| LET’S DO THIS | t Music Turnpike Troubadours 9 P.M. THURSDAY-SATURDAY, APRIL 21-23, AT BILLY BOB’S TEXAS, 2520 RODEO PLAZA, SOLD OUT The long-awaited return of the Turnpike Trouba- dours happens over the course of three nights this weekend with three sold-out shows at Billy Bob’s Texas. In fact, this show has been so highly anticipated that when the tickets for the Friday and Saturday shows went on sale in January, Billy Bob’s Texas reported on its social media that it was one of the fastest sell-outs in the ven- ue’s history. When the Thursday show was added in February, it sold out just as fast. What makes the Turnpike Troubadours such a highly sought after country band is their ability to play absolute barn burners such as “Before the Devil Knows We’re Dead” and soul-crushers like “Good Lord Lorrie.” It doesn’t hurt that the songwriting team of guitarist RC Edwards and singer Evan Felker has turned out some of the most well-crafted lyrics of any country musician to date. That’s a lofty claim for sure, but three sold-out nights at North Texas’ premier country music venue is pretty solid evidence. DAVID FLETCHER Paul Oakenfold 10 P.M. FRIDAY, APRIL 22, AT STEREO LIVE DALLAS, 2711 STOREY LANE, $10+ AT EVENTBRITE.COM Paul Oakenfold is simply one of the most impor- tant and influential DJs to grace the world of electronic music. Before the now-legendary trance DJ ever released his first official album in 2002, he had already made his mark in the worlds of U.K. and U.S. dance music. The first DJ to headline the Glastonbury Festival in 1999 and a major attraction at Cyberfest the next year in Fresno (the largest dance festival ever in Amer- ica at that point in time), Oakenfold paved the way for every DJ that has followed in his path to stardom. In recent years, Oakenfold has stayed busy working on everything from mixes to film scores to collaborations with artists such as Brit- ney Spears, The Rolling Stones and New Order. After releasing what will only be his fourth stu- dio album Shine On in early 2022, Oakenfold re- turns to Dallas to play electronic music venue Stereo Live. DF King Camel Returns 8 P.M. SATURDAY, APRIL 23, AT THREE LINKS, 2704 ELM ST., $15 AT SEETICKETS.US There was a time in Dallas’ recent music history when Jeffrey Brown of King Camel dominated the world of local talent buying. In 2018, Brown infamously took to the then-Canton Hall stage to accept the Dallas Observer Music Award for Best Talent Buyer, held his trophy in the air and told the cheering audience, “We fucking rule, dude! Suck my ass!” It wasn’t long thereafter, however, that Brown’s career and personal life took a dramatic downturn. In 2020, things were starting to look up for Brown, but when the pan- demic hit, all of his plans to start booking shows again completely fell apart. Now that the pan- demic has ended, King Camel is coming back with all of its pre-COVID flair. The show will fea- ture favorites of King Camel’s past with perfor- mances by psych-blues-boogie band Smoky Mirror, emo-punk band Upsetting and darkwave band Rosegarden Funeral Party. DF ENTER TO WIN TICKETS Rachel Parker John Mayer Pinegrove 8 P.M. SATURDAY, APRIL 23, AT THE STUDIO AT THE FACTORY, 2727 CANTON ST., $25+ AT AXS.COM When indie band Pinegrove made its break- through in 2016 with its second album Cardinal, audiences were stunned by singer Evan Ste- phens Hall’s light, country twang and unflinch- ingly emotional lyrics. The album showed there was very little that separated the worlds of in- die-rock, emo and alt-country. Take a song like “Old Friends,” the lead track from that album — it opens with a simple acoustic strum, laying the foundation for the narrator’s labyrinthian walk through mental health disturbances, lost friends and missed connections. The song rises after the third verse with orchestral country in- strumentation that somehow refuses to be country. The band’s most recent album 11:11 came out in January and received praise for keeping up with the band’s history of heart-on- sleeve music. Pinegrove plays Saturday night at The Factory in Deep Ellum with two opening acts, Arizona singer-songwriter Kat Kirby and Chuck. DF John Mayer 7:30 P.M. SUNDAY, APRIL 24, AT AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, 2500 VICTORY AVE., $59.50+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM John Mayer is bringing his Sob Rock Tour to American Airlines Center this Sunday with opening support from Arkansas singer-song- writer Yebba. For the past two decades, Mayer has been all around the music world — from his early acoustic solo work to his country band to his time sitting in alongside Grateful Dead members Bob Weir, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann as Dead & Company. Mayer has of- ten been the subject of controversy. From his infamously problematic Playboy interview in 2010 to his firm place in Taylor Swift’s lyrics, Mayer certainly had his issues with women be- fore becoming sober in 2016. Since then, he has released some of his very best work with The Search for Everything in 2017 and Sob Rock in 2021. Sure, it’s cool to hate on John Mayer for being a pleasantly bland musician, but the truth of the matter is that Mayer’s music has stood the test of time because he really is just a good songwriter. DF 1 1 DALLASOBSERVER.COM/FREE/DEBBIEGIBSON 23 dallasobserver.com dallasobserver.com | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUTZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | ADULT | CLASSIFIED | | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUTZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | DALLAS OBSERVER DALLAS OBSERVER APRIL 21-27, 2022 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014 MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2014
