National touring acts may have slowed down, but locals are giving us plenty to look forward to this week. Catch country teen Frankie Leonie, cover bands Queen For A Day and Raised Right Men, rock band Dead Mockingbirds and others. Curren$y and Playboi Carti top the national acts this week.
Outward Bound Mixtape Sessions
10 p.m. Monday, Dec. 17 at RBC, 2617 Commerce St., 469-487-6149 or rbcdeepellum.com, free
We actually look forward to Mondays now, thanks to the work of Stefan Gonzalez. The lineup he curates on that day every week at RBC makes it one of the best places in the city to discover new music. Outward Bound Mixtape began a few years ago at Crown and Harp on Lower Greenville before it moved to Deep Ellum, where it offers the same opportunity for local and touring acts to try out something new in front of an enthusiastic and open-minded crowd of regulars, whether that means a first show, new songs or a sound that defies genres. If you ask the act du jour in Dallas — noise, punk, goth or free jazz — where it played some of its first shows, you'll likely be told Outward Bound, so attend Mondays and stay ahead of the curve. Caroline North
A Cannabis Christmas with Curren$y
With The Real Augustine, 9 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at Trees, 2709 Elm Street., tickets start at $21 at ticketfly.com
Few rappers are capable of making tales of drugs, money and excess sound relatable quite like New Orleans emcee Curren$y. His lithe flow and blasé delivery make textbook sex and weed bars not only tolerable, but almost thrilling. After coming up with Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint as a founding member, the rapper has made a career of retreading these well-worn hip hop trappings. But in terms of pure skill, Curren$y can do it all: quick-fire cadences, cool meandering flows, staccato deliveries. His wordplay game is pretty damn good, too. Expect few surprises but plenty of fire. Mid-2000s rap fans will not be disappointed. Jonathan Patrick
Queen For A Day
8 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 20 at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., sold out
If last month's Bohemian Rhapsody – a cinematic homage to legendary rock band Queen – has prompted more than a few classics like "We Will Rock You" to bump around in your head, then tonight's concert at Granada Theater is where you'll want to be. Queen tribute band Queen For A Day plays the best and the rest as a four piece, sticking to the Live Killers era of 1973-1981. Diamond Victoria
Dead Mockingbirds
With Crooked Bones, Big Heaven and Cool Jacket, 10 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St., $10 at prekindle.com
Billed as a holiday art celebration, power trio Dead Mockingbirds headlines this shindig at the always-great Double Wide. Fresh off some nice DOMA nominations, the band makes music that is neither pretty or ugly — it's just dirty rock 'n' roll that rattles your brain and tugs at your heart. There will be art on display from Jackdaw Russell, Flesh Piñata, and Andrew H. Kendall, so it serves double-sided enjoyment from the music scene and art scene around here. Skip out on that lame holiday party at your office and see this instead. Eric Grubbs
Playboi Carti
7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at South Side Ballroom, 1135 S., Lamar St., Suite 101, $35 and up at ticketfly.com
After slurring his way into the hearts of the mainstream with 2015’s hit single “Broke Boi,” mumble rapper and part-time model Playboi Carti is on a career upswing after the release of his debut studio album Die Lit this spring. The album came close to topping Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop album charts, no doubt thanks in part to features from the likes of Nicki Minaj, Travis Scott and Lil Uzi Vert. Though if you weren’t a fan of mumble rap before, there’s nothing on Die Lit that’s likely to change your mind. Mainly known for rapping about sleeping with your girl and drinking lean until his “stummy hurts,” Carti’s flair for the dramatic and complex aesthetic are usually enough to send crowds into hysterics on their own. Add that to the rapper’s repetitive catchphrase vocal delivery style, set to booming trap beats from “Magnolia” producer, Pi’erre Bourne, and you have all the necessary components of a good night out. Nicholas Bostick
Shane Smith & The Saints
8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at Gas Monkey Live!, 10110 Technology Blvd. East, $20 and up at ticketfly.com
Full of frenetic energy and dynamic magnetism, a Shane Smith & The Saints show can be a cathartic, communal experience. There will be a cappella sing-alongs, roaring choruses and a fitful blend of Cajun folk and raucous instrumentation that always serves to bring down the house. The Austin-based quintet have released two albums of original material and have toured relentlessly across Texas for the past several years. The roadwork has paid off, as they've built a bigger audience throughout much of the West Coast and have earned a wide range of positive reviews for their latest full-length release, Geromino. Expect a heavy dose of those tracks and some spirited cover songs as they take over Gas Monkey Live! Friday night's show also serves as an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party, so come dressed in your most garish attire. Jeff Strowe
Gold Brothers
7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at Andy’s Bar, 122 N. Locust St., Denton, $7 at eventbrite.com
What do you call a band of five talented brothers from different fathers who play solid gold country-and-western hits and bar-room-sing-along songs while wearing gleaming gold satin cowboy suits? The Gold Brothers, naturally. While you may not have seen or heard of the brothers Gold yet, you’ve likely heard many of the classic country hits that Cal, Cotton, Cozy, Cam and Cash Gold claim to have “written” and then had “stolen” by counterfeit performers who’ve gone on to success in Nashville, Memphis or Bakersfield, leaving the brothers to play gin joints, dive bars and burger houses in North Texas. And the band has an embellished over-the-top story to go with most of the songs. Expect to hear classics like “Amarillo By Morning,” “Elvira,” “Friends In Low Places” and “Take This Job and Shove It” – just never call them one of the most entertaining cover bands in town unless you want the conversation to end in a bar-room brawl. For Friday night’s A Gold Brothers Xmas! expect some rousing holiday favorites mixed in. Doors open at 7 p.m., and the brothers play from 7:30 to 9 p.m. with an after-party hosted by DJ Bro Ho Ho. Daniel Rodrigue
The Mammoths
With Bryce Bangs and Dr. Joe, 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., $12-$20
With roots in Dallas, The Mammoths are now an Austin band but are back for a show at Three Links on Friday night with an excellent lineup. The band fuses blues, psychedelic rock and soul, and its sweaty, fueled live performances have been described as reminiscent of Led Zeppelin. DV
Raised Right Men
9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 21 at Box Garden at Legacy Hall, 7800 Windrose Ave., free
Twice nominated for Best Cover Band by the Observer, Raised Right Men are a Denton gem covering all your favorite old country songs. The five-piece who call themselves a honky tonk band invite you to crack open a beer and celebrate the legacy of Willie, Waylon and the boys. DV
Frankie Leonie
With Nathan Mongol Wells and Ian Salazar, 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 22 at Double Wide, 3510 Commerce St., $7-$10
We're all about local country folk darling Frankie Leonie right now. The teenage sensation who was recently nominated for a Dallas Observer Music Award will blow you away with her powerful voice, talented guitar playing and compelling songwriting. Keep your eye on this one. DV
