The, absolutely delightful and charming journalist/director/producer, Sujata Dand, followed five teenaged girls for a year, documenting their love lives, or lack thereof. The result is a wonderfully candid documentary, Boyfriends. This exceptionally well-done documentary had one heck of an award-winning team. The film was directed by Sujata Dand, produced and edited by Linda Stogner, and Rick Thompson served as exective producer.
Boyfriends is a gut-wrenching look inside the lives of these five girls, examining their thoughts, dreams, goals, heartaches and triumphs. As a mother of a 20-year old girl, myself, I’d like to go on record by saying that this documentary is a must-see for every single teenager (and those tweens too) in the country.
Sujata and crew did a magnificent job of really capturing the heart and soul of these precious young women. I felt a true sense of intimacy, caring and even adoration for the girls and their families.
You can watch the video here (including lots of bonus footage), or watch the debut tonight at 9 p.m., on KERA-TV. Oh, and watch it with your age appropriate kiddos…they’ll most likely thank you someday for doing so…
Adorable spitfire Abbie Chesney has been putting together an amazing little business. She’s accepting guitar/bass string donations from local/regional musicians and turning them into divine jewelry. For one, it’s a green thing, and for two part of the proceeds go towards the Carter Albrecht Foundation. I bought a bracelet made from Eric Neal’s strings. I looooooove it.
So all you talented ones getcher strings to Abbie so they can become a fabulous fashion statement!
There’s a video forthcoming here on The Fine Line featuring Chelsea Callahan chatting with Abbie about this splendid project. (We had a gal-gathering at the Old Monk on Wednesday) It’ll be up in the next 24-hours, 134-hours or so check back here later…
I’ve already listed a couple of notable thangs to attend in the posts below. Today, today I’m feeling a tad under the weather. So I’m going to point your adorable eyes towards all the creamy goodness that Art & Seek has to offer….LOTS of stuff goin’ on this weekend.
Looking over the A&S calendar, I took note of a few things that made my weary, feeble, sleep deprived, aging brain perk-up…
AllGood Cafe – Nicholas Altobelli / Becky Middleton / Mike Hameier – 9 PM – $5 – Go early and eat. AllGood food does a body good. The Double-Wide – RTB2 / Dem / Southernfolkz / Slider Pines – yup, it’s just that good. Bryan Street Tavern – Trey Johnson and his backing Shibboleth band. ’tis going to be suuuuweeeet. City Tavern – Homespun Remedies / Johnny Lloyd Rollins / Daniel Folmer – es muy bueno Opening Bell – Matthew Gray and Spooky Folk – um…YEAH! Obzeet – Drop Top Rockets – Rockabilly at its finest! Dan’s Silverleaf – The Derailers Hailey’s – Pentagrass / The Monahans / My Wooden Leg – This is a show that might drag my tired ass to Denton tonight. You gotcher Bluegrass, you gotcher Roots, you gotcher taste of Americana, you gotcher Monahans in from Austin…this, my dear friends, is a great line-up! – 9 PM – $6-$8 depending on your day of birth. Lola’s – Horse Opera / The Heelers – more delectable tuneage White Elephant – Jordan Mycoskie – what can I say? I’m a longtime fan. Woody’s – Jason Boland / Buddy Huffman – Hello? Buddy Huffman! Macon Greyson! The Fine Line…sheesh…
AllGood Cafe – …speaking of Dave Little…Dave Little Meltdown – I make absolutely no bones ’bout it. Dave Little is, hands-down, my favorite human on earth. EARTH, I say! Add some other amazing local talent and meltdowns suddenly seem to be the thing to have… The Double-Wide – Heart Eyes Open / The Monahans / Rain Horses Trees – Vanilla Ice / Mad Mexicans / Forever Sunday – considering that my daughter’s very first words were, LITERALLY, “ice ice baby”…well, you get the gist.
I gotsta be a part of a really amazing project and snuck in a little-bitty camera to capture some of the behind the scenes stuff….more on this exciting news later…
So’s ya know, the above footage is pure-dee, raw, non-edited, non-mic’d, non-produced, non-directed, non-thoughful, non-cross disolved, non-credited, non-drunken, lots-o-fun-fer-us video…
This week’s DFW PaintingBand of the Week goes to fabby Dovetail! Perfect timing too cuz they are having one heck of a EP Release party at Trees this coming Friday night…
…Their record, produced by Dallas’ own Salim Nourallah (Pleasantry Lane Studio) and Rip Rowan, could best be described as an amalgamation of greats like Roy Orbison, Jeff Buckley and Queen—good, solid songwriting that will transcend any fad or decade. Their influences are, not surprisingly, more about quality classics. “We like timeless music. Whether it’s Jeff Buckley, Johnny Cash; whether it’s Timbaland making beats, it doesn’t matter. If it’s good music, it’s good songwriting, then there is a place for it in our influences,” says drummer Aaron Haynes.
The artists that comprise Dovetail are not part-time hobbyist musicians, but rather devotees to their creation. All of their time and money is put into their musical endeavors. When asked if there was anything else they would have done besides music, a resounding scoff and headshakes abound. “For me, and I know for everybody in this band, if we weren’t playing music, there is no Plan B. This is what we have to do,” says Haynes.
Frontman Philip Creamer agrees, “It’s not just the thing we’re choosing to do … this is what we have to do. There’s not another option.” And herein lies the difference between Dovetail and, quite frankly, most every other local band just playing for fun on the weekends. For Dovetail, this is their day job. Creamer’s younger brother Daniel explained he opted out of going to college, and bassist Scott Lee says it’s not for the prospect of rolling in dough. “I think if all I wanted was to make money, there are a lot easier ways to do it than to be a musician…”
This Friday Dovetail celebrates the release of their new EP, “Love is War“. This event will take place at the most legendary venue in Deep Ellum, Trees.
Even though this band has only been around for a few months, it has started a major buzz in the Dallas Music scene, while attracting the attention of numerous fans. We feel that this CD Release party will have the same effect!
Dovetail is made up of writing duo, brothers Daniel and Philip Creamer, and choice rhythm section Aaron Haynes (drums) and Scott Lee (bass). The band formed in July of ’08 and immediately locked down at Pleasantry Lane studio to record its first album, “Love is War.” With Salim Nourallah at the controls, a truly rare chemistry was discovered between producer and artist. The band began playing shows in April ’09, and is making an impression on new listeners with each live performance. Front man, Philip Creamer, draws from varying influences, most notably Jeff Buckley, and Bono, while the band creates a truly timeless sound, drawing from 60’s rock influence, while delivering modern, ear catching performance.
Let me offer you another little piece of advice. If you see Method Entertainment or John Solis’ name attached to a show. Just go. It’s always going to be great.
DFW Painting continues their support of local bands, artists (etc.) with their pick this week, Boys Named Sue!
If you and yours ain’t'a’heard of Boys Named Sue, then you and yours must be living under a rock. The band has been named “Best” something or other pretty much every year at the Dallas Observer Music Awards. The boys perform, like, all the time. And most members hail from such other local greats as Trainwreck, Slick 57, The O’s, Mark David Manders, Mo Robson and…yep…even more!
Well the boys are releasing a new album, a really great boot-scootin’, honky-tonkin’ album that is sure to please just about any and everyone. Truly….
Tonight! – Tuesday, September 8th
CD Listening Howdown! The Libertine
8 PM – Free Beer – No Cover!
Friday, September 11th Sons of Hermann Hall
The Big Big BIG CD Release Shindig!
Boys Named Sue / The King Bucks
9 PM
Summer Ames, Camille Cortinas and Becky Middleton have all found loyal fans in Dallas, without the benefit of constant blog buzz or headlining gigs at high-profile venues. But it’s time more folks found out about these talented singer-songwriters…READ IT ALL!
If you haven’t checked-out each and every one of these extremely talented young artists, then you need to rectify that post haste. M’kay?
Deep Ellum Welcomes New Public Artwork to Art Park
Dallas, TX – A Ribbon Cutting event will welcome the new public artwork to Deep Ellum’s Art Park on Saturday, September 12th. From 2-4 pm, the Deep Ellum Foundation invites artists, residents, and visitors to enjoy more than 30 new outdoor paintings.
The concrete sculptures that have greeted visitors since the mid 90s have been repainted for the first time in over a decade. Immediately following the DART Super Saturday event a few blocks over , the Deep Ellum Foundation will host the Art Park Ribbon Cutting. Art Park is located along Commerce Street, Canton Street, and Good Latimer Expressway under Interstate 75. Just walk across Good Latimer from Bark Park Central.
Thanks to funding from the Farmers Market Tax Increment Financing District, the entire Deep Ellum Connector is getting a makeover. The lights that illuminate the sculptures after dark are the result of electrical repairs to Art Park’s lighting system. The lights have not worked for years, but now they shine brightly on the new paintings.
The Deep Ellum Foundation is also working with the Texas Department of Transportation to add mural paintings to many of the highway columns under Interstate 75 as the next phase of the Art Park project.
“The lighting improvements were critical to light the artwork at night and to increase public safety in the area,” says longtime Deep Ellum developer, John Miller of PlanB Development, who is a member of both the Farmers Market and Deep Ellum TIF boards.
“The benefit of the art installation goes a long way in connecting the Farmers Market community to Deep Ellum.”
The Deep Ellum Foundation organized a contest to select the new images for Art Park. A selection panel reviewed the 60 plus submissions and selected a variety of styles, colors and imagery to adorn the sculptures for years to come.
Jasmine Donnell, a Deep Ellum resident and local artist, painted a sculpture that happens to be one block from where she lives.
“There are so many talented artists in the Deep Ellum community, I was honored to have been chosen. Most of my art is normally just viewed by friends, family and clients through my work. So, it’s personally gratifying to have my art displayed in the neighborhood I live in, for the people I admire the most,” explains Donnell.
Michael Lagocki’s image reflects a character he calls “Haley”. He is glad to share her love with Deep Ellum.
“Outdoor art is about sharing something with the community. My intent with my piece was to bless the neighborhood, maybe put a smile on a few faces, and share a positive emotion.”
The project did, indeed, connect the community. Passersby stopped to ask what was going on, and to watch the artists in action. Many residents taking their dogs for a stroll in Bark Park Central walked over to say hello. Some interested onlookers even staked out for hours.
“It was amazing to see how many people came out while we were painting. They took pictures and thanked us for the art,” tells Lagocki.
Many of the participating artists will be on hand at the Art Park Ribbon Cutting to answer questions about their pieces and listen to feedback from the community. The Deep Ellum Foundation invites everyone to come enjoy some refreshments and take in the new scenery.
**Carolyn Collins’ photos in order of appearance:
David Rodriguez in action
Jasmine Donnell and Kate Langley (with parents) working on their sculptures
Eddie Walker painting “She’s DET”
Michael Lagocki and “Haley”
Many locals stopped by to watch the painter
In case you haven’t seen the numerous news segments starring Frank Campagna, Sergio Garcia, Richard Ross and the rest…or in case you haven’t read the constant stream of press on various news sites, blogs, etc….just in case….gander below…
PS – The “Deep Ellum” welcome Frank painted is positively brilliant. He. So. Awesome!
The Good Latimer Corridor
As you may be aware the Deep Ellum neighborhood has been busy preparing for the DART Green Line opening in September 2009. In keeping with the long standing area tradition of creativity we at Kettle Art have joined forces with the Deep Ellum
Community Association and hand picked a fine group of artists to paint a
new Good Latimer series of murals. All artists have had the month of July to create these pieces and are nearing completion at this time.
Please join us on site for a celebration of this effort
Saturday, August 8th from 4:00 – 6:00 PM.
This event will be followed immediately by a closing reception
for the muralists exhibit, ‘To Be Scene’ at Kettle Art
All works are for sale and this event is free and open to the public.
The Crew
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
top from left:
*Sean Fitzgerald, Richard Ross, Tyson Summers, Cathey Miller, Judith Lea Perkins,
Brian Crawford, Sergio Garcia, Michael Cissell, Al Jamerson and Issac Brown.
bottom from left:
**Tiffany Kieran, Amber Campagna, Mark S. Nelson, Issac Davies, Joe Skillz, ***Frank Campagna.
*President of DECA
**Sponsorship and Publicity
***Art Director
This Project made possible by the Deep Ellum Community Association
Sponsors include:
The Deep Ellum Foundation
The Demeter Project and their venture ‘It’s a Grind’
the Deep Ellum Enrichment Project
and Kettle Art.
Wall space donated by the George Reeves Co. and Allied Printing.
Assistance provided by
Knox Paints,
2616 Commerce,
Randee Prez,
and Statewide Remodeling.
Trey Johnson’s voice has always kept me rather mesmerized. I love it. Add to that, his great brilliance for songwriting, well he had me at Sorta.
Today Trey dropped his first solo album, Mount Pelee on Idol Records. I have a copy. It’s fanfreakintastic. Truly. It’s a gorgeous, exciting, instrumental, beautiful beautiful thing. I’ve barely listened to anything else since I got it (yo Erv, I did found it in a pile of unopened, unpaid bills).
Trey Johnson, former lead singer and songwriter for Dallas band Sorta will release his solo debut Mount Pelée on July 28 .
Trey teamed up with Shibboleth members Don Cento, James Driscoll and Rich Martin who serve as his new backing band to record his Idol debut, with Stuart Sikes producing.
We will be kicking off the release festivities with an in-store performance / release party at Good Records in Dallas on Thursday July 30 and a CD Release show on Sat. August 1 at The AllGood Café in Dallas
Check out songs from Mount Pelée at http://www.myspace.com/sortatrey
I don’t want to go into too much detail, cuz Hunter and I spent the evening with Trey last week, and there’s gonna be a big fuss about this breathtaking album in this week’s Quick. There’s even a video on Quick’s site….not now, on Thursday silly.
Go see the boy live, you’ll so thank me in the morning:
Two boys, who used to share a band, are releasing their very own solo albums soon. I just got a sneak hear, and I must say, they are both BRILLIANT! You’ll get loads of info on all this in next week’s Quick.
During my very short stint in San Antonio a few years back, dear darling John Dufilho recommended that I check out a band based in S.A. I did. I then thanked him profusely.
Buttercup. How can you not love a band named Buttercup? You’ll love them. You won’t be able to stop yourself.
The band just dropped a spankin’ new fabby album, and I must say that after the first listen, my initial adoration has turned into an all-out love-fest.
At first listen, The Weather Here made me smile. I like it when bands send me albums and they are actually really really good. I’m not particularly great at finding the right words to describe music I love. But I’ll try. The Weather Here is a quiet, yet upbeat divine masterpiece. I can’t quite pinpoint an actual genre, but I’d say it weaves in and out of poppy, folky, grown-up types of songs and sounds. There’s something deliciously simplistic to the songs, yet each one keeps me intrigued every time I listen.
It’s hard to keep my attention. There are very few CDs that keep me interested front to back. The Weather Here has spun…oh…about 4-dozen times since it arrived in my mailbox, and I’ve yet to grow tired of it.
Buttercup’s music kept me sane while living in San Antonio (a questionably “good” music scene), and now they keep me sane back in Dallas. Well, sane as I’ll ever be, anyway.
I got a note from Jeff Dennis today. Which, by the way, made my whole day. For you see, Jeff is/was/will be one of the brilliant talents and minds behind the fantabulous Thrift Store Cowboys. The first time I heard the band perform, I was very much moved emotionally. Today, when I hear their haunting sound, I’m moved to tears. For one, because they are so freakin’ good…and fer two, because their music invokes so many really good memories.
I first met the band on our own soil (Buck’s on the Brazos) at Raz on the Braz or Texas Music Nation Celebration, or one of those music festivals we hosted way way back. These kids rolled into Glen Rose, pitched a tent, and wowed the hell out of us on stage. Not only are they talented, they are also a fun bunch of kids. Every year after that first one, they were always invited back to play. They always pitched their tent in the same place, and I always had a great time hanging out with them.
The original band (Jeff Dennis, Daniel Fluitt, Amanda Shires, Clint Miller, Colt Miller and one of I believe 2-different Codys) has sort of gone their different ways, but still come together for special shows. Daniel, Clint, Colt and drummer Kris Killingsworth still make up the whole of the band now, gigging regularly. Amanda Shires went off and started a very successful solo project (a recent feature in Texas Music Magazine, and still climbing on the Americana Charts), Jeff went off the Boulder, CO to pursue even more higher learnin’ and Codys came and went. Cory Ames and Todd Pertll can be seen performing with the band on really, really, really lucky occasions.
A year in the making! Mt Inadale Records will release it’s first split 7″ vinyl featuring Thrift Store Cowboys and One wolf!
Derek Pierce, a lifetime music enthusiast, is the master mind behind this release and Mt Inadale Records itself! Pierce worked for Texas Tech’s college radio station, KTXT as not only a DJ with his very own specialty show, but the Promotion Director where he booked local shows and single handed turned the music scene in Lubbock, Texas right around and made it something to talk about. Don’t get me wrong, the history was there…but I watched this young gentleman contact and develop relationships with several different artist from across the board, putting Lubbock’s name on the map for future bands touring through Texas. Here’s another testimony from Al James of Dolorean to further prove my point. Keyword, wunderkid under the Lubbock/Dan’s backroom paragraph. Very cool…courtesy of Asymmetrical Press
Jeff also started a pretty nifty blog (Windfarm) and you need to check it out, add it to your blogroll and thank me in the morning.
Amanda is touring the country right now, but Thrift Store Cowboys hit DdFW next month…see below…and see you there…
This Friday Dovetail celebrates the release of their new EP, “Love is War“. This event will take place at the most legendary venue in Deep Ellum, 
