21 March 21 - 27, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Laura Jane Grace 7 P.M. SUNDAY, MARCH 24, TULIPS, 112 ST. LOUIS AVE. $30+ AT SEETICKETS.US Back in the mid-2000s, Against Me! was one of the most highly vis- ible punk bands. Its 2007 album, New Wave, had shattered all ex- pectations, topping many year-end, best-of lists for its stripped-down, aggressive and deeply thoughtful approach to the punk rock that had been watered down by countless pop punk bands in the preceding years. So, when Against Me!’s lead singer came out as transgender (a woman now named Laura Jane Grace) in May 2012, she was one of the first high-profile public figures to do so and started a national conversation that continues nearly 12 years later. Grace continued to work with Against Me! before the pandemic derailed plans of a new album and the band went on an indefinite hiatus. As a solo artist, Grace has stayed true to her punk rock roots, playing louder songs alongside her softer ones. For her show at Tulips, Grace will be backed by two of punk’s greatest mer- cenaries, bassist Matt Patton and drummer Mikey Erg. She will have opening support from queer Southern rock band Thelma and the Sleaze and emo band Dikembe. DAVID FLETCHER Juanes 8 P.M. SUNDAY, MARCH 24, MAJESTIC THEATRE, 1925 ELM ST. $146+ AT STUBHUB.COM Colombian singer-songwriter and former member of rock band Ekhymosis, Juanes is bringing his North American Tour 2024 to Dal- las’ Majestic Theatre on Sunday night. Winner of 26 Latin Grammy Awards and four Grammy Awards, Juanes’ albums have gone multi- platinum throughout Latin America with several singles receiving gold certifications in the U.S. Juanes is touring his 10th studio album, Vida Cotidiana (meaning “Everyday Life” in English), which sees the singer returning to his rock roots after experimenting with other genres on his last two albums. While Juanes’ last album paid homage to his influences with 12 covers, the new album has all new material written over the course of the pandemic. As the singer was able to spend that time with his family, many of the songs are about his wife and children. This time also allowed Juanes to improve his guitar- playing abilities, taking online classes from Berklee College of Music, which he displays with great sincerity in the new work. DF Madonna 8:30 P.M. SUNDAY AND MONDAY, MARCH 24 AND 25, AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, 2500 VICTORY AVE. $69+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM The last time Madonna came to North Texas, it was October of 2012 with opening support from Benny Benassi, who had worked with the singer as one of the many producers on her EDM-fueled MDNA al- bum. While the singer’s Rebel Heart Tour would see dates in San An- tonio and Houston, Madonna would skip Dallas for it and her subsequent Madame X Tour. To atone for her absence, Madonna’s Celebration Tour will spend two nights in Dallas. The tour is a celebra- tion of the singer’s four-decade-long career and will see Madonna singing songs from across the entirety of her catalog, from her first No. 1 hit, “Like A Virgin,” to her more recent hits. Every date on Ma- donna’s celebration tour will see opening support from comedian Bob the Drag Queen, but you may also see a performance from DJs Honey Dijon, Diplo, Arca or KURA. No official statement has yet been made about who will be opening either of the Dallas dates. DF Jon Batiste 7 P.M. TUESDAY, MARCH 26, WINSPEAR OPERA HOUSE, 2403 FLORA ST. $87+ AT STUBHUB.COM For the majority of us, Jon Batiste seemed to come out of nowhere in 2021 when his song “Freedom” blew up on independent radio sta- tions and ended up on former President Barack Obama’s 2021 playl- ist. The video for the song took home the Grammy Award for Best Music Video and the album from whence it came, We Are, won Al- bum of the Year. It’s not to say that Batiste was completely unknown before that album, but the people who knew him moved through jazz circles where Batiste spent the majority of his career, recording five jazz records that all did quite well on Billboard’s jazz charts. Last year, Batiste released his second non-jazz album, World Music Radio, in which the artist drew inspiration from various forms of world music and redefined them for mainstream audiences — with a little help from artists as disparate as Kenny G, Lil Wayne and Lana Del Rey. DF The Dresden Dolls 7 P.M. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26 AND 27, THE KESSLER, 1230 W. DAVIS ST. $48 AT PREKINDLE.COM It has been nearly two decades since The Dresden Dolls went on a global tour, and it has been nearly 15 years since the dark cabaret duo of singer and pianist Amanda Palmer and drummer Brian Vi- glione played their last show in Dallas at the Granada Theater. It wasn’t long after that show that the duo went on a hiatus that would stretch up to September 2023 when the two would play Riot Fest. During those 14 years, Palmer and Viglione would reunite for the occasional one-off show, but their time was mostly spent on other projects. Viglione played drums for Nine Inch Nails and Vio- lent Femmes while Palmer wrote a book and released solo work. The Dresden Dolls have hinted that they’re working on new mate- rial, and with the first shows of this first tour back happening in Austin on March 22 and 23, it’s unclear if any of that potential new material will be heard live — but we can certainly hope for it. DF | LET’S DO THIS | t Music Madonna’s Celebration Tour comes to American Airlines Center on March 24 and 25. Mike Coppola/Getty
