Complain all you want about summer in North Texas 鈥� the smog, the fire ants, the heat-induced road rage.
The one thing you can鈥檛 carp about is a lack of concerts.
Major acts almost always put our metro area on their summer tour itineraries, with some rare exceptions (we鈥檙e looking at you, Phish). And with more than 8 million people and countless places to perform, DF Dub draws touring musicians of all types in droves.
Literally hundreds of acts are headed our way this summer in beat-up vans, shiny buses and private jets. Here鈥檚 one music lover鈥檚 list of 10 promising concerts to catch in a range of genres and venues.
, June 22,
The poetic Texas rocker (and former Dallasite) will reinvent tunes from across his 50-year career, just as he did on 2024鈥檚 excellent . Austin psychedelic garage-rockers the Living Pins open the show.
Ashley McBryde, June 28,
鈥淎in鈥檛 Enough Cowboy Songs鈥� isn鈥檛 just the title of McBryde鈥檚 recent single. It鈥檚 her creative manifesto. In the pop-leaning world of country, the gritty-voiced Arkansas native is a throwback in the best sense of the word.
English Beat, June 30,
Founding singer Dave Wakeling leads the current version of the Beat, the mod band that first blended ska, reggae, punk and Latin pop in the 鈥�80s. The opener is DJ Culturegang 鈥� the nom du spin of Dallas mixmaster Cameron Brand.
and , July 5,
Nelson and Dylan鈥檚 prime years might be behind them, but it鈥檚 hard to top this show in terms of musical legacy. The rambunctious Avett Brothers and the Mavericks also perform at the epic-length .
Regina Spektor, Aug. 6,
The Russian-born, New York-based Spektor is one-of-a-kind 鈥� an idiosyncratic singer who weaves surreal lyrics into dramatic piano-pop tunes. The show marks her first North Texas appearance in more than a decade.
Teddy Swims, Aug. 7,
In February, the Georgia-raised singer lost the best new artist Grammy to Chappell Roan. No worries. With a voice like his, Swims will win plenty of awards in his career. Irish singer-songwriter Cian Ducrot opens.
, Aug 27-28,
The Weeknd鈥檚 acting career is a bit dodgy. But in concert, he鈥檚 still a master of the moody spectacle. The singer will be preceded at JerryWorld by two of his collaborators: rapper Playboi Carti and producer-instrumentalist Mike Dean.
, Aug. 29-31, Fair Park
The annual jazz 鈥檔鈥� soul fest moves temporarily to buildings inside Fair Park while its Convention Center home is renovated. Anthony Hamilton, Tank & the Bangas, Peabo Bryson and War are among dozens of national and local acts performing.
Samia, Sept. 11,
The rising Minneapolis singer/wordsmith (born Samia Najimy Finnerty) writes catchy electro-pop songs about everything from eating disorders to mysterious livestock murders. Opening is Brooklyn singer-guitarist Sara L鈥橝briola, alias Hank Heaven.
Lake Street Dive, Sept. 19, ,
Jazzy vocalist Rachael Price and her Dive-mates have no shortage of their own soulful tunes. But their covers are almost as good. Lately, they鈥檝e been tackling hits by Shania Twain and the Jackson 5. The horn-driven Seattle funk band the Dip opens the show.
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