Also Among This Week’s Upcoming Dallas-Area Shows You Should Know: Murder City Devils, Joe Ely, Sarah Jaffe And Daughters (To Name A Few).

Daniel Hernandez, the Brooklyn rapper who performs under the stage name Tekashi 6ix9ine, is currently in federal custody following racketeering and firearm charges being filed against him this week.

Make no mistake: Those are significant charges. They carry a minimum sentence of 32 years and, at maximum, a life sentence.

Given his inability to keep a clean nose after being granted clemency for his previous infractions, plenty of people are speculating that he could be given the latter.

Hernandez’s checkered legal history has been a topic of significant interest and schadenfreude in the music journalism world even since his ascent, and the entire situation’s absurdity has caused a story pertinent to DFW to fall under the radar of public attention: Tekashi 6ix9ine was scheduled to perform at the Mesquite Arena last Saturday but, following pressure from the community over the controversial nature of the artist, the venue’s owners eventually decided to cancel the show.

That’s right: For a short, beautiful moment in time, you were able to go to Ticketmaster and see 6ix9ine’s name just a few columns above Mesquie Arena listings for The Charlie Daniels Band and Travis Tritt. It’s pretty fun to imagine what might have happened had the show not been canceled, with the rapper pulling up into the venue that also serves as the home of the Mesquite Championship Rodeo and thinking, “What did I get myself into?”

Dumpster fire concert announcements such as this one seem to come once a year, don’t they? In 2016, Young Thug was scheduled to perform in Krum (of all places), and predictably did not show as promoted. Last year, Plano’s Starfest Music Festival was announced and took a logarithmic nosedive into bad publicity in mere days following the festival’s announcement. And, this year, a few people got to witness the ephemeral absurdity of what could;ve been the time Tekashi 6ix9ine played in Mesquite.

There’s no telling what disaster awaits us next year — but, while we wait, there are plenty of shows booked from reputable venues and promoters that are even more deserving of public attention.

Let’s take a gander at the most recently announced ones, shall we?

Cody Jinks.
Friday, December 21, at Majestic Theatre.
On sale now.
As is the case with many local artists that achieve mainstream acclaim, people just cannot come to a consensus as to where Cody Jinks is based. Some say he’s from Fort Worth. Others say he’s from Denton. But let’s all agree on this: Dude’s a native of Haltom City, since that’s where he went to school. Anyway, the Haltom City-based Jinks is doing a special acoustic Christmas show at the Majestic Theater just four days shy of Christmas.

Murder City Devils.
Monday, January 14, at Trees.
On sale now.
Murder City Devils has been fully active following a period of dormancy from 2001 to 2006, during which bassist Derek Fudesco dedicated his time to the band Pretty Girls Make Graves. Speaking of Pretty Girls Make Graves: Vocalist Andrea Zollo also fronts the band Deep Creeps, which just so happens to be touring with Murder City Devils on this Texas run in January. That’s some good ol’ fashioned nepotism, huh?

Mick Jenkins.
Friday, January 18, at Trees.
On sale now.
The Chicago rapper and producer Mick Jenkins released his second LP, called Pieces of a Man, just last month as a follow-up to 2016’s The Healing Component. The former boasts tracks with features from BadBadNotGood and Ghostface Killah, as well as cuts produced by revered names such as Black Milk and Kaytranada. In conjunction with the tour announcement, Jenkins also premiered the music video for “Reginald”, which parodies the police drama clichés seen in TV shows such as 21 Jump Street and TJ Hooker.

Joe Ely.
Saturday, January 19, at The Kessler.
On sale now.
In 1983, The Clash played only four US cities: Los Angeles, Tucson, San Antonio and Wichita Falls. The reason The Clash decided to skip Dallas, Houston and Austin in favor of a Podunk town like Wichita Falls was because of Joe Ely. Following Ely’s solo performance in London in 1978, the two acts formed an unlikely camaraderie, which would take a life of its own. Even without The Clash in the picture, this songwriter still carries his own weight in music as one of the most influential voices in Texas country. Because there is still a modicum of justice left in the world, his cultural significance has even been formally recognized by the Texas State Legislature.

Sarah Jaffe.
Saturday, January 19, and Sunday, January 20, at Dan’s Silverleaf.
On sale now.
As is tradition at Dan’s Silverleaf, Sarah Jaffe is kicking off the beginning of the year with a two-day stand at the venue where she used to tend bar. If you want to see her and come home at a more reasonable hour, go to the matinee performance on Sunday, January 20.

Bring Me the Horizon.
Friday, February 8, at South Side Ballroom.
On sale now.
English metalcore outfit Bring Me the Horizon is back and set to release its upcoming Amo LP in January 2019. This album was promoted with a cryptic marketing campaign, and when the track listing was revealed, unexpected features with Rahzel from The Roots and Grimes were announced. One month following the album’s release, the band will visit the South Side Ballroom. Thrice and Fever 333 open.

Daughters.
Tuesday, February 26, at Curtain Club.
On sale now.
The Providence, Rhode Island-based reprobates Daughters hails from the same city that spawned other torchbearers in noise rock such as Six Finger Satellite, Arab on Radar and Lightning Bolt. In support of You Won’t Get What You Want, the band’s first full-length album in over 8 years, it will be coming through Dallas in February, playing its first show in the area in over a decade. Blanck Mass, the done/electronic project of Benjamin John Power of Fuck Buttons, opens.

Choker.
Thursday, March 21, at Three Links.
On sale now.
Thanks to its infusion of elements of R&B, hip-hop and psychedelic rock, Choker has frequently been compared to artists such as Frank Ocean and Childish Gambino. The 22-year-old Detroit rapper and producer will play SXSW in conjunction with his first tour, which means plenty of music journalists will be singing his praises shortly.

Jon Bellion.
Friday, June 28, at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory.
On sale now.
New York rapper and producer Jon Bellion reached mainstream acclaim following the release of his 2016 single “All Time Low.” He also boasts the songwriting credit behind Eminem and Rihanna’s 2012 hit “The Monster.” This show will be the rapper, songwriter and producer’s first gig in DFW since opening for Twenty One Pilots at the American Airlines Center in February 2017.

Cody Jinks cover photo via his Facebook page.

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