Tonight, Tonight: Hayes Carll at Double Wide and Gipsy Kings at The Meyerson

By Darryl Smyers Tue., Feb. 22 2011 at 4:38 PM

After last night's hectic schedule, things get quite a bit calmer tonight. But there are still a couple of shows worth mentioning -- good ones, too.

Hayes Carll and Shovels & Rope at The Double Wide
Tonight's Hayes Carll show begins the singer-songwriter's musical journey across North Texas. After this evening's festivities, Carll heads off to play shows in Fort Worth, then in Denton, then back in Fort Worth and back again in Dallas -- and all in five days. Whew! All this small venue hoopla is to highlight Carll's latest effort, KMAG YOYO, the album that is supposedly going to catipult Carll into the country rock big time. God knows the guy deserves such. The real question is whether or not the big time deserves someone as subtle, witty and wise as Hayes Carll.

Gipsy Kings at The Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center
If you like your music a bit more on the tasteful, National Public Radio side of things, then you might want to get all gussied up and head down to the Meyerson to catch the always dependable Gipsy Kings. For nearly a quarter of a century, these multi-cultural French dudes have been dispensing their fiery brand of flamenco and samba-infused folk and pop while gaining a worldwide audience. Singer Nicolas Reyes seems to always be in top form in front of a live audience as he matches the band's intensity note for note. But, really, Gipsy Kings' shows are always tasteful and talented excursions into a unique form of music that fits surprisingly well into the ears of fans of rock 'n' roll.