Central Track Staff
Vote For Mayer.
Austin, as we all know, has a reputation for “keeping it weird” thanks to its over-saturation of punks, street performers and bums turning into celebrities.
But this is just bizarre news out of the capital: Someone donated an adult human skull to a Goodwill thrift store, baffling employees and local police detectives alike.
No foul play is suspected, but no other details have been released either. What's even stranger is that this isn't the first time this has happened this summer. Four more skulls were donated in Bellevue, Washington, earlier this year.
I guess this is all to say that we hope you don't lose your skull at one of the following events taking place tonight. — Chase Whale
Mayer Hawthorne at South Side Ballroom (Free)
Mayer Hawthorne is one of the biggest cases against judging books by their covers. The unassuming, preppy-looking white guy produces, writes, arranges and sings some of the slickest R&B and soul tunes going these days. Even better? A lot of those '60s and '70s sounding “samples” he appears to be using to craft his songs aren't samples at all, but live arrangements. And you can catch him for free tonight, courtesy of Mercedes, provided you RSVP here beforehand. — CG
Islands at Dada
Anyone else think of that old Volkswagen commercial when thinking of Dada? The one where the two bros pick up a couch from the street while Trio's “Da Da Da” song plays overhead? No? I bet you will now. You'll probably even be thinking of this song tonight when watching the Islands — that is, until the band plays “Hallways.” Then the Dell and/or Microsoft ads that song appeared in just might come to mind. — CW
An Evening With Ken Burns at Winspear
If you've seen anything on PBS at some point in your life, you know all about Ken Burns and his 12-plus-hour documentaries on such subjects as baseball, jazz and Prohibition. But Burns hasn't stopped there: The award-winning documentarian is also well known for his widely shocking documentary, The Central Park Five, which focused on the 1989 case of five men (black and hispanic) who were wrongly convicted of raping a white woman in Central Park. It's a pretty heartbreaking film and we highly suggest you seek it out. Anyway, Burns is here in Dallas tonight for an conversation and sneak preview of his new film, The Roosevelts: An Intimate History, which premieres on KERA and PBS on September 14. — CW
Free Week at Rubber Gloves
Gloves' annual, free, back-to-school sampler platter rolls on tonight with loud-ass offerings from Lechuguillas, Terminator 2 and Heavy Baby Sea Slugs. — CG
Good Luck Karaoke at Twilite Lounge
Due to a disagreement regarding its actual birth date, the recently BuzzFeed-approved Good Luck Karaoke will celebrate its fourth anniversary for the second week in a row, this time with an “always a bridesmaid, never a bride” theme. Come prepared with a wedding dress, your best fork for cake-eating and a firm knowledge of songs that aren't by Alanis Morissette. — CG
Dia de los Toadies Happy Hour at Lola's
Have you ever toasted a can of Martin House's Rubberneck Red with a member of the Toadies? Here's your chance, as Vaden and Rez will be hanging out from 5 to 7 p.m., offering up a few giveaways, as well as drink specials and discounted tickets to this month's Dia de los Toadies festival. — CG
GvsB IV Pre-Party at Sundown
This weekend, the godfather of the music blog movement will curate its fourth annual showcase at Granada Theater featuring performances from Panda Bear, Sophie, Ejecta, Doss and more. Tonight, that venue's sister bar will attempt to get folks all hot and bothered with a pre-party that'll feature performances from previous GvsB performer, DJ Sober, on its rooftop patio, plus Bashe and Son of Stan on the indoor stage. — CG
Brazil at Texas Theatre
How old were you when you first saw Terry Gilliam's dystopian mind-fuck, Brazil? I was 12 and I still have pleasantly awkward nightmares about it. This is screening in celebration of Terry's new film, The Zero Theorem starring the ever-amazing Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Basterds, Django Unchained), which opens on Friday. — CW
dOWNtOWN: Visual Fine Art Faculty Exhibition
Art Connoisseurs: DADA (Dallas Art Dealers Association, not the club) is about to pump out a lot of really eclectic exhibits for you to bask in. Tonight features abstract art in all mediums from local and regional artists. — CW
Dark Circles Contemporary Dance presents “Beautiful Knuckleheads” at Hardy and Betty Sanders Theatre
Three award-winning choreographers — Dark Circles Contemporary Dance founder and artistic director Joshua L. Peugh, plus guest choreographers Mike Esperanza and Chadi El-Khoury — have joined hips for “Beautiful Knuckleheads,” a dance number that looks at human connections through innovative combinations of classical technique and modern movement styles. — CW
AT&T Patio Sessions (Free)
Right now, it's free week at Rubber Gloves. But if you don't want to make the trek out to Denton, you can also enjoy some free music as AT&T's Patio Sessions kick off its fall season tonight at its new later time. On deck this evening: Rodney Parker & 50 Peso Reward and Whiskey Folk Ramblers' Tyler Rougeux. There will be food trucks there from 6- to 9 p.m., but you can bring your own food as well if you want to save money. Alcohol must be bought on premises, though. — CW
Frame of Mind at Texas Theatre
Here's a good way to support Dallas indie productions. Art & Seek has teamed up with the Video Association of Dallas to screen the first episode of Frame of Mind, a 13-week KERA TV series exploring independent films made in Texas. The first episode is “Swingman,” about a Fort Worth firefighter battling a paralyzing injury. — CW
Cover photo by Mikel Galicia. To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
