DC9 At Night

Erykah Badu will Play a Free Show at Prophet Bar Where the Artists Curate the Audience

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 10:41:10 -0600

Mike Brooks

Will Badu choose you?

Red Bull's Sound Select program has announced a new set of shows in a handful of U.S. cities in late July. The program is designed to showcase local talent, and the Dallas show (on July 26 at Prophet Bar) is exemplary: Erykah Badu will be joined by Larry G[ee] and Dustin Cavazos.

This being Red Bull, however, there's more to it than just a great free show. This year, artists (or management or a Red Bull intern or somebody) will "curate" the audience. You can request a free ticket on the Red Bull Select site. You have from now until July 12 to prove your love for the Dallas scene via social media.

Ariel Pink - Trees - June 17, 2013

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 09:12:06 -0600

Mike Brooks

How do you differentiate an Ariel Pink fan from others? Take a snap shot of any average street corner in your downtown area and pretty much anyone in frame would fit into last night's crowd at Trees. From the average goth kid to the plain-clothed middle-aged suburbanite, you cannot pigeon-hole a fan into one discernable category. That eclecticism is mirrored onstage by Ariel Pink and his backing band, and they effortlessly had the crowd swaying and mouthing the words to "Interesting Results."

I'm a 40-Year-Old White Guy. Can I Get in the Rap Game?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 08:55:11 -0600

Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist, and is the author of The Girls' Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to help you stop doing it wrong. Send your problems to her -- confidentiality is assured, unless you want to use your drama as a ticket to Internet microfame.

Dear Fan,
I am a 40-something-year-old white guy. I have long hair, like rock music, etc. Basically I am into all things white dudes are into. However over the last few years I have really immersed myself into the rap world.

I saw a Jay-Z commercial last night and found it very inspiring. Well, inspiring enough to get me thinking that if I could make just ONE top 20 rap hit I could be set for life. Then I could start having babies and not worry about their future.

Could you tell me how to break into the rap game without a lot of effort?

I feel like my flow, were I to ever give this a go, would probably be a cross between Debbie Harry on "Rapture" and Pete Nice.

Thanks,
This is 40

The 15 Most Original Band Promo Photos in DFW

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 06:34:50 -0600

Just a normal band practice for Home by Hovercraft.

Here at the Observer, we come across hundreds of photos a week. You'd be surprised how often styles are repeated. You've all seen the cliche band in a wintered field photo, or the antique furniture set outdoors photo. Well, here are a group of photos that don't fit the mold; they're completely original, and they're only telling of the eclectic mix of artists we're surround by, who are shaking it up a bit. Here are their band promo photos.

Queens of the Stone Age will Play Dallas on October 5; Tickets On Sale Friday

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:48:35 -0600

Chapman Baehler

Josh Homme cops a feel.

Pop sensations Queens of the Stone Age will play Verizon Theatre on October 5. Tickets for the show, which range from $42.50 to $49.50 before fees, go on sale this Friday, June 21 at 10 a.m.

If you missed this announcement when it came through, you're forgiven: The show ~~still isn't listed~~ wasn't listed on the QOTSA web site until late this morning or in several other generally-reliable sources.

My Bloody Valentine at Verizon Theatre: You Can Still Buy Tickets (For Now)

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 11:14:49 -0600

My Bloody Valentine: Kind of a blurry band, so it works out.

My Bloody Valentine will play Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie on August 17. This is a big deal: The Greatest Shoegaze Band Ever released its third album (and first since 1991's spectacular Loveless) earlier this year. When MBV reunited in 2009, they played only five U.S. shows, at Coachella and in Seattle, Denver, Dallas and Austin. That tour sold out instantly.

This time around, the supply isn't much bigger -- a long string of 2013 dates includes only six U.S. shows, in basically the same places. But unlike last time, the Dallas show, for which tickets went on sale Saturday, is not yet sold out.

Kanye West's Dallas Screening Didn't Go Exactly as Planned: Recap, Photos and Video

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 08:02:17 -0600

Daniel Perez

This past Friday, Dallas rap fans got to experience a moment in pop culture together. In crowds upwards of 300, they took to the streets to watch Kanye West's latest experiment in new media marketing: guerilla public screenings of the video for his single "New Slaves."

Deb Doing Dallas & Vanessa Quilantan

The Dallas outing came almost a month after the initial worldwide screenings, when West performed on the season finale of Saturday Night Live. It also lacked a second video that debuted in various markets this weekend- a strange homage to the screen adaptation of Brett Easton Ellis' American Psycho starring Keeping Up With The Kardashians regulars, Scott Disick & Jonathan Cheban. None of that seemed to tarnish the moment, however. Dallas' "New Slaves" debut would prove to be a memorable experience for the fact that it took place on the day West's sixth studio album, Yeezus, leaked onto the internet- and would carry over into the next day, as Kim Kardashian gave birth to the rapper's first child.

She & Him - Verizon Theatre - June 15, 2013

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 07:36:27 -0600

Autumn De Wilde

When I first saw She and Him were playing at Verizon Theater, in Grand Prairie's desolate "entertainment district," I wondered why for the group's first ever stop in Dallas, they didn't play a venue like Granada Theater or Palladium Ballroom.

But once their set was done, and the almost all-couple audience begin to file out, it began to make more sense that this bland venue played host to bland, if still enjoyable enough, night of music.

College Athlete-Rappers: The Good, The Bad & The Ugly

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 02:51:41 -0600

Courtesy of the University of Oklahoma

They can't all be Malcom Kelly, freestyle champion.

Anyone who has ever watched college sports has seen more than their fair share of those NCAA commercials emphasizing the 'student-athletes who are going pro in something other than sports.' After all, they're shown during every single commercial break.

So, I decided to look into some of the NCAA's student-athletes who have attempted (or are attempting) to go pro in the music industry - 'rapletes,' if you will.

Kanye West Yeezus Screenings in Dallas Tonight: Locations and Times Here

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 13:50:02 -0600

And on the fourth day, Yeezus walked onto the Internet. Kanye West's sixth studio solo album has officially leaked onto the Internet, preceding its June 18 release. The 10-track project titled Yeezus is here, and it is good. But that's not all for Dallas rap fans. West has announced a new installment of projections over various buildings throughout America will be taking place tonight. After being left off the list for the projected video debut for "New Slaves" a few weeks back, Dallas has been invited to the party this time around. There will be five screenings, each slotted for a half hour, of a yet-to-be-announced visual.

Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer Highlights Cultural Divide

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 12:41:08 -0600

HBO

By C. Townsend Rizzo

It's not news that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution protects our right to free speech, press, religion and peaceful assembly.

Though reasonable and righteous, it has become a crutch of complacency. Everybody has something to say, but generally, they're only making a weak case about America's cultural impetuses.

Huey Lewis and the News - Annette Strauss Square - June 13, 2013

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 11:00:15 -0600

Jay Blakesburg

Really, in terms of appreciating material at live concerts there are two distinct paths - bands you go and see because you like their current stuff, or to hear new things or unashamed nostalgia fests where we all collectively suspend the clear evidence that, well, it ain't like it used to be in the old days, but we all love these songs so much that we're happy to see the musicians responsible trot them out for the umpteenth time.

There is no doubt that last night's Huey Lewis and the News gig in the gorgeous Annette Strauss Square of the Arts District was the latter, and that's not to bash it at all. How could it be anything else? On an evening of stultifying heat, with a start time of 8 p.m., the Square was full of the sort of concert-goers you suspect only get out to one or two live performances a year, when the latest band of their era swings through town. Age of the crowd aside (in the seats at the front, which were going for $70-85 a pop, I was the youngest person by so very far that it was verging on impressive), it's really pretty amazing that a band whose most famous album was released in 1983 and who never really stopped touring can fill a relatively large venue like this thirty years on.

What Did Kim Deal Even Just Quit From?

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 10:11:39 -0600

The Pixies in 2004

The Pixies reunited in 2004 for the sake of nostalgia and money. There can't be much doubt over this. They never hinted at new music (apart from the bizarre one-off soundtrack single "Bam Thwok") and unashamedly toured Doolittle to within an inch of its life. This morning, entirely apropos of nothing except perhaps a recent revival in the Breeder's fortunes with the 20th anniversary tour of Last Splash, Kim Deal quit a band that hasn't played a gig since late 2011.

The whole situation is pretty strange. Even if we accept that the Pixies split up again in 2011 (which, if they did, means Kim Deal quit a band that doesn't really exist anymore), they were still together for roughly the same amount of time as their original run of 1986-1993. What to make of a band whose nostalgia reunion tours lasted the same length of time as period when they were relevant and producing new music?

The 10 Most Ridiculous Things at Bonnaroo 2013

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 05:44:54 -0600

This year's Bonnaroo music and arts festival is officially underway. From June 13-16, nearly 80,000 Bonnaroovians, as they call themselves, will gather at a 700 acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee. For three days, the Bonnaroo farm will become the seventh largest city in Tennessee. The lineup features the expected caliber of big names, including Paul McCartney, Wilco, Wu-Tang Clan, Portugal. The Man and Nas. But a city of 80,000 needs many amenities, and the festival organizers have found some insane ones:

Note: All photos are used under Creative Commons license. Click on any to find the Flickr user's profile page.

How to Dress at Concerts for Comfort, Lookin' Cool and Getting a Drink

Fri, 14 Jun 2013 02:04:41 -0600

MAEGAN PUETZ

Proper rave attire: Skin and bright colors.

When you go to a concert, which is purportedly a collection of like-minded people on the grounds that you're all there to see a particular thing you personally enjoy, you have two choices. You can either dress like you think everyone else will, or you can shout "FUCK IT" into the mirror and dress entirely the opposite way. The middle ground, where you try for either and totally misjudge it, is where madness lies. Here's a guide to the etiquette of dressing for a concert.