David Byrne | April 24, 7:30 p.m. | Winspear Opera House
Last month David Byrne released his first solo album since 2004. American Utopia unveiled itself with a funky single Brian Eno helped Byrne write called “Everybody’s Coming To My House.” The roads and plants and maps on the skin of a lover imagined by the Talking Heads frontman bloom in a surreal domestic paradise familiar to fans of the band. He’s promised this tour will be the most conceptual, theatrically, since the one Jordan Cronenweth filmed under the direction of Jonathan Demme for the painstakingly cool 1984 Talking Heads concert film Stop Making Sense.
OMD (Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark) | April 5, 7:30 p.m. | House of Blues
This English electronic band keeps listeners enrapt with a dazzling blend of new wave synth-pop and experimental sounds. Their 1986 megahit “If You Leave” put a dark sparkle in the fabric of pop culture when it played to close Pretty In Pink.
Slowdive | April 27, 8 p.m. | Granada Theater
No one can make walls of sound with as light a touch as Slowdive. The UK shoegaze band stretches the form with breezy, psychedelic guitar melodies, ethereal ambience and rhythms just tense enough to lull their fans into sight instead of sleep.
The Breeders | April 22, 7 p.m. | House of Blues
American rock took a swerve with The Breeders’ 1993 scorcher Last Splash. Kim Deal’s flatly sung confessions over enormous guitars and that irreverent drag in the rhythm section make this year’s comeback an anticipated one.
Miguel | April 4, 8 p.m. | House of Blues
This R&B artist juices funk for War & Leisure, the title of his most recent album and a solid phrase to describe both his philosophy of sex and his vision of Los Angeles.
Big K.R.I.T. | April 13, 7 p.m. | The Bomb Factory
Mississippi rapper Big K.R.I.T. lets hazy Dirty South sounds melt behind sharply-spat musings on women, the devil and gold. Look to the track “1999” for some Juvenile nostalgia.
Parquet Courts | April 28, 8 p.m. | Sons of Hermann Hall
Brooklyn post-punk revivalists Parquet Courts got their start in North Texas. When punk legend Mark E. Smith died in January, the band’s A. Savage covered a song by his group The Fall; the performance belongs squarely in 1979 Manchester.
Fortress Festival | April 28-29 | Fort Worth’s Cultural District
The weekend of the year for music in North Texas brings acts as varied and strong as De La Soul (seasoned earthy hip-hop) and Waxahatchee (new girl-power-folk-rock) together with local favorites Pearl Earl (psych-rock) and Midnight Opera (theatrical dream-pop.)
Haim | April 26, 8 p.m. | South Side Music Hall
These Los Angeles siblings embark on the Sister Sister tour with Lizzo. If you were holding out hope for another Fleetwood Mac, you’ll be encouraged by Haim’s understated hooks. If you crave blunt, piano-driven pop laced with rap, Lizzo’s your jam.
Dallas Arts Month
On occasion of the Dallas Art Fair April 13-15, Mayor Mike Rawlings’ designated month for education in all mediums includes poetry pop-ups by local artists and performances by exciting imports like L.A. Dance Project.
Whither Goest Thou America?: A Festival of New American Play Readings | April 11- May 6 | Undermain Theatre
Undermain has proven its place as a haven for new classics. Named for the question Kerouac asks in On The Road, this weekly showcase of staged readings—each by a different playwright— will unfold like a trip through American landscapes.
Where Earth Meets The Sky | April 13-29 | Cara Mía Theatre Co.
“Performed in English with some Spanish and languages not yet known,” reads a disclaimer with this sci-fi play, a portal to a sustainable future through the eyes of indigenous women and women of color. Expect depth from local writers Edyka Chilomé, Ariana Cook, and Vanessa Mercado Taylor.
Dallas Black Dance Theatre Encore! Rising Excellence | April 6-7 | Moody Performance Hall
SMU alum Shauna Davis is on the bill as a choreographer for this night of new work, focused on technical precision, passion and contemporary dance’s capacity for hypnosis. DBDT’s premier academy ensemble shows off with a performance, too.
Empathitrax | April 4-28 | Bryant Hall, Kalita Humphreys Theater
Ever wish you could know exactly what your significant other was feeling at any given moment? This play, directed for Second Thought Theatre by Carson McCain, gives its characters that superpower, and all they have to do is take a pill.
The Automobile Graveyard | April 8-29 | Teatro Dallas
Absurdist playwright Fernando Arrabal’s Jesus is the frontperson for a garage band. This reimagining of his crucifixion has all the betrayal of the original, but with lots more casual sex and a hotel setting.
Steal Away | April 5-8; April 13-15 | South Dallas Cultural Center
Five model church ladies sell baked goods to send young Black women to college in this play. Their efforts evolve into a quest for scholarships. They chase loans, hit a few snags with the banks, and end up robbing one.
David Sedaris | April 30, 7:30 p.m. | McFarlin Auditiorium
The elegant nonfiction writer and squeaky king of literary comedy hails from a family who trolled each other so much, he can fill shelves with the anecdotes. Sedaris appears behind his latest collections, designated as diaries.
Shea Serrano | April 27, 7 p.m. | Texas Theatre
This Houston teacher tried journalism when his pregnant wife was put on bedrest in 2007. His masterfully funny analysis of basketball teams and rap songs landed him at The Ringer. There’s a sitcom in development based on his life.
Foo Fighters | April 21, 8 p.m. | Starplex Pavilion
The relentlessly positive, unendingly productive Dave Grohl returns with his Seattle-born rock act Foo Fighters. One of the truest ways Kurt Cobain’s spirit lives, this band has spawned whole genres, like emo, that have now come and passed.
Bill Murray | April 14, 8 p.m. | Winspear Opera House
Bill Murray’s known to show up without an invitation, like he did at a kickball game on Roosevelt Island or in a stranger’s engagement photos with his shirt pulled up. He’ll for sure appear in Dallas with German cellist Jan Vogler to interpret America.
