Bits and Pieces

Hope springs eternal: Yes, the Gypsy Tea Room is closing. No, things don't look good for Deep Ellum; one problem is most of the poor souls who run clubs—or who have tried to run clubs, or who have tried to open clubs, or who have tried to re-open clubs—don't own the buildings housing said venues. So ultimately, they have no control over the destiny of said venue. If the landlord wants to sell it to Starbucks, well, so be it.

So it was good news to find out that Mike Schoder and his partner, Julia Garton, who have been running the Granada Theater since August of 2004, recently succeeded in purchasing the Granada building. The pair had been working on the purchase for three months, they tell us, and it was a done deal on Saturday, February 3. The two seem pretty dedicated to rocking the crap out of Lower Greenville, as well as bringing in a variety of more grown-up acts. Slated for the next few months: Midlake, Daniel Johnston (in the form of Danny and the Nightmares), Lucinda Williams, Explosions in the Sky, Blonde Redhead and a crateload of other quality acts. So as the storefronts crumble around us, at least we'll be able to count on the Granada. Even if there's a Starbucks next door.

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On the hour:Hit the Barley House Sunday, February 11, to eyeball the Hourly Radio's new video for the single "Deaf Ears." The band tells us the vid is based on Harold and Maude (hmmm...) and was shot by the Commondeer film group, the crew responsible for that Bloc Party documentary and the latest Norah Jones videos. After the video premiere, the band will play a set, and it's all for free! Except the beer—you'll have to buy that.

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New 97: The latest addition to the Old 97's family is Texas Jefferson Hammond, the brand-spankin'-new son of the band's Murry Hammond and his wife, Grey.

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Handstamps: So many shows, so little time. Just as Ian Anderson is not Jethro Tull, Cody Seals is not Sarah Reddington. What? Sarah Reddington is not a person but a band in which Seals, Scarlett Wright, Peter Hofstad and James Washington produce twisted, unusual country tunes. You will love them, especially since they will be joined by the Brian Wilson cult Teenage Symphony at Secret Headquarters Friday, February 9...I'm not one for reggae, but I've seen the Wailers and, well, they wail. Catch 'em at the Tea Room Friday, February 9...The same night, the stellar lineup of the Baptist Generals, Theater Fire, Bosque Brown and Doug Burr sling a damn fine hash of smart, introspective country and rootsy stuff...Also on Friday, the Octopus Project wraps its tentacles around Hailey's along with Cue and Kingfish...But don't stay up too late, since the Dallas Blues Festival and that wack-ass AetheriA show (with Willie Nelson, the Fort Worth Symphony, the Dallas Black Dance Theater and Jessica Simpson) are the next day. Who says God doesn't have a sense of humor?