Let's not dwell on the fact that temperatures are hovering around 90 degrees this week; alas, living in Houston  means there will be plenty of time to fret about the weather. Fun fact: it was in the low 50s in Alaska last week, and people were losing their mind about the "heat." It's a beautiful state, but given that the only concert I heard advertised up that way was some sort of weird hair metal b-team all-stars thing, I'm beyond happy to be back home where there are an ample amount of shows to enjoy, no Aquanet required.

Pick of the Week: DMX
4.14 - House of Blues

DMX is celebrating 20 years of It's Dark and Hell is Hot, but this isn't one of those "play an album all the way through" type of tours, so don't get confused when "Ruff Ryders' Anthem" isn't the first song out of the gate. DMX has had some pretty stark ups and downs over the course of his career, but there's no denying that he's got some of the greatest rap songs of all time to his name. Don't go in with any expectations and just let DMX be DMX; it's sure to be something.

The Best of the Rest

The Legendary Art Car Ball 2019,
4.12 - Hermann Square

Art Car Weekend is here, and while the parade is obviously the main event, don't sleep on this year's Art Car Ball. I can't speak for every performer on the bill, but I can talk about Boyfriend, a fearless artist who combines rap and cabaret for performances that are incredible. She's more than just steamy performances, being excellent on the mike. You may not know her now, but a Boyfriend performance is something you won't soon forget.

Gladys Knight
4.13 - Smart Financial Center

You know you're among the best to ever work in your chosen field when you're dubbed the "Empress of [x]." Gladys Knight has been in the game so long she's been in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame longer than a lot of the bands you love have existed. Her Super Bowl performance was proof that she's still got the voice, so pay your respects to one of the greats.

Karbach Brewing Co. Crawfish Festival
4.14 - Karbach Brewery

Crawfish + beer + live music is a winning combination this time of year, so it should really be no surprise that Karbach is hosting a day of tunes and mudbugs. G. Love & Special Sauce and Bob Schneider are handling the music side of the equation with a few brass bands on the undercard, so if life has conspired to keep you from going ham this crawfish season, here's your chance to indulge.

Big Freedia
4.14 - White Oak Music Hall

Everyone should experience a Big Freedia show at least once. I'm not going to claim that it'll change your life, but maybe, just maybe, it'll unlock something in your soul that you didn't realize was previously closed off. That was my experience, at least, the first time seeing one of the Queen Diva's bounce dance parties. Not to go all Morpheus on you, but sometimes you just have to dance to feel free.

• Concerts
• Things To Do