Fine Line: June, 2006

ED. NOTE – The Internet is really screwy here at work, so if you don’t see me back here later – you’ll know I’ve thrown the router against the wall and started drinkin’

Hi. My name is Cindy and I’m a Pop-a-holic.

The Fine Line's first web/pod/video-cast from the Metrognome Collective's PopFest is only a few short hours away and I canNOT wait!

It’s all in the details:
Friday, June 30th
Metrognome Collective in Fort Worth
Doors at 7:00 PM
$5.00 Cover Benefits the MC

Who’der?
The Beatdown / Hardin Sweaty and the Ready to Go / American Werewolf Academy / The Bracelets / Maya Bond / The Shapes / Ballroom Dancing / Teenage Symphony / Man Factory / Fishboy / Happy Bullets

The incomparable Frank Hejl will host this spectacular extravaganza, so that in itself is enough to drag yo’ ass out.

Proceeds will help assure the doors remain eternally open at The Metrognome Collective which is something of great value to us all:

Metrognome Collective was formed to increase public awareness of emerging local artists; to educate, promote, and assist member visual artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers to enable them to make the transition into full time art careers; to sponsor meetings and workshops for artists about how to obtain representation, charitable contributions, and fair compensation for their artistic endeavors; sponsor other services to strengthen the stability of the North Texas arts community; and to educate the public about the funding needs of organizations that provide services or advocacy for artists.

Metrognome Collective is organized on the principle that the nature of art is to cause us to re-evaluate and re-invent ourselves and our culture. It is the best means for communicating the values, ideals, and ideas that create a progressive and enlightened society, and that by focusing on this mission Metrognome Collective can achieve a long-lasting, positive impact on both our artists and our wider community.

Metrognome Collective will achieve success through programs including, but not limited to artist showcases, gallery events, readings, workshops, a literary and artistic journal, special events and affordable services for all types of artists.

I’ll be there armed with mics, mixers, recorders and cameras – and hopefully my Muffy by my side.

Go here and scroll down for directions and I almost forgot another important little detail – BYOB!

Sneak peeks are sweet:
“Feelin’ Fancy by Man Factory.mp3
“Cheer Up Great Pumpkin” by Fishboy.mp3
“Cute Papa” by Maya Bond.mp3
“The Good Time Kids” by American Werewolf Academy.mp3
“Lucky” by Teenage Symphony.mp3

“Disquieting Letter” by the Happy Bullets

Michael and I decided yesterday that tonight’s festivities at Club Dada should include a rousing game of pin the tail on that thing…is it a giraffe? A jacked-up horse? A girapony? A Horsiraffe?

Etching by Broose

Tonight kicks off about 5 straight days of some of the best damn shows we’ve seen in awhile. Best of luck in your choices…I know I’m not having an easy time of it…

Let’s just stick with tonight now though, m’kay?

Dallas

Adair’s Saloon
Jeramie Crawford / Chris Miller / Mo Robson (Texas Country)
Free – Eat a Burger, it makes your hair grow

Club Dada
LAST NIGHT for the Travis & the Hoppers’ Travis Hopper & His Outrageous Dancing Hamsters Residency. Do – NOT – MISS! – 8 PM
The Fine Line’s Listening To:
9:00 PM – $5.00
Chris McFarland / Jole / Dimmed / Ivison / Future Soul Soundclash
Be there!

Bend Studio
Tania Rivas Open Mic – Great shows here my darlings
Doors at 8 PM – $3.00 – BYOB

AllGood Cafe
Will T. Massey
8 PM

Highlands Cafe
Chris Gonzalez (Dirt Blazers) / Steve Hahn (Yellowbelly)
8 PM – Free

The Double-Wide
The Theater Fire / Peter & the Wolf
10 PM – $5.00

Gypsy Tea Room
Hip Hop Summer Showcase / Steve Austin, Deloach & Sivion / w/ special guests Chucky Sky, Kurt Dogg & Palo / w/ guest DJ
Doors at 9 PM – Cover TBD

The Cavern
Robert Gomez and his Band of Musicians / Shibboleth
Doors at 6 PM – $6.00

Love & War in Texas (Plano)
Brian Burns (Texas Country/Americana/Folk)
8 PM – $5.00

Suede Bar
Brandon Jenkins – (Red Dirt/Country)
8 PM – $5.00

Poor David’s Pub
Gordy Quist (alt.country/Texas Country)
9 PM – Cover TBD

Lakewood Bar & Grill
Thankfully Michael Harberg saves my ass once again – I totally forgot about this show
Brian Hughes (The Transcenders) / Steve Porcari (Mellowship) / Karen Naomi / Luke Wade & John Wayne Shaw (my Stephenville boys in Hurt Street) and the great Hendrick

Cretia’s
Ned Lane – (Michael hips me that this is the muy talented Cas Haley of Woodbelly and Travis Brink…I gotta make this show soon)

Denton

Rubber Gloves
Magik Markers / Lambsbread / Dognappers (members of Record Hop / White Drugs / Fra Pandolf = excellence)
Doors at 9 PM – $8.00

Dan’s Silverleaf
Lo-Fi Chorus

Fort Worth

Jack’s Off the Wall
Carey Wolff (formerly with the great Woodeye)
7:00 PM

Black Dog Tavern
Stoogeaphilia – Must See (Iggy Pop / Stooges Cover Band)
10:30 PM

Astronautalis is truly this week’s media darling…and rightly so. You will find yourself sobbing softly in the fetal position if you mistakenly miss one of his Dallas/Denton performances…and we wouldn’t want that now would we?

Hunter Hauk got a good quick interview…

Two minutes into Astronautalis’ new CD The Mighty Ocean & Nine Dark Theaters, a listener might ask, “Why’s a freestyle rapper singing an acoustic guitar ballad?”

Turns out the former Dallas resident and Southern Methodist University theater grad is much more than just a clever MC.

After establishing himself as a battle rapper and witty freestyler during his SMU years, the 24-year-old Florida native (whose real name is Andy Bothwell) recorded his 2005 debut You and Yer Good Ideas in a bedroom, experimenting with a rap-folk hybrid sound. His latest, done in a real studio and released in May, moves further away from rap and aligns Bothwell with forward-thinking electronic acts such as the Postal Service and Imogen Heap.

The Mighty Ocean’s standout track, “Meet Me Here Later,” begins with a simple piano solo, backed by human beat-boxing, and evolves into a multifaceted freakout that’s, for lack of a better description, mind-blowing.

In addition to The Mighty Ocean, Bothwell has put together two additional EPs to sell at live shows: a disc of live and studio bonus tracks and a set of seven freestyle raps. Here’s more from the artist….

You gotta click it baby!

Astronautalis - “My Dinner with Andy”

Friday, June 30th – Rubber Gloves – 10 PM
Saturday, July 1st – Good Records – 4 PM
Saturday, July 1st – Liquid Lounge – 9 PM

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Hunter Hauk’s Liner Notes reveal some new tuneage from Sorta and Current Leaves, as well as some other delicious creamy goodness.

Sorta “I’ll Be There”

They told Ayo to pick five…and he did good.

Live the Pop Life.

Found at Frank’s place… What the hell is going on in this town???

In this week’s Dallas Observer music section, we find that Jesse Hughey and his Missus took a roadie to Manchester, Tennessee for the kick-ass (there, I said it) Bonnaroo Arts and Music Festival...

…Here, the destinations were plentiful and loud–the wife and I heard more than a dozen great acts, with highlights such as Elvis Costello and Allen Toussaint sharing a stage, Sonic Youth’s fierce improvisation and My Morning Jacket’s awe-inspiring psychedelic Southern rock (the colors, man!). We fought our way to within 50 yards of the stage for Beck’s loose and fun puppet-augmented set, then held our ground for the highlight of our year: Radiohead. As hurled glowsticks arced through the night sky, the packed crowd went nuts over two and a half hours of anthems such as “The Bends” and “Karma Police” and new songs such as “Arpeggi”–and would’ve gladly taken two and a half hours more…

Read the re-hash.

Now that there’s a festival you can sink yo’ teeth into…or your feet into…whatever…

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Sander Wolf writes about a recent Sara Hickman concert, as well as her latest album…

Sara Hickman’s last concert at Poor David’s Pub didn’t have quite the air of a homecoming. Despite an inspired introduction in faux-Latin by club owner David Carr, [should read Card] the audience showed absolutely no enthusiasm, and that lack of energy in the crowd was reflected right back from the stage…

Read

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Modern Machines are playin’ a house party in Denton this weekend…my invite musta got lost in the mail…Andrew Marcus writes…

Melody, heart and–for lack of a term as concise–balls; together, these qualities mark the best Midwestern bands, from Rockford’s Cheap Trick, to Minneapolis’ Replacements and Hüsker Dü, to Milwaukee’s Modern Machines. Say who?

Modern Machines, a trio that’s been breathlessly compared to its Midwestern predecessors in the punk press, are proud of their link in the chain. “It’s not about who you know or some fashion show,” says bassist Danny Zajackowski. “We care about music way above everything else. That’s what I think of when I think ‘Midwestern bands.’”

Please read.

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Odds & Ends features Sam’s whaddups as to the tremendous shows going down this weekend. Read it.

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Thanks (yet again) to Chris over at Gorilla vs Bear, as well as Garrison at IndieInterviews, I’m a big-ass SOUND team fan. Plus that Bill Baird is just as cute as a button. Chris put on his first big GvB showcase at The Cavern a few months back and graciously asked me to record the show. I think SOUND team was playing over at the Gypsy Tea Room that night, but Bill Baird came waltzin’ into the Cavern at some point with his guitar strapped to his back and eventually took the stage….click below to listen.

This is a pretty wicked-awesome short film on the SOUND team…

You are prolly all like, WTF Cindy, why all the SOUND team blather? Cuz Annie Zaleski writes…

…The Austin band has built a sterling reputation based on its live concerts, full of improvisation and experimentation. These gigs were also the only place fans could find most of Sound Team’s initial recordings–a couple of cassettes and a full-length, Marathon, the latter of which they released in small quantities on the Secretly Canadian-associated, vinyl-only label St. Ives. (2005’s WORK EP received wider distribution via Capitol.)…

Read fool.

SOUND team will perform at The Cavern this Friday night, June 30th. Bonus: Gorilla vs Bear hisownself will be spinning upstairs….sweet.

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Finally, a big sloppy smooch goes out to Sam Machkovech for enduring a whole year and a handful of days as the music editor for the Dallas Observer. Sam takes truckloads of crap on an hourly basis when it comes to his critiques, thoughts, opinions and ideas concerning the local music scene. But let me tell you kids something about Sam…cuz I’ve gotten to know and adore him considerably over the year, his intentions are quite good.

It’s not Sam’s job to “support nor promote” the local music scene. But he does. In fact, if you take a sec to sit down with the guy and discuss the local music scene, you’ll find that Sam has some pretty darn good ideas on how to make it better. Sure he’s just a kid, but he really loves music and he really cares about the fate of our scene (both on the local and national level) and I think he’ll continue to do a good job as music editor.

I applaud the guy for his honesty and integrity, regardless of whether or not I agree with him at times. I think I’ve seen Sam out at about 80% of the shows I’ve attended and/or recorded, many of which he wasn’t there on assignment – and THAT my friends, is support for the scene.

So if you see Sam out this week/weekend, buy him a beer…or a water…and take a minute to get to know the guy…you’ll thank me in the morning. Meantime, Read this…

Below is an “interview” (really just Cindy ‘n Sam babble) with Sam at the Good Records moving/birthday bash back in February…it’s proof in the puddin’ that Sam cares about the local music scene. Good times…

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When I first started out in the music “biz,” my kids were convinced that all I promoted was Country music. I started out booking for The Lonelies and while they certainly were not Country, they did lean towards an alt.Country sound at the time. I mean there was a Dobro and a Mandolin fercryinoutloud. So anyway, my boy-child and I were driving to the store one day years ago, and I popped in Macon Greyson’s CD, Uneasy and clicked over to, what could quite possibly be, one of my favorite songs ever. “Fine Line.” My son remarked, “this isn’t Country…this is awesome!”

“Fine Line”

A little over 2 years ago, Chaz Knight asked me if I’d like to host a weekly show on TexasRadio1. I said hell yes. Chaz wanted my show to be Country music. I said hell no. But we met in the middle when I offered up a show featuring bands in-between the alt-country/roots/Americana genres and the indie rock genre. Plus, I agreed to toss in some Texas Country, rockabilly, and plain good ol’ honky-tonk. While I agonized over a name for the show, I happened to be hanging out in Chris Johnson’s trailor in the back of the old Barley House with Harley & Badger when Harley said something like, “sheeeeooot, we’re [Macon Greyson] just a Country band…”

That’s when the clouds parted, the sun shone down and all was right with the Universe. Hence, “The Fine Line” was born. My show was dedicated to bands in-between genres – there’s a “fine line” when trying to label ‘em…get it? Also, at the time I was a little fed up with some of the things happening in the local music scene, so the lyrics seemed so apropo too…“it’s a fine, fine line between loving you and suicide…” My sentiments exactly.

So the name stuck…followed me to my weekly Podcasts (soon to be resurrected) and now with this brand-spankin’ new little labor of love (although donations are highly encouraged).

To this day Macon Greyson remains on my top 10 favorite bands list. I’ve been to like a bazillion of their live shows and I’ve always walked out happier than when I walked in.

So I was thrilled when I read this great review of Macon Greyson’s latest album, Translate in Paste…

In the five years of Macon Greyson’s existence, it’s gone from “Best Bar Band In Three Counties” to “Texas Music Stalwart With Winsome Son Volt Fixation,” and now, with Translate, the band makes a serious run at becoming “Best Rock Outfit You’ve Never Heard Of.” The wisdom of Petty seems to have settled in on these boys with a vengeance: make the hooks catchy, the lyrics smart and plug the guitar straight into the amp. The result of this epiphany is some of the most vital, urgent and direct rock since Wilco abandoned their Gram worship for greener, abstract pastures of artsy splendor…

Read it all and read it good.

I’ve already made plans to hang at the White Elephant Saloon on Monday, July 3rd for one helluva shindig, chock full of some of my all-time favorite bands. You outta come hang out wit’ me. I’ll be recording the show, but I’ll find time to hoist a few with ya.

95.9 The Ranch Presents: Wille Nelson’s 4th of July Pre-Party
NO COVER!
Performing:
Macon Greyson
Thrift Store Cowboys
Jason Eady
Travis Linville
Brandon Rhyder
Kurt South
Brad Hines
Casey Donahew
Jamie Richards
Darren Kozelsky
Jay Johnson

Did I mention it’s free? It’s free. Things will kick off around 2 PM so make plans to get there early.

Now back to some Macon Greyson for the ears…

“Save Us All”

Wow, babies babies everywhere this week! I just wish I looked even 1/8th as good as Somer looks in this picture.

Welcome Conner James Yocom to the world my friends. Born Tuesday, June 27th at 1:44 AM – 8 lbs. 6 oz., 21 inches long.

Congratulations Somer, Lance & Connor Yocom!

Art by Broose

The Internet connection here at The Fine Line headquarters has rivaled dial-up all day. I’m late – but it’s not too late to catch some good shows…

Club Dada
IndieKitten Goes West Showcase
The Atoms / Cowboys & Indians / Jeramie Crawford
“Texas Country/Rockabilly/Swing*

The Cavern
The Yo-Yo Contingency / Dropsonic / Traindodge / Until They Arrive
*Lotsa rock with that whole indie thing goin’ on*

Whiskey Bar
Cortinas Clan in full action!
*Just plain great music*

Love & War (Plano)
blacktopGYPSY
*great Texas Country*

Wreck Room
Stoogeaphilia
*heheheh – you just gotta go – nuff said*

Like I said earlier, there are a helluva lotta good shows this weekend. This includes the Astronautalis CD Release Party with the incomparable PPT and News Travels Fast at Rubber Gloves on Friday, June 30th.

*Doors at 9 PM – $6.00*

I'm hoping that SaMach will have a nice juicy piece on Astronautalis and the big show…but I can tell ya this…pssssst…come closer…Sam managed a phoner with A and I hear there was even some free-stylin' goin' down. Check out Unfair Park (the Observer's blog) tomorrow for the audio.

Meantime, check out Astronautalis live at Good Records below. He so fine…

I was puttering around the Internet and came across this old memory. I miss doing shows on TexasRadio1. "Paul," my co-host was really darling Chris Gonzalez – we never could come up with a good alias for him…and we were forever leaving the mics on during songs so that the listeners could hear us gossip…hence the term "oh shit, we left the mics on"…suffice to say we didn’t mean to leave ‘em on.

For some reason I've been thinking a lot about one of the first bands I came across years ago while booking for The Lonelies. I think I plumb wore out my copy of this album…check out the Joyful Sinners.

Come home John. Put the band back together man…

It’s one of those weekends in which there are too many great shows to go – and me – being older ‘n dirt…literally…I’m older than a lotta dirt I know…am forced to pick and choose, with a minimum 24-36 hour recovery time allotted between shows. Enjoy your youth my darlings.

The show in which I speak of now is quite marvelous. However, let me share with you a little history:

Welcome!

On behalf of everyone involved with Strategies of Beauty, Volume 1, let us say thank you for the excitement and interest y’all have shown over the last few weeks concerning this festival! The underlying premise of Strategies of Beauty is by design many things to many different people. Most importantly is that a loose collection of us, Fra Pandolf, You are the Universe!, Notes from Underground, iDi*Amin, and Hotel, Hotel all enjoyed each other’s music and playing shows together; so, we thought, why not have one big one to get the ball rolling for more? Along with that sentiment, Jen and I also began to find that many of our favorite artists from the area and beyond who are folk based as well as those that are noise based had very similar perspectives on music. In the Shiny home, in general, it is not uncommon to have a Cat Stevens record followed by one from SunnO))).

One thing that all of us are adamant about, however, is that this festival is not considered solely a Denton thing. Sure, Denton is a bit more eclectic than Dallas and Ft. Worth, but there are artists doing great work utilizing elements from both the folk and noise genres throughout the Metroplex, not to mention the people from Hurst, Arlington, Oak Cliff, etc. who like to see them perform.

Strategies of Beauty, Vo. 1 is another product of a new age in music and how it is appreciated communally. It is another stepping stone to an empowered world of CDRs with personalized drawings on them and confessional songs within, of websites where demos are posted, of communicating with other bands in Omaha, Austin, Ithaca, San Diego, etc… and trading shows, of inspiring others to take chances in creating, of being turned on to new artists who are friends of friends. Above all, it is about the continuation of the DIY ethos and not relying on anyone but each other to make things happen for the propagation of our collective art.

Although Shiny is curating this edition of the festival, we are but a small part of the entire process and look forward to the next installments where we will be helping in other ways. This festival is ONLY HAPPENING due to the specialized participation of ALL involved from our friends at Rubber Gloves to the many members of the bands.

If you are not a part of this volume of the festival, be sure to come out and experience it and meet those that are. Make new friends, bring your CDRs, trade tips on what books are cool to read, films to see, beers to drink. Become a part of what is happening as the minute after this edition of the fest is done, we have a feeling others will be planned, blogs will be started, songs written, and new friends made.

We look forward to seeing all of you in July.

Michael and Jennifer
Shiny Around the Edges
Curators, Strategies of Beauty, Volume 1

Pretty cool, huh? Plus, some of the proceeds benefit the People’s Clinic of Denton.

This extravaganza kicks off around 4 PM on Saturday, July 1st at Rubber Gloves in Denton and it’s only 5-bucks. Quite inexpensive for this line-up:

12:30 Notes from Underground
11:45 Fra Pandolf
11:00 Stumptone
10:15 Shiny Around the Edges
9:45 Samantha L. Moss of jetscreamer & Emil Rapstine of The Angelus
9:00 Hotel, Hotel
8:15 You Are the Universe
7:30 Cue
6:45 Chris Garver
6:00 iDi*Amin
5:15 Eat Avery’s Bones
4:30 Ribelle Scaltro

Sponsored in part by: J & J’s Pizza on the Square

This is a splendid showcase, all for a good cause, and certainly the place you’ll find all the cool kids on Saturday.

Not…to…miss…

If you ain’t tunin’ in to the KNON 89.3 Dirty South Block Party every Saturday night at 10 PM…then you a fool. I got myself hooked on the show a few months ago, and rarely, if ever, miss a single one.

Got skillz? Check it out…Bobo and them are taking submissions:

To send your stuff in to our show

The address is

KNON 89.3 FM
The Dirty South Block Party
5353 Maple Suite 200
Dallas, Texas 75235

listen to us every Saturday night 10pm to 12am
KNON 89.3 FM

also listen online @ www.knon.org
call and make your request @ 214.637.1893

with your hosts Bobo, Fish, Pikahsso, Drop, David, and Kita Khat.

Austin's amazing "experimental" (I hate trying to label a band) band One Umbrella immediately made my list of faves the first time I saw them perform live (thanks, yet again, Lance). So while I'm thrilled to learn of a great article on One Umbrella's Sarah Lipstate in Nero Magazine, I'm frustrated to report that the whole dang thing is in Italian. How you say…mama mia!

Translators feel free to email me what it say…m'kay…

“Eintrocinc” by One Umbrella

Photo by Julie Terrell

Saboteur most definitely cranked things up a notch on Sunday at the Double-Wide birthday bash.

They are so hot and musician-y…check their performance below.

Below are some rock star pics from the show, shot by Julie Terrell

Painting by Broose

Some sweet sweet shows for a delightful Tuesday night on the town:

Club Dada
Callithump Productions Presents New Music Tuesdays
The Peelers / The Future Unlived / Eat Avery’s Bones / Polio=Feet
A buck a band = $4.00 – Half-priced pints
8:00 PM

Gypsy Tea Room
Pete Yorn Acoustic
Doors at 7 PM
$22.50 – *I think it’s sold-out*

The Double-Wide
DJ Burlap spins

The Cavern
The Lost Generation with DJ Mwanza
10 P – 2 A – No Cover
Go in and go up.

Sherlock’s Pub
Monkeyshyne / Josh Goode / American Zeros
9:30 PM – $5.00
Operation Rock the Troops Benefit

Rock Steady
This One’s Fer the Kiddies – All Ages –
Underneath the Glass / Vera Drake ? White Arms of Athena / Marbury vs Madison / Arsonist Get all the Girls / Thriller
Doors at 6:30 – $8.00

Dan’s Silverleaf
The Porch

Rubber Gloves
Sleezus Fist and the Latter Day Taints / Sex Slaves / Funeral Drive / The Rotaways
Doors at 9 PM – $5.00

Metrognome Collective
Kidko / Occasional Detroit

White Elephant Saloon
Brad Hines

Robert Wilonsky (aka the fastest fingers in the west) reveals something I did not know over at the Dallas Observer’s blog, Unfair Park.

A Friend of Unfair Park’s with a coffee buzz sends the following item about the bad blood brewing between South Side of Lamar coffee house-performance space Standard & Pours, winner of a Dallas Observer best-of last year, and the self-proclaimed “world’s preeminent providers of credit ratings” Standard & Poor’s. Apparently, the battle over the names has been going on for two years but has picked up steam in recent weeks, with S&P threatening to sue the local coffee shop owned by Pascale Hall, formerly of Legal Grounds, if she doesn’t change the name. I do wonder what this does to my plans to open my new daytime restaurant Merrill Lunch next door to my X-rated video store American Sexpress. Really, got a million of ‘em. The story follows after the jump…

Read it all.

I also found this little tidbit of news that slipped right past me…I must be really off my game, eh.

I first met Adam Brewer a couple of years ago at SXSW, when he kindly allowed me to webcast one of his showcases live over the Internet. Adam founded one helluva music festival that has quickly ramped-up to contend with SXSW head on.

That was March…this is now…

Saturday, July 1st
Heart of Texas Red White & Blues Festival
The Line-up is…how you say…off the hook…here is just a peek:
Legendary Blues-man WC Clark
Guy Clark Jr.
Alan Haynes
Charlie Sexton
Big Head Todd & the Monsters
Jo Hell & the Red Roosters
Todd Wolfe
Malford Milligan
Hubert Sumlin and GE Smith
Johnny Goudie
Dirty Wormz
Bob (my future baby’s daddy) Schneider
Check out the rest here

Pre-sale tickets available at Frontgate Tickets – click it. – A portion of ticket sales will benefit the XP Family Support Group. You can find out more here.

Check out the “sure you cans” and the “no-no’s here.

Technology is a wondrous thing. With just one click, Ryan just informed me that:

1) The Hourly Radio’s debut full-length album was released this morning digitally. Click here for History Will Never Hold Me on iTunes

2) The album will officially drop in stores on September 15th.

3) The guys are on tour with freakin’ satellite Internet so’s they can keep us updated on their tour blog as to their doin’s aka wacky adventures.

4) The boys will be back home at The Cavern on July 3rd with Protokoll & The Valentines.

Click here to watch “Fear of Standing Upright”

Hi. My name is Cindy and I’m a Pop-a-holic.

The Fine Line's first web/pod/video-cast from the Metrognome Collective's PopFest is only a few short days away and I canNOT wait!

It’s all in the details:
Friday, June 30th
Metrognome Collective in Fort Worth
Doors at 7:00 PM
$5.00 Cover Benefits the MC

Who’der?
The Beatdown / Hardin Sweaty and the Ready to Go / American Werewolf Academy / The Bracelets / Maya Bond / The Shapes / Ballroom Dancing / Teenage Symphony / Man Factory / Fishboy / Happy Bullets

The incomparable Frank Hejl will host this spectacular extravaganza, so that in itself is enough to drag yo’ ass out.

Proceeds will help assure the doors remain eternally open at The Metrognome Collective which is something of great value to us all:

Metrognome Collective was formed to increase public awareness of emerging local artists; to educate, promote, and assist member visual artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers to enable them to make the transition into full time art careers; to sponsor meetings and workshops for artists about how to obtain representation, charitable contributions, and fair compensation for their artistic endeavors; sponsor other services to strengthen the stability of the North Texas arts community; and to educate the public about the funding needs of organizations that provide services or advocacy for artists.

Metrognome Collective is organized on the principle that the nature of art is to cause us to re-evaluate and re-invent ourselves and our culture. It is the best means for communicating the values, ideals, and ideas that create a progressive and enlightened society, and that by focusing on this mission Metrognome Collective can achieve a long-lasting, positive impact on both our artists and our wider community.

Metrognome Collective will achieve success through programs including, but not limited to artist showcases, gallery events, readings, workshops, a literary and artistic journal, special events and affordable services for all types of artists.

I’ll be there armed with mics, mixers, recorders and cameras – and hopefully my Muffy by my side.

Go here and scroll down for directions and I almost forgot another important little detail – BYOB!

Sneak peeks are sweet:
“Feelin’ Fancy by Man Factory.mp3
“Cheer Up Great Pumpkin” by Fishboy.mp3
“Cute Papa” by Maya Bond.mp3
“The Good Time Kids” by American Werewolf Academy.mp3
“Lucky” by Teenage Symphony.mp3

“Disquieting Letter” by the Happy Bullets