21 September 12 - 18, 2024 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Mitski 8 P.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 13-SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, TEXAS TRUST CU THEATRE, 1001 PERFORMANCE PLACE, GRAND PRAIRIE. $35+ AT AXS.COM Indie pop singer-songwriter Mitski has culti- vated a fiercely loyal following over the decade- plus she’s spent building her career. Some of that adoration stems from her richly textured, deeply felt catalog: Mitski excels at building dreamy, layered soundscapes, anchored by her mesmerizing contralto voice, like the sort found on recent singles “Star” and “My Love Mine All Mine.” Some of that adoration is due to her will- ingness to be utterly vulnerable: Mitski famously walked away from live performance for a time in 2019, citing “unrelenting” pressure from audi- ences. That passionate audience is also the rea- son she can command a sizable venue for a two-night stand, as she’ll do in Grand Prairie, supporting her seventh and latest studio album, the evocatively titled The Land Is Inhospitable and So Are We, which she released a year ago (almost to the day of her North Texas gigs). Arlo Parks will open. PRESTON JONES Peter Hook & the Light 7 P.M. SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, HOUSE OF BLUES, 2200 N. LAMAR. $45+ AT LIVENATION.COM English post-punk Peter Hook & the Light has now been a going concern for three-and-a-half times as long as bassist Hook’s original band, the immensely influential Joy Division, ever ex- isted. The engine of this endurance is less inspi- ration than nostalgia — the quintet often builds its setlists around performing either Joy Divi- sion’s catalog (Unknown Pleasures, Closer) or the first two records in New Order’s catalog (Movement, Power, Corruption & Lies). For this trip through town, the band — which counts Hook’s son, Jack Bates, among its ranks — will be working from Substance, the pair of similarly titled compilations released by both Joy Divi- sion and New Order. Call it a greatest hits eve- ning if you must — there’s no denying these collections gather up the cream of the crop — but don’t show up expecting anything less than an abundance of moody, angular classics. PJ All-Star Benefit Concert Saluting Shaun Martin 7:30 P.M. SATURDAY, SEPT. 14, BRUTON THEATRE, 1309 CANTON ST. $100+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM What began as a salute to Shaun Martin, one of the state’s most prodigious, beloved musical tal- ents, will now take on an undoubtedly more mournful — but no less celebratory — tinge in the wake of his untimely death on Aug. 3 from complications of an undisclosed illness. The lineup is simply stacked, a testament to the rela- tionships the producer, arranger, composer and musician forged on and off-stage: Erykah Badu, Robert Glasper, Norah Jones, Tamela and David Mann, Snarky Puppy, Cory Henry, RC and the Gritz and Bobby Sparks are among the artists confirmed to appear in the 1,700-capacity space. Expect a profoundly emotional, deeply musical tribute to a fallen compatriot and col- laborator. “This is not a gig to me; it’s a celebra- tion of our friend,” Snarky Puppy’s Mark Lettieri told the Observer earlier this year. “He defined the sound of this area.” PJ Nicki Minaj 9 P.M. TUESDAY, SEPT. 17, AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, 2500 VICTORY AVE. $54.50+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM Such is the hyperdrive nature of the music busi- ness nowadays that even though superstar Nicki Minaj was just here in early May, she is returning four months later with a new(ish) album in tow — which, technically, will be the third iteration of her fifth studio album in less than 12 months. Minaj dropped said album, Pink Friday 2, at the tail end of 2023. Hours after its release, she un- veiled Gag City: Deluxe Edition, an expanded version. On Sept. 13, she’ll roll out [DJ Khaled voice] another one titled Pink Friday 2: Gag City Reloaded, which will feature yet more tracks, some potentially featuring Drake or Juice WRLD — nothing, as of press time, had yet been con- firmed. The second North American leg of her Pink Friday 2 World Tour returns her to North Texas, and doubtless the local Barbz will wel- come her back with open arms. With Tyga, BIA and Skillibeng. PJ Rob Zombie and Alice Cooper 6 P.M. WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 18, DICKIES ARENA, 1911 MONTGOMERY ST., FORT WORTH. $39.50+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM At a glance, this pairing of intensely theatrical hard rockers makes a ton of sense. Rob Zombie is, in his way, continuing the tradition popular- ized by Alice Cooper in the 1970s: rock music that’s garish, gory and greased by great melo- dies. While Hollywood has held more allure for Zombie in recent years (who has racked up mul- tiple credits as a writer-director, including 2022’s The Munsters), the singer-songwriter has also kept a hand in music, most recently releas- ing The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspir- acy in 2021 (an album title so fantastic that what it sounds like almost doesn’t matter). Cooper, now 76, hasn’t slowed down much in the au- tumn of his years, touring regularly and turning out new solo records, the latest of which, 2023’s Road, found him again collaborating with long- time producer Bob Ezrin. Ministry and Filter will provide support. PJ Mike Brooks Mitski performs Friday, Sept. 13, in Grand Prairie. | LET’S DO THIS | t Music Hottest Latin aduLt CLub in daLLas! Free Menudo all day sunday Happy Hour everyday 11aM-7PM open 11am-2am everyday 11044 Harry Hines boulevard // (214) 206-3820 scan for more info
