From the Freshest Rap to Classic Punk, Not So Fun Weekend 2018 Has You Covered

Your weekend concert calendar is about to overflow with some excellent choices and a few difficult decisions.

With 11 diverse shows spread across five days in five venues, Not So Fun Weekend 2018 is offering some big national names along with the hottest up-and-comers DFW has to offer.

Parade of Flesh’s NSFWknd — which began as South By South Flesh, then Bro Fest, then Spillover Fest —continues a decade-long tradition of keeping the SXSW party going in Dallas.

“The name is really a joke,” says Parade of Flesh’s John Iskander. “It’s a real headache putting all of this together, so it’s not so fun for us, but it’s a lot of fun for the patrons. This is for the fans and all the people that come to our shows all year."

The festival is also a celebration of the bands that have been a part of Parade of Flesh’s success, including Denton psych-rock group Acid Carousel and Atlanta punk band The Coathangers.

“The Coathangers really like Acid Carousel,” Iskander says, “so it was natural to put them on the bill together.”

At NSFWknd, the mashup of local and national acts abounds with young bands like Dallas’ The Lung opening for bigger names like Drab Majesty.

“It’s nice to put a younger band like The Lung together with a larger touring act,” Iskander says. “It’s a great way to get them exposed to a larger audience of people who wouldn’t have known about them otherwise.”

Parade of Flesh is most well known in the area for booking shows that are more focused on emerging electronic, garage, indie, punk and metal acts, but this year, it wanted to do something different.

“This year,” Iskander says, “we wanted to diversify the lineups and showcase more of what we listen to around here.”

From synth-pop to surf rock, heavy metal to new wave, the freshest rap to classic punk, there is something for everyone.

Taking place Thursday through Monday, NSFWknd will spread across venues located mostly in Deep Ellum — Club Dada, Three Links, Trees and Canton Hall. The only exception is Monday’s sign-off show with synth-poppers U.S. Girls and Ruby Haunt at City Tavern in downtown Dallas.

“City Tavern is relocating in May,” Iskander says, “and the new venue won’t be hosting shows. We’ve been doing shows there since the very beginning, so that show is kind of a goodbye nod to them.”

Earlier this week, Parade of Flesh announced that a show featuring the festival's co-headlining act, Wavves, had been added to its other Sunday show at Club Dada. Iskander explains that combining the shows is a way for the agency to do a throwback show to the early day of the festival.

“The festival used to be a Sunday-only show," he says. "Doing it this way allows us to really rock it out and have fun. It definitely won’t be like any other show you’ve seen at Dada.”

This will most likely be the last time you get a chance to see a band as big as Wavves play on a stage as small as Dada’s.

“They’re stoked to play it,” Iskander says. “That show is definitely going to get out of hand.”

The festival’s other headlining act, Harlem rapper Princess Nokia, will perform Saturday night at Canton Hall. If rap isn’t your style, there are still plenty of other choices to complicate and delight your weekend plans.

Here is your guide to NSFWknd 2018:

Thursday
Sports • Computer Magic • Sego • The Gloomies @ Club Dada
Royal Thunder • Pinkish Black (local) • From Beyond (local) @ Three Links

Friday
EyeHateGod • Cro-Mags • End Times (local) • Kept in Line (local) • Violent Exit (local) @ Trees Dallas
The Coathangers • Sadgirl • Guantanamo Baywatch • Acid Carousel (local) @ Club Dada
Dwarves • Nick Oliveri • Birdcloud @ Three Links

Saturday
Princess Nokia • WYBMF (local) @ Canton Hall
The Frights • Wicca Phase Springs Eternal • Vundabar • Ratboys @ Trees Dallas
Porches • Public Access T.V. • Current Joys @ Club Dada
Drab Majesty • Annie Hart • Narrow Head (local, Houston) • The Lung (local) @ Three Links

Sunday
Wavves • Crumb • La Luz • Okey Dokey • Omni @ Club Dada

Monday
U.S. Girls • Ruby Haunt @ City Tavern