Kendrick Lamar
Jul. 14, 6 pm
American Airlines Center
The title of Lamar’s 2017 album, DAMN., feels like a terse summation of his still burgeoning career, which practically demands to be spoken of in all-caps imperatives. He can rhyme interdimensional circles around your favorite rapper, sure. Inviting Lamar to guest on a song is basically transferring ownership papers to him. (See: Big Sean’s “Control,” to name his most hostile takeover.) But those rhymes also delve deeply into subjects—police brutality, poverty, the hypocrisy of the well-intentioned—many of his peers avoid for the sake of their “brand.” Lamar, at his fearless best, leaves you mopping sweat off your brow. Damn, indeed.
An Evening With Neil Gaiman
Jul. 7, 7:30 pm
Winspear Opera House
The television adaptation of his novel American Gods may introduce the prolific writer to a broader audience, but we’ll always know him as the gothic dreamer behind The Sandman comics.
Idina Menzel
Jul. 30, 7 pm
Verizon Theatre
Your kids will know her as the voice of Elsa from Frozen, while the Broadway lover in your family will know Menzel from just about everything, including Rent and Wicked.
Tim and Eric
Jul. 31, 8 pm
Majestic Theatre
This duo’s absurdist comedy is an acquired taste picked up by those with a high tolerance for irony, late-night infomercials, psychedelics, and American culture’s embarrassing flab.
Earth, Wind & Fire and Chic featuring Nile Rodgers
Jul. 23, 6:30 pm
American Airlines Center
These two enduringly popular bands are billing this jaunt as the “2054” tour, which is appropriate, because music this futuristic and funky still feels like it came from a time machine.
Styled With Poise
Jul. 8–Jan. 7
Crow Collection of Asian Art
Paintings and prints from Japan’s Edo period show how some forms of art went from being an exclusive elite privilege to a fact of common life, from mementos to celebrity portraits.
A Star-Spangled Spectacular
Jul. 4, 1 pm
Meyerson Symphony Center
“God Bless America” may sound fine coming from tinny radio speakers during a fireworks show, but audiophile Uncle Sam wants you to do better. Just hear the Dallas Winds play their patriotic hearts out with the best acoustics in town.
Finding Neverland
Jul. 11–23
Winspear Opera House
This musical puts a fresh spin on the tale of the ageless boy wonder, incorporating real life Peter Pan creator J.M. Barrie into its pixie dusted, magical world.
Lawrence Wright
Jul. 25, 7:30 pm
Horchow Auditorium at Dallas Museum of Art
The Austin-based, Pulitzer-winning journalist has made a national name taking on Scientology and al-Qaida. His latest book, The Terror Years, which he’ll discuss here, focuses more on the latter.
Third Eye Blind and Silversun Pickups
Jul. 15, 7 pm
Starplex Pavilion
Calling this the “Summer Gods” tour feels a little presumptuous, but we’d be willing to meet them halfway and settle on something like “Upper Tier Alternative Rock Deities.”
The Bodyguard
Jul. 18–30
Music Hall at Fair Park
Unlike most musicals, The Bodyguard has songs by Whitney Houston, a strong mark in its favor. And while “I Will Always Love You” is a karaoke favorite, it’s best left to Broadway professionals.
Hit the Wall
Jul. 28–Aug. 20
WaterTower Theatre
Joanie Schultz, WaterTower’s new artistic director, helms this production of the acclaimed play about the 1969 Stonewall riots, a look at the birth of the gay rights movement and the discrimination it still faces.
Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson, Sheryl Crow, and more
Jul. 2, 3 pm
Starplex Pavilion
When the roots rocking Avett Brothers are listed third on the bill, you better bring in some big headliners. Mission accomplished. For country music fans—heck, for music fans—it does not get much better than this.
Nature/Culture
Jul. 15–Dec. 10
Amon Carter Museum of American Art
Photographs illustrate the often confused relationship between our natural surroundings and the things we create in this broad exhibition.
The Necessities
Jul. 5–29
Bryant Hall at Kalita Humphreys Theater campus
Second Thought Theatre premieres this play about four confused and lonely people—are there any other kind?—trying to make sense of life in a small East Texas town.
I Love the ‘90s with TLC, Naughty By Nature, and more
Jul. 29, 6 pm
Verizon Theatre
We’re about ready to get on with things and kick off some “I Love the ‘00s” tours, but we get it. It’s hard to move on from the decade that gave us “No Scrubs,” “O.P.P.,” and “No Diggity.”
Sex With Strangers
Through Jul. 23
Stage West
Youth and middle age, digital and print, authenticity and branding, all rubbing each other raw in this steamy play about a twentysomething blogger and 40-year-old novelist butting heads and bumping uglies.
Neil Diamond
Jul. 18, 6:30 pm
American Airlines Center
There are two types of people in the world, and it’s the ones who like Neil Diamond that lead happier lives. Diamond gets to pull from a hefty songbook for this 50th anniversary tour.
The Bible: The Complete Word of God (abridged)
Jul. 7–Aug. 13
Amphibian Stage Productions
A hilarious sprint through the Good Book’s 66 books, The Bible is shallow on theological depth but adept at finding the fun in some of history’s most popular stories.
DJ Shadow
Jul. 22, 7 pm
House of Blues
Shadow was mashing up and splicing together samples from dozens of songs back before computers made that sort of thing easy, and the old-timer’s production work still sounds fresher than any modern MacBook jam.
La Cage Aux Folles
Jul. 14–30
Kalita Humphreys Theater
Meetings between soon-to-be in-laws are always awkward, even moreso when, in this toe-tapping musical, the groom’s parents are two men operating a drag club, the bride’s a homophobic right-wing political power couple.
Frida Fest
Jul. 6, 6 pm
Dallas Museum of Art
For what would have been Frida Kahlo’s 110th birthday, help the DMA set a world record by throwing on a shawl and drawing on a unibrow. Guinness will need both to verify that this is truly the “largest gathering of people dressed as Frida Kahlo in one place.”
Leon Bridges’ Birthday Bash
Jul. 7, 10 pm
It’ll Do
DJ Sober is on the decks for this celebration of the homegrown soul singer, who is turning 28.
Hans Zimmer Live On Tour
Jul. 13, 8 pm
Verizon Theatre
The film composer, whose most prominent credit may still be The Lion King, has also closely associated his bombastic sound with the films of Christopher Nolan (The Dark Knight, Inception), and its big screen grandiosity seems perfect for a concert hall.
Asian Film Festival of Dallas
Jul. 13–20
Angelika Film Center
Highlights of this year’s festival include movies from Japan, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Indonesia, and other countries on the world’s largest continent (as well as selections from Asian-American filmmakers). Most of these films aren’t otherwise coming to a theater near you, and the lineup spans a continent and every genre conceivable. What more reason do you need?
