I spent a couple days this week convinced that I lost my backpack — contents: digital voice recorder, headphones, library-issued copy of a collection of short stories by Junot Diaz, several notebooks filled with work-related scribblings and bad poetry — on the DART rail (red line). I had nightmares about strangers (in my mind, these roles were played by monstrous doppelgangers of the cool kids from my high school) finding the backpack, listening to my interviews, laughing at my notes, and contributing to the late fees on my long-standing tab at the Richardson Public Library. Until last night, when I found the backpack hidden behind a couch at home. So that’s the kind of week I had.
But that’s enough about me. Let’s talk about you, Dallas. Let’s talk about your weekend. Is it going to rain? Oh yeah. Are there still a lot of awesome things to do? You bet. Should you let a little precipitation keep you from living this here North Texas lifestyle? Absolutely not.
Friday (05/15)
1. Let’s just put this disclaimer on everything happening outdoors this weekend: The weather might screw it all up. Check these events’ respective social media accounts for any weather-related programming changes.
Approach this one with caution because a.) The threat of potential bad weather led Gexa Energy Pavilion to cancel last weekend’s Lana Del Rey show at the absolute final minute, and b.) if you’re genuinely excited about seeing the Dave Matthews Band, you should see a psychiatrist. When the War Crimes Against Good Music tribunal finally forms, Dave Matthews will be among the first to face prosecution for his various sins. In other words, this isn’t my cup of tea, but I realize it might be yours, and that’s totally OK. The band’s (maybe) at Gexa.
2. This is one of the more compelling Late Night at the DMA lineups I’ve seen, so it’s probably worth popping into the museum tonight for its regular extended-hours shindig. Performance artist Kevin Beasley will explore the “physicality of sound” in Black Rocker, and a new exhibition of art from the time of the Incan Empire begins its stay.
3. (Outdoor warning): The culinary festival that rose in place of the deceased Taste of Addison gets going at Addison Circle Park. To my knowledge, ain’t nothing changed but the name at Fork & Cork, where you’ll still find plenty of food and live entertainment.
4. The Wildflower Festival (outdoor warning, but this seems to be moving full speed ahead) runs through the weekend at Richardson’s Galatyn Park. The family-friendly fest features performances by the universally friendly Pat Benatar, Kansas, Blue October, and a stacked lineup of other acts.
5. Gallery openings in the Design District,including an exhibit from Glaswegian artist Bronwen Leigh at Cydonia Galler, top our art recommendations for the weekend,
6. The Dallas Black Dance Theatre’s Spring Celebration runs through the weekend at the Wyly.
7. Only diehard Austen fans will find anything to love in the Dallas Theater Center’s mediocre Sense and Sensibility, and you’ll find more interesting fare in a tiny, tiny house on Mockingbird Lane with The Down Low.
Saturday (05/16)
8. The Command Performance Gala at the Winspear brings dancers from a variety of disciplines — ‘jookin’ aficionados next to ballerinas — for this big blowout.
9. “Framing Desire In Music” is the musical companion piece to the Fort Worth Modern’s ongoing exhibition of visual works exploring the line between reality and fantasy. That performance is at 2 pm.
10. The Dallas Symphony will perform an all-Bernstein concert, including a take on the composer’s kaddish, at the Meyerson. It’s a must-hear, as far as our classical music critic is concerned, and an emotionally gripping concert.
11. When you hold your new music festival in a floodplain, you run the risk of getting washed out. The Dallas Music District Festival moved about a mile down the road to a spot in Trinity Groves, but it’s set to march on rain or shine with performances from local heroes and a couple hip national acts. The Trinity River Wind Festival was altogether cancelled because of the weather.
Sunday (05/17)
12. St. Vincent and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra will move indoors to the Winspear for this concert, probably the most talked-about show running with the symphony’s new Soluna Festival. This should be a cool experiment for both pop and classical music fans.
13. Now that everybody and their cousin has a homebrewing operation running in their garage, the field at Brew Riot may be a little more crowded than it was when this beer competition got going in 2009. Diversity is a plus, though, and you could spend an entire weekend going through all the battling brews at this Bishop Arts fest.
14. Mad Max: Fury Road is an absolutely bonkers action film, and we loved at it as much as all the other critics giving it raves. A director from Richardson is behind the stereotype-shattering new movie, Where Hope Grows, which also goes into wide release this weekend. We talked with the director about the film over here.
