The Best Concerts in Dallas This Weekend, 10/17-10/19

By H. Drew Blackburn Fri., Oct. 17 2014 at 6:44 AM

Image via RCA Records

The weekend is here and as per usual there's a few suggestions for concerts around Dallas that we'd like to throw your way. No pressure. The choice is yours. But, just know that Pitbull and Enrique Iglesias are gonna hold it down at American Airlines Center, Sharon Van Etten hits the Kessler, pop sensation Charli XCX is performing at Trees, and Spinster Records opens its doors with two grand opening parties. Your picks, in full:

American Authors
With The Mowgli's and Echosmith, 7 p.m., Friday, October 17, at Granada Theater, 3524 Greenville Ave., Dallas, TX, 214-824-9933, http://www.granadatheater.com/ $24
The two words "American Authors" placed next to one another is probably sure to conjure an image of Mark Twain, Ernest Hemingway, Flannery O'Connor, William Faulkner or a slew of other long-gone prose greats. However, there is also a band named American Authors that make heartland folk. The band's debut album Oh, What a Life, was released last spring and landed a song, "Best Day of My Life," on the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart. Also, appearances of the song in TV and movies came rolling in: ESPN, Super Bowl commercials, Glee, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, and the list goes on. H. Drew Blackburn

Pitbull
With Enrique Miguel Iglesias 6 p.m. Friday, October 17 at the American Airlines Center, 2500 Victory Ave., 214-222-3687 or americanairlinescenter.com, $29.50 - $159.50
Bow down before you "Dale!" overlord. Keep Calm and "Dale!" on. Live Free or "Dale!" No one man should have all that "Dale!" power. And even more vaguely pop culturish references could be used to describe Pitbull performing in Texas. Last year when the artist played a summer concert with Kesha at Gexa those of us in attendance were joking that if he wanted to he, much like Confederate General Cartman from South Park, could lead the thousands of rabid fans in a revolution to take over the city, state, the country and maybe the world. Listen, it was only half a joke, as that crowd hung on everything Pitbull said or did, and this was before he decided to go on tour with Enrique Iglesias again. Expect the revolution to kick off Friday at the AAC. It'll be going down, so you best start yelling "TIMBER!" Jaime-Paul Falcon

Vance Joy
With James Young, 7 p.m., Friday, October 17, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $18
From Australia comes Vance Joy, an on the cusp indie pop singer-songwriter whose got a knack for the ukelele. Look no further that his single "Riptide" for clarification on the matter. It's a bright and sunny number that will remind you of a blue ocean and palm trees if you closes your eyes and just press play. The aforementioned song has surely caused a riptide on the charts, peaking at number six on the Australian ARIA charts and number one on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. Catch Joy at Trees to hear more from his debut, Dream Your Life Away. HDB

Sharon Van Etten
With Tiny Ruins, 7 p.m., Friday, October 17, at Kessler Theater, 1230 W. Davis St., 214-272-8346 or thekessler.org, $17
Sharon Van Etten has no shame in baring it all. Her records all bare intimate purgings on love and romance and her latest, Are We There adds a little bit more darkness to the mix. Van Etten's music is smart, the type of stuff a newly aging business professional with their first specks of gray hair gravitates towards. No wonder such monoliths of that shade of gray romance have worked with her. Van Etten's third studio album, Tramp, was produced by the guitarist of the most erudite melancholy rock band of all, The National and she's opened for the genius of ambiguous song-writing and guitar Goddess, St. Vincent. Hearing Van Etten's music, it makes all the sense the company she keeps. HDB

The Vibrators
With The Hormones, The Fever (Berlin, DE), and Pink Smoke Saturday, 9 p.m., October 17, at Three Links, 2704 Elm Street, threelinksdeepellum.com, $8-$10
The Vibrators are a punk staple. The band's first album, Pure Mania, was released in 1977 and even though they've had a revolving door of members since their inception (drummer John Edwards is the only founding member left), they're still playing shows and even pressing records like last year's On the Guest List. What may keep people coming after all these years is a single from Pure Mania, "Baby Baby," that's widely considered one of the best songs to have ever been recorded under the umbrella of the genre. HDB

Charli XCX
With Ellipant and Femme, 7 p.m., Saturday, October 18, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $18
After scoring a massive electronic-pop crossover hit in "I Love It" with Icona Pop, British-born Charli XCX has ridden a rising tide of indie buzz straight to the top of the pop charts, both as a solo artist and with acts like Iggy Azalea. The lead single from Charli XCX's major label debut First Romance, "Boom Clap," went to the top of the Billboard Top 100, cementing her status as the latest in a parade of electronic artists to fully cross over into the mainstream. Now, Charli XCX is poised to become one of the most successful of those crossover artists: In August, she announced the forthcoming release of her second major-label album, and the Dallas stop on her tour may be one of your last chances to see this artist-on-the rise in a small venue like Trees. Just five stops later, Charli XCX will join Katy Perry for the European leg of her world tour. Look out, world. Amy McCarthy

Spinster Records Grand Opening Parties
Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 10 a.m. w/ The Birds of Night, Moonbather, Dustin Cavazos, Dj Sober and more at Spinster Records, 829 W Davis St Dallas, TX, 323-304-4341, Free
Record stores are popping up in Dallas at a more frequent rate than motivational speeches in sports movies. Okay, it's not that pervasive, but you get the point. Also, we're pretty excited about these slew of record stores. The latest is Spinster Records which sits neatly on the tip of Bishop Arts District. This weekend they'll have two grand opening events. This one takes place on Friday and features performances from the likes of Moonbather and the Birds of Night. The other starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday and features performances from Dustin Cavazos, Dj Sober, RTB2, Real Campos and Exit 380. HDB

Rodrigo y Gabriela
8 p.m., Saturday, October 18, Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place Grand Prairie, TX, 972-854-5111, http://www.verizontheatre.com, $25-$49.50
Chances are that most have heard the music of Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero and just didn't know it. The duo's compositions have been used in such popular films as Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, Shrek and Puss in Boots. The pair has even played the White House. Both of the previous statements are testament to Rodrigo y Gabriela's music being adaptable to varying situations. The duo's flamenco guitar stylings fold in just enough of a rock influence to attract the attention of an audience wide enough to include directors and diplomats. Darryl Smyers

Bam Margera as Fuckface Unstoppable
With Lionize, Polkadot Cadaver, Triple SP, 7 p.m. Sunday, October 19, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $20-25
You're probably familiar with Bam Margera from the various stunts he's pulled with his gang of jackasses on MTV's Jackass. There's also that TV show of his own called Viva La Bam, where you got to see a group of grown-ass men act like petulant little shits. In what is perhaps one of the most commendable names for an act for the sake of accuracy, you can see Mr. Margera as Fuckface Unstoppable in a rap metal band. Catch them perform such esteemed sonic pleasures like "Bend My Dick" and "That's Why I Fucked Your Mom." HDB

Allo Darlin'
With Fishboy, 8 p.m., Sunday, October 19, at Club Dada 2720, Elm St. Dallas, TX, 214-742-3400, http://www.dadadallas.com $13
If sweet and earnest is your cup of tea, it's only right that you join Allo Darlin' at Dada. It's only right. We're's your manners? Allo Darlin' is a bit on the twee side--think Zoey Deschanel, but with a Londoners accent, and sometimes a ukelele. However, who said a little bit of warm and tender sincerity is a bad thing. The band's recent release We Come from the Same Place builds upon an established sensibility and polishes it a bit. The place Allo Darlin' comes from is a land of finely tuned and oiled indie pop. HDB