Central Track Contributor
Get Ready To Pop That With Sober, Shuttle and Spank Rock.
Welp, another long Labor Day weekend is behind us.
And, from the looks of things, the unofficial end to summer seems to be the unofficial beginning of Fall gallery season. Case in point: New exhibition openings at Kirk Hopper Fine Art, Conduit Gallery, Cohn Drennan, Photographs Do Not Bend Gallery, Red Arrow Contemporary, Oliver Francis Gallery and Blow-Up Gallery are all going down this weekend.
There are plenty of other milestones to mark this weekend, too. For instance? The beginning of the 2013 NFL season. Or, better yet, our new monthly Pop That party with DJ Sober, which kicks off tonight, too, with special guest Spank Rock joining us for this inaugural edition .
But you can read more about that and the rest of the weekend's goings on below.
Friday
Pop That! at It'll Do Club
Starting tonight, on the first Friday of every month, we're taking over the It'll Do Club for an epic, no-holds-barred throwdown of most likely sloppy proportions. DJ Sober will be in the mix every time, but so, too, will be an outside headliner — a name aimed at turning this party completely on its head. First up, we're bringing Spank Rock in to turn things up and turn you out. The progressive Baltimore-based rapper born Naeem Juwan and known for his raunchy performances will let loose a full, live set at this bash, backed by his pal and ours, Shuttle. Brain Gang's Killa MC will host. We're taking Fridays back, y'all. It's going to be huge. — Pete Freedman
TacoCon (Cerveza) at Four Corners Brewery
The folks behind April's North Texas Taco Festival present this likeminded bash, which, yes, features tacos, but also beer. Because it's being held at a brewery. Because that's what Dallas does now. — PF
TEAM, The Raven Charter, Avion Roe and One Soul at Trees
Back in May, we introduced you to TEAM, a new Dallas-based supergroup featuring members of All Time Low, Boys Like Girls, The Almost and Forever the Sickest Kids. This show marks the band's debut hometown performance, so expect a lot of former Plano Centre types at this one. — PF
Fort Worth Rock Assembly II at J&J's Blues Bar
For the second year in a row, a whole swath of local talent will gather out in The Fort for a three-day celebration of their jukebox heroes. Over the course of the weekend, 30 different North Texas bands will pay tribute to 30 late-'60s-to-early-'80s rock acts. Night One of this year's assembly will see Big City Folk doing Townes Van Zandt, The Diabolical Machines as The Beach Boys, The Neptune Locals as The Police, The Dangits as Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, The Apache 5 as Elvis Costello & The Attractions, We The Sea Lions as The Cure, The Longshots as Elvis Presley, and Pablo & The Hemphill 7 as Pink Floyd. — Cory Graves
Shop Constructions and Drawings From The Hill at Kirk Hopper Fine Art
For those who've yet to venture out to West Texas to experience James Magee's massive, decades-old ongoing art project The Hill, the Kirk Hopper gallery is providing a quick, easy escape, if only in spirit. Shop drawings and other materials used by the somewhat reclusive artist in the design and creation of his master work will be on display in Deep Ellum for the next month. The artist will be on hand at tonight's opening reception, too. — CG
Ray Wylie Hubbard (Live Album Recording) at Kessler Theater
Oklahoma country artist/legend (and one-time Oak Cliff resident) Ray Wylie Hubbard is going to be at the Kessler tonight, doing what he does best and making everyone swoon to his country guitar strums and bluesy vocals. Folk music enthusiasts: This might be where you want to end up tonight — especially if the prospect of hearing your applause on Hubbard's next live album is one that appeals to you. — Trace McCaslin
Kristy Kruger/Doug Burr Songswap at The Live Oak
On this eve, This American Life-approved singer-songwriter Kristy Kruger and Denton folkster Doug Burr share the stage for the first time in a long while, swapping songs that are sure to conjure up images of times past. They couldn't have picked a better listening room-type environment to hold this one. — CG
The House Harkonnen, The Spectacle and The Phuss at Double Wide
Tonight's headliners — The House Harkonnen and The Spectacle — are releasing a split seven-inch at this show which features one new track and one cover from each band. HK covers Self's “Nine Lives,” while The Spectacle chose to cover Sepultura's “Slave New World.” Like-minded locals The Phuss open this hard-edged triple bill. — CG
Free Week at Rubber Gloves
Gloves' action-packed, genre-spanning, tradition continues on with tonight's mishmashed lineup. At the top of the bill are rowdy Dallas collective Brain Gang, each of whose emcees have put out mixtapes this year that are more than worth your time. Or so says our Mikel Galicia, who regards them as some of the best rap groups in the area. New Fumes, Black James Franco and The Days open this one. — CG
Ryan Thomas Becker, Isaac Hoskins and Chambers at St. David of Wales Episcopal Church
Tonight's low-key musical offering has all the makings — and hopefully this doesn't sound to cliche — of being a real spiritual experience. Whether you're truly looking to be moved tonight or just looking to hear some really solid songwriting, you should have no trouble finding either here. — CG
Country Fair at Gexa Energy Pavilion
They're billing this one as “The Biggest Two-Day Country Music Event of the Year,” which is actually kind of hard to argue with. Hell, the first day of the fest alone includes names like Pat Green, Roger Creager, Sunny Sweeney, Kylie Rae Harris, Montgomery Gentry and Josh Grider. — CG
Le Cure and The Rich Girls at the Granada Theater
Ever wanted to see a Hall & Oates show and then go check out a show from The Cure immediately after? This concert featuring the local tribute acts centered around those heroes is probably as close as you'll ever get to doing that. — PF
Saturday
Untapped Festival at Gilley's Complex
What a deal: A ticket to this affair is not only gets you samples of all sorts of beer, but lots of music, too. In all, some 200-plus beers from 60-plus breweries will be available for your drinking pleasure as musical acts such as Delta Spirit, Freelance Whales, Cults, Blackalicious, Leagues and others perform. — H. Drew Blackburn
Fort Worth Rock Assembly II at J&J's Blues Bar
Night Two of this year's assembly will see Ronnie Heart & Friends performing as ELO, Sun City at The Velvet Underground, Igneous Grimm as King Crimson, Siberian Traps as REM, We'rewolves as Cream, Whiskey Folk as Violent Femmes, War Party as The Kinks, Lindby as David Bowie, Goodwin as The Who, Un Chien as Joy Division and Son of Stan and Nathan Brown as Genesis. — CG
International Cassette Store Day at Good Records
Since 2008, Record Store Day has helped the vinyl industry rebound to the point that, earlier this year, it was reported sales figures are higher now than any point in the past 15 years. Over that same period, CD sales have continued a startlingly rapid decline. More recently, the Record Store Day celebrations over at Good Records have become one of our favorite days in Dallas all year. So it makes sense that the even more slighted cassette medium would now be getting its own day in the spotlight. North Texas-based cassette labels our le Corps Records, Dallas Distortion Music, Lo-Life Recordings, Out-Of-Body Records, Handmade Birds and Dreamy Soundz will all be on hand throughout the day. The festivities will also include free in-store performances from Toy Gun, Slumberbuzz, Bitch Bricks, Spacebeach, Night Shadez, Def Rain, Son of Stan, Sealion and Terminator 2, who have all released cassettes on the aforementioned labels. — CG
Tiki Luau at Double Wide
As the bar's owners and regulars can attest, it doesn't get much wilder at Double Wide than when the parking lot gets roped off for one of their famous pool parties. The Ape Hangars, The Really Rottens and DJ Mr. Rid will provide the surf/garage-themed tunes at tonight's Hawaiian-themed end-of-summer bash. — CG
Country Fair at Gexa Energy Pavilion
The second day of the big two-day fest includes performances by Gary Allan, Curtis Grimes, Charlie Worsham, Matt Caldwell, Kix Brooks and Randy Rogers Band, among others. — CG
Top Hat 35mm Print at Texas Theatre
As they're often wont to do, the bright minds behind the historic Texas Theatre have masterfully paired together a film with a thoughtfully-selected live music offering. Tonight's happenings include a screening of the 1935 Fred Astaire classic Top Hat, followed by a live performance by Depression-era throwback orchestra, The Singapore Slingers. Don't miss it, as occasions to don one's tailcoat in public are few and far between. — CG
Jackopierce at Winspear Opera House
To celebrate their 25th anniversary together, this beloved pair of SMU graduates will be pulling out all the stops tonight, performing an acoustic set, a full-band set and, rumor has it, a few songs accompanied by the dudes from Vertical Horizon. — CG
Krewella, Seven Lions, Candyland at South Side Ballroom
After selling out the originally-scheduled venue for this show (House of Blues) months ago, this one was moved over to the larger South Side Ballroom to accommodate additional party people. Here's why: Krewella — who will release their Get Wet LP later this month — are at the top of the dance world right now, standing out with the help of their addicting tracks and high-energy performances. Prepare to get wet. — Zoe Mattioli
Kristy Kruger & The Town Criers at Sweetwater Grill & Tavern
Unlike her Fort Worth and Dallas gigs earlier in the week, Kristy Kruger won't be bringing out any of her original, anachronistic folk tunes tonight in Denton. Rather, Kruger will use the occasion to debut her new classic country cover band, The Town Criers. Rounding out the band are Grady Don Sandlin (RTB2, Boxcar Bandits), Ryan Williams (Baptist Generals, Boxcar Bandits) and Robert Gomez, some of the region's best musicians. According to the Facebook invite to this one, you can expect plenty of Hank Williams Sr., Ernest Tubb, Bob Wills, Floyd Tillman, Roger Miller, Johnny Cash, Floyd Tillman and Al Dexter. — CG
Cherub at Dada
When one thinks about Nashville, the first thing that comes to mind is the saccharine brand of country that inspired current ABC soap Nashville. Or maybe established indie-rock acts like The Black Keys, Jack White and Ben Folds, all of which have relocated to the city in recent years. Or possibly of the indie-punk hotbed that's spawned acts like Natural Child, Pujol, Jeff the Brotherhood and Turbo Fruits, just to name a few. Point is, just about the last thing anyone thinks of is Nashville's EDM scene. But that's precisely where the funky, electro-based dance act Cherub hails from. But like its fellow Nashvillians, this duo prides itself on the musicianship on display at its live shows. — CG
Free Week at Rubber Gloves
So what if the most recent album by Denton heroes the Baptist Generals was a decade in the making? The May-released Jackleg Devotional to the Heart is so on-point, we'll bet plenty of folks out in Denton are still humming that sucker a decade from now. Expect a packed-to-the-gills Gloves tonight for this closing Free Week offering. Shiny Around the Edges and Daniel Markham round out this stacked bill. — CG
Sunday
Fort Worth Rock Assembly II at J&J's Blues Bar
Night three of this year's assembly will see The Vatican Press performing as The Clash, Panic Volcanic as Deep Purple, The Frisky Disco as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Sonic Buffalo as Led Zeppelin, Kevin Aldridge & The Appraisers as The Cars, Secret Ghost Champion as The Beatles, The Me-Thinks as Cheap Trick, Katsuk as The Doors, RTB2 as Big Star and The Hanna Barbarians as Rod Stewart. — CG
Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School at Three Links
A good old fashioned life-drawing session is a necessary staple for artists of all types. Drawing from observation is a classic technique to improve your skills and increase your technical abilities to perceive form and function. Unfortunately, that sounds totally boring and academic. The idea behind these regular Dr. Sketchy's events is to come up with a more relaxed lesson in the art of life-drawing. Hey, it doesn't get much more relaxed than being held in a bar! And whereas anyone who's ever done an actual, serious life-drawing or figure-drawing session has that, “Oh, you wouldn't believe what the model looked like!” story, Dr Sketchy's does it right, bringing burlesque performers in to hold court. These models are always in costume, and there is a theme every month. By popular demand, this month's model will be “male.” Don't worry, he promises to bring along just as many costume changes as his female predecessors. — Jeremy Hughes
Hot Club of Cowtown at Levitt Pavilion
While Arlington's Levitt Pavilion hosts free-to-attend outdoor concerts with some regularity, most of the acts presented range from “washed-up classic rockers” to “washed-up not-quite-classic rockers.” No offense if you've been looking forward to Foreigner and/or Ronnie Milsap, both of whom will be performing at the Pavilion in the coming weeks, but the Austin-based trio Hot Club of Cowtown are far more worthy of the haul out to the suburbs. The group includes guitarist Whit Smith, whose Django Reinhardt-influenced jazz licks raise their bar beyond just the typical western swing fare. — CG
Engelbert Humperdinck at Winspear Opera House
It's fun to imagine just how hard Humperdinck must roll his eyes when he hears the Jay Zs and Kanye Wests of the world rapping about how many Platinum albums they've released. The King of Smooth has released a paltry 24 Platinum records himself and another 63 Gold records to boot. Or to re-appropriate a phrase from one locally-based sandwich chain: Funny name, serious talent. — CG
To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
