Central Track Contributor
Stay Up All Night For Good Fun.
How are you planning on spending your post-Christmas/pre-New Year's weekend? Visiting fringe family members? Returning bogus gifts and getting what you really wanted all along? Savoring the close to another painful Cowboys regular season? Continuing the bender you started back on Tuesday night?
Good news is, no matter what you're in the mood for, there's probably something going on this weekend that fits the bill.
Whether you're using this weekend as one long NYE pre-game or just as an extended opportunity to have as much fun as possible before the kings of amateur nights takes over, there's certainly no shortage of options.
Friday
Lights All Night at Dallas Convention Center
Even before last year's affair, which drew over 50,000 ravers to Fair Park, the argument that, as far as year-end EDM blowouts go, Dallas' own multi-day Lights All Night fest is one of the biggest in the world. And now that the fest has expanded this year's proceedings into an international affair by adding a New Year's Eve date in Mexico City and moved the proceedings to the convention center where Queen filmed its “Fat Bottomed Girls” music video, this year's deal should prove bigger than ever. Performing on this first of the fest are Deadmau5, Krewella, Fedde Le Grand, Grizmatik, Carnage, Zomboy, Icona Pop, Le Castle Vania, The Knocks (DJ set), Herobust, David Starfire and Fergie (this one, not the other one). — Cory Graves
Donnell Rawlings at Arlington Improv
Yes, Rawlings was the guy who screamed “I'm rich biatch!” at the end of every episode of Chappelle's Show, but please try not to be that guy who repeatedly yells the line at the comedian if you end up at one of his stand-up sets this weekend. Besides, he's been in lots of other stuff, too, like those episodes of The Wire where he played Senator Clay Davis' corrupt legislative aide, Day-Day Price. — CG
Critical Mass at Main Street Garden Park
This group of cyclists are setting out to prove that two wheels are definitely a sufficient mode of transportation, despite the less-than bike friendly Dallas roads and monstrous SUVs that dominate them. But that's just what we need, right? Cars aren't all that great. I can store a bicycle in my apartment, but when I tried to do that with my car, all sorts of wreckage ensued. The group ride starts at 8 p.m., and, from there, the cyclists will dominate the roads, overturning every car in their wake and setting a new standard of road etiquette that demands bikes be taken seriously. — Chelsea Upton
Tribute to Big Star at Dan's Silverleaf
As they did earlier this year at Fort Worth's annual Rock Assembly cover band festival, RTB2, Tony Ferraro and Daniel Markham will join forces at this one to pay homage to Big Star following sets from each of their individual acts. Pretty impressive stuff, considering essentially this same group of musicians did a tribute set to The Band at Twilite Lounge last night. — CG
Cosmic Trigger, Addnerium and Vorvon at Queen City Music Hall
This Fort Worth triple-bill just might be the heaviest lineup of the weekend. Here, the recently defunct Cosmic Trigger and its previous incarnation, Addnerium, will symbolically pass the torch to their brethren in Vorvon, who'll keep the tradition of featuring two bass players alive. Bands with two bass players are kind of like Highlander in that regard: There can only be one. — CG
Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Bathhouse Cultural Center
Anybody who owned a copy of the 2003 charity tribute album Wig in a Box — which included local boy Ben Kweller's supergroup The Bens turning in a gorgeous rendition of “Wicked Little Town” — can attest to the strength of this punk rock musical's soundtrack. Needless to say, the tunes in this one are badass enough to stand alone, even for someone who has never seen the stage production or the 2001 theatrical version. The same could be said for the reverse, too, really: Even without such kickass tunes, Hedwig's tale is one of the most life-affirming thing's you'll ever see. — CG
Peanut Butter Wolf at The Crown & Harp
There's no telling how many records DJ, producer and Stones Throw label head Chris Manak has in his personal collection. The crate digger has a working knowledge of rare musical cuts that would likely rival many music historians. And he'll be spinning records at The Crown & Harp under his Peanut Butter Wolf moniker tonight, along with local support from DJs A1, JT Donaldson, and Tape Mastah Steph. — CG
Shinyribs at Kessler Theater
Earlier this week, Shinyribs mastermind Kevin Russell told DC9 at Night about how the focus of his band The Gourds began a steady shift away from creativity and towards how they could best feed their families somewhere around the mid-'90s. Fortunately for Russell, though, this has just helped him experience a renewed burst of musical freedom through his new Shinyribs project in recent years. — CG
Spoonfed Tribe at Trees
This one features the hypnotic wall of sound and wild visuals of Fort Worth's Spoonfed Tribe. In addition to the main event, there'll also be music from The Effinays, End of the World Parade, Animal Spirit and Manny the Martyr. — Stephen Young
Bob Schneider at Granada Theater
Long a mainstay in the Austin's music scene, Schneider brings his genre-bending ways to Dallas this weekend. You should check him out. He's known for being a great performer. And for once dating Sandra Bullock. — H. Drew Blackburn
LE$ at Club Dada
For all its legacy, it's been a minute or two since a Houston rapper has really blown up on the national scene. OK, well, suburban Houston product RiFF RAFF notwithstanding. Enter LE$, a long-promising and eccentric young rapper with a new mixtape called Gran Turismo that's ready for promotion and outside-of-market attention. Hence this show at Dada, which also features performances from Ty City, Tunk, Money 1st Ent. and Aeronautiqz. — Pete Freedman
Saturday
Jason Boland and the Stragglers at Granada Theater
Though arguably one of the top five acts in the Texas country scene, Boland and his Stragglers actually hail from Stillwater, Oklahoma. Come to think of it, so do Texas Country heavy-hitters Stoney LaRue and both of Cody Canada's outfits. Wait, why do we call it the “Texas country” scene again? — CG
Holiday Hangover at House of Blues
Nurse your holiday hangover with Hayes Carll, JD McPherson and Mike & The Moonpies. The headliner, in particular, and his catalog of tunes that includes songs like “Drunken Poet's Dream,” “Bad Liver and a Broken Heart,” “Knockin' Over Whiskies,” “Bottle in My Hand,” “Flowers & Liquor” and “Barroom Lament,” which should prove just the type of hair of the dog this holiday needs. — CG
Lights All Night at Dallas Convention Center
Performers on the second night of this massive deal include Kaskade, Above & Beyond, Nicky Romero, Major Lazer, DJ Bl3nd, Paper Diamond, Kill Paris, Dirtyphonics, Matisse & Sadko, Nom De Strip and WISHFM. — CG
Eyehategod at Trees
NOLA sludge metal heroes — and 35 Denton 2013 dropouts — head up this heavy quadruple-bill along with Venomous Maximux, Cleric and Pinkish Black. — CG
Mind Spiders, OBN III's, The Lash Outs at Three Links
All hail Mind Spiders mastermind Mark Ryan, who finished the year with not one, but two of the year's best releases — not to mention a whole slew of others he helped produce. And if you show up early, which you totally should, just know what you'll be getting yourself into: Last time the OBN III's were in town, we learned not to stand too close to the band lest we wanted to end up covered in snot rockets or having a dirty microphone dropped in our beer cups. — CG
Convoy and the Cattlemen, Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward at Double Wide
If you're not raising hell — and several rounds of cheap beer — at this post-holiday honky-tonk then you, friends, are doing it wrong. Very wrong. — CG
Burning Hotels, Calhoun, Ronnie Heart at Lola's
Though Fort Worth electro-rock outfits Burning Hotels and Calhoun are arguably two of that city's top five biggest bands, neither play a ton of shows, let alone appear too often on a bill together. And with Calhoun's recent change in direction, the two should pair rather nicely in this rare joint appearance. Needless to say, it should be a big one. — CG
Robert Ellis, Shakey Graves at Kessler Theater
Houston native Robert Ellis and Austin's Shakey Graves are a pair of rugged, country/folk up-and-comers poised to breakout in a big way next year, with each having been praised numerous times by the national press in recent months. Anyhow, they'll likely move onto bigger — and consequently more expensive — stages in the coming months, which is to say that seeing this pairing in this setting is not to be missed. — CG
Backbeat at Texas Theatre
This fact-based, fictionalized film centers around John Lennon pal and original Beatles bassist Stu Sutcliffe during the crossroads in his life when he was deciding between his girlfriend and his band. He eventually parted ways with the group and ended up dying just prior to the height of Beatlemania, but at least Sutcliffe didn't have to suffer Pete Best's fate of living a long life in the shadows and wondering what might have been. A behind-the-screen performance from local Fab Four tribute The Savage Beatles follows. — CG
DFW NORML Presents: Chronica 2013 at Dada
Local bands The Effinays, Loyal Sally, The Boxer's Brain, Panic Volcanic, Dielex Kemposed, LooseTemper and Soniq Mystic will help the local chapter of NORML celebrate another year of quote-unquote responsible cannabis use at this one. Glassblowers Annonymous will also be on hand to craft a few glass pipes decorative glass nicknacks, as well. — CG
Festivus at Truck Yard
The proprietors of the Truck Yard will defy holiday convention and, y'know, pay homage to Seinfeld while hosting their first-ever Festivus For the Rest of Us bash. At the party, participants can join in on all of that fake holiday's usual festivities, from the airing of grievances to the showcasing of feats of strength. Donations made at the event will go to the Human Fund. No word yet, though, on if the Truck Yard will also install the traditional Festivus Pole. — Porttia Portis
Sunday
Play-N-Skillz at Jaguars Dallas
Whether you didn't get your EDM fix at Lights All Night or you're just looking for a place to keep the party going until all that Molly you took at the Convention Center wears off, this wee-hours, all-EDM, Play-N-SKillz-hosted affair will keep the party going from 3 a.m. until the sun comes up and the last Dallas Cowboys tailgate parties of the season start to kick off. Who needs sleep? — CG
Rock 'n' Roll Rummage Sale at Lola's
Once a month, Lola's offers a chance for people to come trade and buy music, equipment, collectibles and more. And, this month, it's happening this weekend. Luckily, you've been trying to find a better way to get rid of that accordion other than throwing it away. Or better yet: Why not try and trade it for that thing you didn't get for Christmas but totally wish you did. — Trace McCaslin
Hotel Tesseract at Margo Jones Theatre
This edition of the semi-regular Hotel Tesseract showcase pairs free performances from San Pedro, Romp Almighty, Silver Saint, Allureah, Smooth Gravy with trippy visuals courtesy of VJ s(eye). — CG
To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
