The Best Concerts In Dallas This Weekend, 12/5-12/7

Image via the Artist

This weekend we're doing our Dallas Observer Music Awards showcase and you should definitely do that. Otherwise there are a slew of great things to catch. Ryan Adams plays at SMU, which makes tons of sense. Caspa does the dubstep at Trees. Blackalicious does it for real hip-hop at the Granada Theater. Aaron Carter chronicles (lies) about how he beat Shaq in a pick up basketball game at the House of Blues. And last but not least, New Jack Swing legends hit the 'burbs at the Verizon Theatre.

See also:
The 2014 Dallas Observer Music Awards Showcase Guide
Ringo Deathstarr Weren't Just a Shoegaze Band at Rubber Gloves, They Were Deafening

Caspa
7 p.m., Friday, December 5, at Trees, 2709 Elm St., 214-741-1122 or treesdallas.com, $12-$15
What is the the dubstep? The dubstep is warbling noises that sound like a drunk washing machine. The dubstep is the sound of mating Transformers. The dubstep is Tyrannosaurus Rex playing laser tag in space. The dubstep is a flip phone Nokia on acid. The dubstep is T-100 in a neon thong. The dubstep is Caspa. Caspa is coming to Trees. Enough said. H. Drew Blackburn

The Roomsounds
With Belle Adair, and Walker Lukens & The Sidearms, at 8 p.m., Club Dada, Friday, December 5, 9 p.m., at Three Links, 2704 Elm St., 214-653-8228, $5-$8
With roots finely tied to Southern blues rock, Dallas' The Roomsounds are all at once an ode to the past and the South itself. Upbeat guitar riffs and lyrics full of nonchalant melancholy power the band. The obvious influences of Tom Petty, the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin rear their head in a comforting manner. Their self-titled debut album from 2012 is full of the band's signature catchy hooks charismatic thunder, which is even more of a delight to witness in the flesh. HDB

Ryan Adams
8 p.m. Friday, December 5, at McFarlin Memorial Auditorium, 6405 Boaz Ln., Ste. 101, smu.edu/businessfinance/campusservices/mcfarlin/events, Sold Out
Ryan Adams hasn't played Dallas since 2007 and this show sold out as soon as tickets went on sale. After starting Whiskeytown, a band that unapologetically tried to mimic American Music Club sans gay frontman sporting a unibrow, Adams has been trying to beat the sun, recording at a furious pace and living life as variously as possible. Since that 2007 show, Adams married the poor man's Britney Spears (which is surely better than marrying Britney Spears), released two books of poetry and short stories, been diagnosed with Meniere's Disease (he'll lose his shit if you go overboard with camera flashes), dropped one band (The Cardinals) and added another (The Shining), released a mountain of recordings via his own Pax Americana Recording Company, produced albums for a diverse array of artists and developed an affinity for pinball (he is currently touring with a Metallica pinball machine). You can expect a career-spanning set of songs both released and unreleased; Adams may even perform an improvised song if you ask nice enough. Jeremy Hallock

Ringo Deathstarr
8 p.m. Friday, December 5, at Club Dada, 2720 Elm St., dadadallas.com, $10
Elliott Frazier has been making his own brand of star-gaze since 2005 when he first put early Ringo Deathstarr demos on Myspace. Since then Frazier moved from his hometown of Beaumont to Austin where he managed to put together a band, put out a handful of EPs, land a few record deals, tour the world, and go on tour as the opener for the Smashing Pumpkins. The band's signature blend of ear shattering volume, endless drone, and devotion to the early shoegaze pioneers has garnered its fair share of critical praise, with many making it a point to warn concert goers to that it might get loud. DOMA darlings Blackstone Rangers provide support along with ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead side project Midnight Masses, and Blessin. Jaime-Paul Falcon

Dallas Observer Music Awards
With Blue, The Misfit, Pinkish Black, Son of Stan, Goodnight Ned and more, 5 p.m., Saturday, December 6, at Deep Ellum, $10-$50
All of your favorite local artists are set to perform at the showcase for the 26th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards, set to be at Deep Ellum's hottest clubs. Performers include Blue, he Misfit, Son of Stan, Ishi, Sealion, Cutter, Pinkish Black, Sam Lao, Tunk, Hex Cult, Hares on the Mountain, Buffalo Black, Booty Fade, Sudie, Dustin Cavazos, Mayta, George Quartz, Yells at Eels, Goodnight Ned, Quaker City Night Hawks -- hell I'm losing my breath. Let's just say that there are over 60 bands playing and you can find the full lineup on the Internet. Go check that out. Oh, and don't forget to vote. It's sure to be a night packed with great music. HDB