Dallas Music Blog

​Austin-based solo blues-rock performer Dax Riggs has quite the musical past, having fronted various sludge, metal and indie bands in the '90s and '00s before debuting his own material as a solo artist in 2007. The interesting this is that he manages to incorporate various elements of those past influences into his wide and varied sound now. Basically: This is rock 'n' roll--and in its purest form, in a sense.

Which makes this a nice treat then: Parade of Flesh, which is putting on tomorrow night's show from Riggs at The Cavern, has been kind enough to offer a pair of tickets to the show to one lucky DC9 reader. Want 'em? Be the first to email me right now with the title of Riggs' most recent release, 2008's If This Is Hell, Then I'm Lucky,  in the subject line. Good luck!

Oh, and speaking of Parade of Flesh: Today, in the coveted 5 p.m. drivetime slot--y'know, just when commuters are as far away from an Internet stream of the Indie-verse as possible--Parade of Flesh's John Iskander will be on the Internet-only station for the second installment of his new weekly, half-hour-long show. Fans of PoF's underground booking tastes will do well to take a listen.

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner!

​It's an intimate lineup tonight at The Hydrant in Denton for Spune's folk-themed, Thanksgiving-inspired affair. (And, oh yeah, a reminder: Thanksgiving is a week from today.)

Indeed, this lineup is quite the homey one, featuring Minnesota Americana artiste Charlie Parr, DFW-based folk hero Doug Burr, and, one of our latest DC9 obsessions, the indie folk-rock outfit Seryn. Certainly, the venue too will contribute on that front--our Denton correspondent, you might recall, is quite the fan of the room.

And, thanks to the folks at Spune, we've got a couple pairs of passes to tonight's sure to be uplifting and introspective show. Want one of 'em? Fine: Be among the first two people to email me, starting right now, with the words "Thanks For The Memories" in the subject line. If you make that cut, you'll be on the list to see this show for free. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.

In this week's paper, Tom Murphy extols the virtues of Champaign, Illinois, indie pop outfit Headlights. Says Murphy:

Headlights writes upbeat melodies that are so catchy it's often easy to miss the rich layers of sound and textures that go into each song. Continue reading...

Check out the above video for "Cherry Tulips," off the band's 2008 release, Some Racing, Some Stopping for convincing on that front.

So it stands to reason that the band's show tonight at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios should similarly be a poppy, enjoyable affair---just as other performances we've caught from the band in the past have been. Many thanks, then to DayBowBow.net, the local music blog sponsoring tonight's show, as it has passed along a pair of tickets to tonight's show for us to, in turn, pass along to one lucky DC9 reader. Want the tickets? OK. Email me right now with the words "One Headlight" in the subject line. First person to do so, gets 'em. It's that easy. So, y'know, step to it. And good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner.

​I dare you: Find an artist who's earned a greater percentage of straight-up adoring pieces profiles than Neko Case has. It's kind of crazy, actually. Seems anytime a critic sets his or her sights on Case, all rational thought goes out the window.

It's understandable, though. I mean, you've heard her voice right? Hearing it is like simultaneously experiencing the warmth of a working fireplace and the comfort of a childhood blanket. Succumbing to it is to slowly melt into a puddle--impossibly, though, like an ice cream cone on a cold day.

OH MY GOD, NOW I'M DOING IT TOO.

Before this gets ugly, let me just turn things over to Chris Parker's interview with Miss Case for this week's dead tree version of DC9. Writes Parker:

Neko Case seizes one's imagination with a voice so arresting, escape's all but impossible. And while her rich, smoky alto has long reaped new listeners with its knee-eviscerating power, time's sharpened her lyrical edge as well. Continue reading...

See, we all do it. And, so, for that reason, we have many thanks to offer up the Granada Theater's way--because not only is the theater bringing in this dynamic performer into town on Monday night, but it's also offered up a couple free pairs of tickets to the show. Want those tickets? OK: Shoot me an email right now with the words "Hold On, Hold On" in the subject line. First two people to do so each get a pair of passes. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.

I don't know the story behind The Mountain Goats' song "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton" (hear it in the above clip). I wish I did--for fairly obvious, curious reasons. But, far as I can tell, we've never covered it. And a cursory Google search isn't turning up any other reasonings, so... well, boo on that. We do have a pretty in-depth look in this week's paper, however, on the increasingly biblical lyricism of frontgoat John Darnielle's output. Check it out; it's worth the read for fans of the band.

And check this out, too: Thanks to the folks at the Granada Theater, we've got a couple pairs of tickets to have out to the band's performance here in town tomorrow night. Want 'em? OK: Be among the first two people to email me right now with the words "The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton" in the subject line. First two people to do so get the tickets. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.

The Brooklyn-based indie poppers in Bishop Allen stop through Lola's Sixth in Fort Worth tomorrow night as part of a tour in support of its March-released Grrr..., the band's third full-length since its Charm School debut in 2003--and, surely, its more ubiquitous. Take, for instance, "The Ancient Commonsense of Things" (as seen in the above clip), the album's highly verbose lead single, a song bound to sneak its way into the crooks of your head, thanks to its "ooooh-waaa-OOOHHH!" choral vocals, knowingly snide lyrics, and, well, overall cutesy pop sensibilities. I mean, it's kinda tough not to smile at a song that rhymes "what it meant to me" with "timpani," right?

And the folks at Spune Productions have been kind enough to pass along a pair of tickets to tomorrow night's show. Want in? Be the first person to email me with "Grrr..." in the subject line and the tickets are yours. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner.

In what might be the best self-deprecating way to describe one's own music that we've heard, Joel Gibbs, frontman and mastermind behind Canada's The Hidden Cameras, refers to his own band's output as "gay, church folk music." Which is pretty awesome, yes, but, sure enough, sorta accurate. The band's oddball pop tunes are intricately instrumented, grandiose and not without a great self-aware sense of humor. Check the above video for "In the NA," from the band's seventh album, the May-released Origin: Orphan, for proof on that front. It's kind of incredible.

Oh, and for an interesting take on the Gibbs' thoughts on being a gay musician, check our old pal Rich Lopez's piece on gay musicians in this week's Dallas Voice.

So, yeah, on many levels, tonight's Hailey's show should be an interesting one. And thanks to the folks at Spune Productions, we've got a pair of tickets to hand out to the show. Want 'em? Shoot me an email with the words "Smile, You're On Hidden Cameras" right now. First person to do so wins. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner.

​This week's Observer includes a piece by Chris Gray describing Jason Isbell as an old soul, and describing the Stones influence on Isbell's latest album, apropos of his show with his band The 400 Unit and openers Macon Greyson tonight at the Longhorn Saloon in Fort Worth.

Writes Gray, "Exhausted closer 'The Last Song I Will Write' can't help but echo 'Moonlight Mile' on The Rolling Stones' Sticky Fingers--both songs finish off albums about the precarious relationship between duty, excess and maturity in bouts of protracted, frustrated guitar-beating. Luckily, those same Stones are also watching over rockers 'However Long,' 'Good' and 'Soldiers Get Strange,' so there are quite a few kicks to be had here too."

Thanks to Spune, you can go for free if you are the first to e-mail me with the subject "Sticky Unit." Be sure to include your first and last name.

Update: Contest over. Congrats to the winner.

​Thao & The Get Down Stay Down come to Fort Worth tonight, as you may have read in the print supplement to DC9.

Writes Dallas Observer contributor Ray Cummings, "[Thao] Nguyen groks the cardinal rule of transmuting bad, mad and saddened moods into swinging song: Leaven emotional pain with bright horn charts and arrangements that bounce like diamonds on glass, and enunciate your sentiments with enough pressure and variation that vocals are transformed into an unusual, bonus percussive element."

You can check out Nguyen's bonus percussive elements tonight for free thanks to the fine folks at Spune, who have offered a pair of tickets to one lucky DC9 reader.

Be the first to e-mail me with the subject "Know Better E-Mail Faster" and the tickets are yours. Make sure you include your first and last name so I can pass them on to Spune to get your name on the list.

Update: The tickets have been claimed in record time. Congrats to our winner.

​Yesterday, you'll recall, we gave out five pairs of tickets to tomorrow night's CF Benefit Concert at the Granada Theater featuring Rhett Miller, The O's and Shibboleth. And those tickets? Well, they went pretty darn fast, actually.

So lucky for you then that, as promised, we've got three more pairs up for grabs this morning--again courtesy the folks behind the event. Want one of 'em? OK: If you're lucky enough to be among the first three to email me with the words "Four Leaf Clover" in the subject line, you'll score the tickets. It's that easy.

Good luck!

On Saturday night, Rhett Miller will headline the third annual cystic fibrosis research benefit show at the Granada Theater, which will also feature performances from local favorites The O's and Shibboleth. In this week's paper, I caught up with Rhett, who last night ended a tour in the UK opening for Steve Earle.

Seems Miller's been a little nostalgic for Dallas of late. Beyond simply discussing his approval of Salim Nourallah's production talents, Miller also told us something you won't see in the piece: Much as he loves his farmland home in Upstate New York, part of him has been thinking about moving the family back to Dallas. Who knows? Maybe a warm welcome at Saturday night's show will be enough to tip the scales and get the hometown hero back where he belongs.

Either way, expect a fun night of boot-skootin' for a good cause on Saturday night. And, thanks to the folks running the benefit, we've got a bunch of tickets to hand out to get you into the show for free. Want 'em? OK: First five people to email me with the words "I Need To Know Where I Stand" each get a pair to Saturday's show. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners. Oh, and check back tomorrow, as we may (read: will) have a few more passes to Saturday night's event to hand out.

Last year, I had the opportunity to speak with Benjamin Power, one half of the British experimental duo Fuck Buttons and, man, what an interesting conversation that was.

Unapologetic over the band's controversial moniker and scornful of both negative and positive reviews for the bands debut album Street Horrrsing, Power was the total antithesis of your typical, self-promoting artist.

All of which suits the band's sound perfectly. Eschewing traditional instrumentation, Powers and his partner, Andrew Hung, are demented mixers of tape loops and found sounds. The pair's dense soundscapes can be things of beauty or fairly unapproachable slabs of noise. Such dichotomy is exactly what Power and Hung are striving for and, surely, at least part of the reason behind the band's new sophomore record, Tarot Sport, earning all sorts of praise.

So we're pretty pumped then that the folks at Spune Productions have passed along a free pair of tickets for us to pass along for the band's show at Hailey's tonight in Denton. Want the pair? OK: Email Pete right now with the phrase "The Hardest Button To Button" in the subject line. First person to do so wins the tickets. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner!

Tomorrow night at the Longhorn Saloon in Fort Worth, Memphis alt-country favorites Lucero stop on in for a performance as part of its tour in support of the recently released album, 1372 Overton Park. To a degree, the new release is a change of pace from the bar-rock fare the band's release in the past. For one, it's the band's major label debut, this release coming by way of Universal Motown Republic. And, maybe, in a way, that label's history's been an inspiration for the act, as 1372 Overton Park is certainly a more soul-driven affair, complete with horn sections and all.

Not sure how, if at all, that will affect the band's usual, drunken live performances, but I guess we'll find out tomorrow night. And one lucky reader can find out how for free, actually--thanks to the folks at Spune Productions who've kindly passed along a pair of tickets to tomorrow night's show. They're yours if you're the first person to shoot me an email with the words "Rebels, Rogues and Sworn Brothers" in the subject line. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner.

In what's likely to be remembered as one of the best Dallas shows of '09, Los Angeles' Health and Ohio's Times New Viking will share a bill in town before heading off to Austin for Fun Fun Fun Fest. And, for each of these acts, 2009 has already been a good year.
For Times New Viking, 2009 has seen the band release its second post-Stiltbreeze Records album on Matador. Health, meanwhile, released Get Color as a follow-up to the band's brilliant 2007 self-titled debut. And since both bands' records have garnered enough positive reviews that they seem destined to pop up on many a best-albums-of-the-year list, it's fitting that the show would also feature a local act of the same caliber.
To help open the show, show promoter Parade of Flesh has booked Denton's Teenage Cool Kids, which has just returned to the region after a three-month international tour in support of Foreign Lands--the band's best work to date and a clear front-runner for best local release of 2009.
All three acts are known for their unforgettable, kinetic live shows, so the bill's already an explosive powder keg of a night even without adding Kiwi-pop/punk act Axemen.

Tough to argue with him on any of those fronts. Hell, we already named Foreign Lands out favorite local record of the year in our Best Of issue. And, as for Health? Well, check the above video, first and foremost. And, having seen this band live at the Monolith Festival earlier this year, I can comfortably say that Health's live show is every bit as visceral an experience as you'd expect. This is a show not to be missed, folks.

Which is why we send many thanks to the show's promoter, Parade of Flesh, for hooking one lucky ready up with a free pair of tickets to tonight's show. Could be you, too--if you're the first person to send me an email, starting right now, with the words "Health Care" in the subject line. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner!

Dan Bejar

​Despite his efforts in other, broader outfits like The New Pornographers and Swan Lake, Dan Bejar's Destroyer project comes in a decidedly more toned-down flavor.

Under Destroyer, the name of the game is bare, Dylan-inspired folk-pop. And, as the longest-running of his works, it also may be the most affecting. At tomorrow night's Granada Theater show, expect a largely intimate affair, and an emotive one too.

Which makes the addition of local opener Sarah Jaffe all the more appropriate a complement to this bill. Still riding high of the release of her phenomenal 2008 EP debut, Even Born Again, Jaffe is currently working on her next release, this one a full-length.

Indeed, tomorow night's show should be quite the treat--which is why we're quite thankful that the folks at the Granada Theater have offered up five paris of tickets to tomorrow night's show for us to hand out to DC9 readers. Want in? Go for it: Shoot me an email right now with "Destroy Me, Please" in the subject line and, if you're among the first five to do so, you and a friend will see this show for free. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners!

It's fitting that Russian Circles makes its way to DFW within a week of its fellow Chicago-based, instrumental post-rock brethren Pelican. Also fitting? That the band is coming to town with fellow post-rock outfit Red Sparowes, which features members of Isis, which toured with Pelican the last time that band came through town. The reason for it all? Well, both of these acts, along Louisville openers Young Widows and Coliseum, are headed to Austin for the Fun Fun Fun Fest this weekend and stopping off at Rubber Gloves in Denton for a bit of a warm-up. It's quite the line-up--an added bonus being that you'll only see this four-band bill here and in Houston and, well, that's it, aside from FFFFest.

It's a hell of a bill, too--damn brutal, for sure, with breakdowns and crushing beats left and right. Basically: This show won't be for the faint of heart. Waves of bass and noise will rush over you. And, in the cement Rubber Gloves performance room, yes, it will be loud.

Feeling up to the task? Well, good. Because, thanks to the folks at Rubber Gloves, we've been offered a pair of tickets to hand out to one lucky DC9 reader. Want the pair? OK: Be the first person to shoot me an email with the words "Pre-Fun Fun Fun" in the subject line and you're in. Easy as that. Good luck!

There's a lot to like about tonight's show at the Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth--so much so that the unique location of the show (in the museum itself) falls pretty far down the line. First of all, there's headliner Alela Diane, of whom Falling James writes in this past week's paper:

Her rustic folk tunes are often as magical as the natural wonders she evokes, with her lilting vocals and stark acoustic guitar threaded with mystically exotic strains of violin. Continue reading...

Then there's tour support Marissa Nadler, about whom James says this: "Her chillingly beautiful vocals feel otherworldly and positively dreamy." And, lastly, there's area product Bosque Brown, of whom I'll say this: Great as the touring acts on this bill are, Bosque Brown may just be the most impressive of the bunch, combining a Texas folk twang with a frontwoman Mara Lee Miller's wavering, classically American vocals.

So, yes, many thanks to the folks at Spune Productions for putting together such a fine bill--and, also, for offering one lucky DC9 reader the chance to win two free tickets to tonight's show. That could be you, by the way, if you're the first person to email me right now with the names "Diane, Nadler, and Miller" in the subject line. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winner.

Washington, D.C.'s Le Loup stops through town tonight, and as Wendy Gilmartin explains in this week's paper, it should make for a good show:

Le Loup offers its translation on the experimental and noisy world of down-at-the-compound rock with much to contribute: three-part harmonies and a keenly developed understanding of finger work (on banjos and mandolins), not to mention fully fleshed-out songs with beginnings, middles and clarifying ends that take the audience on a roller-coaster ride of emotion and sonic bliss. Continue reading...

Originally, the band was to be joined on this bill by Portland's Nurses. In a somewhat ironic, though, that band has had to pull out of its tour with Le Loup due to medical concerns. Alas, it should still make for a good show.

And, thanks to the fine folks at Spune, we've got two pairs of tickets to hand out to tonight's show. Want 'em? Be one of the first two people to email me right now with "Loop de Loup" in the subject line and you and a friend are getting in to this show for free. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners!

I know it's a big holiday weekend and all, but, for most of us at least, there will be life after Saturday night. So you might as well start planning next week now.

This should help: The instrumental hard rock/metal purveyors in Pelican are stopping by for a gig on Monday at the Granada Theater. Last time the band stopped through town, I had this much to say:

Melodic and heavy (and never boring despite a lack of vocals), Pelican's performances are entrancing, to say the least.

Don't really have too much to add on that front--it's not like too much has changed in the past five months. Well, except that, this week, the band released its fourth studio album, What We All Come to Need. And the Granada Theater's been kind enough to pass along five pairs to the band's Monday night performance. As such, we're gonna hand them out to the first five people to send me an email with "What We All Come To Need" in the subject line. Starting right now, in fact. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.

Cobra Starship

​

​The members of Audrey Easley's bewigged and electrified classical gas Chameleon Chamber Group certainly looked like they were having a blast at its DC9 In SPACE taping back in July. They must have liked the results, too, as they'll be recording a live album from 7 to 10 tonight at Hal Samples' gallery venue.

The band was originally supposed to perform at the new Winspear Opera House tonight. After the gig fell through, the members still wanted to perform and decided to invite friends and family members to a recording session.

But while the recording isn't open to the public, the band's newest member, pianist and singer/songwriter Iris Leu (whose CD Hushaboo Eric Grubbs reviewed in August), has offered a pair of tickets.

The first person to e-mail me with the subject line "Is that whiskey? BAD-ASS!" gets to witness it all.

Update: Contest is over.

The Low Anthem

​
Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, the three members of The Low Anthem are all Ivy League-educated, classically trained musicians whose band is receiving a healthy critical and commercial buzz. The band's sophomore release, Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, has drawn praise for its highbrow take on folk and blues. And for good reason: Ben Miller, Jeff Prystowsky and Jocie Adams are all multi-instrumentalists who have managed to adapt their impressive skills to the relatively simple structures of folk music. Darwin, quite simply, is a remarkably beautiful record, an album deserving of all the critical kudos.

Which is why we're excited that the folks at the Granada Theater have passed along five pairs of tickets to the band's performance there tomorrow night with Blind Pilot. The first five people to email Pete with the word "Darwinism" in the subject line will each get two free passes to tomorrow night's show.

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.

But back to The Low Anthem: Speaking from his car on his way home from giving a music lesson, bassist Jeff Prystowsky took some time to pontificate on The Low Anthem's recent success, and also to share what tomorrow night's stop in Dallas might reveal about the band and its audience.

Are there pros and cons to everyone in the band graduating from Ivy League schools? Is there a chance of being criticized as intellectual elitists?

We don't hear that much criticism anymore. Being from an Ivy League school doesn't really represent us. We met in college, but lots of bands meet in college. There is an intellectual bent towards our material, but I'd much rather have people talking about our songs or our lyrics rather than a school like Brown, which was a great school. There is a worry about being considered elitists. We are not trying to fool anyone. We're not trying to pretend that we are playing the authentic, folk music of the people. Nothing that we do is really folk music. People should just listen to the music and not worry about where we were educated.

A great show stops off at The Cavern tonight as Sea Wolf, Port O'Brien and Sara Lov pop through town on tour. All in all, a fine touring bill, but the real highlight here is Sea Wolf, as Roy Kasten explains in this week's paper:

Were it not for his big canvas collaborations, [Sea Wolf frontman Alex Brown Church would] drown in Bright Eyes comparisons (and his voice does suggest a kinder, gentler Conor). On the recently released White Water, White Bloom, his Los Angeles-based act doesn't just indulge in hyper-tracked strings, pedal steel and pump organs--it surrenders and receives the mercy of melody in return. Church may write like an English major--"You're the whispering kind/Dark sapphire blood/A vision of veils all shimmery white" is typical of his pastoralist métier--but he shapes songs like an orchestral pop savant. Continue reading...

So there you go. And thanks to the folks at Spune Productions who are putting on this show, we've got a couple free pairs of tickets to give away--two pairs, in fact. Want one of them? OK: be one of the first two people to email me right now with the phrase "You're A Wolf" in the subject line and you and a friend are in for free. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.

Instead of pointing vitriol at society's snakes, he takes a positive look at his life, family and friends. Producer Ant starts the album with prominent horns and a celebratory feel that drifts toward destitution and disappointment as Ali tackles numerous social woes. He hits on homophobia, race and divorce, among others, but with a human angle aiming to unite. Continue reading...

And, if his last stop through town is any proof, tonight should make for quite the high-energy, thought-provoking show--a must-see for area hip-hop heads. Which is why we're excited that the folks at the Granada Theater have passed along five pairs of tickets to lucky DC9 readers looking to get into the show for free. Could be you, too--if you're among the first five to email me right now with the words "Take Me Home" in the subject line, you'll get a pair of tickets. It's that simple. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners.

Last time the Butthole Surfers played the Granada Theater, the freaks came out. Last time Peaches played the same place, it was the voyeurs' turn. So it stands to reason, then, that when the two acts share a bill at the Granada on the night before Halloween, all bets are off. At the very least? You know it'll be a spectacle.

Which is why we're quite excited that the folks at the Granada Theater have passed along three pairs of early-bird tickets for us to hand out to a few fortunate DC9 readers. And you could be among that lucky few--if you're one of the first three to email me right now with the phrase "Devil's Night" in the subject line. Good luck!

Update: Contest is over. Congrats to our winners!

Hope Sandoval

​

Pete Freedman

Erykah Badu andThe Cannabinoids rehearse in front of television cameras. Footage from last night's rehearsal and tonight's performance are expected to be used for a TV show down the line.

​
A funny scene from last night's Universal Rehearsal Studios-housed run-through for tonight's Red Bull Soundclash event at Victory Plaza featuring Erykah Badu, The Cannanoids and Shiny Toy Guns: Shiny Toy Guns vocalist Sisely Treasure had just helped Badu run through the lyrics and vocal intonations of STG's "Ghost Town," which Badu and the Cannabinoids were preparing for tonight's show and had retreated to a chair off stage when Badu, quite suddenly, whipped her head around to address Treasure again.

"We've got a lot in common vocally!" Badu smiled. "You must be from Texas, huh?"

Treasure shook her head: "Uh, no."

Badu: "Well, you've been here a while, huh?"

Just a week, actually, since Shiny Toy Guns flew into town to prepare for the Red Bull event. "Actually, I'm from L.A."

Badu frowned. "L.A.?"

"Well," Treasure offered, "half our band is from Oklahoma..."

Well, yeah. Hence the reason behind tongiht's event being billed as part of Texas/OU weekend. Shiny Toy Guns is from Oklahoma (kinda). Badu and The Cannabinoids are from Texas. Just lke the football teams playing at the Cotton Bowl tomorrow.

Had Badu not gotten the memo?

In this week's dead tree version of DC9, Lance Lester extols the virtues of Har Mar Superstar, despite the fact that the singer looks, well, just like Ron Jeremy, right? Writes Lance:

Surely, somewhere deep down inside, he has to realize that he's just a guy who looks like Ron Jeremy and tries too hard. But that denial, actually, is what makes his live shows work. Tillman turns his lack of good looks on its ear and tries to convince you he's the world's best lover, as well as the best performer that has ever graced the stage.

If his performance alone isn't enough to get you going, though, his electronica-meets-new jack swing sound surely is. Songs like "Cut Me Up," "You Can Feel Me" and "Power Lunch" showcase his faux bravado capably and show that, even though his persona is all shtick, his music isn't. Continue reading...

And thanks to the show's promoter, Parade of Flesh, we've got a pair of tickets to give away to tonight's show at The Lounge on Elm Street. Want the pair? Cool, just be the first person to email me with the words "Har Dee Har" in the subject line, and you'll be put on the list, plus one. Good luck!