Central Track Staff
Hop On The Soapbox with The Crookes.
There's no doubting the greatness of one Weird Al Yankovic.
But yesterday's release of Yankovic's latest music video send-up — a parody of Pharrell Williams' “Happy” called “Tacky,” which finds the Greatest Musical Parodist of All Time getting some cameo assists from comedians Aisha Tyler, Margaret Cho, Eric Stonestreet, Kristen Schaal and Jack Black — brings up at least some concerns of timeliness.
Really: Eight months after Pharrell's song earned its release, do we need to hear Yankovic waxing faux-poetically over the track? Especially when it's one that became grating no less than seven and a half months ago? Probably not.
But, then again, it's been a long time since we were 13 and truly appreciated the artistry behind lyrics such as “Are you pregnant or just really fat?” so what do we know?
Well, this: There's come cool stuff going on around Dallas tonight. If you can't enjoy Weird Al, maybe you'll enjoy these events. — Pete Freedman
Asian Film Festival of Dallas at Angelika
If you've had your head up your ass the last few years, you've probably missed the Asian Film Festival of Dallas, the go-to festival for all of your cinematic kick-to-the-face fixes. Well, pull your head out — and head to the Angelika — where 39 feature films, 30 short films and nine countries will be represented. There will also be a lot of filmmakers in attendance, which is always fun. To find out what's playing and where the parties are going to be held out, head over to Asian Film Festival's official site. — CW
The Crookes at City Tavern
England indie rock outfit The Crookes is currently in the middle of a three-week U.S. stint in support of its third LP, Soapbox, which was released stateside back in April. This is a band worth checking out — especially if you're pretty into The Smiths' janglier, more upbeat songs, but could do without all of Morrissey's self-importance. Young Buffalo and Analog Rebellion open. — Cory Graves
Total Abuse, Filth, Dromez, Corporate Park and Public Health at Rubber Gloves
The “Summer Scum” tour kicks of tonight at Rubber Gloves with a heavy lineup of trash rock. Austin's Total Abuse, which is in the process of writing a 12-song LP for Deranged, headlines this one. Filth, Dromez and Corporate Park will open, and the Discipline crew will close the night with a DJ set. — CW
Ben Kenney at Gas Monkey Bar and Grill
Just know one thing going into this one: Ben Kenney is the bassist of Incubus. And while that band's currently on break, he'll continue his part-time solo career, which sounds nothing like Incubus. The Orange and Little Sisters of the Poor open. — Ashley Gongora
Denton First T-Shirt Launch in Denton
Are you into the idea of Denton being a wet county? Well, the group behind that effort — Denton First — is hosting a T-shirt launch party tonight to gain awareness. T-shirts are $20 and can be found this evening at various bars within Denton, each of which is all donating 10 percent of its total sales for the night to the cause. For locations, check here. — AG
Video Games: The Movie at Texas Theatre
I know this doesn't sound as fun as actually playing them, but there's a cool documentary out called Video Games: The Movie. Also? It's produced by Zach Braff, which means you've probably made up your mind and stopped reading. On the off-chance that you're still with me, give this doc a chance. It's here to build an awareness on the history of video games, including how they're put together and marketed. It's a cool educational film and it also plays this theater on Sunday at 5 p.m. — CW
Where The Wild Things Are at the Alamo Drafthouse (Free)
Some critics weren't too hot over Spike Jonze's take on the incredible children's book of the same name. I personally think he did a terrific job with the limited resources he had to work with. I mean, it's a 10-page children's book! Sure, the film does get a little dark, but I don't think these monsters are supposed to be cute and cuddly, do you? Anyway, Where the Wild Things Are screens as part of the Alamo Kids Camp, so the only showing is pretty early and, presumably, there'll also be a bunch of little ones running around. You've been warned. — CW
To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
