Fine Line: November, 2007

Tonight is lookin’ pretty dang sweet across the board. A few other notable shows to go:

AllGood Cafe – Jim Suhler / Cricket Taylor / Jason Elmore
Red Blood Club – A big-arse whoop-dee-doo Benefit and Celebration of their 1-year Pass from the City of Dallas to keep the doors open for at least one more year. Lots of bands. Lots of fun.
Opening Bell – Salim Nourallah / Dave Little
Lee Harvey’s the site says “The Houston Marchmen” – but I’m going to assume it’s Texas country crooner Houston Marchman
Barley House – Here, in Arms
Sons of Hermann – Asylum Street Spankers
Rubber Gloves (Denton) – Lions / Max Cady / White Drugs
Dan’s Silverleaf (Denton) – Mary-freakin’-awesome Cutrufello
6th Street Live (Fort Worth) – Stoogephilia / One Fingered Fist / The Fellow Americans
White Elephant (Fort Worth) – Kevin Deal

Ah, yes. The world works in mysterious ways. My looooooooongtime bestest friend, whom I haven’t even seen in like a decade, but you know those kind of bestest friends who remain your bestest friend, no matter how far away they live or how often (or not) you actually get to hang out. Well that friend has a friend who happens to be in the music biz, and happens to have local band, Kessler on his label. See? It all comes full circle….

Kessler it playing a big big show tonight at The Door. Some important folks will be in the audience. You are important too. You should be in the audience…

Kessler emerged strongly onto the Texas music scene in 2005 and quickly gained a following from their pop hooks, raw live show, and catchy melodies about trust, hope, and love. Kessler tackles the oppositions of life and love through the experiences of past and present relationships as well as things to come. Mike and Chris Mitchell, Jonathan Ogle, and Stephen Tucker came together to form Kessler in 2004. In December 2005, they added guitarist Devin Reynolds to complete their sound.

In August of 2006, Kessler was signed to the emerging indie label, Your Music America (YMA). During August and September 2006 the band ventured to California where they recorded eleven songs with notable producer Jim Wirt (Incubus, Hoobastank, Something Corporate, etc). Kessler is currently touring through the Midwest and East Coast in preparation for Kesslers debut album, which is due out in early 2008.

Speaking specifically:

Friday, November 30th
The Door (Dallas)
Kessler w/Victory Calls / Brake Vegas / Me vs the Sea / Oh The Irony / One Step Beyond
$10 – Doors at 7 PM

Saturday, December 1st
LFT at Victory Park
Live Acoustic Performance
Kessler
2 PM

Click here for tuneage.

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Photo by Mark Goldstein

Pretty much the only reason I won’t be at The Door, schmoozing with those L.A. bigwigs is cuz I’ll be with Hal at the Granada. For you see, the greatness that is the Black Angels are heading our way, and they’s draggin’ along Dallas darlings (now Austin gots’em) The Strangeboys.

If you don’t have even an inkling as to how super-fantabulous this show is gonna be…well…then you need to get an inkling, post haste.

Whaddup:

Friday, November 30th
The Granada
The Black Angels / The Strangeboys
plus: The Strange Boys, a screening of short film “A Dirt Road to Psychedelia: Austin Texas during the 1960′s”
$14 – Doors at 8 PM

PS – The Strangeboys are also performing a freebie at Good Records on Saturday, December 1st at 3 PM.

The Strangeboys Live at the DoubleWide – June 2006 – Recorded by The Fine Line

The Black Angels

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Photo by Allison V. Smith

Barry Whistler Gallery is hosting a divine exhibit tonight, featuring 2 solo artists, Lawrence Lee & Michael Miller. Reception 6-8 PM

So this positively delightful woman came into Space a couple of days ago. Hal was shooting her for some publication, can’t remember which, but I’ll tell you this, the woman deserves all the kind words any and all of us can muster up.

She was wearing her American Airlines uniform, which of course, got my attention as an ex-American Airlines uniform-wearin’-gal-me-own-self. She looked familiar. Her name was very familiar. But my wee-brain didn’t think much past the possibility of knowing her from flying. ‘Twas about midway through the shoot when I realized that we were in the presence of the great and legendary Yvonne Crum.

Yvonne Crum’s indefatigable nature and boundless energy make her a favorite among many non-profit organizations in Dallas. She has chaired most of the city’s major events and served on many boards as well.

She has lived most of her life in Texas. Graduating from the University of Houston with a degree in sociology and psychology, Yvonne set out to save the world. Having come from a broken home and mostly raising herself, she looked to teachers for her role models. However, perhaps relating too closely to some situations, Yvonne learned early on that she was not cut out to be a social worker as an occupation, but great at volunteering to help in any way she could.

She joined Braniff Airlines in 1964 and loved the job, which carried her to places that she’d never been and gave her the opportunity to do the things she wanted to do for her community. She is “still in the airline business”, having held positions as flight attendant, in-flight supervisor and flight attendant recruiter, but always going back to the air. Yvonne is a member of the Flight Attendants Hall of Fame…

… Yvonne has served on the boards of many organizations including KidneyTexas, whose annual fundraiser she has chaired, Leukemia Society of America, Dallas Summer Musicals, American Heart Association, Nexus Recovery Center, Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden, Les Femmes du Monde and Dallas Museum of Art, to name a few…

This woman can light up the darkest of rooms, and it was an honor and a pleasure to meet her. Doing so shall forever make me strive to be a better person.

If anyone has any leads on a good service for uploading audio and video to this blog, please shoot me an email. I’ve been using Hipcast, and have been extremely happy with ‘em until lately. I can’t get anything to load to this site, and I can’t get anyone from there to help a gal out.

I’ve got some stuff in the works and need to be able to load it hear. Harrumph…

I assume this is like old news, like. But what’s a day at The Fine Line without some really outdated scoopage?

KERA launched a super-terrific blog….um…I dunno…as of late. It’s laced with a lot of real culturey kinda stuff, good stuff, and then there’s the occasional other posts, like this one on my beloved Fishboy.

You, my precious, go on over and learn something. Meanwhile, I gotta go add a link.

Tonight, things will be even more magical than usual at SPACE. Can you guess why?

Now that I’m a fulltime Space-ette, I get to dine at the corporate cafeteria, lots. This makes me quite happy. I’m teetering on giving in to my diet and ordering a chicken-fried-chicken, but fortunately Mike, at AllGood Cafe, keeps the menu quite fresh, and often healthy. Diet-friendly, if you will.

If there’s one passion, besides the ladies, that overwhelms Mike Snider, it’s music. The man talks the talk, and walks the walk, booking tremendously superb shows at both AllGood, and at Sons of Hermann. The next couple of weeks are chock full of rich creamy goodness….gander darlings…

AllGood Cafe
Friday, November 30th – Jim Suhler / Jason Elmore / Cricket Taylor (this is an excellent show for you blues lovers. Mike says these kids do it in the round and things get really magnificently interesting as the night progresses)

December finds the stage full of the likes of Rod Russell-Ides / Gurf Morlix / Boys Named Sue / Sunny Sweeny / Smile Smile / Daniel Fluitt w/Cory Branan & Colin Gilmore (I’m so at this show) / Kristy Kruger / South Austin Jug Band / Reed Easterwood w/Kenny Withrow and loads more.

Sons of Hermann
Friday, November 30th – Asylum Street Spankers
Thursday, December 6th – Dave Alvin / Exene Cervenka / John Doe / DJ Bonebreak aka The Knitters w/Dead Rock West (look for audio/video on this one, kids)

Oh yeah, and one helluva New Year’s Eve bash is already planned at the Longhorn Ballroom w/Old 97′s / The Drams / Boys Named Sue – Get tickets now.

Greatest Video EVER!

Check out this video: Boys Named Sue – Honky-Tonk if Yer Horny

My always trusty Fort Worth friend just hipped me to a nice lil’ tidbit. It seems Ricki Derek done gone and opened up a club in Funkytown. In addition to Ricki’s routine performances, he’s also booked some damn fine artists to fill out the month of December, including Red Young (Reid, are you thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?), Shelley Carrol, and many more.

Check it out.

Photo by Jason Janik

I tuned into Pugs and Kelly on the drive back out north, and had quite a time listening to Vaden Todd Lewis on the show. He was there to talk Toadies togetherness, but ended up quite entertaining, witty and fun. Thanks for the cheer-up Mr. Lewis.

They are touring. You outta go.

Wow. A rock and a hard place.

David Card (aka Poor David’s Pub) gave me my start in the music biz. A monthly Sunday showcase at the old Lower Greenville location. I owe him. I like him. But….

Sam Machkovech has introduced me to several bands that have maintained a spot at the top of my list since first listen. One artist he suggested I see at last year’s SXSW was one Ms. Alela Diane. Experiencing her performance that day, was…well…one of the best experiences I had that year.

So Sam is reporting that her gig has been canceled, to instead televise…the Cowboys game. Huh? Read all of Sam’s findings.

I remember David telling me that he’d never allow T.V.’s in his joint(s). I’m figuring this is a sign of the times. I dunno how many folks have been flocking to shows at P.D.’s as of late, I need to get over there more, but canceling a show…a great show for a football watching party is…is…just so un-David-like.

hm…

For what it’s worth, below is some video I shot at said SXSW…we need to get this girl back to Dallas…soon…

Press the play arrow fool

Press that arrow again for something splendid

Press the play arrow AGAIN to hear “Tired Feet”

All of the Elements are in Place for Art Conspiracy Three to Ignite in Dallas -100 Local Artists, Bands to Conspire, Combine, and React for Good in Deep Ellum

It was once the launching pad for many legendary blues artists. it has hosted every touring punk band worth their salt and it’s a
place where some of the most notable visual artists and musicians in town have started and nurtured their careers The chemistry in the sidewalks and warehouses of Deep Ellum has driven the cultural scene in Dallas for decades.

This year Art Conspiracy will pay tribute to Deep Ellum’s elemental contributions by staging the 3rd annual Art Conspiracy at The-Club-Formerly-Known-As-The- Gypsy-Tearoom, now known as The Door.

At 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, December 9, 100 artists will have their work auctioned off in the historic Club-Formerly-Known-As-The-Gypsy-Tearoom now known as The Door. Local bands including Dallas Observer Music Award Winner, Sarah Jaffe, Kristy Kruger and Red Monroe along with DJ Sober and DJ Stephen Ruiz will play in between the live art auctions.

Art Conspiracy is one-of-a-kind event because participating artists do their work on site the day before. The artists are issued a canvas and given an allotted period of time to complete their work. Artists bring in their own materials and ideas and work to fill as many canvasses as possible in a 24-hour period leading up to the start of the event. Starting bids for all pieces will be $20.

“I have never heard of an event that draws so many different artists into one room to make mass quantities of art in one day, then turns around and auctions the pieces for charity the very next night.” says Erica Felicella, art coordinator, Art Conspiracy. “By doing this, each artist gets to walk away with a collective experience. It is a true collaboration of art, music and community.”

“Art Conspiracy is a guerilla event,” says Cari Weinberg, event coordinator, Art Conspiracy. “We have a do-it-yourself, punk rock style of doing things. Admission is affordable so that everyone from starving artists and struggling musicians to art collectors and rock stars can come and bid on the pieces. We provide a way that almost everyone can give back to the local arts community.”

Art Conspiracy uses the proceeds from their annual events and reinvests them in the local arts economy. This year’s Art Conspiracy beneficiary, St. Anthony’s Community Center, provides affordable, accessible arts and music instruction for more than 800 underserved children in South Dallas.

St. Anthony’s Community Center executive director, Comfort Brown, says the arts are essential for the children the center serves, “The arts connect us to our history, our traditions and our heritage. It is the fabric of our society and every child should have an education in the arts. While many art programs are being ‘cut’ from school budgets, St. Anthony Community Center provides year-round, art-rich programs for children and youth, made possible through generous
contributions from Art Conspiracy and others.”

In the previous two years, Art Conspiracy has raised more than $20,000 forcharity and is in the process of obtaining its official 501(c)3 nonprofit organization status.

Art Conspiracy organizers, musicians, and artists are available for interviews. For more information and/or Art Conspiracy artwork, please contact Cari Weinberg at 214-794-3510 or cari@artconspiracy.org.

Art Conspiracy
Details:
Date: 6:00 p.m., Sunday, December 9
Location: 2548 Elm Street – Deep Ellum – Dallas, Texas 75226
Admission: $10, artwork bids start at $20
Participants: 100 Dallas artists Sarah Jaffe, Kristy Kruger, Red Monroe, DJ Sober, DJ Stephen Ruiz, VJ Eddie Ruiz
Benefiting:
St. Anthony’s Community Center, a provider of affordable, arts and
music programming for more than 800 underserved children in South Dallas.

Well bloody, stinkin’ hell. Ms. Grimes is leaving us. The good news, for me at least, is that I gotta kid in Austin, so I can like bug her about going out drinking with me or hanging out at frat parties when I’m there..heh…my favorite Andrea moment below…