Weekend Event Planner

These are the 9 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

The events in and around Dallas this weekend have music on the brain. The majority of them are concerts, ranging from superstars to a local a cappella group that has hit it big. There will also be the national tour of a Broadway musical, a well-known comedian, the final day of a touring art exhibit, and a great movie you can watch outdoors.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, July 26

Dallas Summer Musicals presents Love Never Dies: The Phantom Returns
This story of boundless love is the sequel to Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The Phantom of the Opera, one of the most successful musicals of all time. Ten years after his disappearance from the Paris Opera House, the Phantom has escaped to a new life in New York. He has finally found a place for his music to soar, but he has never stopped yearning for his one true love and musical protégé, Christine. The musical will run through August 5 at the Music Hall at Fair Park.

Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Brandy in concert with Raheem DeVaughn
Kenny Edmonds, better known as Babyface, is in the unique position of having produced many more hit songs than he's ever sung himself. He's helped artists like Whitney Houston, Boys II Men, and Madonna reach No. 1, but has somehow never gotten there himself. He's also worked with Brandy, who will co-headline this concert at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie. They'll be joined by opening act Raheem DeVaughn.

Pentatonix in concert with Echosmith and Calum Scott
Arlington's own Pentatonix has become the most famous a cappella group in the world today. After winning NBC's The Sing-Off in 2011, they released a series of hit albums, including the No. 1 albums Pentatonix and A Pentatonix Christmas. They'll perform at Dos Equis Pavilion in support of their new album, PTX Presents: Top Pop, Vol. I. They'll be joined by opening acts Echosmith and Calum Scott.

Friday, July 27

Steve Miller Band in concert with Peter Frampton
The legendary Steve Miller Band, known for songs like "The Joker," "Livin' in the USA," "Take the Money and Run," "Rock'n Me," "Fly Like an Eagle," "Jet Airliner," "Jungle Love," and "Abracadabra," comes to Allen Event Center for a retrospective of their long and distinguished career. They'll be joined by the equally legendary Peter Frampton, known for songs like "Baby I Love Your Way" and "I'm in You."

David Archuleta in concert
It's been 10 years since the then 18-year-old David Archuleta won the hearts of many fans on the seventh season of American Idol, eventually finishing second to rocker David Cook. Though he has not become as big as some other Idol alumni, he's sold enough albums to keep him going in the business. He'll perform at Arlington Music Hall in support of his 2017 album, Postcards in the Sky.

Saturday, July 28

Bill Burr in concert
Comedian Bill Burr is a regular of the late night shows who's also a familiar face on TV shows like Chappelle's Show and Breaking Bad. He also has a hit comedy podcast and can soon be seen in the film The Front Runner with Hugh Jackman and heard as part of the cast of his Netflix show, F is for Family. He'll perform an early show and late show at the Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory in Irving.

Jason Aldean in concert with with Luke Combs and Lauren Alaina
Jason Aldean is one country superstar who loves Dallas, as he seems to come back to the area every year. And no wonder he does, as he releases an album every couple of years, including 2018's Rearview Town, which went to No. 1 just like five of his previous six albums. He'll play at Dos Equis Pavilion with support from opening acts Luke Combs and Lauren Alaina.

Sunday, July 29

Dallas Museum of Art presents "Laura Owens" closing day
Sunday is the final day to see the "Laura Owens" exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art. It's the most comprehensive exhibition of the artist’s 20-year career, featuring over 60 paintings and objects from the mid-1990s until today. Owens has pioneered an innovative, and at times controversial, approach to painting that has made her one of the most influential artists of her generation.

Alamo Drafthouse presents Pix on the Plaza
The second week of Pix on the Plaza, a free summer outdoor screening series taking place every Sunday outside of Alamo Drafthouse Las Colinas, will feature a screening of Finding Nemo. There will be pre-show activities themed to the movie like bounce houses, music, face painters, games, tasty treats, themed non-alcoholic beverages, and other fun surprises.

David Archuleta will perform at Arlington Music Hall on July 27.

Photo courtesy of The Tobin Center for the Performing Arts

David Archuleta will perform at Arlington Music Hall on July 27.

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Movie Review

Dual murder plans go awry in bloodily funny Over Your Dead Body

Photo courtesy of IFC Films

Jason Segel and Samara Weaving on Over Your Dead Body.

When dysfunctional couples are depicted in movies, about the worst that typically happens is an acrimonious divorce. But in the new comedy/thriller Over Your Dead Body, the husband-and-wife have already gone way past that point by the time they’re introduced to the audience, with their plans leaning toward murder.

Dan (Jason Segel) is a low-level filmmaker relegated to directing pop-up ads, while Lisa (Samara Weaving) is an actor making do in small theater productions. The film finds them heading toward a rare getaway to a remote lake cabin, but it’s clear from the start that the married couple has been at odds for months, if not years. As the film begins, Dan clumsily drops hints at an alibi for his planned murder of Lisa to his ailing dad (Paul Guilfoyle) and others.

His shoddy planning was already sussed out by Lisa, who turns the tables on him when he tries to attack her, revealing a plan of her own. The situation naturally heightens their shared enmity of each other, but their blind hatred turns out to reveal the presence of Pete (Timothy Olyphant) and Todd (Keith Jardine), two escapees from a nearby prison who were helped by guard Allegra (Juliette Lewis). What was once a shared murder plan turns into a fight for survival, forcing Dan and Lisa to work together.

Directed by Jorma Taccone (The Lonely Island) and written by former SNL writers Nick Kocher and Briand McElhaney, the film aims to mine comedy out of darkness. Dan and Lisa’s ire for each other is palpable, and their interactions early in the film are uncomfortable. As the film turns increasingly violent with the introduction of other unsavory characters, most of the humor is derived from the creative ways people are attacked and the ultraviolence that results from them going after each other.

It’s a little tough to get fully invested in the story when the filmmakers throw the audience directly into the plot with almost zero setup. There’s not even a cursory montage of Dan and Lisa being in love, so it’s hard to care a lot about their current hate for each other. Likewise, the presence of the prison guard and escapees is completely random, and the three of them aren’t utilized well in the story despite having a couple of well-known actors portraying them.

The saving grace of the film, though, is the twists and turns it takes in the final act. Everyone on screen is put through the wringer, with each of them suffering multiple injuries or worse. The mayhem becomes so chaotic that it’s almost impossible to tell what’s going to happen next, which slightly makes up for the fact that the story as a whole is lackluster. Even though the audience knows they’re being manipulated, the sequences are entertaining enough to overcome that fact.

The cast as a whole is solid. Segel (How I Met Your Mother, Shrinking) uses his comic sensibility to keep the proceedings light. Weaving (Ready or Not) has done multiple movies in this vein, so she knows how to navigate the comedy/thriller waters. Olyphant feels a little out of place, but he has a presence that elevates his part. Lewis goes a little too manic in her part, and Jardine ably embodies the dumb brute.

The comedy history of Taccone, Segel, and Weaving keeps Over Your Dead Body as a positive experience even when the story doesn’t quite measure up. The film never becomes fully predictable, giving the audience a great dose of pandemonium that lifts it up despite its other faults.

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Over Your Dead Body is now playing in theaters.

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