110 BEST OF DALLAS® 2026 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT | SPORTS & RECREATION | FOOD & DRINK | SHOPPING & SERVICES | READERS’ CHOICE | CONTENTS crooning country heartbreak song sur- passed chart records set by bona fides like Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston, and the accompanying music video pays our state nothing but respect. The 7-minute flick takes place in a country bar and features cameos by Kaitlin Butts and North Texas’ own Miranda Lambert. But if you look closely, you might spot a familiar haunt, as the video was shot at the Stagecoach Ball- room in Fort Worth. If you listen to the lyr- ics, the song is a real heartbreaker. But watching the music video, we were left with only one question: Ms. Langley, where did you get those fabulous red pants? BEST COVER SONG “Champagne Supernova” by Wade Bagley instagram.com/wade_bagley There’s no shortage of bands willing to cover Oasis, but not many know how to make “Champagne Supernova” feel like more than karaoke with better gear. Denton-area artist Wade Bagley and company understand the assignment. Their version leans into the song’s natural sprawl instead of rushing through it, letting it breathe the way a proper singalong anthem should. What began as a tighter live cut evolved into something truer to the original’s long-burning spirit, and that instinct paid off. It turns a familiar classic into a real set-piece — less bar-band shortcut, more earned communal moment. BEST DJ DJ Alaska instagram.com/cosmicgirlalaska She might be named for the 50th state, but she has quickly become one of the first names that come to mind when we think of who we want to hear behind the decks in Dallas. As a self-proclaimed “genre-fluid payasita,” DJ Alaska turns it out to every- thing — cumbia, indie sleaze and techno share the floor during her sets. Such expan- sive taste has led her to opening slots for in- ternationally-acclaimed DJs like Berlin’s HorsegiirL and Japanese dance giant You- suke Yukimatsu. You’ll find her all around town, be it in Deep Ellum clubs or secret warehouse raves, turning up and serving down in her trademark clown makeup and neon wigs, and it’s a blast every damn time. BEST MUSIC FEUD Charley Crockett vs. Twin Temple In one corner, we have the outspoken cow- boy who cut his teeth busking in Deep El- lum, weighing in at least 10 gallons. In the other, we have a rowdy, Satanic doo-wop duo from California ready to make everyone spit blood. Earlier this year, Charley Crock- ett caught heat when he made the surpris- ing last-minute decision to remove Twin Temple as the supporting act from a handful of West Coast shows due to the band’s Sa- tanic imagery. In between promotions for what we think is one of his best records thus far, he doubled down on the move with a slew of fiery, since-deleted social media posts, while the “Doomed Lovers” landed a performance on “The Daily Show” and a new gig opening for Jack White. It was an unholy matrimony from the start, and the winner was somehow everyone and no one. BEST SMALL VENUE Limbo Room at Ruins 2653 Commerce St., Dallas ruinsdeepellum.com A flight to Oaxaca will run you a couple hundred dollars. Flautas topped with queso Oaxaca, a beer, parking in Deep Ellum and a show from a grungy rock band for less than 250 people will run you about $45, give or take. The small venue, named the Limbo Room, is tucked into the back of Ruins. It’s a fun spot, but what makes it Photo by Jacob Torres DJ Alaska