I’m leavin’ for San Antone early in the a.m. Too much stuff needs doin’ at the new digs to stick ’round here. So I started pokin’ around venues in Austin/San Marcos and San Antonio to see what kind of trouble I can get into while I’m in the ‘hood. That’s when I saw them. That’s when I met…how you say…perfection.
They come in the form of March Fourth Marching Band. Oh—my—GAWD, are you kidding me?! This is like…like…like a dream come true. They are a stage performing marching band of sorts, and you know how I loves me some marching band. As if the deal couldn’t get sweeter, they are performing around Austin all weekend with muy fabuloso White Ghost Shivers. Wheeeeeeeee…!!!
I can absolutely, positively, fer reals commit to attending a minimum of 1 of these shows this weekend – too damn good to pass up. If you don’t hear back from me, I’ve followed March Fourth back to Portland…
Friday, April 20th Scoot Inn
That Damn Band / March Fourth Marching Band / White Ghost Shivers
8 PM
Saturday, April 21st Austin Earth Day
Republic Park
4 PM – Mundi
5 PM – Guy Forsyth
6 PM – South Austin Jug Band
7 PM – Rokkatone
8 PM – March Fourth
Sunday, April 22nd Antone’s
March Fourth / White Ghost Shivers / That Damn Band
Doors at 7 PM – Show Starts at 8 PM
Tonight there’s really no other place to be than Sons of Hermann. For you see, the divine Sarah Jaffe shall command the stage just before Austin’s Bill Callahan takes over. Bonus buy, Doug Burr and Kris Youmans will sit in with Sarah. Tre Magnifique!
Who, what’s-n-where’s
Thursday, April 19th Sons of Hermann
Sarah Jaffe / Bill Callahan (Smog)
Doors @ 5PM – Show @ 9PM
Tickets: $10.00 Advance/$12.00 At the door.
Thursday, April 19th Sons or Hermann Sarah Jaffe I first laid eyes and ears on Sarah Jaffe at least 4 or so years ago at Tom Prejean’s open mic night at Club Dada. I loved her performance so much, I chased her (and her parents) out the door and down the street to gush over her in person. Since then, this lovely young talent has come a long way, and I have no doubt will go all the way to the top.
Thursday, April 19th Sons of Hermann Bill Callahan – CD Release Based on the uncharacteristically lively Woke on a Whaleheart, the latest album by Bill Callahan (aka Smog), it seems dating fellow Drag City artist Joanna Newsom has worked out exceedingly well for the enigmatic singer-songwriter. The union has also succeeded splendidly for fans, as the album easily ranks among Callahan’s finest work to date. Produced with panache by fellow lo-fi auteur Neil Michael Hagerty, Whaleheart finds Callahan stretching into the type of blue-eyed soul that past favorites such as “Dress Sexy at My Funeral” only hinted at; Read the rest. ~Noah W. Bailey – Dallas Observer~
I just saw a commercial on the teevee about the upcoming Denton Jazz Fest, April 27-29.
Slide into spring on April 27, 28 & 29, 2007 by attending the annual Denton Arts & Jazz Festival. Great music, good food, beautiful art and many activities are planned for the whole family in Denton, Texas, where FUN IS THE THING and JAZZ IS KING! The Denton Civic Center Park, on 20 acres in the heart of downtown, provides the perfect setting for the 2 ½ day event that is free to the public. The Denton Festival Foundation, Inc., in cooperation with the City of Denton and the Dallas/Fort Worth American Federation of Musicians, produces the festival with support from individual and corporate sponsorships. Over 2,200 musicians, artists and performers attract over 200,000 annually to enjoy the culturally diverse music and art.
Move to the beat at one of 6 stages with jazz, blues and cross-cultural music. Get in the groove and buy a special piece of art from 160 juried artists and crafters. The 12 and under set can mold, draw, sculpt and create at the Children’s Art Tent. Treat yourself to delicious offerings at one of 5 food courts and don’t miss the games and activities for the young and young at heart. Get inspired with festival rhythms around every corner.
HEADLINERS:
Friday, April 27, 9pm: McCoy Tyner Trio
Saturday, April 28, 7pm: Tom Faulkner and 9pm: Susan Tedeschi
Sunday, April 29, 7pm: Brave Combo
Come and visit the music capital of North Texas. Join in the pride and celebration of our music and arts tradition, all showcased for a weekend of enjoyment for the whole family. (Funded in part with a grant from the Texas Commission on the Arts and the National Endowment on the Arts)
What caught my eye whilst cruising by the bube-tube was the sight of my beloved Joe Tucker on the Denton stage. Joe Tucker is a phenomenal one-man band, playing drums, guitar, harmonica and vocals all at the same time. He be real good.
My favorite picture of the boy-child at his best – covered in spaghetti
So yesterday the boy-child turned 15 whole years old. It was most definitely a 48-hour affair, complete with his band jam all night Tuesday…well into the wee hours of Wednesday morn. I made the boys wear Spongebob party hats while they dined on my special homemade McMuffin sammiches, then scooted them off to do some learnin’.
Later on last eve, we met over at Snuffer’s for birthday burgers with the family. It was one of the most enjoyable evenings I’ve had in awhile. I adore my family, and most definitely (due to my dumbassantics) don’t get to see them as much as I’d like. Anyhoo eventually the conversation turned to music (shocker, eh). My brother, who by the way was my original music mentor way back when, introducing me to the likes of Matt Bianco, Oingo Boingo and numerous others, was telling me about KT Tunstall. I, being the foolishly out of touch elder sis, was intrigued, and oh-so out of the loop. I mean the girl has won like major awards and her hit song “Black Horse and the Cherry Tree” is spun on every Clear Channel station from sea to shining sea. But my head tends to sit wedged up the arse of the local/regional music scene…bottom line, the kid bro turned me on to someone I totally dig…yet again.
It’s one thing to hear KT on the radio, and quite another to see her in action live. Mi hermano sent me to the YouTube vid below. My A.D.D. sent me all over where-did-the-hours-go-YouTube, watching more KT and about a gazillion kids covering her songs…I can’t get enough of KT Tunstall…however I can get enough of the goofy covers…
My dad told me a story last night that made me awful proud to call him my dad. It seems that dad and his lovely gal were at The Auslander in Fredricksburg last weekend. He had just purchased cocktails and as he made his way back to the table, the performer did his “goodnight everybody thanks for coming” schpeel. My daddy would have none of that, no way, no how. So he did what every live music lover should do, and slapped a hundred dollar bill on the table and asked the performer how many songs that would buy hisownself and his lovely gal.
What began in 2000 with a simple gift of a guitar made possible by his grandfather has led Drew Kennedy down the winding road that he travels today. His trip has taken him through the hills of music’s greatest heroes, to the hill country of Texas where he now makes his home. That journey, seven years in the making, has culminated in the March 2007 Sustain Records release of Dollar Theatre Movie.
Produced by Gerald Boyd, Dollar Theatre Movie consists of 13 original songs, all of which were written or co-written by Drew. Each track is an insight into his musical evolution over the last two years. The first single to be released off the new record is entitled “Take Me Home” and was co-written by Peter Dawson and Drew. “Take Me Home” is a feel good song about skipping town on your job in the big city to head back home where the roads are dusty, the night sky is full of stars, and the pace of life is a little slower. “Ramblin’ Heart,” the second song on the record, is banjo-filled ode to a musicians’ hectic life on the road. “Goodbye,” which flows like a love song in reverse, is a track that paints a vivid picture of a doomed relationship in which a man removes himself from the situation in order to benefit the woman he loves. “These songs are a part of me,” says Kennedy. “Some of them are introspective, some of them were born out of the things I’ve seen out on the road, but all of them deal with the way we feel as we’re trying to fit in with the rest of the world.
I get the feeling that all of these songs have that same loose-fitting theme.” With that theme in mind, and with the help of dozens of talented musicians, Dollar Theatre Movie was born. Recorded over several months at Premium Recording in Austin, TX, this marks Kennedy’s second record, following 2003’s independent release Hillbilly Pilgrim. “The title just fit the theme,” says Kennedy. “I’m trying to write about the people you meet every day. You can find inspiration no matter where you are. I’m just one of the lucky few that gets to find inspiration in the big cities, the small towns, and everywhere in between.” The earthy arrangements and passionate lyrics of Dollar Theatre Movie represent what countless music fans around the country have come to recognize as a sound that is distinctly Kennedy’s.
With influences ranging as wide as Johnny Cash and Guy Clark to Ben Folds and Ryan Adams, the music rises as a loose cooperative between sounds that all share a common root system sewn deep within the American soil. With lyrics that show thought and intelligence, and hooks that command attention, Dollar Theatre Movie proves to be a highly satisfying ride, from the opening note to the rolling of the credits. Dollar Theatre Movie Is Kennedy’s first record release with Sustain Records, an independent Texas-based record company distributed by Universal Music & Video Distribution.
“Take Me Home” by Drew Kennedy
Dad and lovely also caught another artist they particularly enjoyed, Sheila Marshall, while on their Bluebonnet jaunt.
Sheila Marshall is a native of Nacogdoches, TX a small community deep in the heart of east Texas. Growing up surrounded by the sounds of gospel, rock and roll and country music Sheila developed a voice true to her surroundings. After college Sheila found herself working full time and spending countless hours writing and rehearsing with her first band and although the band lasted only a year Sheila made the choice to chase her dream. Before long Sheila found herself in the studio working on her very first CD. During this time the road became her home. Sheila traveled and performed an average of 50 weeks a year, her music took her around the world. Sheila has toured to places such as Asia where she performed for our troops returning for leave from the war in Iraq, A European tour that ended in France, then went on to play Alaska, Hawaii, and across the U.S. and back. During this time Sheila released an acoustic EP and gained a sponsorship from Budweiser which brought national recognition. Sheila continued writing new songs, perfecting her stage show and building a large following. Sheila has released two CD’s “Beautiful For Situation” an acoustic EP and “Makes Perfect Sense” and is currently working on a third CD for 2006.
You can also catch Sheila performing her talented little heart out all over the Lone Star State.
My friend Cari Weinberg gots somethin’ to say…and you’d best listen…
Time to vent…this morning I came to the realization that the Internet Radio stations I love best may soon be going the way of the T-Rexes. And it’s given me that sad, I can feel it in the pit of my stomach feeling since
I spend much of my day listening to KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic,” Luna Lounge’s Radio Indie Pop, and Soma FM with reckless abandon.
A ruling by the Copyright Royalty Board that will increase webcasters’ royalty rates between 300 and 1200 percent over the next 5 years. The new royalty rates will go into effect May 15, 2007, unless the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit agrees to hear a further
appeal.
Yeah, I’m all for artists making more money, but this move would effectively kill off Internet Radio in one fell swoop and that means a lot less exposure (and money) for artists who get played on these stations.
Do your part, and do something before it’s too late.
Beautiful weather and an organized Pizza Hut Park made last night’s Edgefest 16 more than bearable and, during some of the bands’ sets at least, pretty fun. I knew I didn’t have the endurance to stick it out all day long, so I headed up to Frisco in the late afternoon. What follows is a timeline, with inner dialogue in italics: Click here for all the rest.
Tonight, Tuesday, April 17th, SPACE will again host yoga free to the public. Instructed by Chinook Wusdhu, a regular instructor at Tsada Yoga, the free yoga sessions will take place Tuesday nights, from 6:15 to 7:45.
Mats are available and donations are accepted, though all you have to bring is change for the meters. All levels welcome.
Blazing hot new playwright Young Jean Lee bursts onto the scene at Undermain Theatre with her super-charged electronica version of the lives of the English Romantic poets.
Byron, Coleridge, Wordsworth and his sister get drunk, hang out, and commiserate in England and the Swiss Alps.
“Undermain Theatre of Dallas will present The Appeal by blazing hot new playwright Young Jean Lee April 21-May 19, 2007. This super-charged electronica version of the lives of the English Romantic poets will star Shelby Davenport as William Wordsworth, Todd Haberkorn as Lord Byron, Shannon Kearns – Simmons as Dorothy Wordsworth, and Kent Williams as Samuel Coleridge. Designers will include Happy Yancey, Giva Taylor, and Tristan Decker.
The Appeal previews April 18-20 with performances Wednesdays-Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. and Fridays-Saturdays at 8:15 p.m. at Wed and Thurs $15, Fri $20, and Sat $25. Discounts are available for seniors, students and KERA members. Call 214.747.5515 or visit www.undermain.com“
Directed by Katherine Owens. Featuring: Shelby Davenport, Todd Haberkorn,
Shannon Kearns-Simmons, and Kent Williams. Design by Happy Yancey. Stage management by Mitchell Parrack.
Sunday, April 15th Barley House
Smile Smile
10 PM – No Cover – Full Band
“Ryan Hamilton, vocals/guitar, and Jencey Hirunrusme, vocals/piano, expand the familiar, yet unique combination of classical piano melodies paired with strong guitar to form Smile Smile. Stripping songs down to the bone and emphasizing the simplicity of beautiful music, Smile Smile’s repertoire ranges from powerful ballads to upbeat folk-style sing-a-longs. Their contemporary blend of folk and pop addresses the timeless issues prevalent in every generation, while also exploring the downfalls of modern life. Sweet breathy female vocals melt into haunting melodies, while strong male vocals drive the momentum. Each song and each melody brings a new sound to the listener and leaves you with something to hold on to.”
Bill’s Records: Bill’s Birthday Bash – Happy Birthday Bill!
12:45pm – Texas History with Lee Powell
“The Black Widow and John Wesley Hardin”
1pm – Joe Russell
2pm – Gurf Morlix
3pm – Houston Marchman
4pm – Eleven Hundred Springs
5pm – Duane Stailey
Hosted by KHYI’s Cute as a Button Natalie
Birthday Cake / Ice Cream / Free
Fry Street Fair Line-up: (cut-n-paste – deal wit’ it.) Main stage
12:00-12:35 KHORINA VEGA
12:50-1:25 ADVENT
1:40-2:15 CONGRATULATIONS
2:30-3:05 TAME…TAME AND QUIET
3:20-3:55 CURRENT LEAVES
4:10-4:50 SHAOLIN DEATH SQUAD
5:05-5:45 SPITFIRE TUMBLEWEEDS
6:00-6:45 JETSCREAMER
7:00-7:45 RECORD HOP
8:00-9:00 THE DRAMS
“Giant Babies” by Record Hop
Stage 2
12:00-12:35 OPEN
12:50-1:25 KNEE PAD
1:40-2:15 WHITE DRUGS
2:30-3:05 LITTLE BIG HORN
3:20-3:55 MESCALERO
4:10-4:50 BLOOD OF THE SUN
5:05-5:45 RED MONROE
6:00-6:45 JOINTMETHOD
7:00-7:45 THE MAD MEXICANS
8:00-9:00 PPT
“Frustrated” & “Work it Out” by PPT
Stage 3
12:00-12:35 FATTY POINDEXTER
12:50-1:25 B.O.B. WINNER
1:40-2:15 J.PRICE
2:30-3:05 THE DEMIGS
3:20-3:55 SPACE CADET
4:10-4:50 ROSE COUNTY FAIR
5:05-5:45 POPS CARTER & THE FUNKMONSTERS
6:00-6:45 SLEEZUS FIST W/ THE SIDECAR GIRLS
7:00-8:00 PINEBOX SERENADE
AllGood Cafe – Gurf Morlix Avenue Arts – Lollipop Shoppe Sons of Hermann – The Apostle Jeremy & the American Disciples with Deadman (highly recommended) Double-Wide – Dixie Witch (Austin) / Little Big Horn / SuperHeavyGoatAss Bend Studio – Shake Russell Lee Harvey’s – O Scarlett / The Valentines Love & War in Plano – Blacktop Gypsy Dan’s Silverleaf – Sorta / Seth Walker
715 Panhandle – Teenage Cool Kids / Koji Kondo / Get Serious / Angry Businessmen / Trifle Tower / Jumping Phoenix / Black Wizardz MacHenry’s – Jay Johnson / Joe Pat Hennen / Houston Marchman
DJ EZ Eddie D has cultivated a career as a DJ, remixer and producer for over 24 years. Being the closest thing to a hip-hop historian that Dallas has ever known, he has worked with the early pioneers as well as many of the current up and comers in the Dallas hip-hop scene. From his early days growing up in Finneytown(a mostly caucasion suburb in Cincinnati, Oh.) to his 23 years in dallas it’s no surprise to find his influences are all over the musical map. With a collction containing everthing from R&B to Classic Rock, Funk to Retro and Blues to Hip-Hop his studio is the Mecca record collectors dream of.
His main focus today is fusing all of these genres with hip-hop beats creating a distinctive sound all his own. In 1982, Dallas DJ The Master Mixer taught Eddie how to blend records and also introduced him to the radio station KNON 89.3 “The Voice of the People”. He interned and moved his way up the ranks, working with DJ Cisco Soul & the Party Patrol and Nippy Jones of the “Fresh & Freaky Friday Show”(later KKDA). Nippy helped groom him for his own time slot. In 1987 station manager Craig Taylor gave him that chance with his first show airing Thursday nights 9-11. The show moved a few times finally landing on Saturdays 5-7pm where you can still tune in weekly for “Knowledge Dropped-Lessons Taught(Vol.2)”. It is the only source Dallas has for true underground hip-hop and being a public radio station is a perfect forum for his philosophies on politics, religion, racism and social responsibility…
The krunkest radio show in the south hosted by Bobo Luchiano, DJ Fish, DJ Drop, Pikahssablanca, David and Kita Khat on KNON 89.3 FM Every Saturday night from 10pm to 12am Call the request line 214.637.1893
Friday, April 13th Club Dada Simon Dawes / Delta Spirit / The Colour / What Made Milwaukee Famous
I think it was Lance Yocom (Spune) that introduced me to What Made Milwaukee Famous a few years back at one of his shindigs. Or was it Sally Clark at Strict Management? Regardless, I just remember thinking to myself…”daaaayuuuum they’s good” the moment the started to play, and their debut album is still one of my faves.
The mission of La Reunion is to inspire, renew, and sustain artists and community through education, outreach, and residencies.
La Reunion is a Texas not-for-profit organization founded in 2006 to establish an artist residency program in Dallas. Our future home will be located on 35 wooded acres in west Oak Cliff, seven miles from downtown Dallas. We will provide housing and studio space to traditional and new media artists, and our intimate gallery / installation / performance space called ‘the living room’ will be open to the public. Artists on the local, national, and international levels will be encouraged to apply for residencies ranging from one week to one year.
April is La Reunion month!
Saturday, April 14, 11am to 5pm – Scriptwriting for Graphic Novels workshop
Ever want to know the finer points of writing a comic book? How about how to deal with that script once turned over to an illustrator? How do these same issues affect playwrights and screenwriters? Join us for a workshop covering these ideas and more. Register now! The MAC
Saturday, April 21, 10:30am to 2:30pm
How Important Are We: Dallas Fort Worth: the next New York City? DADA presents two panel discussions for the public on how curators, directors and art critics answer this question. La Reunion is a community partner is this presentation. Admission will be $30 for two panels or $20 for one panel. (Students with IDs may enter at $10 per panel). Proceeds will benefit the Edith Baker Art Scholarship Fund. Lunch will be available for sale at the site. Call 214-943-1099 to register and reserve a lunch. Latino Cultural Center
Sunday, April 22, 11am to 5pm Oak Cliff Earth Day
Help make Oak Cliff’s celebration of Earth Day one of the largest in the State of Texas with over 150 state and local environmental, conservation, and wildlife groups; garden clubs; “green” businesses; city departments and state agencies; cycling, running, and hiking clubs; schools; and arts groups. Lake Cliff Park
Midnight to 1:30am – After the Sons party, shuttle over for a late-night tour of Fast Forward (backwards) at the Dallas Museum of Art, led by Susan Cuellar, a longtime docent and mom to president of the LRTX board, Catherine Cuellar. $15 includes transportation and museum admission for the DMA Late Night regular activities, payable at the Sons event.
Sunday, April 29, 1pm – La Reunion lecture at the DMA in the Orientation Theatre. Rose-Mary Rumbley leads a discussion of the lasting cultural impact this French colony has had on the formation of Dallas. Free with regular museum admission. Dallas Museum of Art
There are very few people out there in the world that I respect even half as much as I do Frank Campagna. It’s not just my admiration, appreciation and awe of his artistic talent, it’s also his role as a father, a husband, a friend, and his passion for bettering his community.
Frank’s artwork is, for lack of a better word, magnificent. There are many, many others who thinks so too…
QuickDFW.com/Dallas Morning News says – “Anyone familiar with Deep Ellum’s social fabric knows who Frank Campagna is. To the casually knowledgeable he’s the Billboard Guy, responsible for many of the district’s murals and for keeping the Gypsy Tea Room’s giant outdoor show schedule updated as well as eye-catching. But to scene-invested stalwarts, he’s a cagey middle-aged punk with strong artistic philosophies and an unwavering dedication to his adopted ‘hood. Case in point: He’s the artistic director at Kettle Art, one of several fresh additions to Deep Ellum’s reinvigorated art gallery scene. Now that the defunct Tea Room no longer requires his services, Mr. Campagna’s bottom line needs fortifying, so he’s mounting a one-night-only, 30-plus-piece exhibit of his hand-embellished prints at Kettle Art. “My overall objective as an artist has always been simply to say ‘hello’ to those I will never meet,” he says. Well, go say hello to him anyway on Saturday.” Mike Daniel – DMN
The Dallas Observer says – “Farewell, Gypsy Tea Room. We’ve said our goodbyes to the venue, but we just aren’t ready to say ciao to the bands or art. Luckily, bands will play at other clubs, but what of the fantastic murals that made Gypsy a landmark? For those we owe thanks to local artist and Kettle Art co-owner Frank Campagna. Until Campagna decides on his next brick-wall canvas, we get a small window of opportunity to check out some of his smaller-scale pieces in the intimate setting of his Deep Ellum gallery. A one-night show beginning 7 p.m. Saturday, Campagna will feature, well, whatever the hell the prolific and personable creator wants to feature, dammit. You’ve seen his work for free for years, so come browse the ones with price tags…and maybe say “Thanks for the memories” while you’re at it.” Merritt Martin – D.O.
Saturday, April 14th Kettle Art Recent Works – Frank Campagna
7-10 PM
Next Saturday, Kettle Art returns to its regular scheduled programming with Four Twenty One featuring 21 artists with four pieces each! Both shows are bound to rock your world… visit kettleart.com.
Thursday, April 19th
Thursday, April 19th
What began in 2000 with a simple gift of a guitar made possible by his grandfather has led Drew Kennedy down the winding road that he travels today. His trip has taken him through the hills of music’s greatest heroes, to the hill country of Texas where he now makes his home. That journey, seven years in the making, has culminated in the March 2007 Sustain Records release of Dollar Theatre Movie. 
Sunday, April 15th
Friday, April 13th
Friday, April 13th
