Allow me to suggest a musical New Year’s resolution: Plan your concert outings earlier. One of the greatest unsung aspects of a live-music experience is the anticipation of it. When you know you’re going to see a favorite artist and have weeks or months to think about it, you can take those long journeys through the artist’s music and mythology. I’m doing as much with Billy Joel before his show hits American Airlines Center on Jan. 22.
So if you’ve got a little extra holiday scratch and want to start building that concert excitement, consider 10 notable productions hitting North Texas in the next three months. Find event and ticket info by clicking on the hyperlinks for each event:
JOSH ABBOTT BAND (Jan. 2 and 3 at Billy Bob's Texas): This Lubbock country collective is riding high on the success of its feel-good single "Hangin' Around," but there's plenty of solid older material to pack into this two-night stand in Fort Worth.
EX HEX (Jan. 9 at Club Dada): It's easy to enjoy Rips, the new album from veteran rocker Mary Timony's latest band. Full of snarling guitars and retro-styled rock melodies, the songs should translate well to Dada's intimate environs.
ASTRONAUTALIS (Jan. 10 at Three Links): Though the alt-hip-hop artist is now based in Minneapolis, North Texans will always claim him because he spent his formative musical years among us. Shows never disappoint thanks to the rapper's undying energy onstage.
SHOVELS AND ROPE (Jan. 28 at South Side Music Hall): South Carolina spouses Michael Trent and Cary Ann Hearst infuse their no-frills recordings with country, rock and blues structures. I'm drawn to their distinctively world-weary singing voices, heard together and separately on three albums to date.
CHRIS BROWN AND TREY SONGZ (Feb. 6 at American Airlines Center): The dynamic dance-pop artist Brown and the smooth R&B crooner Songz make their intentions abundantly clear in the title of their "Between the Sheets Tour" — this one's for the ladies. They'll round out their suggestive hits with an opening set from rapper Tyga.
BOB SEGER (Feb. 12 at American Airlines Center): New bands constantly try to bottle the rock 'n' roll magic that Seger created in his peak. Arena-rock staples such as "Night Moves," "Turn the Page" and "Against the Wind" don't come easily. The house should ignite when Seger hits the AAC stage.
THE AVETT BROTHERS (Feb. 27 and 28 at South Side Ballroom): It wouldn't hurt the crowd at this show to lean in and listen more carefully than usual. This North Carolina foursome delivers its rootsy country-folk with impressive precision. Their blend of instruments and voices can be more intoxicating than anything from a glass.
RYAN BINGHAM AND LUCERO (March 6 at South Side Ballroom): What a smart pairing for a country-rock show. Bingham and Lucero frontman Ben Nichols both use raw, scratchy singing voices to thrilling effect.
JOHN MELLENCAMP (March 7 at McFarlin Auditorium): Even if you don't follow Mellencamp's every musical move, you probably know enough of his hits to be able to sing along throughout his concert. That said, he could throw out a few smashes in favor of newer, acoustic-driven tracks from the recent album Plain Spoken.
TV ON THE RADIO (March 19 and 20 at the Granada Theater): The Brooklyn band recently put out its fifth studio album, Seeds, a synth-pop-leaning collection that sounds downright catchy compared with earlier efforts. But the band's musical adventurousness is what keeps fans and critics coming back.
