Events for the week

thursday
june 6
Spring Gallery Night: The title of the simultaneous night of receptions in the so-called Gallery District--around Fairmount and Cedar Springs--around Deep Ellum, and at other galleries around town is "Spring Gallery Night." Technically, it's still spring, although if temperatures persist toward the 100-degree mark, you may wish the owners had provided something festive and wet--like, say, an installation that doubles as a water slide into a beer cooler. DADA (The Dallas Art Dealers Association) is eager to attract the audience that thinks only the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth and the Dallas Museum of Art provide free visual stimulation and generally present a united, professional front in a world where many galleries have earned the reputation of not dealing fairly with artists. We'll get to see if a few dozen gallons of champagne and slabs of pate can smooth things over, as DADA opens 18 different exhibitions for public consumption. Receptions for each happen simultaneously, 6-9 p.m., at 17 different locations in the Gallery District, Deep Ellum, the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, and Southern Methodist University. Call 939-0242.

friday
june 7
Culture: Like purists of other indigenous music in this postmodern world, the torchbearers of reggae face a constant battle to keep their roots distinct from the high-speed blender known as world music (a genre whose "experimentalism" has grown increasingly indistinguishable from American and European club mixes). Indeed, reggae scholars and musicians have reserved the label "roots" for the Rastafarian artist with the mission of tradition; those scholars stand as vigilant gatekeepers, permitting artists into that exclusive club on a case-by-case basis. The Jamaican vocal trio Culture is not only a card-carrying member; it has, since its debut in 1973, set standards for reggae artistry. The rich, evocative, booming voice of lead vocalist Joseph Hill is the catalyst behind impressive worldwide sales, but all three performers are renowned for their onstage generosity. They perform at 9 p.m. at Club Dread 'N Irie, 2807 Commerce. Tickets are $15-$20. Call 742-IRIE.

Storms From Other People's Lands: Such conservative pundits as George Will and William Bennett continue to reject the idea that history is a subjective, multilayered organism dependent on interpretations from as many different sources as possible because they know (but will never admit) the hand that writes the official record rules the world. Proponents of so-called multiculturalism, on the other hand, have often substituted their own brand of intellectual tyranny, glossing over gross factual inconsistencies and peddling tokenism in the name of social justice. Poet-storyteller-musician-activist Roxy Gordon stands somewhere in the middle of the fracas, an eloquent voice for the American Indian experience but a man not given to the dry-as-a-bone harangues launched by many multiculturalists. His latest performance, Storms From Other People's Lands, uses music, poetry, and prose to dramatize how European settlers used Native Americans to settle old scores. The presentation begins at 8 p.m. at Sequoyah's Bookstore, 5930-F Royal Lane. It's free. Call 827-9309.

Festival Hong Kong: The USA Film Festival joins forces with the government of Hong Kong to present what in all likelihood will be the least boring part of Hong Kong-USA '96, one of those "cultural exchanges" that's really just smoke and mirrors for business fat cats to secure their foothold in a particular marketplace. For devotees of Asian cinema, especially fans of movies that don't star Jackie Chan and weren't directed by John Woo (there are a few of them out there), the four films that compose the three-day Festival Hong Kong will be like manna from some lush, subtitled heaven. Hu-Du-Men (Stage Door) makes its U.S. premiere June 7 at 7 p.m. at the Sony Theatres CityPlace, 2600 Haskell Ave.; the John Woo-produced Somebody Up There Likes Me screens June 8 at 8 p.m.; The Blade June 8 at 10:15 p.m.; and A Chinese Oddysey June 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the AMC Glen Lakes, 9450 N. Central Expressway. Tickets for individual events are $7.50-$10. Call 821-6300.

saturday
june 8
Comatheatre: The press material for the summer-long Saturday-night performance series Entermind by the multimedia collective Comatheatre reads like a celestial e-mail from Edgar Cayce: "The power of this positive experimentation is its capacity to knock down one of the ultimate barriers, between the conscious and the unconscious mind. Entermind suggests the pathway between separate minds and the travel between parts of the individual brain...in both the performer and the audience." There are no warnings in the material prohibiting pregnant women or individuals on psychoactive medication from taking Comatheatre's trip. There are also no clear guidelines as to what, exactly, Kim Corbet, Chad Evans, Bruce Richardson, and Amy Seltzer plan on doing once they take the stage, but these veterans of the Dallas multimedia scene have proven themselves as individuals. Come check out their collective effort. Comatheatre performs every Saturday night at 10 p.m. at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, 3120 McKinney Ave. Admission is free. Call 953-1212.

Dogs Days of Summer: A dream for Dentonites who love canines and a rich, fertile lawn around their courthouse, the Second Annual Dog Days of Summer is the largest event dedicated to dogs and their owners in North Texas. The Denton fathers and mothers have for the past decade pushed that sound-and-chemical orgy known as Fry Street Fair further and further into the closet. We wonder why the potentially raucous Dog Days of Summer earns more favor, since the pooper-scooper-to-participant ratio should be at least as high as on Fry Street, or maybe higher. There's ample food and water for both parties, as well as live afternoon music, children's games, pet-care demonstrations and information, and a series of contests including stupid pet tricks, a dog-and-master look-alike contest, dog singing, and a Heinz 57 show. The event happens 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on the lawn of the Denton County Courthouse, 115 W. Hickory in Denton. It's free. Call (817) 566-8529.