Porttia Portis
Fight Harder with Neko Case.
Why can't every day involve an uncomplicated celebration of some type of baked good, followed by receiving said baked good for free?
At least there are days like today — National Pie Day — where participating local eateries will celebrate our favorite round desserts that aren't cakes or cookies.
At Norma's Cafe for instance, not only will free slices of its famous Mile-High Cream Pies be offered up, but a new pie flavor (read: Reese's chocolate peanut butter pie) will mark its entry into the mainstay's repertoire.
Meanwhile, Emporium Pies is also joining in the pie festivities, serving up pie for breakfast, lunch and dinner. They've even added quiches and savory chicken pot pies to the menu for those who can't deal with sugary offerings for three meals a day.
Not feeling the pie love today? We feel you, we're still holding fast to our New Year's resolution to be healthier this year, too — well, for the time being. Good thing, then, that there are plenty of events going on tonight where you can avoid temptation and/or keep your mind off the fact that there'll literally be free dessert all around you today.
Neko Case at Granada Theater (Sold Out)
While North Texas isn't home to one of the 40 cities that a reunited Outkast will perform at this summer, our social calendars aren't entirely devoid of talent that will appear at this April's Coachella festival. Tonight, for instance, ginger singer-songwriter and noted New Pornographer Neko Case will bring the gothic beauty of her latest solo effort to the Granada. An opening set from the California-based Thao & The Get Down Stay Down will set the table well for the recent Grammy nominee. — Porschia Paxton
Gunplay at Trees
The Rick Ross protege has released a remarkable eight mixtapes since 2009 while working on his solo debut, which should finally earn its release sometime in “early 2014.” At least some of that delay can be attributed to the pair of gun charges that the rapper battled for most of 2012 — one for aggravated assault with a firearm and another for armed robbery – that could have earned him a life sentence had he been convicted. But, seriously, what did his parents expect when they named their kid Gunplay? — Cory Graves
Patty Griffin at Dan's Silverleaf
Griffin is probably best known as a songwriter — her songs have been covered by the likes of Emmylou Harris and The Dixie Chicks, among others — or as the side player/love interest of Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant's Band of Joy reboot. That's a shame, though, because Griffin's bare-bones songs are well-crafted, tactfully-delivered gems in their own right, and worthy of more effusive praise or attention than her dating history has received in recent years. — Cory Graves
The Texas Gentlemen at The Dram
Dallas' version of The Band — which is to say the pack of locals that serves as the live backing band for the likes of Larry g(EE), Kirby Brown and, in part, Dovetail — will perform on its own this evening at the Knox/Henderson watering hole The Dram, which has spiced up its calendar with a whole slew of respected local bands that are scheduled to perform at the joint for, at least, the next few months.
*Update: This show was moved to next Thursday, January 30. The Roomsounds will perform at The Dram tonight in their place. — Cory Graves
W.A.K.E. at Common Desk
Witness local artist Joonbug transform his Fresh Kaufee clothing line into a lifestyle brand, beginning with tonight's re-launch event for the brand and the introduction of his latest batch of goods — a collection he calls House Blend. Per the artist's request, a technology blackout will be enforced tonight so that the multi-sensory exhibits can be enjoyed to their fullest. Plus, it's time we stopped living our lives behind screens, y'know? Why must our generation always be recording YouTube clips of bands with our phones, or Instagramming works of art instead of simply enjoying our surroundings? — Porttia Portis
The Art of Portraiture at Kettle Art
For the aspiring photographer looking to gain a few new tips and techniques related to portrait photography, Brookhaven College professor of photography — and Instant Film Society co-founder — Daniel Rodrigue will lead this free panel discussion that'll include some of the area's most notorious shutterbugs. Among them will be Erica Felicella, Hal Samples, Richard Sharum and Oh Jee Nam. — Porttia Portis
The Front Bottoms at Dada
The pop-punk sphere lives on well past crowded Warped Tour events and the pseudo-angsty ambiance that pumps out of Hot Topic. Somewhere, buried underneath all those aesthetics, lives a thriving music scene filled with witty lyrics and eclectic sounds that attracts the “all-ages” crowd. To those who fear the type of emo-tinged revival that this vaginally-named lot represents, we urge you to at least rejoice in the inevitably short lines at the bar that almost always are found at shows like these. — Porttia Portis
To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
