Dallas-Fort Worth weekend concert round-up: April 15-16

On weekends like this, your choices are never wrong.

Bill Ellison Photography

Ishi

So it appears another massively action packed weekend of music is upon us in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. These are getting more frequent, which is a good thing, unfortunately cloning doesn’t exist (yet) and you are forced with some hefty choices (especially on Saturday!). Let’s take a quick look at the weekend’s festivities.

Friday, April 15

Dallas – About your best bet, locally, would be up-and-comers Ishi, opening for Boombox at Trees. If I were in Dallas tonight, this is where I would go. Hot on the heels of an eye-opening set with the Toadies at the Greenville St. Patrick’s Day show, danceable popsters Ishi are really making themselves known. If you are Dallas tonight, get to Trees in Deep Ellum and find out what all the fuss is about.

Fort Worth – Your absolute best bet in Fort Worth tonight comes courtesy of The Moon Bar. How this club can confine a show like this within its walls is beyond me, as two of Fort Worth’s powerhouse acts, The Orbans and Calhoun, converge upon Berry Street once again, joining forces to slay all who witness. I saw this show the last time it was in this room, and I can tell you from experience, it was a barn burner. The Orbans had one hell of a 2010 and are still riding the momentum created by their full length debut When We Were Wild; and Calhoun is on the cusp of releasing their finest work to date with the upcoming Heavy Sugar. Add to the mix one of Fort Worth’s stronger new acts, Oil Boom, and this place is poised to go up in flames. Fort Worth, let’s do this.

Main Street Arts Festival – The 26th installment of one of Fort Worth’s longest and most endearing events is also taking place this weekend. Free to the public, Main Street Arts Festival takes over Downtown Fort Worth for four days, with a wide array of vendors, artists and musicians. Friday night highlights include Better Than Ezra and Keb Mo’, Saturday presents something for everyone, with Doyle Bramhall, Ozomatli, and Rosanne Cash, while Sunday winds down with Joe McBride, Latin Express, and Denton polka favorites, Brave Combo.

Crowd lines up along the shelves of Good Records

Saturday, April 16

There is a ton of stuff going on all over town on Saturday, with Fort Worth taking the brunt of the action.

Dallas – Good Records Record Store Day and 11th Anniversary Celebration is the only place to be Saturday. Not only can you pick up exclusive Record Store Day releases, but the fine folks at Good Records want you to have a sensory burnout as well. Get there at 8 a.m. to be in line to pick up all the crazy Record Store Day exclusives (list can be found here) and stick around for all the FREE live music happening in their Astroturf-covered stage and parking lot from 11 a.m. to midnight, showcasing artists such as Sarah Jaffe, Bravo, Max!, Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle with backing band Midlake, and Austin’s Octopus Project as just a few to whet your appetite.

Fort Worth - You have choices galore and a sensory overload to boot with two daytime festivals going on. Let’s take a look at West Berry Block Party. This upstart festival celebrates is inaugural event with 50 acts on five stages in venues along Berry Street, including one main outdoor stage. Sort of a bold move going up against Main Street Arts Festival, so we will see how it all turns out. High points of this event include Fort Worth’s Green River Ordinance, Spoonfed Tribe, and Austin’s Nelo. And obviously a whole slew of other acts as well. Get all the information here.

Modern ‘Til Midnight – This is the place to be. No matter what you do during the day, this is where it’s at on Saturday night. If you have not been to one of these events at The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth before, I can tell you this is one of my favorites. And the stacked lineup for tomorrow is unparalleled. Post rockers This Will Destroy You headlines, supported by two of Fort Worth’s absolute best, The Burning Hotels, and 2011’s band to watch, The Cush. Round this out with Novaak and openers Datahowler and you have one of the most solid five-act bills to hit in quite some time. Add to this the setting up against The Modern’s pond and admission to all the museum’s galleries and this is one event not to miss. Period.

You have your options Dallas-Fort Worth -- make the choices that are right for you. and remember, on weekends like this, your choices are never wrong. Because there still isn’t cloning. Yet.