Central Track Contributor
Sing-a-Long With Sufjan Stevens!
“We're going to need a weekend to recover from this weekend,” we often hear people say, generally just moments before punching them in the face.
But after a long, travel-intensive Thanksgiving weekend — not to mention barely escaping the bloodthirsty Black Friday mobs alive — we too have been totally wiped of late.
Oh, well. The good news is that we made it out the other side alive.
Even better news? There are lots of holiday parties and top-notch concerts to celebrate this much.
Either that or just to make up for the fact that we've been sort of dragging as all week.
'Tis the season!
Friday
Sufjan Stevens at Granada Theater
Sufjan Stevens may have given up on his 50 states project only two albums in, but he's already 10 volumes deep in his Christmas-themed EP series! As such, at his performance tonight at Granada Theater he will hold a full-on Christmas sing-a-long with mandatory audience participation. Here's to hoping the Goaticorn will join him onstage for his rendition of “Christmas Unicorn.”
Dethklok at House of Blues
Pull back the curtain tonight at the House of Blues and see the voices and musicians behind Metalocalypse's Nathan Explosion, William Murderface and Pickles.
On the Eve at the Magnolia Lounge
“How do you challenge the powers that be?” asks Seth and Shawn Magill of Dallas band Home By Hovercraft in promotional materials for their new musical On the Eve. The answer they came up with, it seems, was to create and stage a new dramatic work that blends the true life elements of Marie Antoinette's life with the components of Jean-Claude Van Damme's Timecop. Oh, and a time-traveling hot air balloon.
'Caviar': An Art Show at The Gallery at the Fairmont
One-time graffiti artist Ray Albarez, photographer (and sometimes Central Track contributor) Daniel Driensky and graphic designer/typographer Daniel Perez are teaming up for a special art show tonight at The Gallery at the Fairmont. The members of the “Caviar Club” will show off their three different perspectives on the city's obsession with class and status.
Denton Holiday Lighting on Denton's Historic Courthouse Square
Several special musical performances will take place both before and after Denton's traditional tree lighting ceremony. The most special, perhaps, being the 11-piece Holiday Lighting Orchestra featuring Brent Best, members of Midlake, Bonnie & Nick Norris, Paul Slavens, Steve Wiest (director of the One O'Clock Lab Band) and Jeffrey Barnes, among others.
Saturday
Blue Yule at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary
As part of one of the MAC's biggest fundraising events of the year, 150-plus local and national artists have donated ornaments which will be auctioned off at this event.
Good Market at Good Records
In conjunction with the Deep Ellum Market, Good Records is bringing together 20 local vendors and food trucks this afternoon. Highlights include one of the first opportunities to sample the new Yellow Belly food truck and performances from artists like Ryan Thomas Becker.
Unsilent Night festival at Centennial Hall at Fair Park
For the second year in a row, Mike Ziemer's Third String Productions brings their (nearly) annual event to Fair Park's Centennial Hall. As Ziemer told our own Pete Freedman earlier this week, this year's blend of metal and electronic acts is meant to draw on a slightly older crowd than some of Third String's typical offerings.
Calhoun at Whiskey Girl Saloon in Fort Worth
For their second free show of the weekend, the owners of the brand new Whiskey Girl Saloon have planned an all-day lineup of acts headlined by Cowtown favorites Calhoun. Now that here are two venues in the Stockyards open to hosting indie-rock shows, it's clear that town is finally getting the indie makeover it has needed for so long.
Sisterbrother Mgmt's Year 3 Party at Four Corners Brewery
Every time you pick up an issue of D Magazine, an issue of FD Luxe or any other number of fashion-related rags around town, there's a good chance you're going to see some work put together by this agency's talented roster of stylists and/or photographers. Pick up issue three of Sisterbrother's zine, enjoy sets by Zhora and guzzle plenty of brews courtesy of Four Corners Brewery at this Christmas/anniversary party.
Southern Renaissance Ramble at Dada
Heavyweights Telegraph Canyon, Quaker City Night Hawks and Hanna Barbarians represent just half the acts on this gigantic local southern folk/rock showcase. It's such a stacked line up, we find ourselves asking, “So, who's left performing in Fort Worth tonight?”
Sunday
David Bazan Band at Dan's Silverleaf
David Bazan's band has an uplifting evening planned to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Pedro the Lion's seminal work, Control. The concept album about an adulterous businessman who (spoiler alert) gets murdered by his wife should prove to be the feel good affair of the fall.
