With the start of the school year just around the corner, many people are taking one last summer vacation, including, it seems, event organizers. New events are scarce this weekend, with the most interesting ones mostly being big-time acts making stops on their national tours.
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, August 6
Cry Havoc Theater Company presents The (out)Siders Project
Inspired by the novel, The Outsiders, and generated from first person essays and accounts from teens, The (out)Siders Project is a multimedia theater piece featuring teens from across the Dallas area. Cry Havoc Theater Company, which is dedicated to giving young people opportunities in theater, will present the production at Latino Cultural Center through Saturday.
Friday, August 7
5 Seconds of Summer in concert
For the past few years, boy band 5 Seconds of Summer has played second fiddle to that other numeral-based boy band, One Direction. But now that 1D seems to be splintering, it's 5 Seconds' chance to shine, as they'll headline in Dallas for the first time, playing at Gexa Energy Pavilion in support of their self-titled 2014 album.
Wendy Williams' Sit Down Tour: Too Real for Stand Up
There's pretty much nothing that Wendy Williams hasn't tried her hand at in media, whether it's being a radio host, television host, actress, author or comedian. She'll bring a little of all of that to this appearance at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, at which she promises to give out straight talk as only she can.
Saturday, August 8
Local Brews, Local Grooves
Pairing craft beer and bands has been a concept that's grown in popularity the past few years, to the point where it seems that similar festivals are taking place every month. The second annual Local Brews, Local Grooves will keep it, well, local by featuring breweries like Community Beer Company and Rahr & Sons alongside music from The Demigs, Jessie Frye, The Effinays and more.
Rascal Flatts in concert with Scotty McCreery and RaeLynn
For their annual visit to Gexa Energy Pavilion, Rascal Flatts unfortunately doesn't have any new music to showcase, as their latest album is still 2014's Rewind, the same one they were promoting during their stop last year. But that just gives them more of a chance to play their old hits, which they'll do following opening acts Scotty McCreery and RaeLynn.
Sunday, August 9
Deep Purple in concert with David George and The Roaming Soldiers
It's the rare band that can claim to have put out new music for close to 50 years, but classic rockers Deep Purple are such a band. They've put out 18 albums since their debut in 1968, including Now What?! in 2013. They'll revisit their extensive catalog at this concert at Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie, with support from opening act David George and The Roaming Soldiers.
Monday, August 10
Shania Twain in concert with Gavin DeGraw
Okay, yes, this isn't taking place on the weekend, but a visit from Shania Twain is so rare that we can't help but include it. Twain is on her first tour in 11 years, and it's also supposedly her last one, though she, like George Strait, reserves the right to do a one-off show every now and again. Catch her while you can at American Airlines Center, where she'll be joined by opening act Gavin DeGraw.
Shania Twain will make her final tour appearance in Dallas when she plays at American Airlines Center on August 10.
