You’ve heard Duke Ellington, but never like this. Richard DeRosa, Grammy nominee and professor of jazz arranging at the University of North Texas, co-produced an album of modernized works by Ellington, a jazz legend. It’s called Rediscovered Ellington. Fans of Ellington’s toe-tapping “Hey Baby,” which he recorded with Rosemary Clooney…
Game of Thrones aficionados will appreciate an addition to the AAC calendar this week, and one of the show’s most talked about guests will drop in to visit AT&T Stadium next year. Oaktopia is back, albeit in a different zip code. The Darkness continue to believe in a thing called…
Shams emerged as a new face in the Dallas DJ scene this year, regularly manning the decks on the rooftop of Lower Greenville’s Nora with his crew, House of Champagne. He also recently joined the Motif team. Like many of his techno and house peers, he has deep roots in…
In March, Oaktopia co-founder Matt Battaglia revealed to the Observer that his successful music festival, which Rae Sremmurd and Norah Jones headlined in 2016, was considering a move to Dallas. “Even though close to 40 percent of our social media following is from Denton, we only get about one-third of ticket…
In May 2016, Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio in Denton closed its doors after almost 20 years of business. The all-ages venue had been a place for Denton bands to practice and build a following. Owner Josh Baish needed out because he was in the midst of a messy divorce, and…
Seun Kuti and Egypt 80 play Trees Wednesday, Sept. 27. A show at Trees tonight provides an opportunity to get close to late afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti when his youngest son takes the stage. Seun Kuti stepped in as lead singer of Egypt 80 when Fela died in 1997. Seun’s says he…
The Dallas Observer Music Awards are confronting their mortality. They’re finding new respect for the trials faced by awards ceremonies past. They’re contemplating quitting their 9-5, moving to the country and living off the land. In other words, the DOMAs are 29 this year. As in years past, the DOMAs will…
Arcade Fire plays American Airlines Center on Thursday, Sept. 28. Will Butler and his brother Win left the Lone Star State a long time ago for Montreal, where they formed Arcade Fire. The Butlers grew up in the Houston suburb of The Woodlands, a city built in a large forest…
Jordan Kahn had played more intimidating venues than Dallas’ House of Blues. But this was an introduction to his new band, the Jordan Kahn Orchestra. It was 2014. He was in the midst of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit, and his career was hanging on this performance. He had rented the entire…
When you were growing up, Mom said to be yourself. But musicians are finding that it pays better to be someone else. Local guitarist Mike Mroz will be the first to tell you there’s no question that performing in a tribute band is more financially rewarding than performing original songs. “Even…
Ten years ago, voters in Irving agreed to finance a 16-acre, mixed-use entertainment complex off State Highway 114. It would have more than two dozen restaurants, an Alamo Drafthouse, and indoor and outdoor concert venues, along with retail and office space. That complex, originally called the Irving Music Factory, was…
Late Friday afternoon, word came down that Jason Isbell has postponed tour dates between Sept. 23 and Sept. 27, which includes his show with 400 Unit and Frank Turner scheduled for the Bomb Factory Saturday. Other cities affected are Oklahoma City, Baton Rouge and Mobile. The reason is a death…
Andrew W.K. plays House of Blues Wednesday, Oct. 4. If you’ve been to a party where doing a keg stand counted as the price of admission or sat through the loading screen of a Madden NFL video game, then you’ve heard Andrew W.K.’s music. The California-born Michigan native has been…
This week brings another round of exciting new concert announcements as a trio of Texans bands together for Harvey Relief, a bearded indie-rock sage announces a local show and The Rustic gets intimate after hours. Elsewhere, we find veteran rockers hitting various stages, a pair of anticipated reunions and several…
Joe Castillo is a seasoned vet who cut his teeth when disco was a new thing and Radio Shack existed. Although Castillo is best known for house music, his knowledge reaches into a multitude of niche genres, from country to drum and bass. These days, he can be seen playing…
Jared Thomas, a Denton musician, planned to go to Nashville to spend the week writing and schmoozing with music industry people when Hurricane Harvey made landfall in late August. Instead, he loaded up his backyard grills, his family and two friends and headed toward Houston. “I just told my wife…
Josh Abbott, William Clark Green, Wade Bowen and more have all played Blue Light, a country venue in Lubbock. Now the small music venue is expanding to Deep Ellum. Marc Torres, owner of the new Dallas location, says the venue will be between Stirr and Harlowe, at 2811 Main Street…
Mecca had to swallow a bit of her pride when she moved to Denton after a brief tenure at Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana. She transferred to the University of North Texas after some cajoling from her godsister. But the move was antithetical to one of the 23-year-old…
Against Me! plays the Granada Theater on Saturday, Sept. 23. In 2010, Against Me! encountered a potentially band-ending hurdle when it parted ways with its label, Sire Records, because the two records the group had recorded hadn’t met the label’s expectations. Instead, this change has catalyzed some of Against Me’s…
Four years ago, local musician Barry Huebner had an idea to have Dallasites wield guitars in public. In a tongue-in-cheek protest of Texas’ open-carry gun laws, he called it an Open Carry Guitar Rally. Four years later, the event is still drawing support. The next Open Carry Guitar Rally takes…
Theresa “T” Barksdale considers herself a diehard Stevie Ray Vaughan fan. Her back is decorated with a mural to the late Texas guitarist. The ink has personal significance: She and her older brother, who died last year, designed it. She still remembers him sharing the recordings of Vaughan igniting his…
Frank Turner opens for Jason Isbell & the 400 Unit at the Bomb Factory on Saturday, Sept. 23. Fort Worth recording studio Niles City Sound, founded in 2014, is best known for launching local talent Leon Bridges into the celebrity stratosphere when it recorded his debut LP, Coming Home. But…
