Fine Line: March, 2009

Deep Ellum Arts Festival
April 3 – 5
The free street party features four outdoor stages with non-stop performances

Over 75 national, regional, and local bands.

More than 100 top-notch juried decorative and visual artists, food and drink.

Don’t miss the DEEP ELLUM ARTS FESTIVAL PET PARADE!

WHEN – Sunday, April 5th
WHERE – Register – Bark Park Central 10:00 am
Pet Parade – Malcolm X Stage 12:00 pm
WHAT – $10 Participation Fee – You get a Pet Parade T-Shirt and Doggie Goodie Bag!
WHY – Great Prizes and Lots of FUN! Enter your pet in one of the judged contests: PERSONALITY, TALENT, and COSTUME

You can register all weekend during the Arts Festival at the Deep Ellum Foundation booth! For more information check out: www.deepellumdogpark.com

Festival Dates & Times:
Friday, April 3 – 5-10 p.m.
Saturday, April 4 – 11a.m.-10 p.m.
Sunday, April 5 – 11 a.m.- 7 p.m.

DEEP and the DEA are selling t-shirts, books, and cds to raise funds for the ongoing neighborhood art projects so… Please let us know If you are a band or a business interested in contributing to a live music or neighborhood booth. Contact Cindy if you’d like to participate.

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Saturday, April 4th
Live Music with Darrin Kobetich
7 – 10 PM
Free
Darrin Kobetich is a Fort Worthian phenom who has graced such bands as Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang and currently the Blackland River Devils.

This is going to be an amazing show, so don’t miss out!

What to Drink: Iced-Blended 50/50

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On April 16th, join us for a Meet’n'Green! Recycle Revolution will be conducting a recycling orientation. This will be an impromptu Q & A forum that will last 30 to 45 minutes. The program will help the guests to generate clean streams of recyclable materials, and also offer an opportunity to discuss recycling and other issues of sustainability. Come down to the cafe, relax with a cup of coffee, and bone up on your “green initiatives!” 6:30 PM until 7:30 PM.

What to Drink: Green Tea

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Saturday, April 18th
Live Music with Siren’s Song
7 – 10 PM
Free
With folk lyrics, a pop rhythm and luscious harmonies, Siren’s Song has a sound all its own.

What to Drink: Acai Berry Smoothie

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Sunday, April 19th
Oak Cliff Earth Day
12 noon
Oak Cliff Earth Day has over 100 exhibitors signed up, including information booths, artists, performers, food booths, pet adoptions, blood donations, hybrid vehicles, childrens activities, and much more! Bring the whole family, and Fido, too.

Please walk, bike, or take the bus to the event, in the spirit of Earth Day, and to avoid parking hassles. Methodist Hospital is kindly providing parking and a shuttle for those who don’t take public transportation.

Look for the It’s a Grind tent!

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Saturday, April 25th
Live Music with Matthew Gray & Friends
7-10 PM
Free
Matthew Gray (lead singer of Matthew and the Arrogant Sea) shall lead you down a musical road rich in dreamy, poppy, creamy delight.

What to Drink: Mango & Green Tea Smoothie

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Check back often for updates and new additions!

The Justin Clemons exhibit, Lost in Liberia is amazing. You really need to check it out. Above is a taste of what you’ll find.

Lost in Liberia
Works of Justin Clemmons
Hal Samples Gallery
March 28 – April 17

The Earth Hour Party at It’s a Grind was smashing. We had a packed house, and even in the cold and wind, most folks strolled out on the patio to watch the lights go down in Downtown Dallas.

Clay Pendergrass was on the vinyl and we had ourselves a time!

Between SXSW and AFI, Hunter is going to need about a 3-week nap.

Lucky for us, however, he’s doing one hella great job covering AFI. Just sneak over to NightLife and take a gander.

The awesomely talented Jayson Wortham performed at It’s a Grind on Saturday night. ‘Twas magic.

California-based Power-pop-Punk band Cold Forty Three tore thangs up at

High Octane, indeed.

Hal Samples climbed way the hell up high to shoot this video for Robert Jones Band. Pretty durn nifty stuff, here.

Hal’s dear friend Scrap Iron left this earth recently. Scrap Iron was one of the good ones. I remember one time the girl-child went to an event that Scrap was performing at, and she had a long chat with him afterward. He really got to her, she talked and raved about him for days.

Above is part one of Hal’s tribute to a dear man…

Luck has landed on my door step, and I’ve invited ‘er in for coffee. My darling gal-pal, Chelsea Callahan has managed to talk Jayson Wortham (yes, Jayson of Dove Hunter fame) into doing a solo performance at It’s a Grind. I’m so excited I may need to don my Depends.

You would be foolish to miss this performance. You don’t want to be foolish, now do you? I thought not.

Friday, March 27th
It’s a Grind – Deep Ellum
Jayson Wortham
8:30 PM
Free!
IAG is located at 2901 Indiana inside the Ambrose Loft Building. It’s west of Elm, east of Gaston and there’s a free parking garage off of Malcolm X.

Photo by Darla Teagarden

I’ve been deeply, madly, unconditionally in love with Bob Schneider for nearly a decade. Like, LOVE him. Stalking love. Crazed fan love. I was so flustered and swoony when I did an audio interview with him years ago, I nearly fainted…I wish I woulda fainted…’specially before I made a horse’s ass outta myself.

Photo by Kate Mackley

So I was particularly excited to hear from my dear friend Rahim Quazi, that he’s starting a new concert series, Intimate Listening Series, and Rahim and Bob are sharing the very first bill.

Don’t get any better.

This delightful shindig goes down on Thursday, March 26th at Up Close (inside the fabby Lancaster Theatre in Grapevine).

Bob shall tickle the ivories and Rahim shall strum the strings. It’s going to be divine.

Thursday, March 26th
Up Close
Rahim Quazi / Bob Schneider
Doors at 7 PM – Show Starts at 7:30 PM
Tickets – $20.00
Purchase Tickets

Party on the Patio to support Earth Hour.
Saturday, March 28th
It’s a Grind – Deep Ellum
(Inside the Ambrose Loft Building – east of Gaston, west of Elm, just off Malcolm X – Free parking!)
7 pm

It’s a Grind patio has a view of downtown Dallas, so join us to watch history being made.
DJ Pendergrassin’ spins reggae, jazz, funk y mas ’til the lights go out….then acoustic jams on the patio.

Lights go out at, 8:30 pm local time.

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.
For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

World Wildlife Fund is asking individuals, businesses, governments and organizations around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – Earth Hour – to make a global statement of concern about climate change.

Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Party from Cindy Chaffin on Vimeo.

The day job required me to set-up shop at this year’s Greenville Avenue St. Patrick’s Day Parade and Party. It was freeeeeezing. It was obnoxious. It was, however, pretty darn fun.

Great music, that’s fersure! I made this for the day job, but it’s got some good clips of The O’s and TheDrams and Eleven Hundred Springs.

I…sigh…had to leave before the Old 97′s took the stage. That sucked.

This is the first year, in about 5 or 6, that I’m not attending SXSW. I feel naked and vulnerable and confused and nonplussed.

Every year I can’t wait to get there and every year I spend a lot of time bitching about what a cluster-eff everything tends to be.

Oh well, the girl-child is having a high ol’ time and (thankfully) calling me nightly with updates on her escapades. …I shall live vicariously…

We was on da’ news again. I still need musicans/bands to perform at It’s a Grind. Lemme know if you wanna perform!

So I plopped my fat arse down at the Deep Ellum Foundation meeting this morning to eavesdrop on what’s going on in DEF news.

The few things that were art/music related are as follows:

~We’s all gearin’ up for the Deep Ellum Arts Festival. I noticed today that the entertainment schedule has been posted…well…sort of. T’ain’t nuthin’ posted on the “Artist Underground Stage,” nor the “Singer-Songwriter Stage.” I don’t know if that’s because they are still confirming artists, or they just haven’t gotten around to posting it.

Michael Lagocki, co-founder of Art, Love, Magic attended today’s meeting. Here’s some back-story….

ArtLoveMagic was founded in January of 2007 by Michael Lagocki, Justin Nygren, and David Rodriguez. Our inspiration was the belief that a staggering amount of artistic talent in our area (Dallas) was going unrecognized and/or underdeveloped.

We threw our first live art event “Reach” in February of 2007. The event included painters, poets, musicians, and illustrators, all creating live for (and with) audiences. Our intent was to tear down the walls between the artist and the audience, and create a meaningful connection. Reach was far more successful than we could have expected. Over 300 people came through the doors and shared one of the most memorable nights of our lives. The passion from both the artists and the audience was overwhelming, and before the night had even ended, we had booked our next show.

Since then, ArtLoveMagic has created more than 25 live experiences, involving over 100 artists and performers. No two shows are the same, and each strives to add new ideas and creativity to our mix. That part has been easy. With so many creative minds joining us, the ideas have flowed freely. Interactive experiences have become staples of ArtLoveMagic events.

We are intentional and active in developing artists in the Dallas area through inclusions in our live art events and gallery exhibits, through direct mentorship, and by offering business opportunities as they become available. The more we do, the more we are convinced that this city is full of incredible talents from all walks of life.

So the ArtLoveMagic boys are setting up shop in the DEF building, with all sorts of exciting events in the works.

If you are a musician and/or in a band and you’ve got merch to sell (CD’s, t-shirts, koozies, bananas…), the Deep Ellum Association will sell your merchandise at this year’s Deep Ellum Arts Festival. Just toss ‘em back a tiny cut of the proceeds and watch the cash roll in. You can drop off items you’d like to sell at It’s a Grind in Deep Ellum, or you can shoot me an email and I’ll come collect it.

Plans for the big Dart Green Line opening are already in the makings. If you have a band…and your band is really really good, let us know, because we are starting to confirm bands to perform at various stops (and I know one is fer’sure a paid gig). Lemme know. The big day is set for September 12th.

We still have 2-more meetings tonight, so check back here for any potential updates…or not.

Being an ex-percussionist band geek, I can still appreciate some durn fine beats. One of these kids is my….my…second cousin? I dunno, what’s your cousin’s kid’s relation to you?

Nonetheless, this kid rocks! The other guys are pretty good, too.

Oh yay. Another fine drinkin’ establishment in my new ‘hood. This time it’s the good folks who also own and manage Barley House.

They’s havin’ a party, too. And you, that’s right you, are invited.

Thursday, March 12, 2009 at 4:00pm – Sunday, March 15, 2009 at 2:00am
Bryan Street Tavern
4315 Bryan St.
Dallas, TX

There’s vittles and live music too.

NX35 Has Landed

Just an inkling of one reason as to why I adore Jeff Liles with all my heart, soul, fingers’n'toes, is that we are about the same age, went to the same high schools and sort of lived through the same things, only to actually meet each other decades later.

So I’m quite pleased with this weeks Echoes and Reverberations, Our Radio Heads are Waxing Nostalgic.

,,,In 1974, Dallas rock radio was a truly subversive phenomenon. Program directors and DJs had the guts to try some new shit. It wasn’t uncommon to hear songs that you were long to lose your virginity to: “Kashmir” by Led Zeppelin, “Stranglehold” by Ted Nugent, and Peter Frampton’s “Do You Feel Like We Do?” were all like sex on the radio. Fringe artists like Funkadelic, Frank Zappa and Little Feat were getting regular spins at night. An experimental instrumental record like the Edgar Winter Group’s “Frankenstein” even registered as a hit single. Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon was on the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart for over five years straight.

For a twerp kid in Richardson, The Zoo was the analog portal into a bizarre subversive counterculture. A mysterious black vacuum where men wore earrings, women smoked pot and all of the lyrics were profoundly poetic. (What was a stairway to heaven, anyway? And just how much did it cost? Have you seen the wheel in the sky? I hear it keeps on turnin’.)…Please Read it All.

I’m particularly fond of the ZOO logo. I had this sticker on my first car…a 1950-something, bright yellow Ford pick-up truck. One day, upon returning from Stewart’s Creek at Lake Lewisville, the sun setting behind the truck casting a shadow of the sticker on to the dashboard…we, in the truck, had a few beers under out belts and quite happily coined the phrase “Excellente’ Elephante’”….heh…later, upon arriving home, still a’buzzed, we all ate dog food by accident…aaaaaaah memories…

The first 3 Fridays in March are open mic nights! Come on over to It’s a Grind and strut yo’ stuff.

Everyone is welcome!

Possible categories:
Singer-Songwriters
Comedians
Poetry Readings
Spoken Word
Musicians
Jugglers
Stupid Human Tricks

Fridays 7-10 pm
It’s a Grind Coffee House
Located inside the Ambrose Loft Building.
Free Parking Garage just off Malcolm X in between Gaston and Elm