Tonight, Tonight: Ke$ha at the House of Blues, Willie Nelson at the Meyerson Symphony Center

Could there be two more disparate acts playing Dallas than the two we've got tonight?

Ke$ha and Beardo at the House of Blues
Kesha Rose Sebert has gone from relative obscurity to the top of the pop charts in what seems like a matter of seconds. Her debut album, 2010's Animal, has already sold two million copies and spawned four top 10 singles, each more vapid than the one that came before. Rolling Stone describes Ke$ha's music as "repulsive, obnoxious and ridiculously catchy." I'll at least go along with the first two. Adding to the problem: Ke$ha claims Johnny Cash, Dylan and Aaron Neville as her influences. Aaron Neville? Look, this is mindless, danceable pop that doesn't need to be disguised as some sort of deep artistic statement. Speaking to reporters last year, Ke$ha supposedly said, "I don't go to clubs. I try not to let my vagina hang out." That tells you all you need to know. And this show's been sold out for weeks. There's a reason why this gal uses a dollar sign in her name.

Willie Nelson at the Meyerson Symphony Center
This event is a fundraiser for LaunchAbility, an organization devoted to both children and adults with developmental disabilities. At such charity events, country music legend Willie Nelson has been known to deliver some of his best performances. Normally, Nelson has a tendency to sing way too fast while on stage, slurring words and phrases as if they're of little importance. Hopefully, this set tonight will be a solo, acoustic affair, as Nelson's music has always shined best in such a context. Check out 2009's Naked Willie for the proof.