Weekend Event Planner

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

Music fans will be in heaven this weekend, as four separate events will highlight songs from the past and bring back plenty of retro good feelings. They include a musical based on a '90s movie and three concerts headlined by big-name singers or bands. Also on tap is a big boat sale, a celebration of a new way to date, late-night art events, a huge soccer tournament, and a chance to be part of a world record.

Below are the best options for your precious free time Thursday through Monday. Don't like what you see? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, July 20

2017 DFW Summer Boat Expo
Summer has long been underway, but it's never too late to find a boat at the DFW Summer Boat Expo, the largest boating event in North Texas. This show, taking place through Sunday at Dallas Market Hall, features more than 450 boat and watercraft models from over 20 North Texas boat dealers. Attendees can find their next boat or the accessories needed to better enjoy the on-water lifestyle.

Dallas Summer Musicals presents The Bodyguard
Based on the smash hit film, the award-winning musical The Bodyguard stars Grammy Award nominee and R&B star Deborah Cox. The musical, playing at the Music Hall at Fair Park through July 30, features a host of irresistible Whitney Houston classics, including “So Emotional," “Saving All My Love," “I Have Nothing," “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” and, of course, “I Will Always Love You.”

Friday, July 21

Bracket Dating App Launch Party
Bracket is a recently launched dating app that matches 16 users in tournament-based brackets based on profile preferences and a user-generated rating scale. To celebrate its launch, Bracket is hosting an exclusive launch party at Community Beer Company, featuring an open craft-beer bar, tasty bites from Abe’s Flavor Flave food truck, a DJ spinning jams all night, photo booth, swag, giveaways, and more. Use the code “CultureMap” for a $10 ticket discount.

Late Nights at the DMA / Nasher Sculpture Center presents 'til Midnight
Both the Dallas Museum of Art and Nasher Sculpture Center are offering some late night fun on Friday. The DMA's event is themed around its "Iris van Herpen: Transforming Fashion" exhibit, with visitors encouraged to dress up like Lady Gaga to get in for half price. The Nasher has concerts by Bryce and Sudie, followed by a screening of the great 2016 movie, Sing Street.

Saturday, July 22

2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup Semifinals
All has gone as the home fans had hoped, and the U.S men's soccer team, following a 2-0 win over El Salvador, will be in the Gold Cup semifinals taking place at AT&T Stadium, facing off against Costa Rica. The winner of the match on Saturday will then go on to the Gold Cup final, taking place on July 26 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

2017 World's Largest Super Soaker Battle
The 2nd Annual Super Soaker Battle at Maverick Stadium in Arlington is going for a world record. The current record held in the Guinness Book of World Records for “largest water pistol fight” is 3,875 participants. The goal for this event, which includes food, fun, games, giveaways, and more," is to get over 4,000 participants, but the actual number could be much larger. A portion of the proceeds from the event will be donated to Hope for the Warriors.

The Righteous Brothers in concert
With a string of No. 1 classics, including the most-played song in radio history, "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’," the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame duo of Bill Medley and Bobby Hatfield topped the charts for four decades. Although Hatfield died in 2003, Medley has kept The Righteous Brothers alive with new member Bucky Heard. The two will sing The Righteous Brothers' biggest hits at Arlington Music Hall.

Don Henley in concert
Legendary singer Don Henley is doing a special concert at American Airlines Center in celebration of his 70th birthday. The once-in-a-lifetime event will feature songs spanning Henley's entire career, from the Eagles and his vast solo catalog. Henley will be joined by several very special guests throughout the night.

Sunday, July 23

Earth, Wind & Fire in concert with CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers
Two of the most successful and critically acclaimed bands — Earth, Wind & Fire and CHIC ft. Nile Rodgers — will co-headline 2054 The Tour at American Airlines Center. 2054 The Tour features a guest DJ and a specialized seating configuration toward the front of the stage, where seats will have additional space between them to encourage audiences to dance the night away.

Deborah Cox stars in The Bodyguard at Music Hall at Fair Park through July 30.

Deborah Cox as Rachel Marron and Company in The Bodyguard

Photo by Joan Marcus

Deborah Cox stars in The Bodyguard at Music Hall at Fair Park through July 30.

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Listen up

Underground hi-fi 'listening bar' Shyboy opens in downtown Dallas

Photo courtesy of Shyboy

Shyboy lounge is new on Main Street in downtown Dallas.

A new lounge is turning up the volume beneath the streets of downtown Dallas: Shyboy, billed as Dallas' first "hi fi bar," will debut at 1313 Main St., in the subterranean level of The Drakestone building.

According to a release, opening weekend events will take place March 4-7.

The new nightlife concept comes from The Headington Companies, the folks behind the Joule hotel and other Main Street developments.

"Inspired by hi-fi listening bars around the world, with roots in Tokyo’s post-WWII 'jazz kissas,' Shyboy offers a social and listening experience unlike any other nightlife space, with progressive, genre-bending programming, signature hi-balls and cocktails, and two state-of-the-art OJAS sound systems, designed by Devon Turnbull," says the release. (Turnbull's speakers have been used in projects with Mark Ronson, Public Records in Brooklyn, and more.)

Jazz kissas are cafes that specialize in the playing of and listening to recorded jazz music; here, jazz is played for active listening rather than as background serenade.

Piggybacking on that idea, Shyboy will offer "an immersive environment where design, lighting, and atmosphere are treated as essential elements of the performance, inviting guests into a unique experience that blurs the line between listener and participant," they say.

The 3,000-square-foot underground space, once a bank vault in the historic Davis Building (renovated and rebranded as The Drakestone residential building in 2017), will house one of the most advanced sound systems in the city within its historic concrete "bones." Interiors were designed by acclaimed Dallas-based 5G Studio Collaborative.

The venue includes two distinct spaces. The main room functions as a social listening environment, where towering speakers double as sculptural focal points beneath curved underground ceilings.

A second chamber, called The Vault, is designed as a more intimate lounge for private events, sound classes, performances, and art exhibitions. The Vault’s entrance features an installation from artist Lachlan Turczan’s Optical Resonance series, which uses water and light to visibly respond to sound waves, the release says. The room also includes a newly commissioned reflective sculpture by Florentine artist Duccio Maria Gambi.

Shyboy’s inaugural month will include a lineup spanning house, deep grooves, soul, and global dance sounds. Opening weekend, March 4-7, will welcome talent like JT Donaldson (Shyboy music director), Dallas legend Red Eye, Sound Advice Vol. 1, Skeme Richards, Patrice Scott + Brandon Epocha, and Wamono Nights.

The calendar later in the year will feature appearances by celebrated DJs and producers such as Theo Parrish, Derrick Carter, Eli Escobar, Kai Alcé, and the Los Angeles-based listening collective In Sheep’s Clothing.

Shyboy’s cocktail menu starts at $13, and the bar will serve soft-serve ice cream.

Throughout March, there will be no cover charge for entry; for more information, visit the venue's website.

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