Eric Landrum has sacrificed a lot as a music fan working in radio promotions, but what’s really kept him on the clock is his passion. No matter what kind of laminate or credentials Landrum has scored over the years working live broadcasts at concerts or meet-and-greets with national touring artists,…

Jessica Martinez has been running a Facebook fan page called Dallas Music for close to two years. She’s kept it simple and reliable, posting local music content and gigs, and she’s let her fandom for our artists shine through, something reflected in her some 2,600 followers. They’ve covered hundreds of…

Josh Florence has a DOMA nomination or two under his belt, and was part of the team that made Homegrown Festival such a great success again this year. Further, he’s an owner of prominent music spots Dada (reopened two years this January) and City Tavern. Florence tends to be an…

If you go to the Curtain Club or Liquid Lounge and ask for Mark, chances are you’re not going to be pointed in this guy’s direction. He’s not only known as “Whit” to those on the corner of Main and Crowdus, but to everyone chummy with him since about eighth…

It’s been almost two years since we talked to booker Scott Beggs for this column. He was one of the first approached for it, as he’s done a lot for Dallas and Deep Ellum’s entertainment intake through the years, but his most recent gig booking for LaGrange came to an…

Tom Urquhart’s Saturday KTCU FM 88.7 radio show, The Good Show, is up for another nomination in this year’s Dallas Observer Music Awards, for Best Radio Show. It’s exactly what Fort Worth needs a little more of: A vehicle to make their local music scene all the more cohesive and…

“When you’re not shooting it, you’re thinking about it. Part art, part science, it’s all passion. Being in the moment through the lens, hearing the music, all you’re thinking about is getting that one shot…” Thus begins the homepage of F/stopme Photography. Brian Ullrich scouts new and local music to…

You can’t really write a column about behind-the-scenes people in the Dallas music scene and not include Bucks Burnett. We are big fans of Bucks, and he’s been featured in the Observer numerous times. Hell, one of the last times we tried to interview him, we kept getting interrupted by…

Joe Kozera is the quiet, modest voice you often hear on KXT 91.7 FM. OK, so everyone on air sounds laid back there, but Kozera takes it a step further. He seems to sound at peace on the air at KXT. As the station takes more time to remain non-profit…

Christopher Todd Penn was a just a kid when he was held at knife-point in the bathroom of an Iron Maiden concert. He shouted “NO” and ran for his life, instead of giving up the goods. Later, after relocating to the area, he became more of a Tripping Daisy fan…

Starting at age 19, Bart Rose ran First Street Audio in Forth Worth. That was 1989. In 2008, he took over a facility called Digital Post & Production, changed the name to Fort Worth Sound, and has since worked with The Toadies, Spot and many more. He’s hosted outside producers…

Paul Ford spent some time playing in a couple local bands, including The London Scar. In 1997, at only 16 years old, he and a colleague formed Yuppiefest, which brought local talent to the ‘burbs of Lewisville, including Bowling For Soup, The Latchkey Kids, Darlington and more. Ford claims they…

Michelle Rodriguez spent a few years doing night shifts at 99.5 The Wolf, and a little while working part-time in the promotions department, before moving to KSCS-FM 96.3 for nights. She’s there because DFW radio legend Smokey Rivers saw her natural on-air talent, but she still manages to jump into…

Ed Spoto helms Crossroads Audio, which provides many of the mics, PAs, lighting systems and rigs you see at local shows and festivals. Locally, his client list includes acts like Bowling For Soup, Erykah Badu, The Denton Blues Festival and the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Nationally, Spoto, his wife Ashley (who…

See also: Jazz man Damon K. Clark on a living wage for musicians Wendell Sneed has toured with Wilson Pickett, Etta James, The Chi-Lites and played in Dallas funk band the Soul Seven, but more recently, he’s been working with the Dallas Museum of Art, and hosts Jazz in the…

Josh Pitts and Ben Piche were in the punk band Captain Incredible a ways back, and got so frustrated with the way their band was getting booked, they decided to concentrate on doing it themselves, hence their five-man outfit, Up To 11 Entertainment. Pitts has performed with DFW notables Darstar,…

See also: Damon K. Clark knows Dallas jazz See also: The Kessler’s Melissa Hennings shoots your favorite bands Julie Garcia, publicist for Granada Theater and Sundown, got her start in morning radio. From ’99 to ’07, her job was largely to manage Kidd’s Kidds, the charity helmed by the Kraddick…

See also: The Kessler’s Melissa Hennings tends bar and shoots your favorite bands See also: KNON’s Don O. knows the Dallas blues Damon K. Clark, co-musical director at Winspear Opera House, is changing lanes. He’s sidelining what has been a pretty spirited performance career in local jazz and choir to…

See also: Kessler front-of-house man Paul Quigg finds a niche in Oak Cliff Melissa Davis Hennings stumbled into photography, really: Her first shot was The Black Keys. But taking photos of local bands isn’t how she makes ends meet. She’s the bar manager at The Kessler, an ideal gig for…