We're sure you're pretty amped up about Saturday's Good Records party. We know we are.
But we're also pretty stoked about the event happening the next day: The inaugural Mokah Music Summit and Showcase (M2S2). Originally the two events were both scheduled for Saturday. But after some discussion, the Mokah event moved to Sunday.
And, in turn, it's helped create the biggest weekend in local music in some time.
The M2S2 event (full press release after the jump) will include performances from local favorites Bridges & Blinking Lights, Smile Smile, The Slack and Salim Nourallah, as well as a number of panel discussions with local music folk--including yours truly!
So, yes, I'll be there. And you should come, too. If not to see the music, then definitely so you can come watch me make an ass of myself. --Pete Freedman
MOKAH MUSIC SUMMIT & SHOWCASE MOVED TO SUNDAY, APRIL 20 Change Made in Support Of and Cooperation With National Record Store Day at Good RecordsDALLAS, TEXAS (April 11, 2008) – The inaugural Mokah Music Summit and Showcase (M2S2) co-hosted by Life in Deep Ellum and the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation has been moved to Sunday, April 20, from 3:00-9:00 p.m. Originally scheduled for April 19, M2S2 officials decided to move its event after discovering the magnitude of a date conflict with “National Record Store Day” celebrations at nearby Good Records on Lower Greenville. The event takes place at Life in Deep Ellum’s multi-faceted facility located at 2803 Taylor Street in Deep Ellum.
The move has been endorsed by participants in both the summit and showcase and required only slight adjustments to the actual structure of the event. Frozen Fire Films (www.frozenfirefilms.com), a tenant of the Life in Deep Ellum facility, provided a financial donation earlier in the week to help facilitate some costs of the date change.
“Good Records is an important resource for local music followers and supporters in Dallas and M2S2 has been created as a way to build community among the local music scene,” said Mike Biggs, operations director of Life in Deep Ellum and M2S2 event director. “Despite many efforts to communicate our intentions well in advance, we unfortunately discovered too late the April 19 plans for an all-day local music event at Good Records featuring much of the same community. This created a situation where Dallas music fans and supporters would have to choose between two great events and numerous local bands instead of celebrating the spirit behind both events.
“After listening to feedback from the music community, we felt the best way to show our support for the Dallas music scene was to do everything possible to move our event to the 20th. Chris Penn (manager of Good Records) has given us a booth at Good Records to sell tickets for M2S2 and discuss Life in Deep Ellum and the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation and the commitment to the local music scene of both non-profit organizations. In the end, I think it makes both events stronger.”
The showcase portion of M2S2 will no longer include unsigned bands competing for prizes alongside feature band sets, but instead showcase a variety of artists in both the Live At Mokah concert space and Mokah Coffee Bar lounge space. Committed bands and artists now include: Bridges & Blinking Lights, Smile Smile, Jayson Bales Band, Miles From Nowhere, The Slack, Salim Nourallah & The Noise, Blue Petal, Rahim Quazi, Something at the Wheel, Flat People, Ramonalisas, Annie Benjamin and Taylor Davis. The entire event will be MC’d by local comedian and music scene supporter, Dave Little. Full schedule and band updates will be posted all next week at www.m2s2community.com as they develop.
The summit portion of M2S2 featuring music industry leaders from all parts of the Dallas music scene will now occur during 15-minute set breaks between venue acts and encourage interaction among music fans and officials. Cindy Chaffin of The Fine Line (www.finelinelive.com) will moderate the discussions and provide webcast coverage on her site of the entire day’s events and performances. More details can be found at www.m2s2community.com and www.finelinelive.com early next week.
Among the discussion points will be the Carter Albrecht Award and how to best honor a recipient annually at M2S2. The award symbolizes the passion and talent of the late Carter Albrecht and his commitment to furthering Dallas as a destination city for music and a viable place for the artist creating the music.
Will Call tickets are $7 and available online at www.m2s2community.com or www.liveatmokah.com and can also be purchased at the Good Records event on the 19th. An additional $3 fee (normally $5) will be added to the price for those wishing to bring limited amounts of beer or wine (see venue beverage policy at www.liveatmokah.com in the Blog section).
In addition to the event on April 20, Life in Deep Ellum and the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation will host an art fundraiser on Thursday, May 1, for both organizations titled “Music in the Life of Carter” and featuring music-themed works of art. The event is open to the public and more information can be found at www.m2s2community.com/art. Some of the pieces of art for sale at the May 1 event will be on display at M2S2.
Life in Deep Ellum (www.lifeindeepellum.com), founded by Executive Director Tony Fundaro in 2006, is a non-profit cultural center built for the artistic, social, economic and spiritual benefit of Deep Ellum and its residents, supporters and visitors. By virtue of Deep Ellum’s historical influence on the city of Dallas and its culture, the center, by extension, serves the greater Metroplex and growth of culture in Dallas. The facility features Mokah Coffee Bar (open M-F from 7-10am, Sundays from 9:00-11:15am and for all events); the Mokah Art Gallery (spacious art gallery featuring new exhibits every six weeks); the Live At Mokah concert space (1,000 capacity) with high quality sound and lighting systems; Deep Ellum Kids which hosts an after-school mentoring program for at-risk kids; and The Gathering which meets on Sunday mornings as a spiritual community serving Deep Ellum.
The Carter Albrecht Music Foundation (www.carteralbrechtmusicfoundation.org) is dedicated to the growth and betterment of music in Dallas by offering assistance in education, developing skills and improving the quality of life of its musicians. Strategies include: provide support and funds to local musicians and groups to realize their musical potential, quality instruments to individuals and groups to improve the quality of their recordings and performances and scholarships to talented and deserving youth to help them achieve their dreams; coordinate with other programs to support the quality of life for musicians for personal health and financial guidance; utilize the contacts and goodwill of musicians who worked with and knew Carter to help all musicians meet their musical goals; and work with city and county agencies to foster a positive environment for musicians and the venues in which they perform.
