17 June 19 - 25, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Erykah Badu 9 P.M. THURSDAY, JUNE 19, THE BOMB FACTORY, 2713 CANTON ST. FREE AT AXS.COM Hot on the heels of news hometown heroine Erykah Badu will independently release her first full-length studio album in 15 years later this summer comes this surprise gig, announced barely a week ago. Taking place on Juneteenth, Badu’s return to the Bomb Factory, the site of many a legendary birthday show over the years, is being positioned as the beginning of a new era for the Grammy Award-winning artist, who’ll be performing alongside her full band. Admis- sion to this event is free, but for those who can’t make it down to Deep Ellum, the concert will also be live-streamed exclusively on Amazon Music. “Erykah is a true, one-of-one innovator, a visionary who has redefined music multiple times over, and we couldn’t be more excited to bring this moment to her fans around the world,” said Sierra Lever, head of hip-hop and R&B for Amazon Music, in a statement. Tye Har- ris will open. PRESTON JONES Allison Ponthier 8 P.M. FRIDAY, JUNE 20, CLUB DADA, 2720 ELM ST. $26.29+ AT SEETICKETS.US Singer-songwriter Allison Ponthier grew up in Allen, but decamped for New York City a few years ago, having signed with Interscope and releasing a trio of EPs, including 2024’s Breaking the Fourth Wall. Ponthier was dropped by the label but undaunted: She’s readying an album for independent release later this year, and has issued a new single, the achingly gorgeous “Ka- raoke Queen,” which is of a piece with her uni- versal, sharply observed catalog to date. Ponthier’s debut headlining tour brings her back to her old stomping grounds, a proudly queer musician forging her own path, armed with a voice to die for and a fistful of high-profile fans, including Elton John, Maren Morris, Kelly Clark- son and Brandi Carlile. Hank Heaven will kick off the evening with an opening set. PJ Tripping Daisy 8 P.M. SATURDAY, JUNE 21, THE BOMB FACTORY, 2713 CANTON ST. $43.16+ AT AXS.COM After some fitful starts, Tripping Daisy is once again a full-time concern. The neo-psychedelic rock group, anchored by Tim DeLaughter and Mark Pirro, officially reformed last year, with plans to tour and record a new album, the band’s first in a quarter century. A month-long run of dates kicks off at home, with a Deep El- lum showcase sure to be no less rowdy than it would’ve been 30 years ago. Tripping Daisy will be performing its seminal sophomore LP I Am an Elastic Firecracker in full, alongside a heaping helping of cuts from Bill, Jesus Hits Like the Atom Bomb and its 2000 self-titled album. The potent nostalgia will likely be tinged with a deep melancholy, particularly in light of long-time De- Laughter collaborator Chris Penn’s untimely passing earlier this year — take care to let the tears flow amid the smiles. With Jumprope and Julian Maas. PJ Pete Yorn 8 P.M. MONDAY, JUNE 23, KESSLER THEATER, 1230 W. DAVIS. $50.97+ AT PREKINDLE.COM New Jersey-born troubadour Pete Yorn burst onto the scene with a seismic debut, 2001’s mu- sicforthemorningafter, and found himself rated among the great singer-songwriters of the 21st century. (His second LP, Day I Forgot, is no slouch either.) He’s maintained a steady output over the ensuing decades, up to and including his 11th and most recent record, The Hard Way. While he’s been consistent in his output, Yorn has been a bit less of a frequent sight on stage, at least in North Texas — this Kessler stop will mark his return to a venue he last played six years ago. “The other theme on [The Hard Way] is rising above adversity,” Yorn told American Songwriter last year. “For me, I know everything that went into this album. I know the road I went down to be able to finish this record and get up on stage and do this tour.” PJ Avi Kaplan 8 P.M. TUESDAY, JUNE 24, GRANADA THEATER, 3524 GREENVILLE AVE. $32.43+ AT PREKINDLE.COM Formerly anchoring the low end of the Grammy- winning, Arlington-founded a cappella group Pentatonix, singer-songwriter Avi Kaplan struck out on his own in 2017, first under the name Avriel & the Sequoias, and eventually under his own name for subsequent releases, including his most recent EP, Move Our Souls. The shift from vocally driven pop to a more introspective brand of folk-inclined, Laurel Canyon-adjacent rock was mildly tricky to navigate: “I’d played guitar for a long time but I kind of put it down when I was in [Pentatonix],” Kaplan told The Line of Best Fit in 2022. “So, getting back into that, and getting back into feeling comfortable playing and singing at the same time was a little bit nerve-wracking. I’m already extremely hard on myself and anything that’s an imperfection for me ... it really gets to me!” Guthrie Brown will provide support. PJ Mike Brooks Tripping Daisy will kick off a month- long national tour with a Deep Ellum performance. | LET’S DO THIS | t Music
