Cory Graves
Play Video Games with Lana Del Rey.
On Monday, a teenage boy survived a 15-hour flight from California to Hawaii after sneaking into the airport grounds and stowing away in the plane's wheel well. Not only did the runaway teen not get arrested when the plane landed, but he essentially earned himself a free trip to Hawaii.
Not bad.
But, before you think about repeating the feat in order to earn yourself a free dream vacation, just know that stowaways almost always die. Seems the body wasn't meant to survive for hours in sub-zero temperatures with little to no oxygen.
Besides: With all that tonight has to offer entertainment-wise, why would you ever want to escape?
Mogwai at Granada Theater
Though Mogwai's new album is called Rave Tapes, it has nothing to do with raves, and it's not available on cassette. But these largely instrumental rockers are loud. And they happen to be scared of the devil. Here's a quick crash course to help guide you through these Glaswegians' catalog. — Jeremy Hughes
Laura Mvula at Cambridge Room
Classically trained British musician Laura Mvula was responsible for one of our favorite albums of 2013. The arrangements on Sing to the Moon are as refined as they are majestic, and her sound incorporates elements of jazz, orchestral-pop, electronic, gospel and R&B into its blend. It's an aesthetic that's as hard to pin down as it is to initially wrap one's head around, sure. Maybe that's the reason her stunning debut didn't top more publications' best-of lists. But, really, it should've. — Cory Graves
USA Film Festival at Angelika Film Center
Among the films being screened on the second night of this year's festival are a faux documentary on wine tasting, a drama about the diners noshing at “the best restaurant in the world” the night before it closes for good, and a series of short films, one of which is about basketball-playing grannies. — CG
Phantogram at South Side Music Hall
Like Mighty Mouse, Phantogram showed up in the nick of time for most people. Electronic, ethereal indie rock was suffering from a bit of a lull before Phantogram released its 2009 debut LP, Eyelid Movies. The xx arrived around the same time, too, trying desperately to fill the void. But there was one thing severely lacking from even that group's moody, oft-melodramatic offerings: beats. That's why Phantogram was such a godsend. If you were missing the crunchy hip-hop sample-centric rhythms of groups like Esthero, Massive Attack, Tricky and Lamb, among others, Phantogram showed up like the White Witch in the snow, with a fresh batch of Turkish Delight for good measure. — Travis Lilley
Wayne Static at Trees
Rarely do tours featuring the individual members of long-established bands ever quite hit the mark for fans of their previous projects. And Wayne Static? He ain't exactly Morrissey or Paul McCartney. Still, though he may not be able to bring back all of the evil, disco-sounding elements he conjured up in his Static-X days (or even use the name, thanks to his former bandmate Tony Campos), you can bet he'll damn sure nonetheless try to do so tonight all the same. — Porttia Portis
Lana Del Rey at Verizon Theatre
The best thing about Lana Del Rey — even better than her biting lyrics, sultry vocal delivery, atmospheric backing tracks and carefully-crafted femme fatale image — is the fact that not everyone, it seems, is in on the bit. More often than not, the oblivious cultural subsets most criticized by her satirical pop culture references are often Rey's biggest fans. Go figure. — CG
Road to Edgefest Battle of the Bands at Gas Monkey Bar & Grill
Expect locals Jessie Frye and The Birds of Night to put on especially inspired performances at this free show. As the last two remaining acts from a three-weeks-long battle of the bands at the venue, the winner of tonight's competition will get the chance open for Beck and others at this weekend's Edgefest. — CG
Kristian Bush and The O's at Kessler Theater
Though maybe not quite as household a name as his bandmate Jennifer Nettles, Kristian Bush does, in fact, represent one half of the massive country group, Sugarland. He'll just be doing his solo thing tonight, though. — CG
Diana Ross at Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
The 70-year-old former leader of The Supremes performs in Dallas tonight as part of a benefit for local organization Vogel Alcove, which helps provide care for homeless children and their families. — CG
Manchester Orchestra at House of Blues
Manchester Orchestra has come a long way since forming as high schoolers a decade ago. Most recently, the group's evolved from an alt-rock act to a more melodic, post-hardcore outfit. Then again, the band's most current album was recorded in frontman Andy Hull's parent's basement, so at least Hulll and Co. haven't let success go to their heads. — CG
Siiines at Three Links
“Lights, music, booze, bananas, gorillas and sheep,” sings Siiines in its current single, “God, I Hate Clubs.” We bet that, because of the the boom and thump of their brand of grimy electronic jams, though, they probably perform their share of nights in such afore-loathed dance dens. Tonight's show, however, features cheap drinks, a well-lit room, and the noticeable absence of bottle service. So, for the band at least, it should prove as a welcome respite. — CG
Lana Del Rey cover photo by Chuck Grant. To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
