Cory Graves
Get Cosmic With Epic Ruins, Go Off to See the Wizards of Winter, Welcome a Magical New Dessert Bar to Town or Catch Cover Bands Everywhere.
If you’re an ex-NASA engineer with some free time on your hands, you put way too much effort into over-engineering a fart-laced glitter bomb to foil neighborhood package thieves.
Assuming you don’t fit that job description, well, you spend 10 minutes online watching the results of his exploits. Then you just go to, like, dinner and a concert or something. — Cory Graves
Friday
Playboi Carti at South Side Ballroom
According to the fringe A$AP Mobber, you can’t die lit if you don’t live lit. Let him show you the way. — CG
Dale Watson: A Honky-Tonk Christmas at Mama Tried (Free)
The Chicken Shit Bingo pioneer brings the holiday flavor of his 2001 Christmas album to Deep Ellum. Joining him, as always, will be Miss Celine Lee, and hard-driving honky-tonkers Two Tons of Steel. — CG
Dead Mockingbirds, Crooked Bones, Big Heaven, Cool Jacket at Double Wide
It’s a Yule Time Ghoul Time, pagan holiday rock ‘n’ roll art show. The list above will handle the rock portion, along with visual artists JackDaw Folk Art, Flesh Pinata and Novemberfest founder Andrew Hammond Kendall. — CG
The Mammoths at Three Links
Austin has long been the epicenter of pysch rock, and the city’s still cranking out great bands of the genre. The Mammoths take the well-worn land into a slightly more soulful/bluesy territory, incorporating a few modern elements as well. Bryce Bangs and Dr. Joe open. Then this whole bill will do it all over again in Austin on Saturday. — CG
Todd Larson, Jason Salmon at Hyena’s (Plano)
Salmon once played a “fed up Santa” on an episode of 30 Rock. Let’s hope he brings some of that jaded holiday energy to his three shows at Hyena’s Friday and Saturday. — CG
Psychedelic Robot at Bivins Gallery
The Instagram trap, er, um, immersive pop-up is back for a brief extended run that started last weekend and ends this one. — CG
Paul Cauthen at Billy Bob’s
Big Velvet makes his Billy Bob’s debut. — CG
Shane Smith & the Saints at Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill
The harmony-heavy Austin red dirt outfit hosts this ugly Christmas sweater party. Dress accordingly. — CG
It’s A Brave Combo Christmas at Dan’s Silverleaf
The local legends polka your eyes out, continuing the holiday vibes set forth on its 1992 It’s Christmas, Man LP. — CG
PJ Morton at House of Blues
The NOLA-based Grammy nominee recently released a bounce version of “This Christmas.” It’s just a hint of the many lengths he’ll go to electrify audiences on the holiday leg of his Gumbo tour. — CG
R3HAB at Stereo Live
The Dutch house DJ lords over this hot holiday dance party. — CG
Definitely Maybe, Fool Fighters at Granada Theater
The Oasis and Foo Fighters tributes pay tribute to Oasis and Foo Fighters. ‘90s kids unite. — CG
Customer Appreciation at Independent Bar & Kitchen
It’s the season of giving, and IBK is giving you free bites courtsey of Hell’s Kitchen alumn Chef Roe, along with some live jazz, and Polaroid pics with Santa. — CG
Grand Opening at Unicorn Magical Dessert Bar
Magical Dessert Bar, the latest venture from the minds behind Chills 360, will be located at 2646 Elm Street in the former site of Chill’s short-lived sister concept, DoHolics. The new business will focus on whimsical, unicorn-themed treats, inspired by the owners’ travels to Bangkok and that city’s burgeoning sweet scene. The menu will feature a variety of decorative, on-trend pastries (think: cupcakes, cake pops, macarons) as well as boba teas, colorful lemonades and milkshakes. — Porttia Portis
Improvisation: A Tribute to Roy Hargrove at Montgomery Arts Theatre
Alumni of Booker T. Washington‘s classes of ’88 and ’89 will be celebrating the life of their old classmate, the jazz great Roy Hargrove, with a night of improvisation. As you no doubt recall, the two-time Grammy winner died back in November due to cardiac arrest. He was 49. — CG
A Benefit Concert for Becki Howard at Sons of Hermann Hall
In celebration of Howard’s final, successful, chemo treatment, The Rich Girls, [daryl], Go Imperial and DJ Sarah Jaffe each perform. — CG
A Charley Crockett Christmas at Spinster Records
Wish Chuck a merry holiday and a good luck with his upcoming surgeries at this Christmas party that he’ll be hosting. — CG
Saturday
Covered Tracks: Upsetting Does Blink-182 at The Common Table (Free)
After a successful first go, Central Track presents Covered Tracks at The Common Table is back for Round 2! The talent and style are different this time around, but the rules are the same: We’ve invited one of our favorite area acts to play two sets on this night — one of originals and another in tribute to one of their heroes! Playing this edition is the North Texas pop-punk trio Upsetting! And, after performing a set of their own catchy and relatable songs, the band will take a short breather and then return to the stage with a tribute to Blink-182! Per usual, there’s no cover charge. Save your cash for the bar. — Pete Freedman
Willis Alan Ramsey at Poor David’s Pub at Poor David’s Pub
Ramsey put out one great, but not all that popular record in 1972, then pretty much disappeared for a few decades. In the interim, the Dallas-raised singer-songwriter saw the album’s songs, like “Muskrat Love,” and “North East Texas Women” covered by America, Captain & Tennille, Jerry Jeff Walker, Waylon Jennings, Jimmy Buffet, Widespread Panic, Shawn Colvin and many others. One of the great unknowns to say the very least. — CG
Charley Crockett at Billy Bob’s
Due to a number of health issues we addressed in this week’s White Noise column, this will be the traditional honky-tonk soulman’s last show in the area for a bit. — CG
Cory Morrow at Granada Theater
Thanks to the help of compatriots of guys like Pat Green, Cory Morrow’s carved out a niche for himself as one of the Texas country scene’s elder statesmen. Tonight he holds court at a venue he’s sold out numerous times over the years. — CG
Il Divo at Majestic Theatre
Four dudes. Four countries. One love of contemporary classics. — CG
Trans-Siberian Orchestra at American Airlines Center
What’s the difference between Mannheim Steamroller and Trans-Siberian Orchestra? Which is which? Which is the better one? I suppose it doesn’t really matter. Christmas! — CG
Dave East at Canton Hall
When the East Harlem rapper stopped in town this time last year, he was fresh off the release of the “Wrote My Way Out” video, his collaborative recording with Nas, Aloe Blacc and Broadway’s It-Player Lin-Manuel Miranda, and the release of his third album in six months, Paranoia 2. And this swing through is set to be an even bigger deal. — Obed Manuel
Jack Ingram, Rob Baird at Kessler Theater
The SMU alumn, Ingram, cut his teeth week after week at Adair’s before leveraging the experience into a successful career that’s lasted over 20 years. — CG
Epic Ruins, Son of Stan, Duell, Devi, Beauty Parlor at Main At South Side
It’s not often these days that heavy cosmic Fort Worth outfit Epic Ruins gets together. Its core four members are busy playing in projects like Nathaniel Rateliff & the Nightsweats, Son of Stan and Quaker City Night Hawks. That is to say this show would be can’t miss even if it weren’t padded out with four more of the city’s best bands. It’s really quite the bill. — CG
Bidi Bidi Banda’s Fiesta de Navidad at Three Links
Austin’s Selena cover band pays tribute to the Queen of Tejano whilst wishing you a happy Christmas y prospero año y felicidad. — CG
Mike & the Moonpies at Dan’s Silverleaf
In separate year-end listicles, the Austin honky-tonk outfit was named Saving Country Music’s best live performance of 2018 and their Steak Night at the Prairie Rose record was named one of the 20 best Americana releases of the year by Rolling Stone. — CG
Chicago at Winspear Opera House
For this run of the Broadway favorite, it’ll be former Dallas Cowboys running back Eddie George razzle dazzling ‘em as tap dancing lawyer Billy Flynn. And all that jazz. — CG
Frankie Leonie, Nathan Mongol Wells, Ian Salazar at Double Wide
On another incredibly stacked all-local line up this weekend, 16-year-old wunderkind Frankie Leonie heads things up. She was recently voted the best country musician in town by the Observer. — CG
Krampusfest at Andy’s Bar
All hail winter holiday satan with heavy offerings from Dieselbeast, Sparrows, A Devil’s Daydream, Black Aevum, Wyrm Chasm, KOMBAT and Debutante Brawl. — CG
Sunday
Fusion Fest at Three Links
A butt load of punk, soul and hip-hop all on one bill. Noogy, Loafers, Tree, DQ Hampton, Blayr, After Dinosaur, Killoy, Zdon the Rapper and many more perform. — CG
Devotional, Hollywood Erasure at House of Blues
Paying tribute to Depeche Mode and Erasure. Give a little respect. — CG
The Nightmare Before Christmas at The Church
This is Halloween. — CG
Bruce Bruce at Addison Improv
This double-named comedian promises to bring bring the the funny funny at this show. — PF
Only the Lonely Christmas Gathering at Dan’s Silverleaf
Not going home for Christmas? Bring a White Elephant gift and hang out with your bar fam. — CG
Cover image via Magical Dessert Bar’s Facebook page.