This weekend around Fort Worth is heavy on the local, with a few national acts thrown in for good measure. Options include a new art exhibition, a couple of new local theater productions, a rare appearance by a big-name comedian, two country concerts, a couple of starry heavy metal concerts, and more.
Below are the best ways to spend your precious free time this weekend. Want more options? Lucky for you, we have a much longer list of the city's best events.
Thursday, August 18
National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame presents Rima Canaan Lee: "Sonnet: Death Valley" opening day
The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame will present the new exhibition "Sonnet: Death Valley" by Rima Canaan Lee. In January 2020, on the eve of the COVID pandemic, Lee photographed Death Valley and started putting together her show. Superimposed on each of the 14 large-scale photographs — and creating a poignant dialogue between word and image — are lines from Philip Sidney's Astrophil and Stella, a sonnet sequence written in the 1580s. The exhibition will be on view through October 2.
Stage West Theatre presents Between Riverside and Crazy
Ex-NYPD cop and recent widower Walter "Pops" Washington is under a lot of pressure. He is stubbornly pursuing a lawsuit over an officer-involved shooting. Barely holding on to the rent-controlled apartment he shares with his newly paroled son and motley surrogate family, he is ready to accept neither payout nor surrender. But as tensions come to a head in a swirl of demands from family and friends, a final ultimatum from former colleagues causes “Pops” to draw the line and make some demands of his own. The production runs through September 11 at Stage West Theatre.
Friday, August 19
Magnolia at the Modern: My Donkey, My Lover & I
Antoinette, a schoolteacher, is looking forward to her long-planned summer holiday with her married lover Vladimir, the father of one of her pupils. When she learns that Vladimir has to cancel because his wife organized a surprise hiking vacation, Antoinette decides to follow their tracks, accompanied by a protective donkey named Patrick. The film, in French with English subtitles, will screen seven times through Sunday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth.
Theatre Arlington presents Biloxi Blues
Theatre Arlington presents Biloxi Blues, the second in Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Neil Simon’s trilogy. When we meet Eugene Jerome, he is coping with adolescence in 1930s Brooklyn. He goes on to become a young army recruit during WWII, going through basic training and learning about life and love along with some harsher lessons, while stationed at boot camp in Biloxi, Mississippi in 1943. The production runs through September 4.
Improv Arlington presents Rob Schneider
Rob Schneider is an accomplished actor, comedian, screenwriter and director. A stand-up comic and veteran of the award-winning NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, Schneider has gone on to a successful career in films and television, and continues to hone his stand-up comedy craft. Schneider’s first Netflix comedy special, Asian Momma, Mexican Kids, premiered in 2020. He'll perform five times through Sunday at Improv Arlington.
Portrait of Aretha starring CeCe Teneal
In Portrait of Aretha, award-winning vocalist CeCe Teneal honors the legacy of Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, with personalized interpretations of both popular and lesser-known songs from the Grammy Award-winning icon’s 50-year career. Songs will include “Chain of Fools,” “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” “Rock Steady,” and “Until You Come Back to Me (That’s What I’m Gonna Do).” The performance takes place at Downtown Cowtown at the Isis.
Randall King in concert
A throwback to classic country, Randall King formed an Americana group in college called the Randall King Band, which released an album called Old Dirt Road before splitting. He then debuted as a solo artist in 2016 with the EP Another Bullet before releasing his first self-titled album in 2018. He comes back to Fort Worth to play at Billy Bob's Texas in support of his new album, Shot Glass.
Saturday, August 20
Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth presents Dance at the Modern: "Women Painting Women"
The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth will present Alexandra Farber in Dance at the Modern: "Women Painting Women," with excerpts of her works "The Way We Change" and "Inside Voices" and the world premiere of "Three Portraits." A complement to the current exhibition "Women Painting Women," all dances are set to the music of three female vocalists: Roniit, Feist, and Regina Spektor. Farber will perform on both Saturday and Sunday.
Fort Worth Stockyards presents Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo
The Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo celebrates and honors Black Cowboys and Cowgirls and their contributions to building the west. The rodeo also serves as a cultural event and opportunity for families to enjoy and embrace the cowboy culture, while being educated and entertained with reenactments, history highlights, and Western adventure. There will be both afternoon and evening rodeos at Cowtown Coliseum.
Rob Zombie & Mudvayne in concert
Heavy metal doesn't hold the place in pop culture that it used to, but Rob Zombie and the recently-reunited Mudvayne are keepers of the flame. They will co-headline the Freaks on Parade tour, with Rob Zombie touring in support of his 2021 album, The Lunar Injection Kool Aid Eclipse Conspiracy. They'll play at Dickies Arena, joined by opening acts Static-X and Powerman 5000.
Dolly Shine in concert
Texas band Dolly Shine broke out in 2010, releasing their first full length album, Room To Breathe, in 2013, and follow-up, Walkabout, in 2016. While the membership of the band has changed throughout the years, they've remained a presence at local festivals and at Billy Bob's Texas, where they've played a number of times, including earlier this year. They'll be there yet again on Saturday night.
Monday, August 22
Mötley Crüe in concert with Def Leppard, Poison, and Joan Jett and the Blackhearts
Okay, technically Monday is no longer the weekend, especially since it's not even a holiday, but when you have a concert with as many big bands as this one, you have to include it. Hair metal was a dominant force in the 1980s thanks to bands like Mötley Crüe, Def Leppard, and Poison, and the fact that they're all still playing is a minor miracle. Throw in Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, and you have a festival-style event that's guaranteed to rock hard. They'll all play at Globe Life Field in Arlington.
Def Leppard and three other '80s rock legends will play at Globe Life Field in Arlington on August 22.
