Hulk Around at the North Texas Comic Book Show.
Y'know what's a not-awesome way to start off your Friday? Thinking it's a Saturday. Shouts to rapper (and Central Track's own) El-P for feeling my pain this morning:
it's not Saturday, in case anyone else spent the last 40 minutes being happy it was like I did.
— el-p (@therealelp) January 4, 2013
Ugh. Life, am I right? Shortened work weeks are the best-slash-worst.
Anyway, yes, today is Friday. And that means there are things to do, assuming you're not dying of the same post-NYE bug that's riddling all of our friends and family completely useless. Here's hoping it's not the zombie plague!
Friday
Greg Allman, John Hiatt and Leon Russell at the Verizon Theatre
Just three dudes whose combined catalogs amount to the New American Songbook, hyperbolically speaking but kinda also not really.
Flash Gordon Screening and Costume Party at the Texas Theatre
Come for the 1980 classic, stay for the bad costumes and good cocktails.
Champ! at RE Gallery
Area artist Ricardo Paniagua does some legitimately interesting work, and not just the geometric paintings he shills from time to time on his Facebook page. This is the guy, you might remember, who painted the exterior of what's now the home to Baker's Ribs in Deep Ellum to look like what would happen if the My Little Pony cast ate some pop rocks and threw up on the walls (but prettier). For this show he worked with vinyl and foil and, almost certainly, no vomit.
UNTD SNKS, Occult Detective Club, War Party and Street Arabs at Dave's Good Times in Denton
Some amazing local punk rock in a place called Dave's Good Times? (Nods approvingly.)
Saturday
School of Rock at the House of Blues
Not the Jack Black movie, but close enough: Starting at 2 p.m., come check out local young 'uns wowing you with the things they've learned from the local youth music school chain.
LOL! at House of Blues
Check out local comedians Paul Varghese, Anthony Perez, Cris Lehman, Tyson Faiferand Aaron Aryanpur doing their thing, making people LOL and potentially ROFL.
Warbeast at The Rail Club
Before they head out on the road for a West Coast tour with Phil Anselmo's Down, check out local metal outfit Warbeast cracking skulls here at home.
Ice Eater, Blackstone Rangers, Year Of The Bear, UNTD SNKS at The Grotto
Worth attending if only to hear the Blackstone Rangers song “Sheen Machine,” which features multiple obscenities and which may or may not have been “accidentally” played unedited by yours truly on an area radio station over this week. Sorry, FCC!
North Texas Comic Book Show at The Doubletree Hotel Dallas Market Center
This two-day affair (Saturday and Sunday, y'all) is pretty much exactly what it sounds like with one exception: Lou Ferrigno will be there! Pay the $7 admission to stare at him from afar; pay $30 to get his autograph. Fun personal Ferrigno anecdote: One time in Vegas, some buddies and I had dinner maybe two tables over from Ferrigno, and one of my friends, who was completely hammered at the time, kept cracking loud Hulk jokes despite the rest of our tables' protests. It got so bad that, at one point, our server had to come over and ask him — on Lou's behalf, no less — to pipe down. I guess you had to be there. Actually, it wasn't that fun then, either. Anyway.
Richard Durand at Lizard Lounge
On the off-chance that Lights All Night didn't satiate your EDM needs, this dude's here to help.
Red Eye and JT Donaldson at It'll Do
Two of Dallas' most venerable DJs on one bill.
Bravo, Max! at Sundown at Granada
Free indie rock from one of the area's best.
Ash Saturdays at Ash Studios
I've met the people behind Green Bandana Group no fewer than a dozen times and I'm still not sure what they do exactly, but they keep throwing pretty cheap parties and showcasing Dallas talent, so I guess that's OK. This affair features Spencer Kenney, Paramecium, Light Horse Harry and CT's Own Taylor Cleveland, plus some visual artists.
Film+Word+Music House Show at New Media Recordings House
This all-things-to-everyone affair in Fort Worth features a screening of the film Who Is Bozo Texino?, a poetry reading from Waxahachie do-all Bruce Webb, and music from Shiny Around the Edges and Night Game Cult.
Sunday
Play-N-Skillz at Rio Room
The Grammy-winning local hip-hop production duo has had Sunday nights on lock for quite a while now.
Leftover Crack at Trees
This is a band that tried and failed to release an album called Shoot The Kids at School int he wake of the Columbine massacre. And you thought Foster The People were subversive.