With South by Southwest in Austin coming to an end this weekend, it'll be a music-heavy time in Dallas-Fort Worth. Not one but two different festivals take advantage of the glut of bands in the state, while three legendary music acts also make appearances.
If it's Savor Dallas you seek, we have info about that here.
Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Sunday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, March 19
Frontiers of Flight Museum presents Wings of Freedom Tour
Historical airplanes are the bread and butter of the Frontiers of Flight Museum, and this week the museum gets even more historical thanks to its annual Wings of Freedom Tour. Visitors can check out authentically restored aircraft every day through Sunday, and even take rides on a bomber or a Huey helicopter.
The Beach Boys in concert
Aside from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, you'd be hard-pressed to come up with a '60s band more iconic than the Beach Boys. Hits like "I Get Around," "Help Me Rhonda" and "Good Vibrations" remain as relevant today as they were 50 years ago. Mike Love and Bruce Johnston front this version of the band that plays at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.
Friday, March 20
2015 South by So What?! Music Festival
Although the name may indicate otherwise, organizers of this music festival actually love SXSW and showcase a lot of bands that played in Austin this week. Among the bands playing at the three-day festival at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie are Circa Survive, Motionless in White, Atreyu, Mayday Parade and Hatebreed.
Dallas Summer Musicals presents The King and I
Although Dallas Summer Musicals usually brings in national tours of Broadway shows, this presentation of The King and I is a rare self-production by DSM. It features all the songs you know and love, but the script has been revamped in this reinterpretation of the classic. It plays at Music Hall at Fair Park through April 5.
Hozier in concert
You can chart the status of Irish singer Hozier by the venues he's played or will play in Dallas. Back when he played at the Kessler on October 4, his song "Take Me to Church" had yet to become a hit. But it's been a top 10 mainstay since November, thus this move up to the House of Blues. If you don't catch him here, you can see him as part of Edgefest at the end of April.
Saturday, March 21
Dallas Opera presents La Boheme simulcast
For the past four years, the Dallas Opera has been bringing the world of opera to the people with free simulcasts of productions at AT&T Stadium. It returns this year with a performance of Puccini's La Bohème, upon which the musical Rent was based. The simulcast also features a screening of the classic Bugs Bunny cartoon What's Opera, Doc?
Bill Medley in concert
A few hit songs can sometimes make a person's entire career, as Bill Medley has proven. As part of the Righteous Brothers, Medley and Bobby Hatfield delivered immortal songs like "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" and "Unchained Melody." Medley sings songs from throughout his career at this special concert at Granada Theater.
Sunday, March 22
Spillover Music Fest 2015
As you can tell by the name, the parade of bands leaving Austin spill over into this festival in Deep Ellum. Venues like Trees, Club Dada, Off the Record and Three Links welcome a variety of bands, including LIARS, Pianos Become the Teeth, King Tuff, Jeff the Brotherhood, Viet Cong, The Shrine and Weedeater.
Stevie Wonder in concert
The career of Stevie Wonder has been so prolific that a listing of his five best songs is likely to cause an argument between fans. Luckily you won't have to choose at this concert at American Airlines Center, as Wonder sings every song from arguably his greatest album, Songs in the Key of Life, which include "Sir Duke," "Knocks Me Off of My Feet" and "Isn't She Lovely."
Stevie Wonder play at American Airlines Center on March 22.
