Central Track Contributor
Take My Mind.
In the opening crawl of every Star Wars movie, it states that the film's events took place “a long time ago” and “in a galaxy far, far away.”
But what if, as this clever bit of Easter Egg hunting depicts, they didn't happen that far way or all that long ago in the grand scheme of things? Would it blow your mind?
Now, how about if we told you that, even though it is Thanksgiving weekend, there are still be plenty of ways to cut loose that didn't involve eating, hanging out with the family or shopping?
A lot less mind-blowing, we'll admit. But pretty cool just the same, no? — Cory Graves
Thursday
YMCA Turkey Trot at Dallas City Hall Plaza
If you wake up pre-9 a.m. you might consider participating in one of Dallas' oldest Thanksgiving traditions. Even if you're not up for trying to smash the eight-miles-in-37:05 record that was set over 40 years ago, it's still a good idea to try and burn a few calories heading into today's engorging session if at all possible. — CG
Big Bang at Beauty Bar
This time last year, Beauty Bar resident/Big Bang mastermind DJ Sober put it best when he told us, “I just really like Beauty Bar in the holidays especially. Maybe that's corny, but it always feels like a house party.” That doesn't sound corny at all. — Pete Freedman
The Night Before at Alamo Drafthouse
Ever since I heard the guys playing Kanye West's “Runaway” on the giant piano at F.A.O. Schwarz, I knew this movie would be right up my alley. Seth Rogen, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Anthony Mackie play three buddies who go out for one last Christmas Eve bacchanal. That sounds like my kind of night. — Kip Mooney
Friday
Big K.R.I.T. at The Bomb Factory
Yams. Collard greens. Cadillac. Cornbread. Hot sauce. Watermelon. Chitterlings. Chicken grease. Southern, southern, southern. That's what Big K.R.I.T. is all about. Despite the fact that Big K.R.I.T. has almost become a parody of himself, that doesn't take away from the fact that he's one of the best southern rappers we've got. Take a trip to Cadilactica with the drawled out emcee. — H. Drew Blackburn
Erykah Badu But You Caint Use My Phone Listening Party at Lab Art (Free)
With her mixtape now 100 percent confirmed to now drop at some point this week, Badu is celebrating its release with a little Friday night bash here in her hometown. On that night, from 9 o'clock until midnight at the Lab Art Gallery in the Design District, Badu and her crew will host a 21-and-up listening party for the You Cain't Use My Phone tape. The event will also feature live art from Badu producer Rob Free, multimedia artist Jeremy Biggers and the Sour Grapes crew, plus a DJ set from Cannabinoid member Picnictyme. — PF
Bobby Sessions (Album Release) at Trees
Let's talk about Bobby Sessions real quick. The one-time member of the beloved Brain Gang collective dropped his debut solo record, LOA (Law Of Attraction), on DJ Booth this past Friday. The album has features from Slim Gravy of A.Dd+, Atlanta's Jarren Benton, -topic, Freddy Sans, Zyah and Donny Domino, plus production from Smokey Got Beatz, Tone Jonez, Xes, Donny Domino, -topic and Blue, The Misfit. Let me tell you: This is a stellar project that solidifies Sessions as one of the best emcees in Dallas. And, quite frankly, LOA (Law Of Attraction) is one of the best rap records released in 2015, in Dallas and beyond. At this celebration of its release, Sessions will be joined by his fellow High Standardz labelmates Blue, Sam Lao, A.Dd+ and Xes, plus his old Brain Gang buddy/Dr. Dre's new pal Justus. — HDB
Tone Bell at Arlington Improv
Tone is funny. We know, because that's the URL of his website. You may recognize Bell as RJ the bartender on former NBC sitcom Whitney, then again, judging from the show's ratings and subsequent cancellation you may not. That's OK, Bell's real bread and butter was always the random observational humor he employs during his stand-up sets. — CG
Castle at Double Wide
San Francisco metalheads, Castle, will blister through the Double Wide like a tornado through a trailer park. Before that, though, Wax Ruins, a heavy new local band that eatures members of Maleveller, These Machines Are Winning and Ministry, will make its live debut. Project Armageddon opens. — CG
Kayzo & Party Thieves at Lizard Lounge
Commercial dance music. There's no better way to dance off a few of those added Thanksgiving pounds. — CG
Black Friday Record Store Day at Josey Records
After buying a record pressing plant earlier this year, Josey also announced it's also getting into the record label game. Its first release is a local comp featuring The Birds of Night, Taylor Lewis,The Azalea Project, Howler Jr. and Reinventing Jude. That one will hit stores on this Black Friday Record Store Day. Other special releases will be on hand and bands will perform live in store. — CG
Possessed by Paul James at Three Links
Konrad Wert — or his one-man band alter ego, Possessed by Paul James, rather — will perform tonight in Deep Ellum. Armed with little more than a rickety chair, a couple of stringed instruments and an un-mic'ed wooden plank he'll stomp upon for percussion, Wert will surely turn in a rowdy, compelling and ultimately inspiring set. Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs and a solo set from Vandoliers frontman Joshua Fleming kick off the proceedings. — PF
La Cage Aux Folles at Texas Theatre
This 1978 French-Italian adaptation of the 1973 play is one of the greatest foreign films ever released in the States. To wit: it's got a 100 percent fresh score on Rotten Tomatoes. You'll no doubt enjoy it loads more than the 1996 remake, The Birdcage. — CG
Bar Betties Calendar Release Party at Bowlounge
This calendar, as the name implies, highlights some of Dallas' best-looking female bartenders — or “Bar Betties” as they're called here — in pin-up form. Celebrate the release of the second-annual offering along with many of the Betties, who'll be happy to sign your new calendar. — PF
The Birds of Night at Crown and Harp
Denton America's The Birds of Night is a band that make nostalgically glazed Rock 'n' Roll. The band's songs are made from sun-drenched guitars, reverberating vocals, and loosely tightened drums. Since its jangly, Strokes-y debut, the band has evolved into much darker outfit, a fact which really rears its head on the pseudo Sabbath-y third album, which came out last year. Toranavox also performs. — Lauren Rushing
Tatsuya Nakatani, Michel Doneda, Gonzalez Family at Pariah Arts
It'll be a multi-cultural affair at Pariah this Black Friday. Japanese drummer sound artist/solo acoustic percussionist Tatsuya Nakatani, improvisational French saxophonist and Dallas own experimental jazz-loving Gonzalez Family will provide all the progressive bits of noise. — CG
Band of Heathens at Granada Theater
On paper and on record, the Band of Heathens appear so boring, if competent, that seeing them live doesn't seem like a pressing need. Thing is this group is quite good in person. On stage, this group morphs into something more closely resembling a jam band. If you like that sort of thing but are so over Widespread, the band's current tenth anniversary tour might be worth checking out. — Stephen Young
Dalton Domino at Magnolia Motor Lounge
William Clark Green has been hailed as Red Dirt's next big for so long that his critically hailed 2015 disc, Ringling Road actually has a song called “Next Big Thing.” As such, he's personally passed that “next big thing” torch onto, Lubbock-sprung southern rocker Dalton Domino. Can't argue there. — CG
Monte Montgomery at Kessler Theater
Usually when the phrase, “he's a guitar player's guitar player” gets tossed around, it's in reference to someone who is a Grade A wanker, unmatched in his penchant for noodling, but usually at the expense of any songwriting ability whatsoever. Fortunately for Montgomery, that's not the case. While he's about the best acoustic guitarist currently touring, he pairs it with a pretty solid roots catalog as well. — CG
Saturday
Willie Nelson at Billy Bob's
Willie Nelson is simply one of the biggest national icons to ever come from the great State of Texas. His discography contains over 60 studio albums, 10 live albums and 27 collaborative albums, and he's sold 40 million of those albums in the United States alone. During that time, he's written dozens of songs that have become country standards, including “Pretty Paper,” “Hello Walls,” and “Crazy.” As expected, he's received just about every award ever and been inducted into just about every type of hall of fame that's out there, including eight Grammy's, the Gershwin Prize and a Kennedy Center Honor, which is perhaps the highest honor a performing artist can receive. His contributions to country music alone make him a legend — and that's before even taking into account his acting career, his work with Farm Aid, his annual picnic, his work as a disc jockey or his political advocacy. The guy's just a living legend. — CG
Reba McEntire at WinStar World Casino
A certain generation, a younger one, know of Reba McEntire as a sitcom star first and foremost. But, before that, she was a country singer for years and years. The Oklahoma native puts on a show at WinStar tonight, which may be worth the sadness of being in Oklahoma. — HDB
Rock Lottery at Dan's Silverleaf
One of our favorite local bands from the past few years — a Denton supergroup, of sorts, called Rape Casserole — sadly only played one show before breaking up. It wasn't because things went badly during their sole performance. Quite the opposite actually: Despite only hearing it once, we couldn't get their song about the truck driver with a box of dicks and a bottle up his butt out of our heads for weeks. Knowing that you'll only hear the songs at Rock Lottery once is at once the coolest and, in a way, disappointing things about Rock Lottery. But though the songs are fleeting the magic of this one night in Denton somehow always lives on. — CG
Deep Ellum Mimosa Walk
In lieu of the neighborhood's monthly, Thursday night wine walks, Deep Ellum's small business are doing the whole Small Business Saturday, but with free mimosas. Because Deep Ellum. Grab your $10 glass at Kettle Art and fill 'er up as you shop. — CG
Gravity at Lizard Lounge
After surviving Thanksgiving with the fam, Black Friday and Small Biz Saturday, you deserve some kind of reward. Consider this dance party that reward. — CG
These Machines Are Winning (Album Release) at Granada Theater
These Machines Are Winning, are in fact, winning. The collective has two albums this year — KURU, and Architect of Decay. The collective has a revolving door of musicians that record in studio, including opener, True Widow. So expect some of the members of the doom metal outfit to double dip hat night. The music, just as its recording process is a collage of different influences and sounds – from post-punk to shoegaze to psych-rock. — HDB
Howdy Doodles Coloring Book Launch at The Nasher
There's this new things where adults are buying themselves coloring books in increasing numbers — to the point that publishers are starting to make coloring books especially for grownups. If The New Yorker says as much you know it's true. Dallas artists Will Heron, Shamsy Roomiani, Lily Smith+Kirkley and Rob Wilson all contributed to this one. — CG
Thanksmas at Doc's Records
Is it just us or do Small Business Saturday promotions seem to feature a lot less violence? On top of 20 percent off deals on records, Doc's Records' annual holiday get together will feature free food and booze and in-store performances from the likes of Vincent Neil Emerson, among others. — CG
Hell Texas (Album Release) at Three Links
Moving on, after a couple years of playing shows, Hell Texas is gearing up to release its eponymous debut LP this Saturday, at Three Links. The band is led by onetime Reverend Horton Heat and Burden Brothers drummer Taz Bentley, who steps out from behind the kit to try his hand at some good ol' fashioned Texas country. Just for good measure, let's throw one more obligatory “Texas” in there. Cool. Now that that's out of the way, we implore you once more to head out and grab the band's new album. Dead Flowers and Goodnight Ned will be there, too. — CG
“Everything Means Nothing” A Solo Exhibition by Carlos Donjuan at Kirk Hopper Fine Art
Carlos Donjuan. I was a freshman in college when I first heard about a group of Mexican street artists from Oak Cliff who were calling themselves Sour Grapes. I was living in Garland at the time, and, considering how people in Garland think that Oak Cliff is, like, a five-hour drive away, I knew then that it was a big deal that I was even hearing about them. It was a few years later when I finally met Carlos Donjuan, one of the Sour Grapes crew's founding members and driving creative forces. I was at one of his art shows, and I was completely stunned at how amazing his whole body of work was. I can't wait to see what he's got in store at this new exhibition. — Arturo Torres
Doug Burr at AllGood Cafe
Burr's latest release, Pale White Dove, is a raw and electrified batch of tunes that stands in stark opposition to the frail, folkstuff of 2010's O Ye Devastator. This weekend's solo acoustic representation should fall somewhere in between. — CG
Small Business Saturday at Community Beer Co.
In addition to their regular Saturday open house, and in direct correlation with Small Business Saturday, Community Beer Co. will be hosting a Little D pop-up this afternoon. Aside from dozens of local vendors, they'll have several food trucks on hand, live music and all of their award-winning beverages onsite for mass consumption. — CG
Zane Williams at Love and War in Texas (Plano)
Zane Williams isn't the kind of musician you accidentally see at Love and War when you take your mom there for Mother's Day. He's the kind of honest to goodness country musician you go there for on purpose. — CG
Premier Boxing Champions at The Bomb Factory
You could always watch 2012 Olympian and Dallas-native Errol “The Truth” Spence Jr. punching Alejandro “El Elegido” Barrera a bunch of times on NBC like any old schlub. Or you could go root the hometown boy in person when The Bomb Factory converts to a boxing venue for the night. Super welterweight world champion Jermall Charlo will defend his title for the first time ever vs “Silky” Wilky Campfort, too. Let's get it on. — CG
Sunday
Young Jeezy at Gas Monkey Live
It's long been understood that Young Jeezy does it for the hood. This weekend, the Atlanta rapper specifically does it for that unnamed Northwest part of Dallas that's run by the garage junkies who have a reality show on the Discovery Channel. — PF
D.R.I. at Trees
Thrash bands don't die, they just keep on keeping on until some writer mistakes their longevity for legend. — PF
Parkway Drive at House of Blues
Parkway Drive is a metalcore band. They have a music video and song called “Dark Days” about the destruction of the environment. This is that music video. It's heavy. But we do feel as if Al Gore would approve. — HDB
the same venue where she recently performed her one-woman show — on this night to watch her in action. Join in on the fun with sounds provided by Cannabinoid member DJ Big Texas. Entry is free. — PF
To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
