FRIDAY 1/27
The Ghost Town Blues Band brings a crunchy blend of electric blues styles — all with a funky flair — to Midtown Billiards, 12:30 a.m., $5.
If tasteful, jazzy lounge tunes with a powerful lady singer are what’s in order, then The Smittle Band is just the ticket, Dugan’s pub, 9 p.m., free.
Those punkabilly hellraisers Josh the Devil & The Sinners get rowdy at Flying DD, with pop weirdoes Frown Pow’r, 9 p.m., $5.
Tireless country troubadour Ryan Couron plays Denton’s Trotline, 9 p.m.
Hans Klemm, former U.S. ambassador to East Timor, presents a lecture titled “Challenges in Securing the Rule of Law in Afghanistan,” Clinton School of Public Service, noon, free.
Vino’s hosts Foreign Tongues Poetry Group, featuring Chris James, APOLLO, Osyrus, Ron MC and Tru Poet, 8 p.m.
Monster Jam kicks off at Verizon Arena, with Bounty Hunter, Bad News and Barbarian doing all the jumping, crushing and smashing you’ve come to love, 7:30 p.m., $7-$37. Monster Jam continues at the same time Saturday.
SATURDAY 1/28
Everyone’s favorite Daily Show commentator and sputtering, twitching rage junkie Lewis Black presents “In God We Rust,” Walton Arts Center, 8 p.m., $40.
Down in Spa City, Maxine’s hosts The Year of the Tiger, Delicate Cutters and Ben Franks & The Bible Belt Boys, 8 p.m., $5 adv., $7 door.
Sun Records rockabilly legends Sonny Burgess and The Legendary Pacers play Ward Country Dance, 7 p.m., $6.
Austin’s Bart Crow Band plays a rock-infused take on singer/songwriter country at Stickyz, 18-and-older, 9 p.m., $10.
For some entirely different sounds from Austin, Mobley‘s electro-laced pop and harmonies are reminiscent of Animal Collective, Vino’s, 9 p.m., $8.
At Discovery, DJs Hollywood, Crawley and Balance will keep you up till all hours, with performers Dominique, Whitney and Karmin, 9 p.m.-5 a.m., $10.