Oh Look, A New Punk Venue Opening In Grapevine

The kids in Kick Your Donkey will kick off the Ohlook Theater's grand opening. Finally, some good news regarding punk-rock venues after a couple of distressing stories. Ohlook Theater in downtown Grapevine will have its grand opening Saturday, with performances by Kick Your Donkey, Straight Pepper Diet, Johnny Knuckles and...

By Pete Freedman

September 9, 2008

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The kids in Kick Your Donkey will kick off the Ohlook Theater's grand opening.

Finally, some good news regarding punk-rock venues after a couple of distressing stories. Ohlook Theater in downtown Grapevine will have its grand opening Saturday, with performances by Kick Your Donkey, Straight Pepper Diet, Johnny Knuckles and How's My Driving.

The theater is owned by Matt Lord, one of the Three Redneck Tenors, and is used for a children's theater rehearsals. His friend Jon Curlee decided the place--which already has sound and lighting systems--would make a great venue on nights when it otherwise would sit empty. Curlee, who plays in Straight Pepper Diet, wants to give local kids from nearby Grapevine, Colleyville and Southlake high schools a venue of their own. For that reason, the space will not allow alcohol.

A friend of Curlee's will use a three-camera, live-editing setup to record performances and sell high-definition DVDs to the bands immediately afterwards.

"Basically, I love punk rock and I want to hear original rock 'n' roll," Curlee says. "I live in Grapevine, and if you want to hear that, you have to drive all the way to Lewisville or Dallas."--Jesse Hughey

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