The 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Justin Timberlake, Thursday and More

If you missed Justin Timberlake a few months ago, you've got a second chance to see him this week at American Airlines Center. Other highlights include local rapper Mozez Tha Great playing his new album, Undefined, in full at The Prophet Bar; Thursday plays two nights with its classic LPs Full Collapse and War All the Time performed in their entirety at Trees; and the 20th annual KNON Blues Festival hits The Free Man this week.


Paul Slavens and Friends
9 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21 at Dan's Silverleaf, 103 Industrial St., Denton, 940-320-2000, danssilverleaf.com, free

Paul Slavens, frontman of the late '80s and early '90s band Ten Hands, is pretty well known around these parts. His radio show on KXT-FM 91.7 has earned him many Dallas Observer Music Award titles, including this year's nomination for Best Radio Show/Podcast. But he also hosts an impromptu show at Dan’s Silver Leaf in Denton. He takes song-title suggestions from people and creates music based on those titles right on the spot. You can catch him at Dan's most Monday nights. Diamond Victoria


Outward Bound Mixtape Sessions
10 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21 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


Singer-Songwriter Night with Josh Fleming
7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 21 at Fort Worth Live, 306 N. Houston St., 817-945-8890 or fortworthlive.live, free

Joshua Fleming, vocalist and guitarist for local cowpunk sextet Vandoliers, recently began hosting a recurring gig to welcome new songwriters at Fort Worth Live. By sharing his knowledge of the music biz, Fleming hopes to help young musicians find their foothold in the industry. During this "songwriter's night," as he calls it, Fleming plays his music and considers it a great chance to try out new material for the audience. He also wants the Monday night sets to be a way for young songwriters to hone their craft and to network with local veteran musicians for potential collaborations. If you're looking to catch a first glimpse at some of the area's best up-and-coming singer-songwriters, this weekly gig is the place to be. DV


Jon Spencer & the HITmakers
with Mind Spiders, 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22 at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., $15-$18 at eventbrite.com

Jon Spencer made his name playing with Jon Spencer & the Blues Explosion. Now he’s got a solo gig with his backing band, the HITmakers. After all these years in a band, Spencer wants to do the solo thing for now. He put out Spencer Sings the Hits! last fall and continues to tour in support of it. Expect Tuesday night to be a sweaty, intense and enjoyable evening of rock, R&B, punk and soul. And definitely catch opening act Mind Spiders. Hailing from the North Texas area, with members of the Marked Men, Mark Ryan and his band play a dystopian-like blend of Devo, surf rock and punk. Eric Grubbs


Justin Timberlake
8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24, American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., $49 and up at ticketmaster.com

It's been about eight months or so since Justin Timberlake appeared in town, gracing the same American Airlines Center stage that he will again command Thursday night. Such is the magnitude of his star power. After all, there are very few artists who could return to the same scope and size of venue in such a short time. On that last appearance, JT took the sold-out crowd on a journey through his vast solo catalog of hits, enthralling the audience with his slinky dance moves, buttery smooth falsettos and charmingly, magnetic charisma. His shows also skew heavily toward the mom demographic. Much chardonnay will be sold and much is likely to be spilled as the gaggle of 30- and 40-something ladies will undoubtedly raise their glasses high in the air as they swoon and sway to his every move and note. If you're there, feel free to join in. If you're not in attendance, your social media feeds will keep you updated minute by minute. Jeff Strowe



Toro y Moi
7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 24 at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., sold out

Toro y Moi, along with Neon Indian and Washed Out, was a forerunner of the chill wave movement about a decade ago. But, like many in the scene at that time, he's moved on from the sound, as is evident in his new album, this year's Outer Peace. One critic described the album as "new disco," while others label it as a funk album rooted in the present. DV


Mozez Tha Great
with Lou Charle$, Mokah Soulfly,  Smoothvega, Drama Tha King and  Raw Elementz, 8:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 25, at The Prophet Bar, 2548 Elm St., $10

Creator and headliner of last year's inaugural I Am Dallas Hip Hop event, Mozez Tha Great performs his long-awaited EP Undefined in its entirety as part of a stacked bill at The Prophet Bar tonight. Mozez has gone through his fair share of setbacks over the years regarding his music career. A few years ago, Undefined was ready for release but when an engineer who was commissioned to mix and master the album took off with Mozez's money, its completion got delayed. Catch Mozez tonight along with several other of Dallas' best up-and-coming hip-hop artists. DV


Thursday
8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26 at Trees, 2709 Elm St., $29-$36 at ticketfly.com

Thursday is on a small run of dates where they play two of their classic LPs, Full Collapse and War All the Time, front to back. Though they have a rather extensive back catalog, these are the two records that changed their fortunes and gained a huge audience. The first night — Friday night — is devoted to Full Collapse, the record that broke the band out of the New Jersey scene and into the national spotlight. The next night is devoted to War All the Time, the major-label debut that brought the band to larger acclaim. Normally shows like these happen in New York, LA or Chicago, so Dallas is very lucky to have these dates. Thursday is not really an active band as compared with the 2000s, so you should strongly consider going if you've never seen this powerful and legendary band before. Eric Grubbs


KNON 20th Annual DFW Blues Festival
3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27 at Poor David’s Pub, 1313 Lamar St., $20-$150 at eventbrite.com

KNON is the nonprofit, listener-supported community radio station that has been showcasing the blues in DFW for 20 years. From the up-and-coming, 11-year-old Jack Barksdale to headliners like the award-winning blues elders in Gregg A. Smith and the Blues Revue Band, the 20th annual KNON Blues Festival will be two days packed with Texas talent. Before hosting festivals, KNON released compilations of blues music from all over DFW. The radio station has brought blues a long way over the years and shows no sign of stopping. The festival will be held at Poor David’s Pub, where blues has been put on display in Dallas for over 40 years. Keeping up with what is seemingly a festival tradition, Dickey’s Barbecue will be available for $10 a plate. Jacob Vaughn


Glamorama
9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27 at Beauty Bar, 1924 N. Henderson Ave., free

Blake Ward is one of the busiest DJs in Dallas, with four different weekly events and recently having taken up the management of his new Four Four Booking agency. He has a long-standing Saturday night Glamorama gig at Beauty Bar. As far as promotion goes, Ward is relentless, a perfect example of how to connect, inform and grow a DJ audience. Wanz Dover