Weekend Event Planner

These are the 10 best things to do in Dallas this weekend

It's a throwback concert weekend in Dallas, as multiple musicians who made their rise in the business years ago are coming back to treat their fans. Additionally, there are visits from two nationally known comedians, an intriguing new theater production, an international dance troupe, art in nature, and a unique celebration of a big holiday.

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, April 13

Sebastian Maniscalco: Why Would You Do That Tour
Sebastian Maniscalco, Just for Laughs’ 2016 Stand Up Comedian of the Year, captivates his audiences with his over the top, silly hyper-exaggerated body language and hilarious facial expressions. His Italian machismo persona fits him like a glove as he goes off on the funniest riffs on life’s minor irritations. He performs at Majestic Theatre.

Undermain Theatre presents Really
Undermain Theatre presents the latest play from award-winning playwright Jackie Sibblies Drury, Really, in which three people’s lives intertwine through the art of photography as they search for the truth of their common history. The tense and telling play about artists, legacy, and the ephemeral nature of time plays every Wednesday through Saturday until May 6.

Bob Weir & the Campfire Band in concert
The Grateful Dead may be no more, but you can still get that Dead feeling when Bob Weir, one of the founding members of the legendary band, brings his Campfire Band to the Music Hall at Fair Park in support of his album, Blue Mountain. The album is Weir’s first solo record in 10 years and his first album of entirely original material in 30 years.

Friday, April 14

TITAS presents Che Malambo
The Argentina-based company, Che Malambo, performs precise footwork and rhythmic stomping, drumming of the bombos, and singing and whirling boleadoras (lassos with stones on the end). A percussive dance and music spectacle, the company’s work celebrates the unique South American cowboy tradition of the gaucho. The all-male company performs at Dallas City Performance Hall on both Friday and Saturday.

Improv Arlington presents Damon Wayans Jr.
Damon Wayans Jr. has continued the Wayans comedy dynasty that started when his dad (Damon), his uncles (Keenan Ivory and Shawn), and his aunt (Kim) burst onto the scene in the '80s with In Living Color. He's established himself in his own right, starring in movies like How To Be Single and Let’s Be Cops, and on the TV series like Happy Endings and New Girl. He performs four stand-up sets at Improv Arlington, two each on both Friday and Saturday.

Saturday, April 15

Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden presents "ZimSculpt"
The latest art exhibit to be displayed at Dallas Arboretum is "ZimSculpt," a world renowned exhibition of modern Zimbabwean stone sculptures that features over 200 sculptures, the largest collection ever assembled for a show in the U.S. Known as Shona sculpture, these contemporary pieces can be as large as 7 feet tall and are hand-carved from stone, as hard as granite, and often weigh tons. The exhibit is on display through July 31.

Edie Brickell & New Bohemians in concert
Edie Brickell is a Dallas original, having grown up in Oak Cliff and attending both Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing Arts and SMU. She jumped to stardom in the '80s with her band, New Bohemians, thanks to hits like "What I Am." The current lineup plays at The Kessler for a special reunion concert.

The 1975 in concert with Pale Waves and Colouring
British alt-rock band The 1975 has made waves with their first two albums, and not just because of hits like "Love Me" and "Somebody Else." Their latest album is notable both for going straight to No. 1 on the Billboard charts and for its long and vaguely creepy title, I Like It When You Sleep, for You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware of It. They play at Allen Event Center with opening acts Pale Waves and Colouring.

Morrissey in concert
There are few musicians that are harder to pin down than Morrissey. The former Smiths frontman is notorious for postponing or canceling concerts, having done so locally twice just last year. And wouldn't you know it, he just lost his voice in Tucson and canceled his April 12 concert in San Antonio. If he can make this date at Majestic Theatre, his fans will finally be able to hear songs from his latest album, 2014's World Peace Is None Of Your Business, live, along with other tunes from throughout his career.

Sunday, April 16

Easter in Lee Park
After church or brunch on Easter, head over to Lee Park for the annual Easter in Lee Park. The festival features The Real Housewives of Dallas’ LeeAnne Locken and lifestyle guru Steve Kemble, who is emceeing the festivities. The event includes the famed Lee Park Pooch Parade, live music from the Gypsy Playboys and DJ Jen Miller, an Easter egg hunt, photos with the Easter Bunny, food trucks, and more.

Easter in Lee Park takes place on April 16.

Photo courtesy of Lee Park and Arlington Hall Conservancy

Easter in Lee Park takes place on April 16.

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Movie Review

Podcaster lets creepy noises get under her skin in Undertone

Photo courtsy of A24

Nina Kiri in Undertone.

While the horror genre is still capable of producing some innovative filmmaking, most of the output tends to fall back on jump scares and other tropes to deliver their terror. So when a film like the new Undertone tries something different, it should be applauded for the effort, even if it’s not as successful in its execution.

Evy (Nina Kiri) is a podcaster who co-hosts a show called Undertone, which focuses on paranormal videos and sounds they find on the internet. Her co-host, Justin (Adam DiMarco), lives in London, so - for kind of contrived reasons - in order to make the time difference between them work, Evy records at around 3 am her time. Evy - who lives at home with her bedridden, dying mother - is the skeptic of the two, consistently debunking clips that Justin presents to her.

Her doubts are tested when Justin brings in a series of 10 audio clips that purport to be about a boyfriend recording his girlfriend as she talks in her sleep. The audio begins in a lighthearted manner and quickly turns creepy and then sinister as unexplained things start happening. Evy senses that what she’s hearing is bleeding into her own world, especially when inexplicable actions take place in her mother’s bedroom.

Written and directed by first-time feature filmmaker Ian Tuason, the film is effective early on when it introduces the story concept. Making great use of sound design, Tuason essentially puts the audience inside Evy’s head, where every little sound is heightened. Setting the podcast sessions in the middle of the night ups the anxiety level for both her and the audience.

However, as the film goes along it gets a little tedious watching Evy listen to the audio, even as Tuason attempts to keep the film dynamic by moving the camera around her. The premise of the story - progressively going through 10 clips - and Tuason’s framing of shots that focus as much on the background as they do on Evy seem to promise more interesting results than actually transpire.

What ultimately holds the film down more than anything is its lack of different viewpoints. The only other person who’s actually seen is Evy’s mother, who is unable to speak. Evy speaks to Justin, another friend, and a doctor over the course of the story, and while each broadens our understanding of Evy somewhat, none of them make her a truly three-dimensional person. Getting a little more information about her history might have helped the story work better.

Kiri does her level best to vary her acting in the various podcast scenes, and even when they start to get repetitive, she remains compelling and watchable. It’s difficult to judge the other actors based on audio alone, but knowing that DiMarco also starred in season 2 of The White Lotus helps to visualize him and his acting style.

Undertone does well in creating a spine-chilling mood, but it needed something beyond that to become a truly great horror movie. Tuason shows some promise as a filmmaker, especially in the way he uses the camera to create tension, but a more complete story will serve him better the next time around.

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Undertone is now playing in theaters,

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