21 November 16 - 22, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Doja Cat 7:30 P.M. THURSDAY, NOV. 16, AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, 2500 VICTORY AVE. $79.50+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM It’s been quite the year for rapper, singer and producer Doja Cat. Not only did the artist earn her first solo No.1 single with “Paint the Town Red,” Doja Cat was also named one of the the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine. To top things off, Doja Cat kicked off her first ever headlining tour this year in support of her September release, Scarlet. The album is something of a response to critics who ques- tioned her ability to rap on her more pop-in- spired 2021 album, Planet Her. Scarlet boldly displays Doja Cat’s skills as a rapper with the artist commanding a full, 15-track album with- out any featured artists needed to bolster her work. Doja Cat also decided to do the album without the help of heavy-hitter producers, choosing less well-known producers instead. Ice Spice will be joining the second half of the The Scarlet Tour, but here in Dallas, Doja Cat will have opening support from rapper and singer DOECHII. DAVID FLETCHER The Trilogy Tour 7 P.M. FRIDAY, NOV. 17, AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER, 2500 VICTORY AVE. $97+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull and Ricky Martin will be joining forces this week, bringing The Trilogy Tour to Victory Park. This is the second time Martin and Iglesias have toured together, but this year they are including Mr. Worldwide him- self to turn things up a notch. Iglesias and Pitbull have also toured together in 2017, so these are three people who know each other and play to- gether well. Iglesias and Martin led the U.S. Latin pop explosion of the late ’90s/early 2000s along with Shakira, Jennifer Lopez and Marc An- thony. The two both had chart-topping hits in 1999, Martin with the inescapable “Livin’ La Vida Loca” and Iglesias with the smoldering single “Bailamos.” Pitbull’s time would come a bit later with the release of his debut album, M.I.A.M.I., in 2004. The three artists have all had very differ- ent career trajectories since their time at the top, but together, this is sure to be a top-tier show by any decade’s standards. DF George Strait 8 P.M. FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, NOV. 17 AND 18, DICKIES ARENA, 1911 MONTGOMERY ST. $300+ AT TICKETMASTER.COM Returning to North Texas for what is slowly be- coming an annual tradition this week is the “King of Country” himself, George Strait. When Strait played two shows at Dickies Arena back in 2021, it was the first time he had performed in Fort Worth in 37 years. The venue must have treated him right, because he followed it up with two shows in 2022 where both sold out and both had verified resale tickets starting at $400. This year, he did it again. Strait retired from tour- ing with a blowout concert at AT&T Stadium in 2014, but after two years he started coming back around with one-off concerts and festival appearances. After all, he didn’t retire from mu- sic or live shows all together — just the arduous touring part of it. Strait has also released two al- bums of original material since he retired from touring, with his most recent, Honky Tonk Time Machine, coming out in 2019. New Braunfels country music singer Catie Offerman opens both shows. DF Paul Cauthen 8 P.M. SATURDAY, NOV. 18, THE FACTORY IN DEEP ELLUM, 2713 CANTON ST. $37.25 AT AXS.COM Tyler’s own Paul Cauthen has one of the best voices in country music today, and we don’t just mean here in North Texas. Known as Big Velvet for the same gritty baritone of his closest musi- cal ancestor Waylon Jennings — whose “Luck- enbach, Texas (Back to the Basics of Love)” Cauthen covered in 2017 — the singer garnered a national reputation for doing old school coun- try (“Prayed for Rain”) and being able to do it in a new school way (“Cocaine Country Dancing”) with his 2019 release Room 41. Cauthen’s follow- up album, Country Coming Down, came out last spring to many positive reviews with its lead sin- gle, “Country As Fuck.” Over the summer, Cau- then focused on single releases, releasing four new tracks over the course of four months. Cau- then’s This Road I’m On Tour stops in Deep El- lum this weekend with Idaho country singer Colby Acuff on board for opening support. DF The National 7:30 P.M. SUNDAY, NOV. 19, THE PAVILION AT TOYOTA MUSIC FACTORY, 300 W. LAS COLINAS BLVD. $54+ AT LIVENATION.COM Indie rock band The National formed in 1999 and spent the next six years grinding it out before receiving the praise they receive today. Sure, un- derground music magazines recognized the band’s talent as early as its third release, Alliga- tor, but that was more of a hit overseas than it was on American shores. That changed in 2007 when the band’s fourth album, Boxer, became the toast of indie music outlets like Pitchfork and The A.V. Club. Every album since has re- ceived high praise from international media out- lets for the band’s production and songwriting. This year, The National released two albums of new material — First Two Pages of Frankenstein in April and Laugh Track in September. Both al- bums were recorded around the same time and feature guests such as Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers and Taylor Swift, who sings on “The Al- cott.” LA indie-folk artist Hand Habits opens the show. DF Mike Brooks Country legend George Strait returns to Fort Worth this weekend. | LET’S DO THIS | t Music Dream Jobs - Dream Talent Since 1998 FUN Sexy jobs are just more Scan Me
