Festivals dominate live music events in Dallas-Fort Worth, April 16-19

by Erin Rice

As the temperature climbs, the all-day festivals come out of hibernation featuring loads of local, regional, and national bands. But if you're an indoors music aficionado, fear not, there are plenty of bars around town filling their stages with talent, as well.

Thursday

The Main Street Arts Festival kicks off on Thursday in and around downtown Fort Worth's Sundance Square. In addition to various artsy things to look at (and purchase if you have the bankroll), there is free music taking place on three stages along the concourse. The headlining acts for Thursday night are Buster Brown and George Duke on the main stage, with Odis followed by Professor D on the South stage. The festival continues through Sunday.

At The Lounge on Elm Street is Austin 80's synth-pop artist Vega a.k.a. Alan Palomo, the brainchild and frontman of Denton's now defunct Ghosthustler. A red leather jacket and neon shades with bars on them are not required to enter this show, but highly encouraged.

Friday

If one festival isn't enough for you, praise the stars, because the Dallas International Guitar Festival begins on Friday at the Dallas Market Hall. Featuring 400 booths, exhibits, and clinics, the ticket price might be a bit steep, but you get to watch a great deal of music, including Eric Johnson and Alien Love Child on the Peavey stage on Friday night. The festival runs through Sunday.

One of DFW's better known bands, the art-prog-etc-rock-etc quintet Fair to Midland, are spending most of this year writing new material and recording the follow up to Fables From a Mayfly.... But every now and again, the money runs a little low, and a show is necessary to bolster recording money, which is likely why FTM is playing this Friday at the Prophet Bar/Door. Also on the lineup are friends The House Harkonnen, as well as Dallas rockers Dead Twins.

Saturday

Happy Record Store Day! To celebrate, Dallas' quintessential record store, Good Records, is featuring a combined 16 hours of music with a mostly local lineup and some Austinites and other out-of-towners for free. The event coincides with Good Records' birthday... so Happy Birthday, and may you live through the recession and MP3 downloads to see several more.

On the non-local front, two giant shows are taking place in the farther reaches of the metroplex, with Jimmy Buffett and every drunk/stoner in DFW converging on Pizza Hut Park, while Celtic Woman entertains a more subdued (and much classier) crowd at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie.

Sunday

Oops, did we pick two things at Good Records in one roundup? So it goes. Denton's Robert Gomez is releasing his latest album, Pine Sticks and Phosphorus, on April 25, but on Sunday he'll play an in-store, no doubt previewing some of the new material. Gomez stopped by the PegNews studio on Tuesday to chat and play some tuneage, which will air on Friday. After two mesmerizing acoustic songs, we can say with conviction that Sunday's show is do-not-miss.