Take A Shot Downfield.

It’s super game weekend, so there’s a good chance you’ll be one of the 114 million watching the mega sports ball championship extravaganza on Sunday. Pretty exciting stuff – for most of us, anyway. If not, here’s a guide to faking your way through the whole ordeal.

Elsewhere, we’ve got another guide below, one that lays out the rest of your weekend’s plans. Pretty super stuff. — Cory Graves

Friday

Ryan Bingham at Billy Bob’s
I’d be inclined to maybe call this the show of the weekend if the gravel-voiced Americana singer-songwriter — and co-author of the Oscar-winning song “The Weary Kind” from 2009’s Crazy Heart — wasn’t also playing the legendary Fort Worth honky-tonk tomorrow night, too. — CG

Eric Church at American Airlines Center
Remember when the weed-loving, bro country party boy played the Cowboys/Redskins halftime show this past Thanksgiving and we all gave him hell for it online? Welp, now he’s back, though he’s at the basketball arena this time. — CG

Ginuwine at House of Blues
The ‘90s R&B man rides his pony into Dallas this weekend. — CG

MC 900 Ft. Jesus at Kessler Theater
Back in November, MSNBC re-posted a James Altucher column called “The One Thing I Wish I Knew in My 20s,” which fortuitously starts out with a quip about the once-prominent Dallas emcee, MC 900 Ft. Jesus. Two days later, the Dallas hip-hop legend of yore announced his first show in many years. In the early ’90s, the former jazz trumpeter born Mark Griffin earned himself quite the cult following by fusing hip-hop, industrial, soft-spoken lyricism and bits of jazz. Signed to Rick Rubin‘s Universal Music Group subsidiary label American Recordings for a time, Griffin filmed a video for 1994’s “If I Only Had a Brain” with Spike Jonze that was famously skewered on an episode of Beavis & Butthead. — CG

Luke Wade at Cambridge Room
After competing on Season 7 of The Voice, Team Pharrell competitor Luke Wade has finally released his post-television run LP. The goal, he told Yahoo Music, was to go from being “a voice” to becoming a true artist – and to start climbing back towards that level of notoriety that comes from appearing on TV a couple times a week. “When you get off this show, you have the notoriety of an A-list artist — but you’re not one,” he told Yahoo! “And immediately once you’re off, you have your eye on the easiest, fastest way to get back to where you were, because you get addicted to the spotlight, and you think, ‘God, I have to get back there! I have to do something bigger and better than The Voice!’ The hardest — and most important — thing is to just get rid of that, and get back to the place where you’re focused on what you’re doing. Like, ‘How am I going to make great songs?’” — CG

Trainspotting at Inwood Theatre
Because, in the long run, watching a movie about a bunch of heroin addicts is a much preferable alternative to taking the actual drug itself. For what it’s worth, the film has been called the greatest Scottish-made film of all time by more than one publication, although we’re not sure how many of those reviewers were actually sober when they saw it. Come to think of it, you don’t really have to be sober at this midnight madness screening, either. The Inwood does have a pretty well-equipped bar in its lobby. Just sayin’. — CG

The Jimbos at The Live Oak
Like The Reverend Horton Heat but without the drummer – because it is. Both of their names are Jim, get it? — CG

Shen Yun Performing Arts at Winspear Opera House
A classical Chinese dance and ethnic folk production so immense that billboard adverts announcing its impending arrival have been strewn about the Metroplex for what seem like an entire year. Maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s been getting a lot of love, that’s for sure. — CG

Yojimbo at Texas Theatre
Since the theatre’s also been screening a new doc on actor Toshiro Mifune, they thought they’d also screen this 1961 Samurai flick. It’s one of more than a dozen flicks he worked on with director Akira Kurosawa. — CG

Lizzo at Dada
First we saw Lizzo, she was touring as Har Mar Superstar’s backup singer when he came through for the 2012 edition of Bro Fest. Even back then, we knew the alt-pop singer was something special. It takes someone of that ilk to hold her own – and at times outshine – a guy that gets nearly naked and sings while doing headstands in the bitter cold. — CG

Austra at Trees
These demos from Pleasure Crisis, one of Dallas’ few female-fronted synthwave acts, are pretty killer. Like any good material from the genre it brings to mind the better days of VHS and illicits dancing. Can’t ask for much more than that. Expect a new album this year, and you can catch them live when they open for Austra at this show. — CG

Joan of Arc at Three Links
Tim Kinsella’s resurrected his old project again, and they just put out their first new album in five years like a week ago. Magas and Melting Season open. — CG

Nots at Double Wide
The Memphis punks in Nots have become a force to be reckoned with. Since Goner Records put out its We Are Nots debut, the band’s developed an aesthetic that blends no wave and dirty garage rock with just the right amount of punk appeal. The dudes in Parquet Courts are huge fans. — Evan Henry

Kirby Brown (EP Release) at Belmont Hotel
A couple years ago, North Texas ex-pat Kirby Brown ventured out to Muscle Shoals with producer Beau Bedford and some Texas Gentlemen to record at the legendary FAME studios. Starting a few months ago, those recordings started being released as a trio of EPs, the second of which drops this weekend. Like anything this crew touches, it’s exceedingly well done. — CG

Charley Crockett (Vinyl Release) at Spinster Records
Like his buddy and fan Leon Bridges, Charley Crockett dresses and sounds like he’s from another time. His vintage gear, his genteel demeanor and his recorded-straight-to-tape albums help sell the illusion, too. But whereas 2015’s A Stolen Jewel showed off Crockett’s ability to lightly dip his toe into many musical waters — soul, Cajun, country and jazz, all commingled through an old timey blues-folk filter — his new long-player, In The Night, finds him genuinely excelling at each of these, and with a newfound aplomb. And now, one of 2016’s best local discs is finally available on vinyl. — CG

DJ Craze at Lizard Lounge
Kanye and Yelawolf’s former touring DJ spins other people’s stuff now – as in whatever the hell he feels like. — CG

Foreigner at Verizon Theatre
Foreigner, for many, is a guilty pleasure band. But, in all honesty, it’s hard to feel guilty about liking really perfectly crafted rock ‘n’ roll like this. The band has sold almost 80 million albums to date. And it just keeps going on and on. This version of Foreigner, we should note, is mostly a team of journeymen, with guitarist Mick Jones the only original member still in the band. But, watching this band perform on stage, it’s hard not to have fun. It’s basically a Cialis commercial playing before your eyes. — Jeremy Hughes

Coolio at Scruffy Duffies
Though it’s about the furthest thing from a quote-unquote gangster’s paradise, Coolio will be paid to attend this Plano hangout’s pre-Super Bowl party all the same. — CG

Saturday

Bobby Sessions (Album Release) at RBC
There’s plenty of entitled musicians in this town, ones that’ll publically bitch when they weren’t selected to play some festival they felt was their god-given right to be on. But Bobby is the opposite of that. Literally one of the most humble acts around, he’s also one of the most talented. Both show in his new LP, which is aptly titled Grateful. A real solid dude, right there. And if he’s calling this his biggest show to date, you know you’ll want to be there. — CG

Tecmo Texas IV at Three Links (Day)
After traveling to Madison, Wisconsin, a few years back to compete in the nation’s biggest and longest-running Tecmo Super Bowl tournament, they figured something similar might work well in Dallas. For the third straight year they’ll be throwing a 32-person tournament at Three Links. It’s a good excuse for day drinking, and a nice way to pre-game for Sunday’s Super Bowl. Just know, the competition is pretty fierce. I’ve gotten my ass severely kicked in this thing three years running now. — CG

The Return of The Gorehounds at Three Links (Night)
Not so ready to go gentle into that good night is Howard Kelley, who underwent an emergency tonsillectomy at the end of 2015 to combat stage 4 cancer of the tonsil. After a year of recovering, he’s finally ready to get back on the stage with his band The Gorehounds. They’ll be playing their first show in forever at Three Links on Saturday. Sealion and Bargoyles open. — CG

DMA Speakeasy at Dallas Museum of Art
A ’20s era party, Gatsby-style, with old fashioned cocktails and the throwback sounds of The Singapore Slingers — and no password required. — CG

Different Strokes at The Rustic (Free)
Two hours of Strokes covers from Dallas’ only Strokes cover band. — Different Nikolai

Locked & Loaded at Armoury, D.E. (Free)
Daniel Markham, Vegan Shark and Jared & the Jewelers. — CG

The Witching Hour w/ Felt & Fur at The Nines
Dallas’ only occult-themed recurring party night brings in Denton’s Felt & Fur to make eerie, synth-based noises. — CG

Dallas Neo-Classical Ballet at Texas Theatre
Here, live ballet will be paired with the live music of Emmy-winning producer Dutch Rall and his band Nocturne Blue, along with lights and other projections. A 35mm screening of 1972 sci-fi flick Solaris rounds out the multi-sensory affair. — CG

Chris Welch & The Cicada Killers (Album Release) at Dan’s Silverleaf (Free)
A couple months after releasing that long-in-the-works LP with his other band, Brutal Juice, Chris Welch is back with another record release for his other band. And it’s free (hint, hint) which leaves you with some dough to spend on a physical copy to take home. Scott Danbom opens. — CG

Dean Ween Group at Granada Theater
I was watching a local Ween cover group play in the parking lot of a brewpub recently when it occurred to me I had no idea how many popular songs the group had – granted I use the word popular loosely here. Before that day I could have named about three Ween tunes, though the full 90 minutes of material was pretty familiar to me I realized. They’re just one of those groups that kind of flew under the radar, yet still managed to seep into your subconscious. Here, Dean will play from his well-received post-Ween, 2016 album – but he’ll more than likely do some Ween tunes and a few covers here, too. — CG

Terry Allen at Kessler Theater
He co-wrote the Talking Heads tunes in the Dallas-set True Stories movie, and sang with Ryan Bingham on his 2007 album Mescalito. His 1979 album Lubbock (On Everything) is considered one of the first – if not the first – alt-country albums. And yet, if you ask him, Allen’s more likely to refer to himself as a sculptor or visual artist. A true great. — CG

Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers at Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill
Maybe we’re just a little biased because the last time we saw the Shack Shakers it was at a clusterfuck of an outdoor festival in Tennessee during what can only be described as a monsoon. Bands were disgruntled, gear was ruined and a tiny makeshift stage was erected — and, by that, we mean that a flatbed was haphazardly backed under a little tent. It’s a situation many bands simply would have opted out of — and yet th’ Shakers managed to rip the roof off that thing and make us all forget we were up to our knees in mud. — CG

Ryan Bingham at Billy Bob’s
Have you had enough, or are you thirsty for more? — Kevin McCallister

Los Lonely Boys at House of Blues
The Beatles weren’t the only band with a drummer named Ringo. Cue Los Lonely Boys! This “How far is heaven” ensemble has been around since ’96 and has worked with Willie Nelson and Carlos Santana to name a few. — Diamond Victoria

Cold Cave, Drab Majesty at Dada
Los Angeles synth-poppy post punks in Drab Majesty put out a new record in January. On it is a single called “Cold Souls,” which features True Widow’s Nicole Estill. They’ll be in town, presumably, performing it and many others like it, along with onetime Soundgarden tourmates Cold Cave. — CG

Monster Jam at AT&T Stadium
Monster trucks, fuck yean! — CG

Fashion in the Snow at Fashion Industry Gallery
The Young and the Restless‘ Eva Marcille will be there. Hence the red carpet? — CG

Hedwig and the Angry Inch at Alamo Drafthouse (Cedars)
Next week, the play version of Hedwig hits the stage at the Winspear for several nights. Ahead of its arrival, there’ll be a brunchtime screening (read: 11 a.m.) where a special menu will be served at this screening only. — CG

ROH Wrestling at Gilley’s
Most of these guys you’ve never heard of. Many haven’t made a WWE appearance yet – most won’t. One is named Cheeseburger. But it’s still live in-person wrestling which is mostly always cool. And this company does PPV, which means not only is it better than most, but there are people out there willing to pay to view it. — CG

Hot Chocolate Run at Fair Park
It hasn’t been a particularly wintery winter yet, but perhaps it’s still cold enough to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate – at least an obligatory one after you’ve run a 15K named in honor of the warm beverage. — CG

July Talk at Curtain Club
The male-female vocals July Talk employs are a study in contrast, juxtaposing a gravely Tom Waits with a pristine pop vibe. At the same time, disco and rock are combatants, too. Mona and Little Junior open, the latter of which just made a record with Dinosaur Jr.’s J. Mascis at the helm. — CG

Decks in the Park Pop-Up at Foundation Room
The upstairs room at House of Blues isn’t a park. Like at all. But, whatever… dancing! — CG

#NotGoingBack ! Dallas LGBTQ Rally and March at Cedar Springs Resource Center
We keep saying it, but I think there has been some manner of protest/march/rally/vigil every single day since Trump’s ceased power. Today is no different – tomorrow either for that matter. This one is in response to his so-called “religious” freedom act, which will make it legal for businesses to discriminate against the LGBTQ crowd for “religious” purposes. — CG

Sunday

Super Chili Bowl at Three Links
There are many places to watch the big game this year, but there will be a potluck chili competition taking place at this one, which you can help judge. And Matt the Cat will sing some songs before the game, too. Makes this one tops in my book. — CG

Super Bowl LI at Fraternal Order of Eagles
Another Super Bowl party, this one with side matches of horseshoes and washers. — CG

Billie Jo Retro Yardsale at Dallas Pin-Up
Mark your calendars – y’know, the ones whose models you like to dress like – for this sale. Up to 50 percent off the goods. — CG

Super Bowl Watch Party at The Bomb Factory (Free)
Why stay home and watch the big game on your new big screen when you can watch it on an even bigger screen? Not sure if theirs is the biggest in town, but at 30 feet it’s gotta be a contender for the title. — CG

Basecamp at Cambridge Room
R&B-tinged electro-poppers, Basecamp, are like Nashville’s experimental, lo-fi answer to Alt-J. Shallou opens. — CG

Bolshoi Ballet: Swan Lake at Angelika Film Center
For one day only, one of the world’s oldest ballet companies will beam its Swan Lake production to theater’s across the country. This is one such theater. — CG

The Porch Chili Kick Off at Gilley’s
Make some chili, don’t make some chili. Put beans in it, don’t put beans in it. Eat chili, eat more chili. You know how these things work. — CG

Super Bowl Party at Deep Ellum Brewing Co.
It’s the biggest gameday of the year, but we’re keeping it low key with a party at one of our favorite local breweries, Deep Ellum Brewing Company. Grab a $25 bucket (or three) of their craft beers and chow down on wing and slider specials as you and your boo reluctantly cheer on a team that’s not the Cowboys — or, y,know, just watch the commercials. Either way, we’re rooting for sparks. — Hannah Steiner

Super Bowl Chili Cook-Off at Noble Rey Brewing Company
Aren’t chili cook-offs super? — CG

Puppy Bowl Party at Double Wide
It’s everyone’s favorite big game counterprogramming, only in real life, with real cuddly bulldogs that you can touch and even take home. Score! — CG

Kitten Bowl Party at Single Wide
Cats rule and dogs drool? — CG

Bridges Not Walls – Picnic For The People at Trinity Continental Bridge
Yet another anti-establishment gathering, approximately the 3,000th under 45’s watch. This one’s a bit different, partly because it’s a picnic and not a march. The aim is point out how much better served we’d be if the $12 billion needed to make Trump’s border wall went to improving roads and other infrastructure. — CG

To find out what else is going on today, this week and beyond, check out our event directory.

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