Boys, a showcase that led to rave reviews and long lines to enter the venue. The distinguished honor of Best New Artist at the Austin Music Awards was later bestowed on the gentlemen, who are currently on a national tour with the backing of ATO Records. Catch their momentum as they light up the intimate confines of Canton Hall this Thursday. Jeff Strowe

Mothership
8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 10, at The Blue Light Dallas, 2811 Main St., $10-$25 at prekindle.com

Local heavy rock trio Mothership is heading toward its 10th year as a band in 2020, and they are looking to make the most of their first Deep Ellum show of the decade. Formed by two brothers, Kyle and Kelley Juett, and rounded out by drummer Judge Smith, Mothership is a band that champions the downright bygone art of '70s-era heavy rock. No, there’s not likely to be any spontaneous rap breakdowns or synthesized keyboard noodling at this show — rather one should be in store for face-melting riffs and sludgy psychedelia. Fellow DFW locals Bull by the Horn and Wooden Earth will also be in attendance and are just as intent on revitalizing retro sounds for modern ears. But the last band on hand is one you shouldn’t miss. Corpus Christi’s own Holy Death Trio has an invigorating sound, blending the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath, with all the stage presence that combination would imply. So break out the jean jackets; this one should be fun. Nicholas Bostick

Mitchell Ferguson Band
9:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at Twilight Lounge, 212 Lipscomb St., Fort Worth, free

With a full head of hair, a rich beard and a whole lot of swagger, singer-songwriter Mitchell Ferguson certainly has the troubadour look down. He's a Dallas native, you might have encountered him around town as both the former frontman of The Louisiana Purchase and as a solo act who has consistently logged close to 200 shows a year. Discerning eyes also may have noticed his auditions for The Voice a few years ago. Saturday night, he'll take the comfortable stage of Twilight Lounge, where his spooky blues tunes and creaky confessionals should sound right at home in the venue's dark, cozy environment. Jeff Strowe

The Untouchables, with Boss Riot and The Fullstops
8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, at Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill, 10261 Technology Blvd. E, $16 at eventbrite.com

Considered by many to be the first American ska band, The Untouchables have been kicking it since the early 1980s. Formed in Los Angeles during the mod revival, the seven-piece band mixes ska, reggae, soul and R&B. And although ska seems to be on a comeback, LA's original rude boys never lost step with the scene and are credited with the success of bands like No Doubt, Sublime, Save Ferris, Reel Big Fish and others who honed that California pop-ska sound. The UT's have seen over 20 members rotate through its concert performances and studio recordings, and today only two original members remain — Jerry Miller and Chuck Askerneese. The band's show at Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill on Saturday night includes Dallas rocksteady ska bands Boss Riot and The Fullstops. Diamond Rodrigue

Le Cure
8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 11, The Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., $12-$20 at prekindle.com

Disintegration is one of The Cure's most time-honored albums. Featuring classics like "Lovesong," "Lullaby," Fascination Street" and "Pictures of You," the song cycle earned rave reviews and cemented the gloom-rockers a permanent place in the canon of the classic rock stratosphere. Despite its popularity, the album's really a dark affair that, like its title suggests, meditates on aging and mortality while moodily chugging along with foreboding atmospherics. To celebrate Disintegration's recent 30th anniversary, ace cover band Le Cure will roll through the dozen tracks and do their best to capture their sentiment. It's likely that they'll also throw in some other selections from the vast Cure discography while staying true as they always do to the source material. Panic, a Smiths/Morrissey tribute act, will get the evening started. Jeff Strowe

Hares on the Mountain
4 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 12, at Dan's Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St., Denton, $12 at prekindle.com

Fleetwood Mac’s seminal soft-rock album Rumours won a Grammy for Album of the Year in ’78, going on to sell more than 40 million copies worldwide and making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. Catch a reunited Hares on the Mountain on Saturday night for a set of Hares material, and then Sunday afternoon the Denton supergroup return to Dan’s to play through Rumours. For those unfamiliar with Hares on the Mountain, the self-described “danger folk” group weave together influences from traditional American, English and Irish folk songs while infusing elements of punk, rock and country music, to create a rollicking, rowdy sound that garnered them a Dallas Observer Music Award for Best Folk Act in 2012 and another nomination nod in 2016. And, since the last Hares on the Mountain shows were in 2017, with George Neal and Ryan Thomas Becker reunited onstage with Cory Coleman, Justin Collins, Tony Ferraro and Petra Kelly, well, expect these shows to sell out. Truly some of the most passionate folk folks in town. Daniel Rodrigue