Concert Reviews

Dave Matthews Band Brings Sprawling, Satisfying Set to Dos Equis Pavilion

Dave Matthews Band Brings Sprawling, Satisfying Set to Dos Equis Pavilion

Olivia Rodrigo Packs the Toyota Pavilion for a Night of Teen Catharsis

Olivia Rodrigo Packs the Toyota Pavilion for a Night of Teen Catharsis

I support

Local

Community

Journalism

Support the independent voice of Dallas and help keep the future of Dallas Observer free.

Coldplay Brings Big Songs, Bigger Emotions to the Cotton Bowl

By Preston Jones
May 7, 2022

The scale of it all was striking. To watch a band that built its career, at least early on, with sensitive, relatively small tunes, take those deeply felt, finely wrought works, shot through with an acute interiority, and turn them into maximalist, synapse-frying spectacles capable of making an estimated crowd...
HAIM Brings Their Carefree California Rock to Irving

By Natalie Perez
May 6, 2022

HAIM is on top of the world. In the last couple of years, they’ve amassed Oscar noms, late show appearances, fashion campaigns and more. Their critically acclaimed Women In Music Pt. III was nominated for the Grammy's Album of the Year in 2020, leading some to anoint them as the...
Review: My Morning Jacket Brings a Tight, Focused Explosion of Musicianship to the Factory

By Preston Jones
Apr 29, 2022

My Morning Jacket was content to let the music do the talking Thursday night. Stepping onstage at the Factory in Deep Ellum and making, from all I could discern digging around prior to the show, its first appearance in Dallas proper in 14 years, the band — led by wild-maned...
Review: Tori Amos Brings Undimmed Intensity to Her First Show in Dallas in 8 Years

By Preston Jones
Apr 28, 2022

Steady as she goes, Tori Amos walked onto an American concert stage for the first time in five years Wednesday night. Over the ensuing 95 minutes, the 58-year-old singer-songwriter demonstrated precisely how she’s endured through all of pop music’s endless contortions and upheavals: by affixing her sharp eye and keen...
Review: Interpol's Show at The Factory Brought a Welcome Taste of the mid-2000s to a Packed House

By Vera "Velma" Hernandez
Apr 26, 2022

Lights dim, fog rolling in, the five-piece band Interpol strolled out onto the stage while flood lights illuminated the packed Factory. There was an instant change in atmosphere as their tour mates finished up: Matthew Dear, a Texas native solo electronic avant-pop act; and Tycho, a futuristic electronic band that...
John Mayer Keeps It Loose at American Airlines Center

By Preston Jones
Apr 25, 2022

A small, laminated sign hung on the wall behind the merch table. Easy enough to miss amid the various commemorative garments for sale (at, it must be said, eye-watering prices), the breezy note also doubled as a mission statement of sorts: “John says size up for a looser fit.” The...
The Turnpike Troubadours Finally Returned to Texas, Bringing Joy and Triumph With Them

By Kelly Dearmore
Apr 23, 2022

Given its historic status, it’s fair to say that any concert at Billy Bob’s Texas in the Fort Worth Stockyards is a big show. Each Friday and Saturday night, the massive honky-tonk, pool hall, bull-riding arena hosts the biggest names in country music for over 5,000 fans. If you’re a...
Toto and Journey Took Us Back in the Best Way With a Wednesday Show in Dallas

By Vera "Velma" Hernandez
Apr 14, 2022

In a sea of Journey shirts, the Wednesday night crowd at American Airlines watched Toto while waiting impatiently for the headliner.
Bon Iver Brought a Complex Beauty to Irving on Sunday

By Preston Jones
Apr 4, 2022

Gratitude, grief and hope dwell in close proximity these days. Perhaps it has always been this way, or maybe the ongoing pandemic has just made it easier to discern.
District Attorney Lucas Babin? Where Have We Heard That Name? Oh, Right! School of Rock!

By Danny Gallagher
Apr 4, 2022

Earlier this month, a lawsuit was filed in federal court against the Netflix movie Cuties. The latest filing issued by Netflix and its attorneys focused on the Tyler County District Attorney
Beach House Made a Dreamy Sold-Out Stop in Dallas on Sunday

By Preston Jones
Mar 28, 2022

There were moments Sunday night, during a sold-out show at The Factory in Deep Ellum, when Beach House allowed itself to be bathed in light.
The Legendary Buddy Guy Brought Authentic Blues to Dallas, Cursing and All

By Andrew Sherman
Mar 23, 2022

The term "legend" gets thrown around a lot, but if anyone has earned it, it's blues guitarist Buddy Guy.
Judas Priest and Queensryche Left Irving Up in Smoke on Friday

By Vera "Velma" Hernandez
Mar 19, 2022

Queensryche and Judas Priest got straight to the point when they hit the stage at Irving's Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory on Friday.
Dua Lipa Brought Her Platinum Pop Catharsis to Dallas

By Preston Jones
Mar 14, 2022

Timing is everything in pop music. Few modern A-list acts understand that axiom better than Dua Lipa.
Elton John’s Final Dallas Show Was a Wonderfully Emotional Rollercoaster

By David Fletcher
Mar 13, 2022

Elton John began his Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour in September 2018 in Allentown, Pennsylvania. The first leg of the tour saw two mesmerizing, sold-out shows at Dallas’ American Airlines Center two months later in December.
Pussy Riot's Nadya Tolokonnikova and Marina & the Diamonds Lit Deep Ellum on Fire

By Danny Gallagher
Mar 7, 2022

This past Saturday, if you weren't at either The Factory or Ruins in Deep Ellum, you missed something beyond special: a whole rainbow of emotions — from lily-white, pure love to deep-red anger — all without the need for any kind of high-grade pharmaceutical.
Nick Cave and Warren Ellis Were Nothing Short of Majestic Friday Night

By David Fletcher
Mar 5, 2022

The Majestic Theatre might just have been made for a performance by Nick Cave and his longtime collaborator Warren Ellis.
Mitski Brought Out an Army of Gen Z Fans to Her Artsy Dallas Show

By Mike Brooks
Feb 28, 2022

So many things about Mitski ( born Mitski Miyawak) seem at odds with each other, but somehow she makes them all work.
G.Love Got Funky AF on His Saturday Show in Deep Ellum

By Andrew Sherman
Feb 21, 2022

Remember when music was just plain fun? That’s what the crowd got this weekend with the return of G. Love to Dallas: infectious grooves, snappy, happy lyrics with singalong choruses and booty-shaking beats.
Tyler, the Creator Unleashed His Inner Wes Anderson During Captivating Dallas Show

By Mark E. Moon
Feb 17, 2022

When Tyler, the Creator first teased the release of his latest full-length album Call Me If You Get Lost, music critics everywhere asked the question, “Where does he go from IGOR?”

More Concert Reviews