23 March 23-29, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Drive-By Truckers 7 P.M. THURSDAY, MARCH 23, GRANADA THEATER, 3524 GREENVILLE AVE. $35 AT PREKINDLE.COM Co-founded by Patterson Hood, the son of Da- vid Hood from the highly influential Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section, Drive-By Truckers have been creating deeply meaningful Southern rock for 25 years now and have released something in just about every one of those years. In 2021, the band put out two full-length records. The Unraveling came out in January and was filled with songs about political angst, which the Truckers have dealt with quite seriously throughout their career. The New OK, which came out last October, included outtakes from The Unraveling recordings and dealt less with politics and more with personal issues (and a cover of a Ramones song). Releasing these two companion albums in a single year allowed fans to see the many sides of the Drive-By Truckers, both in terms of music and lyrics. The band will play in support of its latest release, Welcome 2 Club XIII, Thursday night with opening support from Margo Cilker. DAVID FLETCHER The Magnetic Fields 7 P.M. THURSDAY, MARCH 23, THE KESSLER, 1230 W. DAVIS ST. $36+ AT PREKINDLE.COM Known for its sprawling albums and short songs, experimental pop band The Magnetic Fields plays the second of two nights at The Kessler in Oak Cliff this Thursday. Perhaps best known for a three-disc concept album 69 Love Songs in 1999, The Magnetic Fields have always had a de- sire to explore emotions using as many instru- ments and songs as necessary to capture the theme. 69 Love Songs in particular made fre- quent use of synthesizers. The album was fol- lowed, however, by a trilogy of albums, none of which used synthesizers. The Magnetic Fields followed these releases with 2012’s Love at the Bottom of the Sea, which was really just a tradi- tional synth-pop record, but that was followed in 2017 by 50 Song Memoir, which at 50 songs spread across five discs was anything but. The band released a 12th album, Quickies, in 2020 but will be touring for it for the first time in Texas only this year. DF Pepper 7 P.M. FRIDAY, MARCH 24, DEEP ELLUM ART CO. 3200 COMMERCE ST. $58+ AT STUBHUB.COM Hawaiian reggae-rock band Pepper kicked off its career in 1997 after the death of Bradley Nowell put Pepper’s biggest influence, Sublime, to rest. After 25 years, Pepper has established itself as more than just another third wave ska band, building a solid fan base on the foundation of an engaging and truly fun live performance. It is no wonder then that the band’s small show at Deep Ellum Art Co. this Friday has sold out with very few tickets out there available through resellers. Pepper hasn’t shown a whole lot of variation in style these two-and-a-half decades, but it is that same consistency of music that keeps fans com- ing back for more. After all, if the formula works, why change it? Pepper hasn’t released a full al- bum since 2019’s Local Motion, but it has been re- leasing singles with fellow travelers Slightly Stoopid, Kash’d Out and The Movement in recent years. Charleston, South Carolina, reggae-rock artist Joe Samba opens the show. DF Mavis Staples 7:30 P.M. FRIDAY, MARCH 24, GRANVILLE ARTS CENTER, 300 N. FIFTH ST. $35+ AT PREKINDLE.COM R&B and gospel singer, actress and civil rights activist Mavis Staples will be doing a special performance this Friday night presented by Garland Cultural Arts. To say that Staples is legendary or an icon would be an understate- ment. In her lifetime, besides belting out The Staples Singers’ biggest hits, “I’ll Take You There” and “Let’s Do It Again,” Staples marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., per- formed at John F. Kennedy’s inauguration and sang in President Barack Obama’s White House. Staples has never shied away from col- laboration either, working with artists such as Prince, Bob Dylan and Arcade Fire throughout her impressive career. To list all the awards and accolades Staples has received over her 83 years of life would be nearly impossible, but most recently she earned a Grammy Award for the songwriting work she did on Jon Batiste’s 2022 Album of the Year, We Are. DF Luke Combs 5:45 P.M. SATURDAY, MARCH 25, AT&T STADIUM, 1 AT&T WAY. $159+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM This weekend, North Carolina country musician Luke Combs pulls out all the stops in Arlington for a full night of country music that is sure to make AT&T Stadium feel like the biggest honky tonk on the planet. Combs will be bringing country music singer-songwriters Riley Green, Brent Cobb and Lainey Wilson as well as Lub- bock country band Flatland Cavalry along for Saturday’s all-night show. The concert has been sold out for some time, but there are still plenty of verified resale tickets available on the Ticketmaster website for fans who don’t want to miss out. The concert is scheduled for the day after Combs releases his fourth studio al- bum, Gettin’ Old, the follow-up to his 2022 al- bum Growin’ Up, which earned Combs a Grammy Award nomination for Best Country Album. The two albums were recorded at the same time and are intended to be companions to each other. DF Mavis Staples performs Friday, March 24, at the Granville Arts Center in Garland. Steven Masker | LET’S DO THIS | t Music 214-350-1904 10261 Technology Blvd E, Dallas, TX CheCk out our website for the most up-to-date info! 11am to Close wednesday-sunday @amplivetx @amplivetx @amplifiedlivetx
