Weekend Event Planner

Kenny Chesney and Dallas Music District Festival top best weekend events

UPDATE: The St. Vincent concert has been moved indoors, to the Winspear Opera House.

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It's another jam-packed weekend in Dallas-Fort Worth, and hopefully the weather will cooperate to let us enjoy it. There are no fewer than five high-profile concerts, three big festivals and, lest you forget, the return of our annual Tastemaker Awards.

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, May 14

CultureMap Dallas Tastemaker Awards
We've been revealing the nominees for weeks, and now you can finally see who has come out on top at the Tastemaker Awards at the Empire Room. Restaurants like American Food and Beverage, Cane Rosso, Luscher's Red Hots and Public School 214 dole out samples; Bartender of the Year candidates serve Herradura specialty cocktails; and two DJs ensure that the music doesn't stop.

New Kids on the Block in concert with TLC and Nelly
Folks, brace yourself: It's now been more than 30 years since New Kids on the Block officially got their start, which raises the question of whether you can still be called a boy band if you're pushing 50. You can judge for yourself if NKOTB still has it when they perform at American Airlines Center, along with opening acts TLC and Nelly.

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds in concert
No matter what Noel Gallagher does the rest of his life, he'll always have the shadow of Oasis hanging over him. The acrimonious break-up with his brother Liam in 2009 continues to linger despite the fact that Noel has released two albums with his solo outfit, High Flying Birds. He plays at the Majestic Theatre in support of his 2015 album, somewhat interestingly named Chasing Yesterday.

Friday, May 15

2015 Main Street Fest
Coinciding with National Craft Beer Week, the annual Main Street Fest in Grapevine once again centers on craft brew tasting experiences. But if beer is not your thing — or if you're not of age — there are plenty of great things to enjoy, including live music on five stages, a special kids zone and a carnival midway. The festival lasts through Sunday.

2015 Wildflower Arts and Music Festival
Over the years, the Wildflower Arts and Music Festival has slowly but surely become a player when it comes to drawing big-name bands. In addition to being a showcase for artists, it welcomes, among others, Minus the Bear, Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, Leon Russell, Fuel, Kansas, Everclear, and Wynonna and the Big Noise. The festival takes place at Galatyn Park in Richardson through Sunday.

Dave Matthews Band in concert
Dave Matthews Band is giving fans their money's worth these days. During both their 2014 and 2015 tours, the band, which performs at Gexa Energy Pavilion, has played two full sets – one acoustic and one electric — ensuring that each and every fan goes home happy.

Saturday, May 16

Dallas Music District Festival
Due to the weather, the inaugural Dallas Music District Festival won't be at its original location, but it should still be a great time for anyone interested in local and regional music. Now taking place in 410 Bedford St. in Trinity Groves on Saturday and Sunday, it features 20 bands, including Jessie Frye, Jonathan Tyler, Somebody's Darling, MOTHXR, Donald Cumming and Ishi.

Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean in concert
Last we saw country superstars Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean, they were both receiving trophies at the 50th annual ACM Awards at AT&T Stadium. They return to the scene of their triumphs to show exactly why they were deserving of the plaudits, with Chesney supporting his 2014 album, The Big Revival, and Aldean supporting his 2014 album, Old Boots, New Dirt. They are joined by Brantley Gilbert, Cole Swindell and Old Dominion.

Sunday, May 17

2015 Uptown Ciclovia
If any event is hoping for good weather on Sunday, it's this one. The second annual Uptown Ciclovia shuts down streets between Klyde Warren Park and Katy Trail so that cyclists, pedestrians, roller skaters and other non-motorized modes of transportation can enjoy a car-free area. There are loads of booths and activities, and if you want to do some shopping or eating at the stores and restaurants along the strip, all the better.

Soluna Festival: St. Vincent
The Soluna Festival continues for another week, but this concert is arguably one of the biggest highlights. Local girl made good St. Vincent returns home to play a special concert with several Dallas Symphony Orchestra musicians. Originally it was scheduled for Annette Strauss Square, but it has been moved indoors to the Winspear Opera House due to weather.

Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean perform at AT&T Stadium on May 16.

0012, RodeoHouston, Kenny Chesney concert, March 2013

Photo by © Michelle Watson CatchLightGroup.com

Kenny Chesney and Jason Aldean perform at AT&T Stadium on May 16.

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Movie Review

Great acting and directing drive The Christophers to artistic heights

Photo by Claudette Barius

Michaela Coel and Ian McKellen in The Christophers.

Director Steven Soderbergh is one of those filmmakers who — aside from the Ocean’s series — never seems to make the same kind of movie twice. He is somehow able to adapt his abilities to all sorts of different stories, making each of them as compelling as any other. His latest masterclass is in the London-set film, The Christophers.

Lori Butler (Michaela Coel), who restores art for a living, is approached by brother and sister Sallie and Barnaby Sklar (Jessica Gunning and James Corden) with a scheme. They want her to become the new assistant for their aging father, Julian (Ian McKellen), a famous artist known for a series called “The Christophers,” in order to gain access to unfinished paintings from the series and complete them herself.

Lori accepts the deal despite having some uneasy feelings about Julian, with whom she had a bad interaction years ago. Julian is just as wary, both because he knows of his children’s interest in the unfinished works, and because he would prefer to be left in peace. Although the trepidation on both sides continues for the bulk of the story, a grudging respect arises between two artists who know skill when they see it.

Directed by Soderbergh and written by Ed Solomon, who last collaborated on No Sudden Move, the film is astonishing in its ability to be compelling with such a small story. Much of the film is spent inside Julian’s multi-story home as Julian and Lori have low-level confrontations about a variety of things, including the meaning of his art, her abilities, the fate of the remaining “Christophers,” and more. Each conversation brings out more detail about their worldviews and their thoughts about their lot in life.

Much of the success of the film lies in the performances of McKellen and Coel. The 86-year-old McKellen has not lost his ability to astonish with the spoken word, and the monologues he delivers are engrossing even when they’re about mundane things. Coel, best known for the 2020 HBO show I May Destroy You, is a great foil for McKellen, never backing down from his challenges and giving her own unique takes on her lines.

While the film can be enjoyable for non-art lovers, those who appreciate the vagaries of the art world will have a lot to chew on. Soderbergh and Solomon debate a lot of aspects of art, including whether it’s possible to separate the art from the person making it, why some art is valued more than others, the ethics of forgery, and more. Because the film is about a fictional artist, it gives the filmmakers a bit more freedom in their criticisms.

Aside from McKellen and Coel, Gunning (Baby Reindeer) and Corden are the only other two people who get significant screen time in the film. Both of them are, let’s say, acquired tastes, and each gives an elevated performance that matches the energy of their respective characters. Tilly Botsford makes a nice impression in a small role as Julian’s masseuse.

Soderbergh’s last three films — Presence, Black Bag, and now The Christophers — have nothing in common other than the expert filmmaker helming all of them. When you can make a ghost story, a spy film, and a small film about artists equally interesting, you know you’re doing something right.

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The Christophers is now playing in theaters.

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