Hook ‘Em.

To peel the curtain back a little bit, let’s just say this little introduction paragraph is designated for us to say stuff about how action-packed this weekend is. Let’s face it; that’s what we always do. You know it, we know it, so let’s just cut to the chase.

But to say that this weekend is action-packed is maybe even an understatement this time around. I mean, on Sunday alone, you’ve got a Cowboys game, a Rangers playoff game and the second presidential debate. And that’s barely scratching the surface.

Yup.

Action-packed. — Cory Graves

Friday
Conor Oberst at Granada Theater
There are surprisingly still tickets available to see the Bright Eyes frontman as he prepares for the release of his new solo album Ruminations later this month. Pearl Charles opens. — Obed Manuel

The FRC Live Music Showcase at The Rustic (Free)
You can bet there’ll be plenty of local beer flowing at The Rustic’s just-announced Texas-OU Weekend blowout. On October 7, the Uptown joint is hosting a full day’s lineup of free performances from headliners Black Joe Lewis, Margo Price, Whiskey Shivers, Rise & Shine, Charley Crockett & The Texas Gentlemen, and more. While entry will be free, special VIP tickets, which include free food and access to a private bar, can be snagged here. — CG

Hares on the Mac at Dans
If you love Fleetwood Mac, and if you really Stan over the album Rumours, then you’re going to be a fan of Hares on the Mountains’ tribute to this classic album. — Khadijah Grimes

Luke Wade at Sundance Square (Free)
Following his Season 7 appearance on The Voice, the Dublin, Texas native will give his Fort Worth fans a preview of his upcoming January 2017 album Only Ghosts. — OM

Matt Braunger at Hyena’s (Dallas)
Matt Braunger’s current Made of Mistakes act may be peppered with questionable thoughts and vivid descriptions of awkward actions, but the guy’s resume is pretty sterling. He’s enjoyed success as an actor, having scored roles in Up All Night, Take My Wife and Agent Carter, among other projects. His stand-up, meanwhile, has been featured on Comedy Central and Netflix and earned him slots at a number of top festivals, including Montreal’s Just for Laughs and Austin’s South by Southwest. He’s an obvious talent, capable of stretching an idea to wonderfully absurd limits. He’s also a master of finding rich veins of humor to tap into when talking about experiences in his life that could be — in less capable hands — downright sad. He’s here all weekend. — Alex Gaskin

Brew-haha comedy Series at Tupps Brewery
Laugh until Cotton Mill Gold comes out of your nose as the brewery-set local comedy tour stops by McKinney’s TUPPs Brewery this weekend. Mama Michelle Henderson brings the headlining laughs with Bobby Friske and Barry Whitewater lubing up the crowd. — CG

Idiocracy at Texas Theatre
Mike Judge’s comedy-turned-documentary is back on the big screen to warn us all what will happen to our crops if Donald Trump is elected president come November. This very expensive global warming bullshit has got to stop. A live edition of Bar Politics follows behind the screen. — CG

Legendary Pink Dots at Three Links
With their eerie experimental sound and heavy synth chords still intact the legendary Legendary Pink Dots won’t disappoint fans of their some 40-album catalog. Orbit Service opens. — KG

Alter Bridge at House of Blues
Because a Scott Stapp-less Creed is no less douchey. — CG

Anderson East at Dada
Miranda Lambert’s not-as-famous boyfriend performs his Nashville sound just a hop, skip and a jump from where she grew up. — CG

Keiko Matsui at The Kessler Theater
Move to the rhythm of Latin jazz as Japanese pianist Keiko Matsui presents the melodies from her 27th album Journey to the Heart, a recording born from collaborating with musicians from Venezuela, Peru and Cuba. — OM

Madeon, Porter Robinson at South Side Ballroom (Sold Out)
Twenty-one-year-old Hugo Pierre Leclercq, better known as Madeon, is making his way from France to Dallas. He’s an EDM DJ, kinda. He doesn’t really stick to one genre like house or techno. He does however have a knack for creating danceable songs with a pop culture flair. In fact, his live mashup of 39 songs, “Pop Culture,” has over 33 million hits on YouTube. Porter Robinson co-headlines and Fakear and Robotaki open. — Roberto Aguilar

Maszer at The Foundry (Free)
Maszer released its only album Dreamsz back in March. The melodically psychedelic indie outfit’s poppy lyrics are sure to enhance the mood of your Friday night chicken dinner to be sure. Stumptone also performs. — OM

The Mavericks at Billy Bob’s
Sure members of Dallas’ NBA franchise have been known to hit the town and party late into the night, but no, that’s not what’s going on here. Rather, the country-steeped garage band of the same name plays Dallas nearly four years deep into its reunion. Take dat witchu. — Ashley Gognora

Show Me the Body at Gatsby’s Mansion
The band’s most recent release, Body War, was hailed as having an “undiluted confidence”, so they may just fit in perfectly with Denton’s DIY attitude. — OM

Gary Clark Jr. at WinStar World Casino
Texas Native Gary Clark Jr. travels past the Red River on the cusp of rivalry day. It won’t matter who wins if you’re heading up to see Mr. Clark shred on some blues, though. — OM

Slayer, Anthrax at Gas Monkey Live
Half of thrash metal’s Big Four shares the stage here, so you’ll maybe want to make yourself a Metallica/Megadeath mixtape to jam on the drive over. — CG

Ska n’ Punk Pizza Day at Wits End
A five spot at the door not only gets you free pizza, but some punky jams by The Broke$, Shaka, Responsible Johnny, Noogy, Flip and the Combined Effort. — CG

Roar Shack, VVOES, Doom Ghost at Republic Street Bar (Free)
You might not be able to score any of Heim’s barbecue here anymore, but free live music isn’t the worst substitute. If you disagree, though, you might want to keep those no barbecue blues to yourself. Doom Ghost hates the blues. — CG

DaVerse Lounge Season Kickoff at Life in Deep Ellum
For a primer on this organization’s “emotional literacy,” check out how effective their response was in the wake of this summer’s big tragedy. — CG

DJA1 Record Release Party at Epocha
A DJ scratch off and a live set by A1 celebrate the latter’s new 7-inch release, Bubonic Breaks. — CG

Comedy on the Patio at Vetted Well
Local comics Scott Crisp, Sheridi Lester, Joe Carr, DDT and Justin James ply their craft at this month’s edition of Alamo Drafthouse’s regular comedy series. — CG

Saturday
Texas vs OU at The Cotton Bowl
This Red River Rivalry has been going on for over 100 years — since 1900! — and this year it won’t be any different. Over 90,000 UT and OU fans will be walking through Fair Park, clogging up our roads and filling up the 50-yard-line split-fan seating arrangement of the Cotton Bowl. If college football is your thing, you already know you’ll either be making a trip out to the Fair or any number of sports bars around town showing the game today. Otherwise, it’ll be hard to avoid the burnt orange- and maroon-clad masses in town for this afternoon’s game should you opt to leave the house. — Jordyn Walters

Texas vs OU Watch Party at Granada Theater
The same football, minus the crowds. — CG

Deerhunter at Granada Theater
After the college football fans clear out, the noise-pop fans file in. Aldous Harding and Jock Gang get the post-game party started. — CG

Fort Worth Arts Goggle
Fort Worth’s weekend festival features art at 69 different locations, plus music at several smaller venues and stages. Expect a relaxed atmosphere at the low-key, kid-friendly event. — Stephen Young

Matt Tedder (EP Release) at Three Links
Newly 21-year-old Matt Tedder may be the youngest performer affiliated with local booking outfit 13th Floor, but you wouldn’t know that by listening to him perform. Already with a namesake beer under his belt, the rootsy blues rocker will add to that a debut EP released this weekend. Produced by Texas Gent wrangler Beau Bedford, and featuring some of that roster’s associated talent, it’s sure to be the lightning rod that really jolts the kid’s career. Natural Anthem, Keite Young open. — CG

Chris D’Elia at Majestic Theatre
Hey, it’s that guy that played Whitney Cummings’ boyfriend on Whitney. Of course, you probably don’t get that reference, or else the show would have lasted more than two seasons. He’ll attempt to leave a more lasting impression tonight with his stand-up. — CG

Cold War Kids at House of Blues
Don’t let it be said that you were left hung out to dry when Cold War Kids came to town. — OM

Gringo Star at Double Wide
Gringo Star — brothers Nick and Peter Furgiuele, along with other band members Pete Delorenzo and Matt McCalvin — are a multi-tasked and talented rock quartet. The guys love expressing their music by jumping all around stage and switching up instruments with one another. No matter how many folks actually show up for this one, the band’s live shows are hard to ignore. — Lauren Rushing

MC Chris, MC Lars, Mega Ran at Lola’s Saloon
American nerdcore rapper MC Chris hits Fort Worth. The rapper/voice actor is perhaps best known for his infamous MC Pee Pants character on the Adult Swim’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force. His trademark is his high-pitched voice and lyrics involving robotripping and being a “nerd gangster.” Let your geek flag fly, we won’t judge. — Nicole Arnold

Young the Giant, Ra Ra Riot at South Side Ballroom
Formerly an interesting and promising baroque-pop band, Ra Ra Riot has since devolved into a run-of-the-mill, synth-using indie-rock outfit. Its fourth record was produced by ex-Vampire Weekender Rostram Batmanglij if that tells you anything at all. — CG

The Struts at Trees
Queen-mining English rockers The Struts sure are dominating the U.S. press these days. It seems like everywhere you turn somebody is hyping them up. KXT, for one, can’t get enough of them. So, I suppose it goes without saying that with this mega-hyped American tour the band had little trouble selling out Trees in no time flat. — CG

Yellowcard at Gas Monkey Bar N’ Grill
This is Yellowcard’s final stop in Dallas. Ever. Yellowcard released Yellowcard, its final studio album at the end of last month and the band will break up at the conclusion of its final world tour. Take one last trip down Ocean Avenue. — OM

Le Youth at RBC
Le Youth is celebrating the launch of his new Homework record label with the — get this! — Homework Tour. The Los Angeles DJ will bring the fake speakeasy down with a blend of R&B and ’90s house. — CG

Tom Jones at WinStar World Casino
There’s a certain campy charm to the bulk of Jones’ early catalog. I mean, who can hear “It’s Not Unusual” these days without picturing Carlton Banks dancing? Meanwhile, other songs, such as “What’s New Pussycat” and even his theme to Bond film Thunderball have always struck us a perfectly befitting to accompany burlesque routines. These days, Jones has adopted a more serious tone with two consecutive religious-tinged gospel albums. It sure gives a whole new meaning to “Delilah.” Anyway, he’ll show off both sides of his personality tonight. — CG

Jack Ingram at The Kessler Theater
Jack Ingram stops in Dallas as he showcases Midnight Motel, his first studio album in seven years, the kind of intimate and stirring type of record his old major label bosses never would have allowed. It’s also just the type of thing you’d want to hear at a listening room such as this. He plays both Saturday and Sunday nights. — OM

Monsters of Mock IV at Gas Monkey Live
Cover bands Guns 4 Roses, Walk This Way, INTXS and Worlds Apart all play this one. If you can’t tell by their names whose catalogs they’ll be mining, well, you probably don’t belong here anyway. — CG

The B-52s at Levitt Pavilion
Bob along to “Rock Lobster” as the creators of “Rock Lobster” play “Rock Lobster” live. Proceeds of this show will go to the Levitt Pavilion. — OM

Filmage/A Fat Wreck Double Feature at Alamo Drafthouse (Cedars)
In recent years, local filmmakers Shaun Colon and Justin Wilson made rock docs on Fat Wreck Chords and The Descendents, respectively. Here, to promote Sound on Sound Fest, both get screened back-to-back with both directors on hand for Q&As. — CG

Fry Street Oktoberfest
Run a 5K and get day schwasted in the name of helping some local charities. — CG

Spinning in the Backyard w/ DJ Register to Vote at The Wild Detectives
In addition to spinning records, DJ Register to Vote will help you get all registered to, well, vote. Do the right thing. You’ll be duly rewarded with a special guest DJ set from Sarah Jaffe, too. — CG

Austere Magazine Issue 18 Release Party at Ash Studios (Free)
It’s an early one — suck it noise complaints! The local mag celebrates its latest issue with a day party including live music, free brunch drinks, experiential art and more. Plus you can pick up the newest copy. — CG

Beer and Barbecue Festival at Traders Village
They go together like love and marriage. This I tell you, brother, you can’t have one without the other. I mean you can, but why would you want to? — CG

Sunday
Gay Day at State Fair of Texas
October is LGBT History Month, and so while the State Fair hasn’t officially thrown its endorsement behind this event, a whole lotta folks aim at making this an unofficial Gay Day at the fair. Rainbow shirts and the like are encouraged. — CG

Debate Watch Party at Sundown (Free)
Round Two. Fight! — CG

Dallas Cowboys vs Cincinnati Bengals at AT&T Stadium
Can young Rayne Dakota Prescott continue his no interception streak and lead the ‘Boys to an unlikely 4-1 start? There’s no telling, but I can’t wait to find out. — CG

Blitzen Trapper at Dada
Blitzen Trapper is probably one of the most successful alt-country bands of the past few years, and that makes sense. Frontman Eric Earley was making music at the age where most kids are destroying train sets. More than that, this is a storytelling show. — Chelsea Upton

Dizzy Wright at Trees
Come to Trees to check out a young rapper with more on his mind than money and marijuana. With a story much like legendary rapper Tupac’s, Dizzy Wright comes from a background of hard work and dedication. At the young age of eight, Dizzy got his start in the hip-hop community and has been grinding ever since. — Chrissi Chetwood

I the Mighty at Sons of Hermann Hall
For those that prefer to get their feats of athleticism in in the mosh pit rather than the football or baseball fields, welp, these Cali post-hardcore acts are here for just that. — CG

Residual Kid at Curtain Club
Residual Kid is one of the more successful high school bands in the country. I mean, they’re not even from here. Yet they tour around, play big festivals and drum up label interest like musicians twice their age. Bravo, Max! and Robot Bonfire open. — CG

Russian Circles at RBC
Discordant Chicago-based trio Russian Circles heads up this one. Aggressive Seattle post-rock trio Helms Alee open. — SY

BED Launch Party at The Church
Not a sleeping apparatus being pushed down a hill or anything, BED actually stands for Bondage Expo Dallas. Yeah, not the same thing at all. — CG

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