20 June 1 - 7, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Abraham Alexander 7 P.M. THURSDAY–SATURDAY, JUNE 1–3, THE KESSLER, 1230 W. DAVIS ST. $24+ AT PREKINDLE.COM Born in Greece, Abraham Alexander was ad- opted in Texas at the age of 11 after losing his mother in a car accident. Alexander excelled at sports in his adopted home before an injury left him with a lot of unoccupied time that he would later fill with music. After a few years developing his voice and guitar skills, a chance meeting led Alexander to record backing vocals on Leon Bridges’ 2015 debut album, Coming Home. On the advice of his new mentor, Alexander began playing open mics around North Texas, amass- ing a huge local following. In celebration of the singer’s debut album Sea/Sons, Alexander will headline three shows at The Kessler this week with a different opening act each night. On Thursday, indie-folk duo from New York-via- Texas Eaglin opens the show. Austin singer- songwriter Calder Allen does the honors on Friday, and Alexandra warms the crowd up on Saturday. DAVID FLETCHER Janet Jackson 6:30 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, DOS EQUIS PAVILION, 1818 FIRST AVE. $32.95+ AT LIVENATION.COM There is just so much that didn’t happen in 2020, especially for pop legend Janet Jackson. The singer had announced her 12th album, Black Diamond, which was going to be accompanied by a world tour. Because of the pandemic, nei- ther happened. The tour was scrapped and the new album’s future was thrown into a world of uncertainty. Well, at least one of those two wrongs is being corrected as Janet Jackson brings her Together Again Tour to Fair Park on Friday night. There is still no clear word on the future of the Black Diamond album, however. Jackson’s most recent release was the single “Made For Now” — a non-album collaboration she did with the King of Reggaeton Daddy Yan- kee in 2018. After a short set of hits from Atlanta rapper Ludacris, Ms. Jackson’s fans can look for- ward to a four act show with 40 songs spanning the singer’s entire, 40-year career. DF Rhett Miller 8 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 2, TANNAHILL’S TAVERN AND MUSIC HALL, 122 E. EXCHANGE STE. 200. $29+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM Rhett Miller, frontman for North Texas alt-coun- try institution Old 97’s, has always been a pro- lific songwriter. Aside from writing enough songs with his primary band to fill 12 albums over the course of 30 years, he has also spent plenty of time writing and recording his own material — eight albums worth of material. Mill- er’s solo career actually predates the Old 97’s, beginning in 1989 when he released his first al- bum while he was still in high school. The Old 97’s was just one of several bands Miller played with between his graduation and 1993. Miller didn’t release another album until 2002, but since then, all but one of those solo albums has had the name of a different identity: The Instiga- tor, The Dreamer, The Traveler and, most re- cently, The Misfit, which was released last September. The album displays a more pensive and low-key version of Miller than Old 97’s fans might be used to, but one whose familiar song- writing they’re sure to enjoy. DF Clan of Xymox 8 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 3, GRANADA THEATER, 3524 GREENVILLE AVE. $25+ AT PREKINDLE.COM Dutch band Clan of Xymox are known to be the founder of the darkwave sound. Founded as a trio in 1981, Clan of Xymox began making dance records that inspired listeners to get dark — through minor scales and sorrowful lyr- ics. And while Clan of Xymox may not be as well-remembered as other darkwave pioneers like Siouxsie and the Banshees, Soft Cel or De- peche Mode, the band has developed an avid cult following that holds them in the highest regard, especially across the pond. While they may be playing a relatively small venue here in North Texas, the Clan have been a headlining act at festivals in England, Germany and The Netherlands. The band released their most re- cent album, Limbo, in 2021, but are only now embarking on a North American tour in sup- port of the album. They will have opening sup- port from Austin industrial darkwave artist Curse Mackey, Brooklyn duo A Cloud of Ravens and Dallas’s DJ Lord Byron. DF Weezer 7 P.M. TUESDAY, JUNE 6, THE PAVILION AT TOYOTA MUSIC FACTORY, 300 W. LAS COLINAS BLVD. $128+ AT LIVENATION.COM Power pop band Weezer started life as an emo band in the mid-’90s. The band released a self- titled debut in 1994 and its follow-up, Pinkerton, in 1996. Taken together, the two albums ex- posed the inner emotional life of the band’s principal songwriter, Rivers Cuomo, to the world, inspiring bands like Dashboard Confes- sional, Jimmy Eat World and Saves the Day. In 2001, the band decided to go a different direc- tion, switching to a more simple style of song- writing with less personal lyrics, and they have stuck with that formula for 13 albums and a handful of EPs. The band concluded their SZNZ (pronounced “seasons”) project last December. The project saw the band release four, seven- song EPs over the course of the year — one for each season. The series divided critics but de- lighted fans. Indie-rock legends Modest Mouse and indie up-and-comers Momma open the show. DF | LET’S DO THIS | t Music Andrew Sherman Weezer plays Tuesday at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory.
