april 23
Let's face facts: If wine were really "better than masturbating" (as the tag line for the Art Bar's Generation X Wine Tasting argues), there would be more Internet sites devoted to full-bodied Merlots instead of Pamela Lee's full-bodied implants, and peep shows would be replaced by $1-per-glass tasting booths. Whether the claim is true or not, Fletch--the Art Bar's creative director and resident mayonnaise-and-duct-tape fetishist--knows that the only thing that will pull a group of twentynothings' attention away from a Diff'rent Strokes marathon (no pun intended) is the mention of sex and alcohol. Mention both in the same sentence, and you have a phenomenon on your hands--hence the, heh-heh, ad campaign. The wine tasting begins at 8 p.m. at the Art Bar, 2803 Main. Free. Call (214) 939-0077.
friday
april 24
Many of us have only a vague idea of what Mexico looks like, images gleaned from television and film, or maybe an all-night drinking binge in a border-town dive. We've never seen the other side of Mexico, a country rich in tradition and extremely poor in many other ways. The Meadows Museum at Southern Methodist University provides an intriguing look at how two artists--one Mexican, the other Texan--view Mexico's unseen side, with its exhibition Mexico Through Two Lenses: Photographs by Manuel Alvarez Bravo and Geoff Winningham. While the photographers' work is separated by many years (Alvarez Bravo's shots span six decades, from 1920 to 1977; Winningham's photos were snapped only a few years ago), both capture the simple beauty of Mexican life. The exhibit opens Friday and continues through May 31 at the Meadows Museum, located on the corner of Bishop Boulevard and Binkley Avenue on the SMU campus. Call (214) 768-2516.
saturday
april 25
Granted, gnawing on a turkey leg and watching grown men prance around in tights isn't for everyone, but for almost two decades people from all over the state have flocked to Scarborough Faire to relive the Renaissance. We suspect that part of the festival's attraction may be that it gives men carte blanche to call women "wenches," but that's beside the point. Scarborough Faire features authentic 16th-century entertainment and food and drink, as well as more than 200 artisans displaying and demonstrating their crafts. One tip: Stay away from the mead, because the only thing worse than a 16th century hangover is the stupid crap you bought while getting it. Scarborough Faire's 18th season opens Saturday and continues every weekend through June 14, from 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $6 for children 12 and under. The festival is located in Waxahachie, 30 minutes south of Dallas. Take I-35E south to exit 399A. Call (972) 938-FAIR.
sunday
april 26
Before Billy Bob Thornton won an Oscar for his independent surprise Sling Blade, he was an unknown television actor. Now he's a name. Not a big enough name to "open" a blockbuster at the local cineplex (even if he wanted to), but big enough to attract a line at the art house. At least, that's what independent filmmakers Stefani Ames and Tom Epperson are hoping. Ames and Epperson are the creative team behind A Gun, A Car, A Blonde, a noirish fantasy starring Thornton, John Ritter, and Jim Metzler. Thornton plays the kind of shifty, oppressive character that he wrote for buddy Dwight Yoakam in Sling Blade. Already a success on the festival circuit (Slamdance, South by Southwest), the film--which was shot half in black and white--has its North Texas premiere at the SMU Student Filmmakers Association Film Festival. Both Ames and Epperson are scheduled to attend the screening, which happens at 7:30 p.m. at the Hughes-Trigg Student Center Theatre, located on the SMU campus. The film festival starts on Saturday at 6 p.m. Call (214) 824-5831.
monday
april 27
Bulgaria doesn't exactly carry the same amount of weight in archaeological circles as, say, Egypt. Egypt is an archaeologist's field of dreams; the land of the pyramids, King Tut, and the Sphinx. Bulgaria is the land of the Thracians, who are known (only to students of Greek literature) as the opponents of the Greeks in the Trojan War. The Kimbell Art Museum sheds some needed light on the Thracian past with Ancient Gold: The Wealth of the Thracians, Treasures from the Republic of Bulgaria. The exhibit includes more than 200 gold and silver objects, obtained in recent digs at royal Thracian sites. It's not groundbreaking, but it is an interesting look at a previously little-known culture. The exhibit continues at the Kimbell Art Museum, located at 3333 Camp Bowie Blvd. in Fort Worth, through July 19. Admission is $4-$8. Call (817) 332-8451.
tuesday
april 28
There are those who believe that extreme cheeriness is a sign of evil. If you don't happen to subscribe to that theory, you'll probably be interested to know that Borders Books and Music has started the Martha Stewart Good Things Group. No, we're not kidding. Fans of television's ultimate homemaker will meet to discuss their favorite Stewart recipes, books, and other projects. Borders will provide recipe cards and other bits of Stewart ephemera, and raffle off an autographed Stewart book and a subscription to Martha Stewart Living, which sounds more like a threat than a promise. For some, this is one of those "why hasn't anybody done this before?" ideas. For us, it is a sign of the coming apocalypse. The group meets at 7 p.m. at Borders on Preston and Royal. Call (214) 363-1977.
wednesay
april 29
If you haven't seen VH-1's new game show My Generation, you're not missing much. Think of every game show that MTV has ever developed (excluding Singled Out), then stop thinking. The show does have one bright point, host Craig Shoemaker. Seeming to know just how lame the show really is, he soldiers on and--occasionally--makes the show watchable. My Generation only gives viewers a glimpse of Shoemaker's talent, though. His stand-up routine, which was good enough to snag him the Best Male Stand-Up Comic Award at the 1996 American Comedy Awards, revolves around his alter ego, The LoveMaster. OK, it sounds cheesy, but his sex-on-the-brain persona is hilarious. And you don't have to wade through a documentary about Milli Vanilli to see it. Shoemaker performs at The Improv, located at 4980 Belt Line Road in Addison, April 29-May 3. Wednesday and Thursday, 8:30 p.m.; Friday, 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, 7 p.m., 9 p.m., and 11 p.m. Call (972) 404-0323.
