Outward Bound Mixtape Sessions
10 p.m. Monday, Oct. 8, 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
Johnny Marr
7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., 214-824-9933, $42 at prekindle.com
Johnny Marr didn’t leave The Smiths in 1987. The legendary band may have broken up, but the shadow cast by Marr’s former writing partner has left an indelible stain on his career. Though it doesn’t seem like it bothers the Manchester-born musician much. In interviews, Marr comes off breezily direct and untroubled with the association. He’s much more focused on the music he’s making currently. Marr’s latest release, Call the Comet, is a more futuristic take on his sound and has thus far garnered far better reviews than 2014’s Playland. However, a few tracks, like “Hi Hello,” can come awfully close to retreading old territory. “New Dominions” and “Spiral Cities” play heavier on the industrial sci-fi motif that rings throughout the album. It’s a refreshing and promising release from an artist who fans might have a hard time trying to place. Not quite having the groundbreaking presence of previous work, while also wholly unique, Marr’s music still resonates. Nicholas Bostick
Arctic Monkeys
8 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 9 at South Side Ballroom, 1135 S. Lamar Street, $81 and up at livenation.com
It’s been a hot minute since fans have had a new Arctic Monkeys record to pick through. Too bad there were many who’d rather toss the band’s latest offering back. Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino, released earlier this year, is a dramatic shift for the Monkeys, who take a Bowie-inspired trip to outer space, complete with moon bases, breathy vocals and social commentary. But coming nearly five years after the more traditionally riff-heavy AM, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that the Monkeys found a fitting wrench for their gears. Taken in a vacuum, their latest release is an enjoyable concept with witty lyrics and a throwback sound that’s been all too absent in recent years. It’s not their usual stuff and it hits its allusions with a sledgehammer, but coming from one of the bands that made it cool to listen to indie music, it's understandable for people to question some of their sonic decisions. Nicholas Bostick
Josh Abbott Band
7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10, at The Rustic, 3656 Howell St., $35 to $55
Josh Abbott and his band of fellow fraternity brothers have come a long way from their humble beginnings spent gigging for beer money in bars around Texas Tech. The past several years have seen their star steadily rise as the drunken collegiate audiences have multiplied to include festival-headlining slots, high-profile celebrity fans and song placements in big-budget film and TV soundtracks. Ever the Texans, though, the band members still tend to reserve a large portion of their touring schedule for shows in the Lone Star State. Jeff Strowe
Edie Brickell & New Bohemians
9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11 at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., $49 at granadatheater.com
About 30 years ago, Oak Cliff’s Edie Brickell & New Bohemians were noticed by Geffen Records while cutting their teeth on stages in Denton and Dallas. Once signed, the eclectic group quickly exploded out of Dallas and landed on MTV and radio stations across the nation after the band’s debut album, Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars, went double platinum in the United States and "What I Am,” the album’s lead single, landed at No. 7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on Canadian charts. The Dallas natives return to their old Greenville Avenue stomping grounds after a 12-year hiatus, kicking off a fall tour with an album-release show for hometown fans. Edie Brickell & New Bohemians' eclectic sounds return to Granada Theater as they debut the group’s latest full-length album, Rocket, which is set for release Oct. 12 on Verve Forecast. Daniel Rodrigue
Garbage
7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583, $35-$65
In celebration of its highly popular second album, Version 2.0, Scottish-American alternative band Garbage is on a 20th anniversary tour this year. The band, led by feminist icon Shirley Manson, released its latest album a couple of years ago, titled Strange Little Birds, and the book This Is the Noise That Keeps Me Awake – written with journalist Jason Cohen on the group's over-two-decade career – last year. Diamond Victoria
DAMN 33 (Dallas Ambient Music Nights)
9 p.m. Friday, Oct. 12 at Texas Theatre, 231 W. Jefferson Blvd, $10 in advance, $15 day of, at prekindle.com
With its mind-bending video displays and diaphanous soundscapes, DAMN engineers one of the most singular art experiences in North Texas. For the 33rd installment in the concert series, DAMN once again transforms the Texas Theatre into an isolation tank of spectral tones and nebulous atmospheres. Synths will eddy. Colors will twist and bleed. Patrons will be transformed. From white noise and minimalist electronics, to the pastoral and the haunting, DAMN promises a wide swath of ambient music, synced to the most captivating visuals you’ll witness all year. Musicians Jess Garland, Darren Ryan, Brian Tomerlin, Sean Miller and Body Mechanics will join video artists Michael Morris, Astral Vision System, Evan Henry, Mike Petty and Jim Branstetter. DJ Mutarrancho will spin in the lobby before, after and between sets. Jonathan Patrick
Bob Dylan
8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 10 at Toyota Music Factory, 316 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, $49 and up at livenation.com
As The Bard of American Music, Bob Dylan needs no introduction. With a 50-plus-year career decorated with accolades and proclamations that are reserved for the select few, Dylan has solidified himself as a true master. His work will be studied and pored over for generations, much like Shakespeare's, serving as textbook material, cultural touchstone and literary magnum opus all in one. If you're asking yourself why someone of his magnitude is spending a Saturday night at Winstar, then you probably haven't been paying attention the past few decades. Beginning in the late '80s, Dylan committed himself to the road, and despite lineup changes, health scares and the fact that he's 77, he keeps crossing the country in a tour bus, playing well over a 100 shows a year. If you come expecting to hear pristine versions of the classics, beware. He rearranges melodies and saunters into deep cuts with little notice, while his croaky voice can also be jarring to hear. However, living legends deserve your attention, and this is one of the opportunities to witness history that don't come around often. Jeff Strowe
Bruno Mars
8 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14 at American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., $90 and up at ticketmaster.com
In 2016, Bruno Mars told Billboard his then-upcoming third studio release would need to be as good, if not better than his previous, 2012’s Unorthodox Jukebox. That album won a Grammy, kicked off his second world tour and sold more than 6 million copies. Even attempting to match that level of success is ambitious in its own right. The jury’s still out on whether 24K Magic will hit the same heights as Mars’ sophomore album, but it is probably fair to say it won’t. Despite perhaps not being quite as ubiquitous a name in 2018, Mars is ever the showman and by any definition, 24K Magic can only be described as a success. Three of the album’s singles have reached or surpassed platinum sales. And while the title track might be disregarded as a clear rehash of “Uptown Funk” by some, it’s an enjoyable tune overall if you just take it for what it is. “That’s What I Like,” a danceable and sultry R&B track, has thus far made the biggest impact, matching some of the biggest hits of Mars’ career. And Mars has further showcased his versatility on “Wake Up in the Sky,” a recent feature with Gucci Mane for his upcoming album Evil Genius. Bruno Mars hasn’t skipped a beat. Nicholas Bostick
Lily Allen
7 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 14, at House of Blues, 2200 N. Lamar St., 214-978-2583, $34.50
Nobody airs their dirty laundry quite like Lily Allen – and in such a relatable way. The U.K. pop singer's catalog of sad girl anthems are therapy to many. But it's not just upbeat, catchy earworms like "Fuck You" that get us nodding in agreement to giving our exes the finger – Allen just released a memoir last year titled My Thoughts Exactly that explores the singer's history of sexual abuse within the industry, having had an affair with Liam Gallagher and a close relationship to drugs and alcohol. DV
Nobody airs their dirty laundry quite like Lily Allen – and in such a relatable way. The U.K. pop singer's catalog of sad girl anthems are therapy to many. But it's not just upbeat, catchy earworms like "Fuck You" that get us nodding in agreement to giving our exes the finger – Allen just released a memoir last year titled My Thoughts Exactly that explores the singer's history of sexual abuse within the industry, having had an affair with Liam Gallagher and a close relationship to drugs and alcohol. DV
