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Though he’s best known as one half of dance duo Everything But the Girl, Ben Watt has spent the majority of his years spinning and remixing in London. One of the few big name D.J.s who still plays an old-school house, Watt’s sets are vibrant and energetic without veering too far from mainstream dance music. With a well-established D.J. residency and a thriving record label, Buzzin’Fly, keeping him in London, it’s rare to see Watt on our side of the Atlantic these days. Lucky for us, Dallas merits inclusion in Watt’s latest seven-city stateside jaunt. Make a point of catching this techno giant on this most recent outing. There’s no telling just when we’ll get another chance.
Minc Lounge, 813 Exposition Ave., July 28, doors at 9 p.m., $10, 214-370-4077.
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Brash, trashy, sexy, sassy Pink may have cornered the market on bad girl adjectives, but these terms only begin to describe this remarkable talent. Straddling the worlds of R&B, rock and punk, the tough-girl singer worked her way through the ranks, rising from hard luck story to star in an unconventional manner. In fact, “unconventional” describes just about everything about Pink, whose career moves have proven as difficult to foresee as her wardrobe, hair color or high-profile celebrity entanglements. And while Pink’s marriage earlier this year may have cleared up lingering questions about the her sexual identity, her fourth record “I’m Not Dead” proves that there are still plenty of surprises left in her fascinating bag of tricks. Show up for the hits and quirky fashion, and you’ll leave wowed by an incredible voice and an attitude.
Gypsy Tea Room, 2548 Elm St., July 28, doors at 8p.m. $25. 888-512-7469.
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As big a hit as “American Idol” has proven for Fox television, it’s not really made an impact on the larger music world. A glorified Karaoke contest with points for slick style, the show’s so-called idols have mostly shown to be middling singers with the creativity of lemmings. Fort Worth-born champ Kelly Clarkson, however, has proven an exception.
The first-crowned star of the reality show, Clarkson has also proven its most independent, ditching “Idol” producer Simon Fuller as her agent before taking on a more rocking edge for her second album, “Breakaway.” A talented vocalist, Clarkson delivers driving rock, sassy soul and cooing ballads. She’s much more than a one-dimensional pop tart. Though songs from “Breakaway” make up the bulk of Clarkson’s current “Addicted” tour set-list, numbers from the singer’s as yet unnamed third disc are beginning to work their way into her repertoire.
Smirnoff Music Centre, 1818 1st Ave. July 28, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., $30-$79.50. 214-421-1111.
Gilbert Garcia
This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition, July 28, 2006.