Crosstown Sounds // May 2024

May has five weekends and three holidays (four, if you count Star Wars Day): (in chronological order) Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, and Memorial Day, so that’s a lot of musical opportunities, rain or shine. Here are some cool-to-us shows we’ve noticed after a little digging, plus some schedules from local artists.

This Weekend

Doom metalists Stone Machine Electric are playing Friday at Division Brewing’s Growl Records (509 E Abram St, Arlington, 682-252-7639) with Chemical Spell and, from Tennessee, Wyndrider. Doors open at 7pm, and the music starts at 8pm. Cover is $10.

Legendary jam band Leftover Salmon has a tour stop 8pm Sat at Ferris Wheelers Backyard & BBQ (1950 Market Center Blvd, Dallas, 214-741-4141) with Simon Flory opening. Tickets are $35 at SeeTickets.us.

The City of Rockwall kicks off its Summer Concerts by the Lake series at 6pm Thu with the Rockwall Philharmonic playing the music of Star Wars on the shores of Lake Ray Hubbard. Bring blankets and/or lawn chairs and your own food and drink to the Amphitheater Stage at The Harbor (2059 Summer Lee Dr, Rockwall, 469-428-7998), home to several restaurants.

Cinco de Mayo

On Sunday, Haltom Theater (5601 Belknap St, Haltom City, 682-250-5678) hosts Cinco de Mayo Metal Fest, featuring Doyle (of The Misfits), Otep, and Red Devil Vortex, with Dreadland, Eva Kora, Gnarwail, iH8, Iron Jaw, Love Sick Drug, and Swarm. The festival starts at 12:30pm, and the headliners play at 6pm. Advance tickets are $20 at TicketStorm.com.

Paco’s Mexican Cuisine (1508 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-759-8110) is hosting Cinco de Mayo Mercado noon-6pm Sun. Along with the delicious food and drinks always available at Paco’s, enjoy live mariachi music, a DJ, a bounce house for kids (sorry, no drinky-drinky and bouncy-bouncy for you 21-and-uppers), and more than 20 vendors. There is no cost to attend.

In honor of Cinco de Mayo, one of the area’s first cat cafes, The Cozy Catfe (710 SW Green Oaks Blvd, Arlington, 682-323-4837), presents Gat-O-Palooza 11am Sat. This free community event includes live music by Alanna, Beyond Destiny, The Kuban, Sushia, and Texas Brew, plus craft vendors, food trucks, and discounted admission to visit the kitty rooms.

Second Weekend

There are two huge shows this second weekend of May, and they’re both on the same night, Sat, May 11. Since age comes before beauty, one of them marks a big moment for Black Tie Dynasty, the former rulers of North Texas indie-rock (circa the mid-aughts) who are recording again. They’ll bring their moody, powerful synth-pop to Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis Av, Fort Worth, 817-367-9798) at 7pm with openers Lorelei K and CURL. Tickets are $15-75.

For beauty, it’s comparative newcomers the Royal Sons, whose serious psychedelic blues-rock will barrel through The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW) at 8pm with openers The Grae and Arenda Light. And like Black Tie, the Sons have also been recording new material. Expect to hear some of it at the show.

A couple of days earlier, on Thu, May 9, Tannahill’s Tavern & Music Hall (122 E Exchange St, Ste 200, Fort Worth, 817-900-9300) welcomes the indie-rocking Waxahatchee. Presented by KXT, the show takes place about a month before Tannahill’s big Silversun Pickups concert (Wed, Jun 12), so if you’re a KXT fan who thinks the Stockyards is just a kitschy tourist trap, this Waxahatchee gig may be a nice introduction to not only the recent addition of locals-attracting Mule Alley down East Exchange but also to the great-sounding, roomy Tannahill’s.

Fort Worth purveyor of “midnight music” Depression Nap will celebrate the release of their new EP, Squeeze, and perform their first-ever show 8pm Fri, May 10, at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW). Frontperson/mastermind Luke Berglin, a.k.a. Urban Castro, will be backed by a bunch of heavy hitters, including Daniel Markham on lead guitar, Cool Jacket’s Kevin England on rhythm, Crooked Bones’ Jackdaw on bass, and Oatmeal Pizza’s Joey Johnson on drums. Opening the concert will be Daniel Rush Folmer and Spring Palace, Weekly writer and muso Patrick Higgins’ favorite local indie-rock outfit. Cover is $15.

The night of Wed, May 15, at Magnolia Motor Lounge (3803 Southwest Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-332-3344) sounds like a lot of fun, especially if you’re a fan of the Fab Four, and you are because you’re not a knuckle-dragging, hair-on-your-nose monster. Human jukebox Michael Richardson and Chris Holt dare you to stump them with Beatles requests as part of Big Mike’s third-Wednesday residency. The bros are even open to the solo stuff. (Does Yoko count?) And though there’s no word on your reward for baffling them, I’m sure a beer and a shot on Big Mike’s tab will suffice. (This is not legally binding. Stump them at your own financial, personal peril.)

In Denton on the same night the greasers will flock to the Royal Sons show and the soashes will line up for Black Tie on the Near Southside, The Troumatics are releasing a new single, “All These Forces,” and playing Harvest House (331 E Hickory St, 940-218-6148) at 8pm with Good Latimer and Learning Names. Cover is $2. Two smackers!

And in Arlington the night before (Fri, May 10), One-Eyed Monsters will play Binion’s Ice House (205 N West St, Arlington, 817-617-2088) at 8:30pm. The band will do two sets of Sabbath (!) and one set of their own stuff. — Anthony Mariani

Third Weekend

Cut Throat Finches are playing Fort Worth and Richardson. Their album/video release party at Silver Wheels Skate Center (7628 Corina Dr, White Settlement, 817-246-9094) is 8pm Thu, May 16. DJ Son of Stan will be “spinning vinyl hits for roller-kicks” and playing songs from Cut Throat’s upcoming album Unraveled, plus you’ll get a first look at the video for “Bad Habit,” shot by Chris Botvidson of Fuel & Spark Media FW. The $20 cover includes your skate rental. The event is BYOB.

Then, on Sat, May 18, Cut Throat plays at noon at the annual Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival at Galatyn Park (2351 Performance Dr, Richardson, 972-744-4580). Featuring dozens of artists and headlined by Nile Rodgers & Chic, Randy Rogers Band, AWOLNATION, Grouplove, KC & The Sunshine Band, and Sister Sledge, this three-day extravaganza is offering daily tickets for $30 or weekend passes for $65 at WildflowerFestival.com.

4 Ya Soul has a show in the lounge at HearSay (1711 E Randol Mill Rd, Arlington, 817-591-1700) at 7:30 pm Fri, May 17. Some seating allows for only cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to be ordered, while others serve the full menu. There is no cost to attend, but call ahead to reserve the type of table you prefer.

Itchy Richie & The Burnin’ Sensations are playing Adair’s Saloon (2624 Commerce St, Dallas, 214-939-9900) 6pm Fri, May 17, with the Bom-Bom-Boms, Danny Conrad, Dead Mountain Talk, and Mystery Light Switch. Cover is $15.

Fourth & Fifth Weekends

One of the buzziest bands in town, punch-stuff-punk rockers LABELS will tear into the Boiled Owl Tavern (909 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-920-9616) on Wed, May 29, with STADIUM, a new “noisy, jazz-punk live-duo thing,” says Son of Stan himself, Jordan Richardson, who’ll be accompanied by fellow STADIUMer Robert Ellis and, on loops and other zounds, Dallas’ Jay Jernigan.

At 8pm Fri, May 31, at the Rose Chapel at Southside Preservation Hall (1519 Lipscomb St, Fort Worth, 817-926-2800), literary folk singer-songwriter Keegan McInroe and his band will celebrate the release of his new album, Dusty Passport and Empty Beds, with opener Garrett Owen. Cover is $15 cover.

And like every third Wednesday, homies Generational Wealth play The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW) at 8pm Wed, May 22. No cover. — Anthony Mariani

The Local List

Several local artists gave us the full rundown on the very busy month ahead.

Indie-poppers Big Heaven have two dates in May, both near the end of the month. The first is Sat, May 25, at Division Brewing’s Growl Records (509 E Abram St, Arlington, 682-252-7639) with King Booty Disco and Stereo Friends. No cover. The second is Fri, May 31, with Oatmeal Pizza and Uh Oh Jiminy at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW). Cover is $10.

Denver Williams is a busy guy. He has a free solo show at Gustos Burger Bar + More (1229 7th Av, Fort Worth, @___gustos) noon-3pm Sat, May 11, before heading to Division Brewing’s Growl Records (509 E Abram St, Arlington, 682-252-7639) for the rescheduled Henry the Archer LP release party at 8pm along with Mean Motor Scooter.

Then Williams has more free solo shows, at Pouring Glory (1001 Bryan Av, Fort Worth, 682-707-5441) 1pm-4pm Sat, May 18, and at Rahr & Sons Brewing (701 Galveston Av, Fort Worth, 817-810-9266) 6pm-9pm Wed, May 22. Williams will soon announce late-May shows celebrating the first single release from the upcoming album from Denver Williams & The Gas Money. For updates, visit DenverWilliams.com.

Folk-pop singer-songwriter Simone Nicole’s new project, Runaway Sky, just released their first single, “Arizona,” and have a ton of upcoming dates. Her free gigs are at Woodshed Smokehouse (3201 Riverfront Dr, Fort Worth, 817-877-4545) 6:30pm this Saturday and Sun, May 12; at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW) with Carvajal 8:30pm Wed, May 15; and at Burnett Park (501 W 7th St, Fort Worth, 817-870-1692) noon-1pm Wed, May 22. Nicole will also join Billy King & The Bad Bad Bad and Captain Moon & The Silver Spoons 8pm Sun, May 26, at The Cicada. Cover is $10.

Broke String Burnett is putting the “crosstown” in Crosstown Sounds with May shows in Fort Worth, Garland, and Dallas. He’ll play a free concert at Intrinsic Smokehouse Brewery + BBQ (509 W State St, Garland, 972-272-2400) with Slow Moving Snakes 6pm Sat, May 11, and he’ll be at Double Wide (3510 Commerce St, Dallas, 469-872-0191) with Seth Anderson, Animals Together, and Better Now 9pm Sat, May 25. Cover is $15.

Between those two dates is Broke String Burnett & The Big Iron’s Single Release Party for a mystery track from their upcoming album Bloodvein at The Cicada (1002 S Main St, Fort Worth, @The_Cicada_FTW, $10 cover) with the Half Guided Hearts, Poppy Xander, and the Rock Bottom String Band 9pm Fri, May 17.

The Matthew Show has three local gigs this month, all in various forms. The trio version will be at Bankhead Brewing (611 University Dr, Fort Worth, 817-439-9223) 7pm Sat, May 18 (no cover), and the duo iteration will play Birdie’s Social Club (2736 W 6th St, Fort Worth, 817-888-8914) 7pm Sat, May 18 (free via Prekindle RSVP). Matthew’s third May concert will be a free solo one at Aloft Hotel (334 W 3rd St, Fort Worth, 817-885-7999) 9pm Fri, May 31.

To be included for June, email me at Jennifer@fwweekly.com and I’ll reach out to your band when the time comes.