Friday, November 2, 2007

Weekend Concert Roundup: November 2-4

Now you listen here...

By Erin Rice

Every Friday and Saturday we will feature national and local acts that are playing in DFW, with a Sunday Wildcard thrown in for good measure. Your featured concerts for the weekend of November 2-4 are:

Friday

National Acts- Travis Tritt, Blake Shelton, and Steve Holy at Smirnoff Music Centre

After a duet with soul singer Sam Moore on Overnight Sensational, Travis Tritt was urged by producer and American Idol judge Randy Jackson to continue creating music that would feature his capabilities in soul music. Tritt is now on the road in support of his newest album, The Storm. According to a review at About.com, "Travis Tritt has always bucked the system just a little... but with his new release, The Storm, he thumbs his nose at convention and just hits hard and strong with an album that stands as pure, unadulterated, musical art." Other reviews are labeling the album as "bluesy" and "funky." Yes, Travis Tritt. You might have to see it to believe it. If so, he's at Smirnoff. Should be interesting.

Born with the rare condition, "CDs for ears," Big J. of the Clever Monkeys has overcome much adversity to make it to where he is today.

Local Act- Clever Monkeys at Absinthe Lounge

Clever Monkeys is the rap/hip-hop duo of Big J. (vox) and DJ Frantic (turntables). The two play around Dallas fairly regularly and tonight will be taking their act to the Absinthe Lounge. Starting at 9:00 p.m., they treat audiences to house music and neo soul as well as hip-hop, for that trendily mellow Absinthe crowd. Check out a Pegasus News interview with the Clever Monkeys from last year in addition to a video performance from the former Gypsy Tea Room.

Saturday

National Act- Slightly Stoopid at House of Blues

When asked how they created a sound so unique, Slightly Stoopid drummer Ryan Moran responded, "Put a bunch of weirdos in a room with instruments and other things..." Perhaps nothing comes closer to explicating the reggae rock sound that has made Slightly Stoopid so successful. In the midst of a national tour, the band will be hitting Dallas's House of Blues tomorrow in support of their latest release, Chronchitis (hmmm, I wonder what that title is in reference to?). Check out the show so you can keep Moran from "selling hot dogs on a street corner in New York," which he claims would be his job were music to not work out.

Tommy Chong is a Slightly Stoopid fan. Who are you to argue? And what would be the point, he's so stoned right now.

Local Acts- Day of the Dead show at the Ridglea Theater

While the traditional Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos) takes place on November 1st and 2nd, Fort Worth and the Ridglea Theater plan to rock the dead on November 3. In sticking with tradition, this Day of the Dead celebration will honor rock & roll legends who are no longer with us in this earthly realm. The following cover/tribute bands will be playing sets in honor of their inspirators: Back in Black (Bon Scott of AC/DC), Swan Song (John Bonham of Led Zeppelin), Voodoo Blue (Stevie Ray Vaughan), Kozmic Thrills (Janis Joplin), Me & My Monkey (John Lennon and George Harrison of The Beatles), Queen for a Day (Freddie Mercury of Queen), Alcohollica (Chris Burton of Metallica), Blizzard of Ozz (Randy Rhoads of Ozzy Osbourne's band), The Donkey Show (Layne Staley of Alice in Chains), and last but certainly not least The Dead Thing (representing five members of The Grateful Dead - Jerry Garcia, Ron McKernan, Keith Godchaux, Brent Mydland, and Vince Welnick). Concert goers are encouraged to dress as the dead.

Sunday Wildcard

M.I.A. and The Cool Kids at HOB

If you are an M.I.A. fan, then Sunday is quite possibly your best day ever... this week. Starting at 4 p.m. she will be signing autographs and schmoozing with adoring, slightly stalkerish fans at Good Records before she jets off to the House of Blues. The Sri Lankan rapper doesn't shy away from using sounds like machine gun blasts in her high energy dance rhythms. Having seen M.I.A. in all her pink jumpsuit glory at Austin City Limits recently, the sound system at House of Blues will likely do her music more justice than an outdoor stage. I suggest listening to "Boyz" or "Bamboo Banga" to get your arse a-shakin'.

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Don't like the suggestions above and feel like smacking me in the face for pushing them at you? Well, put your slappin' hand back in your pants, Al Bundy. We've literally got hundreds of shows this weekend, with a whole slew chosen as Pegasus Picks. Don't feel like checking out music this weekend? For shame! Nevertheless, we have tons of movies, plays, art exhibits and other events to keep you sated. Off you go now, have some fun this weekend.

"Don't you make fun of me. I'm gonna be a hot dancer."

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