Thursday
No matter what, Rico Nasty will always be a rapper, even when she identifies with the idea of being a “pop-punk princess,” as she did in this 2020 NME article I found, or when she seasons her self-proclaimed “sugar trap” — positive, self-affirming, upbeat lyrics over production that borrows from Chicago drill and Atlanta trap — with the occasionally heavy guitar breakdown, like her 2025 album, Lethal. When she headlines Tannahill’s Music Hall & Lounge (122 E Exchange Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-900-9300) on Thu, Oct 15, she’ll have just finished a run through the United States and South America opening for former pop-punk princess/current contemporary pop-rock queen Hayley Williams, so six years after that NME piece, I guess she’s still channeling her inner Avril Lavigne, even though the album she dropped this year, RX, is a return to her trap beat sweet spot. All-ages, doors at 8, show at 9. General admission tickets are $41.
Friday
On Fri, Oct 16, Gorillaz are playing Dickies Arena, and if you waited until now to get tickets to the show, I am curious as to what your life will be like sans an arm and a leg, because that’s how much you will have undoubtedly paid for the privilege. If you prefer keeping your limbs and watching a performance of Gorillaz at home on YouTube or even a DVD or Blu-Ray (which, given that the band is an animated cartoon, seems more appropriate than paying a few hundred bucks to see them from the nosebleeds at an arena), there’s still live music you can see that night: Tulips FTW (112 St. Louis St, Fort Worth, 817-367-9798) hosts Kentucky-born folk songwriter Nicholas Jamerson, with Austin-based “alternative-Americana” band the Droptines in the opening slot. The show is all-ages, doors are at 7, and the Droptines start at 8. Tickets start at $20 + service fees.
Also on Friday: the Jacob Corder Band at Magnolia Motor Lounge (3803 Southwest Blvd, Fort Worth, 817-332-3344). If you’re into classic rock and freewheeling guitar jams, this show is for you, as Jacob Corder and his mates are big on emphasising the live aspect of in-person music performances. 21+, doors at 8pm, music at 9:30, $15 cover day-of-show.
Saturday
Fort Worth Zine Fest makes its annual appearance on Sat, Oct 17, at Southside Preservation Hall (1519 Lipscomb St, Fort Worth, 817-926-2800). The event goes from noon until 6pm, and it features 30+ zine and art vendors, as well as workshops on zine-construction topics (bookbinding, collaging, printmaking) as well as presentations on zine-content topics such as reproductive justice and anti-data center organizing, all that plus a screening of Denton-based filmmaker McKinley Argyle’s A Place We Can Go To, a short documentary about the dearly departed Fort Worth DIY space 1919 Hemphill and other, similar joints. During the event, DJs Oliver Garden and Temporence will provide the sounds, while coffee purveyors Ostara and vegan food-truck It’s Food will be on hand with beverages and noshes. After Zine Fest concludes, there’s an after-party at the South Main MicroPark (105 S Main St, Fort Worth) with Luke Chacko, Grupo Catablanco, Puppy Mill, Nip Slip, and Skimp, running from 8pm to 11pm. Both Zine Fest and the punk show after-party are free and all-ages.
Also on Saturday: If you’re in the neighborhood for Zine Fest, go by the Chat Room Pub (1263 W Magnolia Av, Fort Worth, 817-922-8219) in the afternoon for an Art House pop-up, which showcases a dozen local visual artists, some vendors of handmade wares, and a free show that starts at 5pm with the Dopes, followed by Miguel Teves, Hotel Satellite, and headliners The Bikini Whales. If you’re unfamiliar, Art House is a local art collective that usually puts on shows like this at an actual domicile, but since the Chat Room is sort of like a living room if you live in “the” Fairmount and since you’ll probably end up having to park in front of someone’s house, the pop-up will be pretty similar to Art House’s house-party vibe.
