Allison Smith

A Dallas Photographer Went Inside DISD's Closed Schools And Took Some Awesome Pictures

This summer, Dallas photographer Allison V. Smith was given carte blanche to wander through the halls of nine of the 11 schools trustees voted to close earlier in the year. The result is a series of vaguely nostalgic, strangely touching photos that you'll find after the jump. "Living in Dallas, whe ... More >>

Big Tex Burned Down Today at the State Fair

State Fair mascot Big Tex has gone up in flames. It's still not clear what caused the fire, which is reported to be "under control." Remembering Big Tex: "Big Tex Gets a Makeover," by Allison V. Smith Alice Laussade's exclusive interview with Big Tex "Big Tex Will Haunt Your Dreams," by Robert Wil ... More >>

John Tesar is a Jedi of Self-Promotion

Allison V. Smith​Back in January, chef John Tesar announced he was kind of over the whole Commissary, One Arts Plaza thing. He was pulling out and shifting his focus to a new restaurant on Westchester Drive in Preston Center. Spoon was what Tesar called the space, and bloggers got to bloggin ... More >>

It Ain't Easy Judging Photos of the Trinity River

When I directed your attention to those pretty pictures filling City Hall's 2012 calendar yesterday, I forgot to note: Those are the latest top-prize-getters in the third annual Trinity River Corridor Project Photo Contest. Tops, again, was the great Sean Fitzgerald, winner of the second annual cont ... More >>

Gratitude: These Local Artists Are Giving Thanks

Pamela and Dylan, Dowdy Studio We are so very thankful for all the great holiday foods we're about to pig out on, and also thankful that the menu won't be including cat sandwiches, because they're really tricky to prepare and would probably taste like fur balls.

Watch: Ryan Thomas Becker & Last Joke Cover New Science Projects at 35 Conferette

Allison V. SmithRyan Thomas Becker​Ryan Thomas Becker was a busy man during 35 Conferette, putting on performances with RTB2 and the now-defunct Eaton Lake Tonics, as well as his other project, Ryan Thomas Becker & Last Joke, which features Tony Ferraro of Eaton Lake Tonics, Andy Rogers of Oso ... More >>

Bill Holston's Take On Last Night's Adam Carter Memorial at La Grange

Allison V. SmithRest in peace, Adam.​I made it to the concert memorializing the life of Adam Carter at The Bone last night, but other obligations kept me from making the earlier event held at La Grange, where friends and family gathered to share stories, listen to recorded songs, and watch video m ... More >>

Memorial Concert For Adam Carter Set To Take Place On Wednesday Night at The Bone

Allison V. SmithAdam Carter​I'm really torn with how we should be handling coverage of Spector 45 bassist Adam Carter's recent suicide. Adam was a sweet guy, a great sound man, a heck of a musician (in addition to his role in Spector 45, he played in a number of other great bands, including The Ma ... More >>

Spector 45 Bassist Adam Carter is Dead.

Allison V. SmithAdam Carter, just three months ago, performing at the memorial concert held for his Spector 45 bandmate Frankie Campagna at Club Dada.​ Former Spector 45 bass player Adam Carter is dead of an apparent suicide. He was 27. Details are still trickling in, but those close to Carter con ... More >>

Good Friday: The O's, The Hope Trust, Reverend Horton Heat, The Sword, Jonathan Richman, Lynch Mob, The Boom Boom Box, Dax Riggs, Max Bemis, Plain White T's & More!

Allison V. SmithThe O's​It's hard to put your finger on an actual date when The O's will officially celebrate the release of their new album, Between The Two. The hilarious duo, who we caught up with in this week's print edition, have already played a handful of release shows this week, but Club D ... More >>

My First Show: Don Cento Saw Van Halen, Metallica and a Trash Tsunami at His First Show

Welcome to a Unexpected Influences, where we talk to musicians about the music no one expects them to like. Allison V. SmithDon Cento​Don Cento is a familiar face around town, given his time as a keyboardist with Chomsky and as a guitarist in Shibboleth. But this skilled ... More >>

Watch: Friends Share Their Favorite Frankie 45 Memories at His Club Dada Memorial Concert

Allison V. SmithFrankie 45​I'm not going to say that this is going to be the last post we're going to do on Frankie 45 -- because, to be honest, I highly doubt that much to be the case. There are too many other memorials in the works -- a tribute album is currently in talks, and, at La Grange on J ... More >>

Picture Shows: The Frankie 45 Memorial at Club Dada

Allison V. SmithSee Allison's photos from the memorial in her slideshow.​As you saw yesterday in Pete's thoughts of Frank Campagna Jr.'s memorial at Club Dada, it was an incredibly moving night. For those that couldn't make it, there are no better words on the Frankie's memorial than what Pete ... More >>

Spector 45 Frontman Frankie Campagna Died Early This Morning At the Age of 24

Allison V. Smith​The e-mails began arriving in the Unfair Park in-box at around 10 this morning. They said: Frank Campagna has died, referring to the longtime muralist and beloved owner of the Kettle Art gallery in Deep Ellum. But, no. It was not Frank. It was his son, 24-year-old Frankie, frontma ... More >>

Watch: True Widow Releases Teaser Video Clip For Upcoming Sophomore Album

Allison V. SmithIs True Widow looking at a more acoustic future? Perhaps.​Speaking of True Widow, as we were earlier today, we just stumbled across quite the treat for those who, like us, are salivating at the thought of the band's to-be-released-in-March sophomore album, called As High As The Hig ... More >>

Three More Acts With Local Ties Get Added To SXSW's Early Performer List

Allison V. SmithThe Secret Handshake​Speaking of Erykah Badu, it seems the Queen finally has some local musicians to keep her company down in Austin next year when she performs at the annual cluster-you-know-what that is South by Southwest. After having releasing an early early list last month of ... More >>

We're All Winners When It Comes to the Trinty River Corridor Project Photo Contest

The Dallas City Council doesn't have the most exciting agenda today -- though if you're interested in the state of sales tax revenue from '02 to '09, I've got just the PowerPoint for you. But to the more interesting business: First thing this morning, Dave Neumman, chairman of the Trinity River Corr ... More >>

Lady of the Lens

Kemado Announces True Widow Signing, Slates Sophomore Disc For March 2011 Release

Allison V. SmithTrue Widow​ We'd been suspecting this for a while now, but, according to a press release sent out by Kemado Records this morning, now it's official: The New York City-based label home to The Sword and Saviour, and formerly to acts like The Soft Pack, Dungen, Marissa Nadler and Lang ... More >>

Raves for Dallas-Based Rave Theater Chain

​Our pal Allison V. Smith has a rather nice photo in this morning's Los Angeles Times: a portrait of Thomas W. Stephenson Jr., whose Rave Motion Pictures is on the fast-track to becoming the fifth-largest movie-theater chain in the U.S. once Rave's acquisition of 35 theaters from Sumner Redstone's ... More >>

Bonus MP3: Ryan Thomas Becker -- "Where Your Father Didn't Go"

Allison V. Smith​As you no doubt read in the current print supplement to DC9, Ryan Thomas Becker--who plays with The Slow Burners, Eaton Lake Tonics, and the Rymandas, and who is the RTB of RTB2--stays plenty busy with his bands, yet somehow finds time for solo efforts as well. Becker's latest sol ... More >>

If Nothing Else, the Trinity River Corridor Project Inspires Some Awfully Nice Photos

Paul Sokal's grand-prize winner in the city's Trinity River Photo Contest​Meranda Cohn at Dallas City Hall directs our attention to the winning photos from the Trinity River Photo Contest, for which our pal Allison V. Smith was one of the four judges. You can view as either a PDF or a PowerPoint. ... More >>

True Widow Gets Some Love In San Francsico: "Records Like This Come Along So Rarely."

Allison V. SmithTrue Widow peaks in at our DOMA pre-party back in July.​ It might not be "Best New Music," but, regardless, congratulations to True Widow, one of our favorite area rock outfits here at DC9, as Aquarius Records, the oldest independent record store in San Francisco, has named the ban ... More >>

In Maine, a Dallas Wedding as Allison V. Smith and Barry Whistler Tie the Knot

​Occasional Dallas Observer photographer Allison V. Smith and the namesake of the Barry Whistler Gallery on Canton Street were hitched Saturday evening at Allison's family vacationland in Maine. Just read all about it in The New York Times, which has a lovely photo of the couple as well as a few f ... More >>

Picture Show: DOMAXXI House Party/Photo Shoot Slideshow

Allison V. SmithTrue Widow peaks in at RTB2's house party performance. Last week, we shared a slideshow of images caught by Wheeler Sparks at the house party we through as a photo shoot for this year's DOMA print package.And though you can see a bunch of photos Allison V. Smith took at the part ... More >>

Picture Show: The DOMAXXI Photo Shoot Through One Photographer's Lens...

On Tuesday, July 7, we invited all of this year's Dallas Observer Music Awards nominees to a photo shoot/house party that turned out to be a heckuva time, thanks in no small part to the performances The O's, Damaged Good$ and RTB2 gave their fellow nominees at the event. We had our own photographer ... More >>

Corn Dogged: Garrison Keillor Visits the State Fair of Texas For National Geographic (?)

Allison V. Smith's photo of Big Tex's 2008 makeover remains one of our favorite State Fair of Texas photos ever.Actually, once you read the piece -- which appears in the issue hitting newsstands this week but which you can read right now -- it seems rather unlikely that the Prairie Home Companionist ... More >>

Like No Other

Stautberg brings her Unique view to Barry Whistler

A Short Film About Someone for Whom We Are Thankful, Sarah Jaffe

Friend of Unfair Park Bill Holston, author of the Veterans Day essay to which we linked earlier this month, was kind enough to forward our way this mini-doc about Sarah Jaffe, winner of multiple Dallas Observer Music Awards in July. As photographer Allison V. Smith notes on her blog, it was made ... More >>

Poll of Poles (With Video!)

Q and Dr. Bob: Two Great Men Give Allison V. Smith Some Love

Pass It On

Smith goes back to school

So That's Why They Call You Big Tex

Hey, Ladies, the Watters is Fine

Way Up in The Air in Their Beautiful Corporate-Sponsored Balloon

An Eye For the 'Zine

Goodbye Girl

Dallas, I love you, but I've found Austin

Famous Pussy From Dallas

Deck the Walls With Dallas Artists

USA Today Proclaims Ross Jr. Downtown Dallas' Savior -- Huzzah!

I Will Die Childless And Alone And Without Stretch Marks

Lens Crafters

Smith and Stautberg shine in Whistler’s gallery

Sweet Success

AP is the gallery most likely to

Strange? Sad? True.

Kickin' It In Aisle Five

We didn't get the budget for a DOMA documentary, so here's a quick behind-the-scenes rundown instead

Save Yourself

Separate the "crap" from the "gold" at the Rock 'n' Roll RedemptionSale

Odds & Ends

Pre-music awards "awards"; praise for a Dallas photographer; and Band to Watch

Super Group

Scott Barber is A Friend In Deed

Capsule Reviews

Our critics survey the local art scene

Media Bias

All year, we tell you who's been naughty. Now, a list of those whose work is nice.