Weekend Event Planner

These are the 12 best things to do in Fort Worth this weekend

There are two big-name musicians who've been around since the 1960s playing in and around Fort Worth this weekend, but one concert will be a teensy bit bigger than the other. Other choices include a national comedian, more Concerts in the Garden, an environmentally themed performing arts piece, two LGBTQ+ themed events, a huge new art exhibition, and more.

Below are the best ways to spend your free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.

Thursday, June 13

Amphibian Stage Productions presents Sam Jay
Originally from Boston, stand-up comic Sam Jay is an Emmy-nominated writer for Saturday Night Live and frequently appears in sketches. In 2018 she made her Netflix debut on The Comedy Lineup and released her debut album, Donna’s Daughter. She wrote for the 2018 MTV Movie & TV Awards and has a recurring role on TV Land’s Nobodies. She'll perform stand-up at Amphibian Stage Productions through Saturday.

Friday, June 14

Magnolia at the Modern: Walking on Water
Bulgarian director Andrey Paounov's documentary chronicles famed environmental artist Christo's first major project after the death of his wife and long-time collaborator, Jeanne-Claude. With the help of his logistics team, he overcomes numerous challenges to realize his 2016 masterpiece, "The Floating Piers:" a surreal yellow floating walkway on Italy's Lake Iseo. The film will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Paul McCartney in concert
Sir Paul McCartney, who will turn 77 years old on June 18, remains as much of an entertainer as he was with The Beatles 50 years ago. And now he's showing us new tricks: The legendary singer, making his first appearance in Dallas-Fort Worth since 2014, will put on the first major concert at Globe Life Park in Arlington in its 25-year history. He's touring in support of his 2018 album, Egypt Station.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Concerts in the Garden: The Music of U2
With U2 playing in Arlington a couple of years ago, it may be a while before we get to see the real thing again. While you wait for that beautiful day, you can tide yourself over with this concert, featuring the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, vocalist Tony Vincent, and a full rock band celebrating U2′s greatest hits as you’ve never seen them before. The concert will be at Fort Worth Botanic Garden.

Amphibian Stage Productions presents Intervention: Ocean Blues
Intervention: Ocean Blues is a celebration of World Oceans Day with performances by Laura Anderson Barbata, the Brooklyn Jumbies, and Amphibian Stage Productions. This unique event combines spoken word, dance, stilt dancing, improvisation, ritual, procession, sculptural costuming, and music to create a unique form of storied performance.

Saturday, June 15

Shannon Brewing Company presents DadFest
Shannon Brewing Company in Keller presents its fourth annual DadFest celebration in honor of Father’s Day, which falls on Sunday. The celebration will include special release beers like Mint Leaf & Lemon Blackberry Crystal Wheat, Habanero IPA, and Peaches and Cream. Different ticket levels come with different benefits, including a limited edition Dad-Fest glass for early registrants and VIP ticketholders.

Q Cinema presents Before Stonewall
Q Cinema will present Before Stonewall: The Making of a Gay and Lesbian Community, newly restored for the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots. Before Stonewall pries open the closet door, setting free the dramatic story of the sometimes horrifying public and private existences experienced by LGBT Americans since the early 1900s. The film will screen at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.

Trinity Pride Fest
Trinity Pride Fest is intended to unite, celebrate, and increase awareness and acceptance of the LGBTQ community of Fort Worth, Tarrant County, and the region. The event, taking place at Magnolia Green Park, will feature music from DJ Hautemess, Gollay, Svenny Baby, and Flip & the Combined Effort. There will be food and drinks available to purchase from a variety of food trucks.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Concerts in the Garden: The Music of Led Zeppelin
At the second Concerts in the Garden of the weekend, the audience will experience a combination of passion and power when the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra pays tribute once again to the incomparable Led Zeppelin. With full orchestra, full rock band, and screaming vocals by Randy Jackson of Zebra, they'll play hits like “Stairway to Heaven,” “Black Dog,” “All of My Love,” and more.

Boz Scaggs in concert
There are few bands or musicians who have remained a presence in the recording industry for more than 50 years, but Boz Scaggs is one of them. Since making his debut in 1965, he's released 20 solo albums (along with two with The Steve Miller Band), including 2018's Out of the Blues. He'll play at Billy Bob's Texas.

Sunday, June 16

Kimbell Art Museum presents "Monet: The Late Years"
Kimbell Art Museum and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco will present "Monet: The Late Years," the first exhibition in more than 20 years dedicated to the final phase of Monet’s career. Through approximately 60 paintings, the exhibition will trace the evolution of Monet’s practice from 1913, when he embarked on a reinvention of his painting style that led to increasingly bold and abstract works, up to his death in 1926. The exhibition will be on display through September 15.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra presents Concerts in the Garden: 1812 Overture and Symphonic Sparklers
The Fourth of July is a few weeks away, but you can get your fireworks fix at the final Concerts in the Garden of the weekend. Some of classical music’s greatest hits will be performed by the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra in the idyllic setting of the Fort Worth Botanic Garden. The evening will feature symphonic masterpieces, including Tchaikovsky’s popular "1812 Overture" set to a stunning fireworks display.

Paul McCartney will play at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 14.

Photo by Daniel Cavazos

Paul McCartney will play at Globe Life Park in Arlington on June 14.

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Movie Review

Horror comedy film Y2K dials into nostalgia of '90s techno-mayhem

Photo courtesy of A24

Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, and Julian Dennison in Y2K.

Movies that rely on nostalgia can be successful if they’re timed right. Generally, 25-30 years seems about the right amount of time to try to take advantage of people’s fond feelings for a certain era, which is why movies/TV shows about the ‘80s have been prevalent for much of the 21st century, and ‘90s-set films started to pop up in the last 10 years.

Y2K, a horror comedy that plays on the fears of technological mayhem many people thought would happen at the turn of the century, is right on the cusp of that rule, taking place 24 years after its timeline. It centers on two teenage boys, Eli (Jaeden Martell) and Danny (Julian Dennison), who are opposite in demeanor but have an unshakeable bond. Eli likes a popular girl, Laura (Rachel Zegler), and Danny convinces him to crash a New Year’s Eve party where she’ll be.

As the clock strikes midnight and the year moves from 1999 to 2000, everything that uses an electrical current goes haywire, with many of them combining forces to attack the humans around them. Eli and Danny find themselves on the run with Laura, as well as two stoners, Ash (Lachlan Watson) and CJ (Daniel Zolghadri), with each of them trying to use their unique skillset to help defeat a growing robot army.

Directed by Kyle Mooney and written by Mooney and Evan Winter, the film lands some solid jokes about the era in its opening 20 minutes or so, whether it’s the extreme slowness of dial-up internet, the goofy user names from AOL Messenger, or the various high school cliques of the time. However, many of them seem to echo ones told in 1999’s American Pie, a weird kind of art-imitating-art moment instead of commenting on real life.

The jolt of the machines attacking partygoers seems to promise a fun-if-bloody romp, but Mooney and Winter don’t seem to know where to take the story. They establish the computer bona fides of Eli and Laura early on, but when it comes time for them to put their talents in action, it feels like two actors going through the motions instead of real people who know what they’re doing. Almost none of the characters are believable or entertaining, and the few that rise above are dispatched way too early.

And because the filmmakers don’t make you care about the main group, nothing they face is that interesting, either. The villainous robots are made up of a bunch of disparate parts, which would seem to offer the opportunity for funny sight gags. Mooney and his team fumble most of their chances, though, leaving that side of the story stuck in limbo where it’s not absurd enough to be hilarious or scary enough to really count as horror.

Martell, Dennison, and Zegler are each rising stars who have their individual charms, but only Dennison is able to make much of an impact. Zegler, who starred in West Side Story and will soon be Snow White, is especially misused. They try to shoehorn in a cameo by Limp Biskit lead singer Fred Durst, but his appearance makes little sense and adds almost nothing to the story.

Filmmakers who want to mine nostalgia, especially in a comedy, need to really commit to the bit instead of throwing in a few references and needle drops. Mooney, who’s making his directorial debut, demonstrates little feel for timing, and so most of the film is like a car spinning its wheels, going nowhere.

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Y2K opens in theaters on December 6.

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