88 September 18 - 24, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Contents | ReadeRs’ PiCks | shoPPing & seRviCes | aRts & enteRtainment | Food & dRink | sPoRts & ReCReation punk and more. No matter what type of punk you like, Deep Ellum Art Co. has got them all. The open floor plan allows for tons of room to move and dance, while the bar is long and open, making it easy to refuel. 3200 Commerce St. 214-697-8086 deepellumart.co › BEST RECORD STORE FOR YOUR BUDGET Josey Records Picking just one record store was tough, but in the end, Josey Records pulled away by an inch, plus 25,000 square feet of affordable records. You can spend hours riffling through bins of records that won’t cost you more than a buck or two each, or you can go in with a clear mission and almost definitely find what you’re looking for. The collection is vast, the staff is friendly, and the prices will make you smile in disbelief. Don’t second-guess it; just buy. 2821 Lyndon B Johnson Freeway 972 243 2039 joseyrecords.com › BEST BURLESQUE PERFORMER Delilah Dubois Delilah Dubois, also known as “The Double-D Debutante of Burlesque,” “The Duchess of Debauchery” and “The Ambassador of Extra,” is the kind of living embodiment of old- school, ostentatious showgirl glamour that the world needs more of. Dubois’ shows are a flurry of feathers, sequins, strategically placed props and, above all else, indulgent fantasy. She’s a one- woman must-see attraction. › BEST DATE NIGHT ACTIVITY Activate It can’t all be candlelit dinners and picnics at the lake. Sometimes, a high-energy LED game show is the perfect place to take your special someone, and to destroy them at the dozen or so party games that Activate has to offer. You can love someone, but have you ever raced through a laser maze with them? Or shot basketballs between five different hoops in a blackout room? 5111 Greenville Ave, No. 140 214-420-8526 playactivate.com/university-park › BEST KARAOKE SPOT Round-Up Saloon Dallas is a big city, so there’s no shortage of karaoke mics around here, but if you’ll notice, this category is for the best karaoke “spot,” not “night.” That’s because Round-Up offers free karaoke every night of the week. So, whenever you feel like making your attempt at Wicked’s “Defying Gravity” everyone else’s problem, you can drop in. If you need liquid courage, you don’t have to go far, as Round- Up dedicates an entire room with a full bar to its karaoke stage. And if the stage is good enough for impromptu performances by Grammy winners like Kacey Musgraves and Charli XCX, it’s more than deserving of our praise. 3912 Cedar Springs Road 214-522-9611 roundupsaloon.com › BEST PLACE TO SEE HARDCORE HEAVY METAL Growl Bone-rattling metal shows are the standard for this venue that’s become a local favorite in a short amount of time. Five years ago, this record store was still trying to figure out what it wanted to be. Now, it regularly punches above @Radiant_Inc. Delilah Dubois // BEST BURLESQUE PERFORMER
