21 Things To Do in Dallas This Week

Wednesday


With elements of classic rock, soul, gospel and R&B, Anderson .Paak throws pretty much every style against the wall. Surprisingly, it all sticks. In February, he won his first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance, an honor that served as a crescendo for an impressive past couple of years, growing from tiny clubs to full-scale sheds like Madison Square Garden and the spacious confines of the local venue here in Irving. As he recently confessed on an episode of CBS' Saturday Sessions, Paak channeled his less than idyllic childhood into music and took those hardships as fuel for his songwriting. His own fatherhood has softened some of his lyrics, so now fans are greeted with a wide range of genre mashups that keeps things fresh and energetic. Catch this rising star as he continues his ascent with what should be a jam-packed evening of groove. 8 p.m. Wednesday at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory, 316 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving. Ticketmaster.com. Jeff Strowe

What happens when you fuse metal and mariachi? Metalachi. This unlikely band comes from Juarez, Mexico, and appeals to more than one type of concertgoer with its unique genre. Boasting the only one of its kind, the band, based in Hollywood, also puts a spin on classic rock songs. 8 p.m. Wednesday at Andy's Bar, 122 N. Locust St., Denton, $15. Diamond Rodrigue

With cosmic jazz, silky soul and finely curated hip-hop beats, Jamila Woods weaves richly detailed R&B worlds that provoke and awe in equal measure. Politically incisive and exquisitely arranged, the Chicagoan’s music looks to the past to usher our present into a more woke future. Take for instance her recent masterstroke, LEGACY! LEGACY!, whose track names are taken from legendary artists of color like Sun Ra, Basquiat, Betty Davis and Muddy Waters. The voices and influence of these giants haunt every corner of the record, from its smoky atmospheres to its enraged reflections on inequality. By meditating on history without leaning on it, Woods’ art betrays an understanding that the answers to emerging social obstacles hinge on combining the knowledge of the past with the ambition of the present. With Duendita and M3cca, 7 p.m. Wednesday at Deep Ellum Art Co., 3200 Commerce St., $15 and up. Jonathan Patrick

Thursday


Cirque du Soleil has long been mystifying with their acrobatic feats and visual tricks, but now they’ve upped the ante, taken a note from Disney and put the whole shebang on ice. Yeah, they’re skating into the rafters and doing axels into imagination with Cirque du Soleil: Crystal, from Thursday through Sunday, June 13-16 at Frisco’s Comerica Center, 2601 Avenue of the Stars. Follow Crystal, a curious and endearing central character, as she explores her bizarre world and finds herself. Performance times are 7:30 p.m. Thursday and Friday; noon, 4 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday; and 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Sunday. The show is suitable for the whole family, and tickets run from about $40 to $150 on Ticketmaster.com. For more about Crystal and Cirque du Soleil, visit cirquedusoleil.com. Merritt Martin

Summer baseball games are pretty much perfection just as they are: a cold beer, a hot dog and the strains of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” bouncing off the bleachers between innings. About the only thing that could sweeten that scenario? Your best canine companion at your feet, subtly angling for a stray Crackerjack. That's exactly how you can spend your evening on Thursday at Dr Pepper Ballpark, 7300 RoughRiders Trail. The Frisco RoughRiders are throwing open the gates and welcoming tail-waggers of all types for a night of all-American fun beginning at 6 p.m., as the RoughRiders take on the Tulsa Drillers. Sections 123 to 126 will be a pet-friendly haven during Legacy Veterinary Hospital's Bark in the Park event, with tickets just $10 a head (for humans; the dogs get in free). For more information or to purchase tickets, visit milb.com/frisco. Jennifer Davis-Lamm

The Tony Award-winning British comedy, The Play That Goes Wrong, depicts a theater troupe’s disastrous attempts to put on a 1920s, Agatha Christie-inspired murder-mystery play. As the title overtly suggests, every step of the production process will be governed by Murphy’s law, resulting in endless mishaps: malfunctioning props, actors forgetting lines and a set falling apart faster than Moby’s career. The London (and later Broadway) hit show is slapstick-heavy and full of British humor. Through Sunday, June 16, the Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St. Tickets are $35-$150 at attpac.org. Eva Raggio

Friday


Houston native Roger Creager has been on the Texas country circuit for two decades. His last album came out three years ago, but that hasn't stopped him from touring and playing his unique brand of country music. The king of honky-tonk, Creager is known for his highly energetic live sets, including a wide variety of musicians and instruments. 7 p.m. Friday at Mama Tried, 215 Henry St., $15 and up. Diamond Rodrigue

The idea of competing in a run in the middle of June may not sound appealing, but the Katy 5K has a few things going for it: You (probably) don’t need to set your alarm, as it takes place in the evening, and it’s followed by a party with smoked meat and beer included with entry. Race day begins at 7 p.m. Thursday with the Kids 5K Dash followed at 7:30 with the Katy 5K Run/Walk. The Katy Picnic at Reverchon Park opens at 7:45. Entry — which includes a shirt, a couple of beers and food — is $45 for Friends of the Katy Trail members, $50 for regular registration, $10 for the kids’ event or for 5K runners age 13 and younger, $90 to add membership to Friends of the Katy Trail and $135 for VIP treatment, which includes Katy Trail Ice House barbecue, shorter lines and cooling fans in a tented escape from the hoi polloi. Picnic attendees will need a race bib for entry regardless of whether they run. The run begins and ends at Reverchon Park, 3505 Maple Ave. Visit katytraildallas.org/5k. Jesse Hughey

How do you top a live show for the biggest-selling comedy recording artist in music history? Last time "Weird Al" Yankovic went on tour, he designed it specifically for his fan base, forgoing his biggest hits like "Eat It" and "White and Nerdy" to play deeper cuts like "Generic Blues," "Young, Dumb & Ugly" and "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota." He'd need something like a full orchestra complete with backup singers, multiple costume changes and a video wall. So that's what he did. Yankovic's Strings Attached Tour is his most ambitious live performance concept to date, and it's coming to The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory at 8 p.m. Friday. Yankovic and his longtime band mates, guitarist Jim West, bassist Steve Jay, keyboardist Rubén Valtierra and drummer Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, will perform some of the singer's greatest hits at 300 W. Las Colinas Blvd. in Irving. Tickets are between $42.45 and $355. Visit Livenation.com. Danny Gallagher

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra presents some of the most captivating and ambitious compositions ever put to the big screen, with a night focused on grand science-fiction film scores. Music from E.T., Star Wars, Star Trek and the peerless selections from Stanley Kubrick’s game-changer 2001: A Space Odyssey all make the program. Jeff Tyzik conducts. Arrive early for sci-fi movie pub trivia brought to you by Geeks Who Drink. Patrons are encouraged to come in costume. Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 14 and 15, and 2:30 p.m. Sunday, June 16, at The Meyerson, 2301 Flora St. Tickets start at $19. More info at mydso.com. Jonathan Patrick

Astronautalis brings an alternative version of rap to the airwaves. The Florida-born 37-year-old has been described by Allmusic.com as "if Beck were a decade or so younger and had grown up more heavily immersed in hip-hop." His vocals can be muted and soft or as aggressive as Eminem was back when he lamented about boy bands and being solicited for autographs on the john. Astronautalis is a chameleon, though. He fits in with the indie rock crowd one night, and hardcore hip-hop fans the next. Catch him at intimate Andy's Bar in Denton on Friday night to see for yourself. 8 p.m. Friday at Andy's Bar, 122 N. Locust St., Denton, $20. Diamond Rodrigue

As Globe Life Park bids adieu, the folks there have assembled a series of pretty important farewell concerts to complement the grind of Rangers baseball season. When it comes to bringing in big names, you can't get any bigger than a former Beatle. As Sir Paul McCartney returns to Arlington a couple of years after his previous stop across the lot at AT&T Stadium, fans will find him stretching things out to a nearly three-hour show. Though his Beatles and Wings hits are prominently placed throughout the set list, McCartney has wisely chosen to honor all aspects of his vast catalog, so expect some deep cuts and zingers that might send you searching through your smartphones for historical reference. Surprisingly, there are still quite a few tickets available at pretty affordable prices, thus eliminating excuses for not showing up to see a true legend in person. 8 p.m. Friday at Globe Life Park, 1000 Ballpark Way, Arlington. Jeff Strowe

Saturday


Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, the day that slaves in Texas got word they were free — two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves in rebel states. (The day was one of shock and jubilation in Galveston, where the news was officially announced. It was also probably one of history's greatest awkward moments as white, slave-owning Texans tried to explain that long gap to their former property. "Oh, we were so busy with the war and the cotton picking and the whipping that it just slipped our minds. You know how it is, right? Oopsie.") The city of Dallas is hosting a free, open-air celebration on the Ronald Kirk Pedestrian Bridge with African dance and drumming, arts and crafts, food, mask painting and exhibits, and a screening of Despicable Me 3 starting at 6 p.m. Find more information on eventbrite.com. Patrick Williams

Randy Rogers Band is back for the second annual Texas Summer Jam, this time at Toyota Music Factory. A Texas country music staple with hits like "One More Sad Song" and "Tonight's Not the Night (For Goodbye)," Randy Rogers has a career that spans almost two decades. Joining his band on the main stage is William Clark Green, with openers Ray Johnston Band, Wynn Williams and Holly Tucker on the Texas Lottery Plaza stage, which has a free pre-party starting at 3:30 p.m. 7 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Music Factory, 300 W. Las Colinas Blvd., Irving, $20-$75. Diamond Rodrigue

There’s no better time in history to celebrate pride than this one, as “straight pride” suddenly becomes a trend that absolutely nobody asked for, popping up left and right (well ... more on the right). Worthy pride events are happening all over the city this month, but the North Texas Pride Festival, in its ninth year, celebrates LGBTQ diversity with a day of family activities, making it kid-friendly and a fundraiser to sponsor a community center. The event includes live bands, DJs and vendors. It happens 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Saigling House, 902 E. 16th St., Plano. Tickets are $8-$20 and free for children under 13 at northtexaspride.com. Eva Raggio

American singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs is no stranger to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. When Scaggs was young, his family moved from their home in Canton, Ohio, to Plano. Scaggs, whose birth name is William, began attending a Dallas private school. There, a friend gave him the nickname Bosley, which was later shortened to Boz. On Saturday, he’ll be back in the city that gave him his name. After a short stint with the Steve Miller Band, after being featured on their first two albums, Scaggs signed a contact with Atlantic Records and started pursuing his solo career. His latest studio album, Out of the Blues, is the last part of a trilogy of blues albums that started with the release of Memphis in 2013. 9:30 p.m. Saturday at Billy Bob's Texas, 2520 Rodeo Plaza, $40. Jacob Vaughn

If there’s a unifying experience for the audience at most any Bruce Wood Dance performance, it’s that of releasing a breath unknowingly held in anticipation, excitement or emotion. Watching Bruce Wood dancers (and the choreographers and directors who pull it from them) is like watching human music notes resonate to create a song that fills a room. Embrace: An Astounding Evening of Dance takes over Moody Performance Hall, 2520 Flora St., 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday. The showcase features artistic director Joy Bollinger’s Carved in Stone, Bruce Wood’s Dark Matter in its Dallas premiere, and Garrett Smith’s new work, Forbidden Paths, which takes on dancing restrictions (punishable by imprisonment and worse) in foreign countries. Pre-show artist talks (7:20 p.m. in the lobby) and post-performances Q&As will take place for those wanting to dive into inspirations and artistic processes. Tickets are $25-$100 ($15 student rush). Call 214-565-9463 or visit brucewooddance.org. Merritt Martin

Talk about a blast from the past. Darius Rucker’s career must be one of the most interesting in all of modern music. There’s still a sizable chunk of the population that sees the former Michael Stipe impersonator as the country music phenom he became in the early 2000s, as opposed to his two-decade stint as the frontman of one of the cornerstone bands of the '90s, Hootie and the Blowfish. Rucker’s smooth baritone was the most defining feature of a group best described as a syrupy concentrate somewhere between Ben Folds and Dave Matthews, and he’s honed that instrument throughout the Blowfish’s extended hiatus. They announced their long-speculated reunion last December to coincide with the 25th anniversary of their breakout album, Cracked Rear View, as well as their sixth studio album, scheduled to come out this summer. On the flip side, opening act Barenaked Ladies is perhaps better served not leaning on the band’s mass success in the ’90s. The Ladies’ latest offerings off 2017’s Fake Nudes offer up the same witty mundanity that only bands from Canada can. This isn’t a show for purists anyway. But if you want to nod along happily to aspirationally cathartic pop rock, this is the one for you. 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Dos Equis Pavilion, 3839 S. Fitzhugh Ave., $29.50. Nicholas Bostick

Sunday


Leave that stupid tie for Christmas and get Dad what he really wants this Father’s Day: a cow’s worth of meat. Don't have a huge freezer? Then try tickets to the Birthright BBQ Fest. If meat is murder, then this barbecue is a massacre, an unmistakably nonvegan, quintessentially Texan event offering the state’s finest pit masters grilling brisket, sausage and cabrito over an open pit. The ticket price includes beer, barbecue and live music. The fest starts at 5 p.m. for VIPs, 6 p.m. for general admission at 1515 S. Harwood. Tickets are $75-$95 at birthrightbbqfest.com. Eva Raggio

Monday


Yet another Shakespeare play about women dressing as men to win their heart's desire — i.e., a man so dimwitted he can't recognize a woman in doublet and hose — Twelfth Night is a raucous, boozy play that gets raucous, boozy treatment by Shakespeare in the Bar. The show takes place at 8 p.m. at The Wild Detectives, 314 W. Eighth St. in Bishop Arts District. The actors perform among the bar patrons, making for a loose and entertaining show, but don't get too carried away. Twelfth Night is one of Willie's later plays and includes Malvolio, a puritanical character whose vow of revenge at the end for his mistreatment by the show's stars strikes an ominous, even elegiac tone. The Roundheads were on the far horizon; Queen Elizabeth I was on her last leg; and the fun times would soon be over. Tickets are $10 at the door or find them and more info by searching Facebook. Patrick Williams

Tuesday


With a book by Tony and Academy Award-nominee Douglas McGrath, direction by Marc Bruni and choreography by Josh Prince, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical comes to the Winspear Opera House, 2403 Flora St., through June 23. Part of the Broadway Series season, the nationally touring show features songs written by Carole King and former husband Gerry Goffin, with Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Before she was Carole King, she was Brooklyn girl Carol Klein, who had written hits for the biggest acts in rock ’n’ roll by the time she was in her 20s. Beautiful tells the story of King’s rise to stardom, from songwriting to becoming one of the most successful solo acts in pop music, with tunes such as "I Feel the Earth Move," "One Fine Day," "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman," "You’ve Got A Friend" and the musical’s title song. Call 214-880-0202 for tickets, $39 up, or visit tickets.attpac.org. Reba Liner