Central Track Contributor
Boom, Clap.
Don't do it, you guys. Don't be the person who decides to wear an Ebola-themed Halloween costume this year.
Really, it's not even that it's distasteful — although, to be frank, it is — but, rather, it's because it's not even clever. Reports abound today that hazmat suits are selling like hotcakes, just in time for the Halloween season.
Do you really want to show up to a party and find someone else wearing the same thing you are? Nope. Not on Halloween, not ever.
The good news is, you still have time to figure out another costume option. (No, “Sexy Ebola,” while slightly more humorous, isn't any better.) In the mean time, keep doing you — which is to say to put off coming up with a costume until the last minute as you do every year.
That in mind, here's where to procrastinate from that task over these next few days. — Pete Freedman
Friday
Tig Notaro at Majestic Theatre
2012 was a rough year for Tig Notaro, who not only lost both parents but also battled breast cancer over the span of 12 months. It was also the year her comedy career really took off. That's because, in the midst of those dark times, Notaro famously started a now legendary stand-up performance with the line “Good evening! Hello. I have cancer. How are you?” Louis C.K. said of that performance: “[It was] one of the greatest stand-up performances I ever saw. I can't really describe it, but I was crying and laughing and listening like never in my life.” — Cory Graves
Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias at American Airlines Center
This pair of Latin superstars will once again share the AAC stage this evening. You may remember when the two were buried on the undercard of the Robin Thicke-headlined Jingle Ball last December. Oh how those tables have turned since then! While Pitbull was writing the official theme song to the World Cup, Thicke was busy penning an ill-advised apology record to try to win back the estranged wife he cheated on. — CG
Sharon Van Etten at Kessler Theater
Sharon Van Etten's catalog is, at times, a tough thing to stomach. Her minimal, oft-introspective approach to indie rock is well-executed enough, sure. But her painfully honest lyrics and willingness to tackle tough subjects like toxic, abusive relationships and past betrayals tend to cut deep. Worse, her material is so relatable that it can be difficult at times not to feel a lot of her pain while listening to her songs. Check out our Q&A with Van Etten here. — CG
Vance Joy at Trees (Sold Out)
Last week, Taylor Swift covered Vance Joy's big hit single, “Riptide,” on a British talk show. This week, there's enormous interest in the Australian singer-songwriter's first-ever headlining tour in the U.S. And how. The Dallas stop, for instance, has been long sold out. — CG
Widespread Panic and Trombone Shorty at Verizon Theatre
Born into a well-known New Orleans jazz family, Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews began cutting his brass chops since the age of six, and spent his formative years as a member of several prominent NOLA brass bands. The outfit he now fronts, Orleans Avenue, fuses contemporary jazz with funk and R&B. He's a versatile performer — enough so that he's collaborated with a wide-ranging batch of performers, such as like Jeff Beck, Kid Rock, Warren Haynes, and the Rebirth Brass Band. And quite effortlessly, at that. In any case, he'll provide a refreshing jolt before archetypal jam band, Widespread Panic does its thing. For several hours, no doubt. — CG
American Authors at Granada Theater
A couple years ago, American Authors' members decided they'd drop out of the Berklee College of Music in order to pursue crafting commercial-friendly indie-pop for a living. To their credit, the band's already got a couple massively popular singles and a recently released long-player under its belt. And now the band finds itself headlining the fourteenth annual Honda Civic Tour. The Mowglis and Echosmith open. — CG
Dallas Comic Con Fan Days at Irving Convention Center
The list of guests at this weekend-long Fan Days expo is enormous. Highlights include Harry Shearer, Corey Feldman, Sean Astin, Elijah Wood, Kevin Sorbo, the Weasley twins from Harry Potter, the guy that played Darth Maul in the The Phantom Menace, the green Power Ranger, the now-grown-up Asian kid from Temple of Doom and the guy that voices Charlie Brown. Plenty of autograph sessions, photo ops, cosplay and panels will be happening throughout the weekend, too. That much you probably could have already guessed, though. — CG
Gremlins at Inwood Theatre
Before Fight Club came along, it was the rules of owning a gremlin that often got thrown around. In case you've forgotten: They were never to get exposed to sunlight, never to get wet and, most important, never fed after midnight. Widely thought of as one of the best films of 1984, Gremlins is not only the film the band Mogwai took its name from, but its violent sequences even caused the MPAA to alter its ratings system. — CG
The Vibrators at Three Links
Considered by most to be a one-hit wonder — “Automatic Lover” was the only song from '70s Brit punks The Vibrators that cracked the charts — the polished rockers have an entirely different reputation among critics, many of whom consider the band's Pure Mania LP to be one of the all-time great punk albums. Hormones, The Fever and Pink Smoke open.– CG
This Ain't No Party Vol. 2 at Ash Studios
No, it's not a party. Or, rather, not just a party. Instead, this Ash Studios-hsoted affair will feature live poetry readings, an art exhibition and a live music battle between two CT favorites, lyrical emcee Lord Byron and surf-tinged garage poppers Howler Jr. — PF
Bike In Movie at Rosemont Elementary School (Free)
As part of its month-long series of bike-centric Cyclesomatic events, Bike Friendly Oak Cliff is hosting a free, bike-in screening of a presumably kid-friendly film this evening. Bring an extra $10 if you plan on purchasing some barbecue on sight. — CG
'til Midnight at the Nasher at Nasher Sculpture Center
Since it's actually pretty nice to be outside lately, why don't you head on over to the Nasher and catch some live music, outdoors, picnic-style as part of the final 'til Midnight event of the year? This month's performers will be DJ Jeff Mitchell and Ishi. As always the Nasher's 'til Midnight events are free, so there's that. —Ashley Gongora
Sammy Bananas at Beauty Bar
Fresh off of dropping his new “Money Time” single last week, the longtime Fool's Gold producer and veteran party starter will take over the decks at Beauty Bar. — CG
Social Science (Adults Only Night) at Perot Museum of Nature and Science
So here's your chance to finally drag your old ass out of the house and for once get to enjoy the museum without having to hear screaming children — or the blathering of anyone under 21 for that matter. Grab a cocktail and a babysitter and head to this month's edition of the Perot Museum's monthly, after-hours, adults-only programming. Enjoy an Xtreme! BMX demo, a performance from Whiskey Folk Ramblers and some cooler-than-cool liquid nitrogen demos. — AG
Nightmare on Elm Street at Angelika Film Center
The most recent film that Wes Craven's directed was the very awful and upsetting fourth installment in the once-great Scream series, Scre4m. I think, once a veteran director goes retro by putting the number of the film in the title, shit just goes downhill from there. But Craven will always get a pass from me and the horror community. After all, he's created some of the best horror films of all time — not to mention one of the greatest villains, Fred Krueger, a character who's still getting sequels and reboots. It's a damn shame that the face behind the prosthetic scars and red-and-green-striped sweater, actor Robert Englund, has hung up the iconic finger-clawed glove for good.– CW
Dallas VideoFest's Kovacs Award Presentation at Angelika Film Center
This year, the DVF presents its award honoring “television's greatest visionaries” to Harry Shearer who voices too many Simpsons characters to list here. He'll join the ranks of past honorees like Paul Reubens, Martin Mull, Terry Gilliam, Robert Smigel and Mike Judge. — CG
Saturday
Charli XCX at Trees
Charli XCX is a staff favorite here at Central Track for good reason. She's the acidic edge that bubblegum pop needs: Her smart, sardonic lyrics, intriguing arrangements and epic choruses show that thoughtful pop can still be a ton of fun. Need another reason to check out this gig? Yes, she performs “I Love It,” which she wrote for Icona Pop, and “Fancy,” which she wrote for Iggy Azalea, during her live shows. Check out our interview with Charli here. — Stephen Young
Chipotle Cultivate Festival at Lake Carolyn
Today, Chipotle will bring its fourth annual Cultivate affair — a “food ideas and music festival” in the company's own words — to Irving's Lake Carolyn, where organizers say they hope to “brings together farmers, chefs, thought leaders, artists, musicians, and participants like you, on a journey towards a world of more sustainable, wholesome and delicious food.” Amos Lee, O.A.R., MS MR, Sylvan Esso, The Colourist and DJ Christopher Golub will perform, and there will be “Dallas” flavored ice cream. — CG
Dead Flowers (Album Release) at Dada
Dead Flowers frontman Corey Howe is nothing if not a supportive member of Deep Ellum and the rest of the Dallas music community. In the past couple months alone, he organized a fundraiser for The Phuss' drummer Trey Alfaro when he was involved in a hit-and-run accident, played another to help some puppies pay for life-saving surgeries and let's not forget that time he saved one of the city's best barbecue joints from meeting a fiery end. Needless to say, as his band gears up to release its straight-ahead rocker of a sophomore album tonight, it'd be nice if some us returned the favor. — CG
David Bazan + Passenger String Quartet at Texas Theatre
No two David Bazan tours are ever the same. This time through, he'll change things up yet again by performing with the string quartet he recently collaborated with on record. Together, they'll do new arrangements of Pedro the Lion tunes and songs from Bazan's solo catalog that somehow manage to be even sadder — though markedly more lush — than the originals. — CG
Texas Bully Bowl at Dallas Market Hall
Where will every red-blooded, testosterone-addled male will be this weekend? Letting out some pent up aggression at Dallas Market Hall. This thing looks to be a celebration of all things muscle — as in muscle cars, pitbulls competing to see who can carry the heaviest stuff and some human-on-human boxing matches for good measure. — CG
The Crookes at The Foundry (Free)
English indie rock act The Crookes is currently touring the U.S. 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. — CG
White Rock Local Market Chili Showdown at Lakeside Baptist Church
Spice lovers have long had October 18 circled on their calendars. That, of course, is the date of the fourth annual White Rock Local Market Chili Showdown. The public can enjoy samples from up to 20 teams from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Tasting tickets will go for $5 and proceeds from the event will benefit WRLM programs. — Porttia Portis
Rodrigo y Gabriela at Verizon Theatre
Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero have come a long way since starting out as young thrash fans in Mexico City 15 years ago. Since then, they've traveled the world, dabbling in metal, jazz, world music and soundtrack-scoring for Pirates of the Caribbean and Puss in Boots. Tonight, though? They'll just be rocking a pair of acoustic guitars. — Jessica Petrocchi
Band of Heathens at Granada Theater
At first glance, you really wouldn't give this one a second look. 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, this one might be worth checking out. — SY
Saturday Night Shindig: One Coultastic Evening at Gas Monkey Bar N' Grill
To coincide with the Comic Con Fan Days proceedings, GMBG's booked a Sci-Fi Social headlined by nerd-culture singer-songwriter Jonathan Coulton, who has been called “the Joss Whedon of music.” Let your geek flag fly. — CG
“The Water Colors of Pinky Diablo” at {neighborhood}
If you've ever wandered the aisles of curiosities at Dolly Python, you've perhaps stumbled upon the batch of water-colored skeletons with snarky, often distasteful slogans in Pinky Diablo's booth. The artist will celebrate his 10,000th water color with this current exhibition. The things is, the plan is to keep secret exactly which print is lucky No. 10,000. — CG
Deep Ellum Celebrates 100 Years of the Ford Motor Plant at Adam Hats
One hundred years ago, this four-story building was designed by Henry Ford's principle architect John Graham as a production plant for Model T's. When Ford moved production to another location in 1925, the company maintained this location as a warehouse and showroom. In 1955, the building was acquired by the Dallas-based Miller Brothers Hat Co., which had also recently acquired the New York-based Adam Hats Corporation. That company remained at the location until 1986. Interestingly enough, the large piece of art that now sits in the loft's atrium formerly served as a chute in the building's Ford days — one that was used to transport parts down an assembly line. Anyway, to celebrate building's 100th birthday, organizers will host a Model T show on the site. — CG
Gorgon City at It'll Do Club
British house producing duo Gorgon City has racked up a string of singles on the UK dance charts since releasing its debut LP back in January. Tonight, they'll twiddle some knobs at It'll Do. And the people will dance. — CG
Grand Opening at Spinster Records
For a few months now, David Grover, a former member of Los Angeles band Loud Sugar, has been gearing up to open his new record store in Oak Cliff's Bishop Arts neighborhood. On Saturday, his shop will finally celebrate its official grand opening with in-store performances from Exit 380, RTB2, Raul Campos, DJ Sober and Dustin Cavazos, who will be selling cassette copies of his new mixtape at the event. Performances are scheduled to begin at noon. — CG
Vice Palace Presents: A Tea Fund Benefit Show at Oliver Francis Gallery
Terminator 2, Nite, Little Bears, Kitbashes and George Quartz will perform at this one. Even better? Every dollar raised will go to benefit the Texas Equal Access Fund, which provides financial assistance to low-income people who want an abortion and can't afford it. — CG
Cartoon Cereal Party at Alamo Drafthouse
It's the return of the theater's monthly cartoon/cereal/pajama party — and, this time, they'll do so with a “spooky monsters” theme. And really, what better place to get your carbo-load on — or at the very least just delay putting on pants for another couple hours — than in a darkened theater while wearing your pajamas and feasting from an extensive cereal bar? — CG
Ed Wood at Alamo Drafthouse
Before lo-fi, do-it-yourself, guerrilla filmmaking was cool, there was Ed Wood, doing it just for the love of the game. This is the guy who made a handful of ultra low-budget science fiction and horror films, among a few other genre titles. The one you probably have heard of is Plan 9 from Outer Space. Here, he's given the biopic treatment from Tim Burton, the only guy weird enough to properly pull it off. And he's played by the only character actor who could ever pull him off, too, the ever-eccentric Johnny Depp. — CW
Dill Dash 5K at Clearfork
Dress up like a pickle and get your fun-run on in this Best Maid-sponsored 5K. Then maybe chug some pickle juice afterward to replenish your fluids. It's said to be about the most hydrating thing you can drink. — CG
Rawlins Gilliland's Happy Murder Stories at Kessler Theater
Before he became known for his role as a KERA commentator, noted letter writer and storyteller, Rawlins Gilliland was employed by Neiman Marcus for 18 years. Tonight, he's doing the story thing, bringing out all his spooky, campfire favorites set to live musical accompaniment. — CG
State Fair PolaWalk
Time to break out that Polaroid camera you bought at Urban Outfitters — but still haven't used — and head to the State Fair of Texas as the Instant Film Society will be hosting its third annual State Fair PolaWalk. Come rain or shine, the IFS, including some international members, will be walking the State Fair and taking instant photos on the widest range of Polaroid cameras you'll probably ever see. It is a ton of fun, and there's nothing quite like sharing photos with everyone at the end of the day to see what everyone's shots look like. Don't have a camera? Just grab some film and they'll have some loaners out for people to share. The IFS loves to introduce new members into the world of instant photography. Meet up with the group by Big Tex at noon and enjoy the fair in a whole new way. — Jeremy Hughes
Sunday
Texas Veggie Fair at Reverchon Park
Other than the abundance of fresh produce and vegetarian-friendly fare, there's plenty other reasons to check out these festivities. For instance? Howard Stern's professional shade-thrower, Robin Quivers. Newly vegan, Quivers is kicking off the festivities with a signing for her latest book, The Vegucation of Robin, before it hits stores in November. — PP
PLM: Keepin' It Crew Tour at Granada Theater
Out Colorado way, a single act has turned electronic music into an all-out movement. That act's name? Pretty Lights. And, unfortunately, he's not on this bill. But his close associate Michael Menert is. And he'll head up a showcase full of the PLM label's talent, including Eliot Lipp, SuperVision and Paul Basic. — CG
The Cave Singers at Three Links
Seattle's The Cave Singers — comprised of former members of post-punk act Pretty Girls Make Graves — have emerged from their cave enough times to record four albums since 2007, the most recent being 2013's Naomi. Micah P. Hinson opens. — Chelsea Upton
Suzanne Vega at Kessler Theater
Here's a fun fact for you: The version of Vega's I Dream of Jeanie-inspired '80s jam “Tom's Diner” that we all know and love actually isn't the original. The version Vega released on her 1987 sophomore album, Solitude Standing, was originally a capella. In 1990, British producers DNA remade the tune into the smash hit you're no doubt familiar with. — CG
Fuckface Unstoppable at Trees
Bam Margera has been in the public eye for a long time now, starting with the popular CKY video series featuring him and his friends performing pranks and promoting their skateboarding efforts. The attention and success from that series, as we all know, then led to the crew joining the now-infamous MTV show, Jackass. Later, Margera even earned his own spinoff of that effort, a series called Viva La Bam. So, basically, Margera's seen it all and done it all — except, perhaps, starting a music group that crosses every genre under the sun from punk to metal to rap and even dubstep with a bunch of his friends and embarking on a tour of the world while playing songs with such titles as “That's Why I Fucked Your Mom” and “Bend My Dick.” Hence tonight's show. — Mikel Galicia
Allo Darlin' at Dada
English outfit Allo Darlin' — or Hello Darling, as we're wont to call them here in the States — makes the kind of intricately crafted, unapologetic, ukulele-infused twee that you'll either find quirky-yet-adorable or the most annoying thing on the planet. But you already know which of those camps you fall into, right? Denton's longtime twee bannerman, Fishboy, opens. — CG
Blood Bath Film Fest at Texas Theatre
Kick off your two-week-long horror bingefest leading up to Halloween with this collection of blood-filled horror shorts. It promises to be a real splatterfest. — CG
Her Wilderness at Angelika Film Center
Close out Dallas VideoFest 2014 with a screening of Frank Mosley's “minimalist narrative of a lost, wandering child in the wake of an affair that may or may not have even happened.” The film is part of a series of projects that also includes a theater piece (Hot/Cold), a “looped installation triptych” (The Fairest of All) and a soundtrack from Fort Worth's Clint Niosi. — CG
Master Pancake: Predator at Alamo Drafthouse
Back when popular Austin cinema hecklers Master Pancake got started, they were called Mister Sinus Theater 3000. Understandably, the Mystery Science Theater 3000 folks were not too pleased, partly because of the similarity in names and partly because they didn't approve so much of all the cursing that went on during their running commentary. Since rebranding as Master Pancake, this crew has patched up its relationship with the MST3K folks, and have even been joined in their live movie mockery by Mystery Science creator Joel Hodgson on occasion. Tonight, they'll be making the three-hour drive north to send up Predator.– CG
Beat Swap Meet at Dada
Buy, sell or trade rare, old-school vinyl at this cratedigger's paradise while DJs like Cocoe, JT Donaldson, Luke Sardello, Nekstone, Phooka, Rufus P Funk, Sissy Ross, Tape Mastah Steph and others spin wax from their personal collections. — CG
Charli XCX cover photo by Bella Howard. To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our events page.
