I have been thinking about you, Dallas. Every week, I am at your parties, eavesdropping on your conversations. And every week, I get to share with you some tidbit, some moment caught between drinks, which reveals a little more about who you are and what you are up to. It's not big news, but last weekend was the perfect example of how a late-night party, a sold-out concert and a drink between friends improves this city.
Maybe, like me, you started out on Thursday with Todd Barry's hilarious set at Sons of Herman Hall, before quick-changing into your finest pink threads for Rio Room's Pink Party with Brazilian beat-makers The Twelves. Rio's navigable club makes it easy to truly observe the legendary DJs Rio keeps bringing in, but Thursday, The Twelves were nearly overshadowed by the chance to party with a Stormtrooper, who was making his way through the crowd, possibly out celebrating Dallas promoter Matthew Giese's birthday. Rose-colored indeed, the dance floor was crowded early as The Twelves brought their special play of remixed improv to the decks.
Maybe on Friday you trekked down to WAAS Gallery for the Jonathan Ramirez exhibit. Borrowing themes from comic book culture and magical realism, WAAS' opening party was one of those great nights where the crowd didn't already know each other. Since everyone was an outsider, no one was an outsider.
Very early Sunday morning, maybe you found yourself at an after-party in the backyard of a stranger's home. Taking in the scene, I remarked, "Shit, this looks like a 35 Denton video." Bonfires are not the norm within city limits, but this shindig, complete with a band, fire, DJs and hot tubs, gave me hope there are still strange people doing strange things in surprising places.
M83 sold out both their Saturday and Sunday performance at the Granada well in advance, and seeing the "this church is my city" refrain from their hit "Midnight City" on various social media sites got repetitious to the point of cliché, but when they played the song, the crowd went wild. Like, actually wild.
That, sugars, is what I have been thinking about, as I endeavor to take seriously this new assignment to report back to you the whos and whats and whens of this town after 5 P.M. But what of the why? Dallas, I beg you, be wild. A wild night, be it at the Granada or in the parking lot of an emerging gallery, is what makes this city pulse.
