Fine Line: 'Dimestore of Love' Section

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Art&Seek, my favorite place to be…just launched an absolutely fabulous new site just in time for their 2-year anniversary. Alan Melson deserves the medal of A&S….Check it out every single day.

Dinner Party

Two of my favorite humans doing what they do bestest…

The fabulous Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff is host to the equally fabby KXT 91.7, “Barefoot at the Belmont” concert series. The Belmont continues its traditional poolside concert series featuring some of the best bands and musicians from North Texas, along with a breathtaking back-drop of the downtown Dallas skyline…reserve a room, wine, dine and take a dip in the Belmont pool…all the while experiencing the whole BFatB/KXT magnificence…you’ll thank me in the morning….prolly twice….

I gushed awhile back about the greatness that is Ryan Scheer and Lucky Rabbit Films. I fell in love with the whole bunch after watching (and watching and watching over and over again) their brilliant short film on Deadman.

I just found another great video (above) that Ryan and crew have done…a PSA..for the Austin-based SIMS Foundation…

The SIMS Foundation’s Mission is to provide access to and financial support for mental health and addiction recovery services for Austin-area musicians and their families. SIMS was founded in 1995 by the friends and family of Sims Ellison, a talented young Austin musician, after his battle with depression ended in suicide.

Austin is hailed as “The Live Music Capitol of the World” for good reason. With over 200 live music venues and internationally recognized music festivals such as SXSW and ACL, thousands of musicians make this city their home. Unfortunately, with the rising cost of living and increasing competition for jobs in the music business, many musicians find themselves struggling financially and emotionally.

Irregular hours, travel schedules, financial insecurity and proximity to alcohol and drugs can take their toll on musicians and their families, sometimes resulting in depression, anxiety, relationship problems, and alcohol and drug abuse. Professional musicians are often uninsured or underinsured and cannot always pay out of pocket for expensive counseling and addiction treatment. That’s why SIMS is here to help. SIMS serves more than 600 clients annually and provides over 5,000 units of service (defined as one counseling session or one day in recovery).

Leave it to Austin to provide such a wonderful organization directed towards musicians in need with little or no insurance.

Keep an eye on Lucky Rabbit Films. Every dang thing outta there is fabby, quite fabby.

James Bland had a history of Dallas music photographs hung throughout the theater. DJ Mr. Rid aka Mark Ridlen was spinnin’ vinyl GREATNESS in the lobby bar…speaking of which, the joint was absolutely GORGEOUS!

Jason Carney put on one helluva slam poetry performance…you coulda heard a pin drop. Josh Alan Friedman was quite the star of the evening with a line to purchase his latest book, Black Cracker and a standing ovation for his perfect musical performance on stage.

I hit the road back to Richardson before Mark Growden performed, but Liles didn’t miss a beat with his trusty video camera.

Make plans to hit the Kessler Theater very soon and very often. It’s quite fabby.

Ed. Note: The above video was shot and edited for KERA’s Art&Seek.

The Granada Theater – April 30, 2008 – The Avett Brothers with the ex and the fabby Gobbler’s Knob – one of the best concerts EVER!

That was then…

…this is now!

Bonus cut…

It’s time…

Saturday, March 20
Doors at 6 p.m.
The Opening of the Kessler Theater
Featuring: DJ Mr. Rid (spinning) – Josh Alan Friedman’s Book signing Black Cracker – “A Photographic History of Music in Dallas” by wicked-awesome photographer James Bland – Performances by Mark Growden – Slam Poet Jason Carney – Josh Alan Friedman
Cost: It’s on the house, just bring booze money
Full bar

A couple of weeks back, Salim Nourallah invited me into his Pleasantry Lane Recording Studio for an “artist’s studio tour” for KERA’s Art&Seek. It was nearly 5-years ago that I did the same for Pegasus News. The studio has changed dramatically since then.

I was asked to obtain a copy of the Nourallah Brothers self-titled album, which will go into rotation on Gini Mascorro’s Texas Mix on 91.7 KXT…I uploaded the entire CD and its bonus CD to my laptop prior to handing it over to KXT. I’ve been listening all day and it’s really made me melancholy and wishful that the Nourallah brothers would put their differences aside and come back together to make another record. I think it could be quite brilliant and full of quirky and perhaps dramatic stories about the making of it.

Anyway, the above video was shot and produced by my dear friend Alex Kanakis. I was actually invited to sit in on the planning meeting for the video, but Alex took the ball and ran with it, and a lovely, thoughtful and wonderful video resulted.

Below is the latest studio tour I filmed for KERA/Art&Seek.

I dearly love Salim and his family. In fact, I’d say he’s in the top five of my top five favorite humans on earth. He’s also one of my very very very favorite singer-songwriters.

There’s a very cool intimate concert series that takes place at the Studio by the Lake. Salim will perform on April 3rd, alongside other local greats, Trey Johnson and Ronnie Fauss. It’s a not-to-miss-er…so don’t miss it.

So this 13-year old girl contacts me about getting some booking and promotions advice. Reading through the email, I noted that she did some recording with my beloved Salim Nourallah, which in turn boosted my curiosity.

After checking this kid out, I have one phrase and one phrase only….whooooooolllly craaaaaaap!

It reminded me a little of the first time I heard Maren Morris perform at the ripe old age of about 11 and the first time I heard Sarah Jaffe perform at the ripe old age of about 15. Ya kinda don’t believe these amazing voices are coming out of those little girls.

Anna Thomas has already made somewhat of a name for herself, featured on such indie radio shows as Indies Top 10 and Mevio Radio. Her songs have also graced the charts on Top Ten Pop and Broadjam.

Her voice is mature enough to fool ya into thinking she’s in her 20’s. Her songwriting is good enough to think she’s been writing for decades, not just half a decade. Beautiful voice, beautiful songs.

Check out her tunes and bookmark her website. You can thank me later.

PS: Anna is performing at the Lone Star Wine Cellars on Friday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. You can thank me with a nice glass of Chardonnay.

Got to shoot video of The Fox and the Bird at Good Records a few weeks back…dang, I love this band…

…Got to shoot video of Jacob Metcalf and crew at Good Records a few weeks back…dang, I love this band…

…Got to shoot video of Something in the Wheel at Good Records a few weeks back…dang, I love this band…

…I gots’it gooooood…

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artist Frank Campagna

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artist Jason Janik

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artists Tom Sale and Judy Vetter aka The Tom and Judy Show

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artist VET

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artists (and artist coordinators) Vanessa Neil and Kevin Obregon

Art&Seek Artist Studio Tour with ArtCon5 Artist Jason Ice

ArtCon 5 – The Day Before – The artists gather to make their art – 9 a.m., Friday December 11

ArtCon 5 – The Day Before – The artists gather to make their art -2 p.m., Friday December 11

ArtCon 5 – Art&Seek was there and they brought glitter, glue sticks and lots of crayons!

Big ups to Tiffany Kieran and Tyler Watson for helping with video and interviews. Lots’o'fun

If you are lookin’ for me, I’m over here…

Shot this for Art&Seek and it still ranks about #1 on anything I’ve ever shot, video-wise….I love Becky and Bill and I love this video of them rehashing….

If you haven’t picked up your copy of Quick this week, drop everything and go fetch one now. I just took a stroll down to the mail room (that’s where we keep all the local print media) to read David Hopkins’ first comic strip installment of We’ve Never Met and it’s freakin’ HILARIOUS! The Fine Line gives it 3 thumbs-up!

Thursday, December 10th
AllGood Cafe
Jon Dee Graham
CD Release Celebration for It’s Not as Bad as it Looks
9 pm

Hurry up and open…open…open…open…

Dude, Sweet Chocolates from Cindy Chaffin on Vimeo.

Lessee…full bar’n'music‘n’really wicked awesome artists with wares fer sale…I know where I’ll be on Saturday…

Trailblazin’ the Craft Scene Since 2007
Etsy Dallas, the original Dallas team and the first city team in Texas, is a cooperative craft collective of artists and designers living and working in Dallas who sell their wares on Etsy, the web’s premiere marketplace for all things hip and handmade. Etsy Dallas boasts talent from a range of mediums and crafts, and is independently run by its members with the blessing and loving support of Etsy.

Because of the determination of the original members, Etsy Dallas has become a force in the handmade movement, both locally and beyond. In the wake of Etsy Dallas’ inception in 2007, other Texas teams have formed including Etsy Austin, Alamo City Etsy, Etsy Fort Worth, Northeast Texas Etsy, Artisans of Houston and North Dallas Etsy. Two years later, Etsy Dallas continues to be the model as a leader in the art/craft scene.

Mission
This mission of Etsy Dallas is to promote the handmade movement, and to create an environment to buy and sell handmade goods in the Greater Dallas area.

Goals
~To promote each others’ goods by selling locally in the Greater Dallas area.
~To promote awareness of the handmade movement and indie lifestyle, with a focus on our Etsy shops.
~To act as a cooperative resource and support network for each others’ businesses.

History
Etsy Dallas was founded in September of 2007 by Stephanie Hindall of Tefi Designs and a handful of others (including co-leader Pamela Michelle) eager to spread the handmade movement across the metroplex. Today we are doing just that with two local craft shows that have garnered city-wide support and national credibility (learn more about the Bash HERE). Etsy Dallas has transformed itself over the years into a tight-knit collaborative group that supports each other’s handmade endeavors with love and good times.

Folk’n'A aka Trinity River Folk performed at Cliff Fest 2009 and delighted me to no end…I look forward to more performances.