Summer Concert Preview

These are the 16 must-see concerts for summer 2023 in Dallas-Fort Worth

Musical acts go on tour all year-round but there's no concert season like summer concert season: Outdoor arenas and sheds open their doors, and major tours head out on the road, seizing on the more favorable weather to put on a big show.

Concert attendance is up up up in 2023: In a clear sign that the appetite for in-person music and entertainment events is back to normal, Live Nation Entertainment reported a 73 percent rise in revenue for 2023 so far, with predictions that this will be their best year ever.

This summer's lineup in Dallas-Fort Worth is especially packed, with big concerts coming through town almost every week.

Below are some of the most-anticipated concerts of the summer, listed in chronological order. While not a comprehensive list of every concert taking place, it should serve as a guide to the musicians people want to see the most. (For more listings, check our event calendar.)

Janet Jackson June 2, Dos Equis Pavilion
R&B star Janet Jackson makes a rare appearance in Dallas as part her ninth concert tour, Together Again. The tour will celebrate Jackson's 50th anniversary in entertainment and spotlight milestones for two of her most critically acclaimed albums - 25 years of The Velvet Rope, and 30 years of janet, featuring her biggest chart-topping hits, plus new music.

Koe Wetzel June 9, Dickies Arena in Fort Worth
There aren't many well-known people to come out of the East Texas small town of Pittsburg, but singer (and Fort Worth bar owner) Koe Wetzel is one of them. With a blend of music that mixes together country and rock, he's experienced a leap in popularity the last few years, with his latest album, 2022's Hell Paso, making his biggest impact yet, going to No. 3 on the Billboard Country charts.

Fall Out Boy June 28, Dos Equis Pavilion
Now 20 years into their career, Fall Out Boy remains almost as popular as they were at their peak. Best known for hit songs like "Sugar, We're Goin' Down," "Dance, Dance," and "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race," each of their albums since 2005, including the new So Much (for) Stardust, has made the top 10 on the Billboard 200, showing that their fans are still showing up even as they get into middle age.

Bryan Adams June 29, Dickies Arena, with Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
Rocker Bryan Adams can officially be considered a classic act, as he's been releasing music for over 40 years. With hits in the '80s like "Cuts Like a Knife," "Run to You," and "Heat of the Night," and hits in the '90s like "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You," "Please Forgive Me," and "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman?," Adams could easily rest on his laurels. But he's continue to put out new albums every few years, most recently 2022's So Happy It Hurts.

Outlaw Music Festival with Willie Nelson and Friends June 30, Dos Equis Pavilion with Whiskey Myers, Flatland Cavalry & Particle Kid
With the legendary Willie Nelson having just turned 90, every opportunity to see him in concert should be heeded. One of the most prolific singers of all time, Nelson recently released his 99th album I Don’t Know A Thing About Love, a staggering number that still only hints at the impact he's had on musicians far and wide.

blink-182 July 5, American Airlines Center
The version of blink-182 that fans grew to love in the late '90s/early 2000s hasn't been available for almost 10 years since singer/guitarist Tom DeLonge left the band in 2015. His return puts the band back at full force, with a new album rumored to be released later this year. For now, fans can revel in hits like "All the Small Things," "I Miss You," and "Up All Night."

Shania Twain July 21, Dos Equis Pavilion
For about 10 years, from the mid-'90s to the mid-2000s, there were few country singers bigger than Shania Twain. During that stretch, she had seven No. 1 songs - including "Any Man of Mine," "You Win My Love," "You're Still the One," and "Honey I'm Home" - that helped her sell tens of millions of albums around the world. After a 15-year break in recording, she's picked up right where she left off with her last two albums, including the new Queen of Me.

Erykah Badu July 23, American Airlines Center
Fans in Dallas are used to seeing plenty of Erykah Badu, whether it's at one of her yearly birthday bashes at the Factory in Deep Ellum, or just around town as the Dallas resident goes about her day. For the first time in a long time, Badu is going on a big tour, playing arenas in 25 cities, culminating with a stop in her hometown. She's not promoting any new music, but chances are fans won't mind a trip down memory lane, especially with special guest Yasiin Bey along for the ride.

Jason Mraz July 26, Music Hall at Fair Park
Singer/songwriter Jason Mraz is one of those musicians who has maintained a good amount of popularity through the years despite never becoming a superstar. He's released eight albums in his career, including the upcoming Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride, with his biggest success coming between 2008 and 2012 thanks to hits like "I'm Yours," "Lucky," and "I Won't Give Up."

Eric Church July 28, Dos Equis Pavilion
It didn't take long for country singer Eric Church to get to the top of the mountain in the genre. His 2006 debut album, Sinners Like Me, made the top 10 on the Country charts, and he's been at No. 1 or in the top 5 with his six subsequent albums, including his most recent release, the 2021 triple album Heart & Soul. With lots of hits to draw upon, like "Drink in My Hand," "Springsteen," "Give Me Back My Hometown," and "Hell of a View," fans will have plenty to sing along to.

Boy George & Culture Club August 10, Dos Equis Pavilion
Music icons Boy George and Culture Club come to Dallas as part of their 2023 tour, The Letting It Go Show, featuring special guests Howard Jones and Berlin. The prolific band, which just passed its 40th anniversary, will perform all of their big hits, including "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me," "Karma Chameleon," and "Church of the Poisoned Mind."

Metallica August 18 and 20, AT&T Stadium in Arlington
Making their first DFW appearance since 2017, the legendary heavy metal band Metallica will make it count, performing two concerts in three days at AT&T Stadium in support of their new album, 72 Seasons. The band promises a "No Repeat Weekend," with two different setlists and support lineups at each concert: They'll be joined by the reunited Dallas band Pantera (touring for the first time in 22 years) and Mammoth WVH on August 18, and Five Finger Death Punch and Ice Nine Kills on August 20.

Beck & Phoenix August 21, Dos Equis Pavilion, with Chloe
Both Beck and the French band Phoenix have had solid careers despite making music that's rarely broken through to the mainstream, so it's no surprise that they're teaming up for this co-headlining tour. Beck is best known for '90s songs like "Loser," "Where It's At," and "Devils Haircut," while Phoenix scored with 2000s hits like "1901" and "Lizstomania."

LL Cool J: The F.O.R.C.E. Live with The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff August 24, Dickies Arena
Rapper LL Cool J will headline his first arena tour in 30 years dubbed The F.O.R.C.E. (Frequencies of Real Creative Energy) Live. Honoring the 50th anniversary of the creation of hip hop, he'll be joined by The Roots, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Z-Trip, as well as Rakim, Big Boi, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Juvenile, Goodie Mob, and MC Lyte. Unlike the traditional “opening act – headliner” format, the show will be a nonstop musical mash-up with performances interwoven within one continuous musical set backed by The Roots.

50 Cent August 25, Dos Equis Pavilion, with Busta Rhymes and Jeremih
Rap fans will have a full weekend, as 50 Cent comes to Dos Equis Pavilion one day after LL Cool J, as part his "The Final Lap Tour." 50 will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of his 2003 debut album, Get Rich or Die Tryin', performing dozens of fan-favorite and chart-topping hits along with select tracks that have not been performed live in years.

Jonas Brothers August 30, Globe Life Field in Arlington
Wrapping up the summer will be Jonas Brothers, who are self-styling their 2023 output as important, labeling their tour as simply The Tour and their new album as The Album. Fans at this concert will get much more than just The Album, though, as the brothers promise to play five full albums at each stop on the tour, turning the evening into something approaching epic length.

Photo by Herring Herring

Metallica will play at AT&T Stadium on August 18 and 20.

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Animal News

Latest animal to die at Dallas Zoo is young male gorilla named Zola

Dallas Zoo

Zola RIP

Another animal at the Dallas Zoo has died an untimely death: Zola, a young Western lowland gorilla, died on Wednesday, November 5, at age 23.

The zoo does not know why Zola died. A necropsy will be performed. According to their post, Zola was euthanized after showing symptoms of lethargy, reduced appetite, and signs of discomfort at the end of October.

"Unfortunately, he wasn’t able to begin breathing on his own afterward, despite the extraordinary efforts of our veterinary and animal care teams," their post says. "With his comfort as our priority, we made the difficult decision to let him go peacefully."

The zoo did not announce Zola's death immediately, instead waiting two days until Friday afternoon at 3 pm. Politicians and government agencies prefer to choose Friday afternoons to post news that is negative or controversial, since fewer people, and definitely fewer journalists, are online on Friday afternoons. It's called the "Friday news dump."

The death is very inconvenient for the Dallas Zoo since they were just about to ship off their male gorillas, which also include Juba, B'Wenzi, and Zola's half-brother Shana, to the San Antonio Zoo. Animals are very dear to the zoo — until it's time to ship them off to another zoo.

The relocation of the other three male gorillas is "temporarily on hold" but the zoo says they will be moved "when the time is right."

Other gorillas will be shipped in to replace them — although we do not know which gorillas and from where. The Association of Zoos & Aquariums, the overseeing body for zoos, only divulges that kind of intel on a "need to know" basis. Right now, you and I do not need to know. If we did know which gorillas were coming and where they were coming from, we might ask questions that would force the zoo to explain what it's up to.

Zola was born at the Bronx Zoo in 2002 and became internet famous as the "breakdancing gorilla" for splashing in pools and puddles. Some animal experts attributed his actions to frustration at being locked inside a zoo. He was relocated to the Calgary Zoo in 2009 when he was only 7 years old — zoos always play up what great bonds and family ties their animals have, until it's time to ship them somewhere else, and then suddenly the bonds and family ties don't matter.

Unfortunately, Zola did not "integrate well" at the Calgary Zoo, so he got shipped off to the Dallas Zoo in 2013.

At least now he won't have to be relocated again.

Death count
Zola's death is one more in a long-running series of deaths at the Dallas Zoo in recent years, the most previous being Jata, a 7-year-old painted dog who died in June 2024. Jata also showed signs of lethargy and decreased appetite, reportedly due to kidney disease.

Whenever a death occurs, they always wax on about their "extraordinary" veterinary and animal care teams — and yet, so many of these deaths were either unexplained or completely caught their teams by surprise.

Zola the Western lowland gorilla is the latest to join this death march of animals at the Dallas Zoo:

Jata, one of the zoo's three African painted dogs, died in June 2024, at seven years old.
Ferrell, a 15-year-old giraffe, died in December, 2023, following "an unexpected fall in the barn" that injured the giraffe's jaw so badly, they were forced to euthanize him.
Ajabu, a 6-year-old African elephant who died on May 8, 2023, from the herpes virus.
Pin, a 35-year-old lappet-faced vulture, died on January 22, 2023, cause unknown.
Jesse, a 14-year-old giraffe, died on October 29, 2021, cause unknown.
Auggie, a 19-year-old giraffe, died in late October 2021 of liver failure.
Marekani, a 3-month-old baby giraffe, sustained a mysterious injury and was euthanized on October 3, 2021.
Kirk, a 31-year-old chimpanzee, died in August 2021 due to "surprise" heart disease.
Keeya, a 6-year-old Hartmann's mountain zebra, died in March 2021 due to a mysterious unexplained head injury.
Subira, a 24-year-old silverback gorilla, died suddenly in March 2020, due to a cough, or maybe cardiovascular disease. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Hope, a 23-year-old Western lowland gorilla, died suddenly in November 2019 after being at the zoo for only two years.
Ola, an 8-year-old female African painted dog, was killed in July 2019 by two other painted dogs, less than a month after she was transferred to the zoo.
Witten, a 1-year-old giraffe, died in June 2019 during a physical exam under anesthesia when he suddenly stopped breathing.
Adhama, a baby hippopotamus, mysteriously died in 2018.
Kipenzi, a baby giraffe, died in 2015 after running in her enclosure.
Kamau, a young cheetah, died of pneumonia in 2014.
Johari, a female lion, was killed in front of zoo spectators in 2013 by male lions with whom she shared an enclosure.

And in February 2021, they lost a crow called Onyx who was part of their "animal ambassador team," "participating in a training session" for a bird show. He was never found.

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