Jerry Warden and Rick Perry know heavy metal. Warden has been promoting it for more three decades in the area, and Perry has been playing it. Warden is a metal historian who holds secrets to some of DFW’s legendary metal acts and venues, while Perry is the one Texas guitarist…
Imagine a man with two hearts inside a blue box traveling through space, jumping through time like an intellectual child of Marty McFly, the hero of the Back to the Future film series, and Sybil, the film character who suffered a mild case of multiple personalities in the 1976 film…
The flames could be seen for miles as the fire consumed the corner structure on Fry Street in Denton, Texas, igniting the well-known sign and signature name. “The Tomato is burning down” says one resident, who doesn’t sound near as surprised as one would expect upon realizing an iconic shop…
A knight wearing a cardigan steps into a mosh pit. Men and women resembling barbarians, vikings and neanderthals – with long hair matted, sweat soaking their black t-shirts with the words “Slayer” written in blood across their chest and shoulders – surge like an angry sea all around him. Upside…
This year marks thrash metal’s 30th anniversary, and what better way to celebrate than watching one of the Big Four bands that helped to bring it to the masses? Tonight, Slayer will bring their pulse-pounding metal to the South Side Ballroom at Gilley’s in Dallas. It’s their first tour since…
For 25 years we here at the Dallas Observer have celebrated local music by offering an award that not only highlights are awesome local talent but also allows you, our readers, to decide the winners. It’s a nerve-racking month as we prepare for the award show, write the articles and…
Legendary guitarist Lou Reed, a punk poet whose lyrics have influenced more than four generations of rockers, passed away on Sunday. He was 71 years old. His literary agent, Andrew Wylie, shared the news of his death, claiming the singer/songwriter’s death is due to complications with a recent liver transplant,…
This year, we’ll celebrate our 25th Dallas Observer Music Awards. Voting is open now, and the ceremony is on November 5 at House of Blues. Over the years, we’ve seen our fair share of bands appearing on the DOMA nominee list year after year. And, in a few notable cases,…
Since Hart Ward penned his classic “Dallas Blues” in 1912, the city has established a proud tradition in the blues genre with its performers, venues and documentarians. Today, Dallas’ blues legacy remains in the hands of a smaller number of people than it has in years past. But some, like…
Legend has it that Stephen King once called James McMurtry: “The truest, fiercest songwriter of his generation.” Taking the stage this weekend at the Granada Theater in Dallas, McMurtry proved that he deserves such a title, as the Texas songwriter took fans deep into the heart of the Lone Star…
Tattooing the number 13 on Friday 13th has been a tradition among tattoo addicts long before Jason Voorhees climbed out of Crystal Lake and donned a hockey mask to silence a few horny campers by using every-day garden tools like a hatchet, a shovel and a machete. It’s a day…
At bars in Texas, only one person stands between you and taps of the local pub – the door person, better known as the “whiskey keeper” in rural places like Bowie and Archer City. He’s or she’s the one person you most want on your side as the night progresses…
In some ways, getting backstage at Gexa Energy Pavilion is a letdown. Semi-trucks that carry the bands’ stage lighting and equipment hummed a familiar chorus, and several tour buses formed a barricade that left an opened area in the center where a small group of people conversed and smoked cigarettes…
Who the hell is Danko Jones? “We’re just a hard rock band from Toronto,” he says. Yet, something in his radio friendly voice hints at a deeper meaning behind a man who shares a name with Danko Reproductions, a custom body shop; Emile Danko, a fictional Homeland security agent; and…
Blazing through guitar riffs on stages across Texas isn’t something an average 15-year-old does. But Tyler Tallant of Keller/Fort Worth area isn’t your average teenager. He’s someone whose passion for music causes him to spend most of his waking hours mastering the craft of guitar playing. And his constant practicing…
Imagine a time in Dallas when Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty, the Cars and Elvis Costello could all be found without sneaking past a team of security guards or purchasing a $200 VIP pass. It’s a time when every major record label in Dallas not only pushed records like drug dealers,…
Lance Lopez is a blues talent unlike any other working today. He spent much of his childhood here in Dallas before moving to New Orleans, where he launched a career that includes mentorship from Billy Gibbons. You can read more about Lopez in this week’s music feature, but we didn’t…
No other family of music artists like the forebears of this legendary name – Hank Williams – have captured the heart of what it means to be a country outlaw, a Southern rebel, a despicable bastard in the eyes of our more uppity brothers and sisters. Three generations of this…
Lopez commands the stage when he steps behind the microphone. His dark sunglasses, black cowboy hat and PRS guitar resting next to his hip make him look more like an outlaw than a Texas bluesman. He can feel the blues as his hands slide across his guitar’s neck. He’s been…
Trying to find legitimate record labels in the Dallas/Fort Worth area turned into a quest that crossed the thin barrier of insanity on more than one occasion, as more and more record labels fell off our list. Fifty-four or so for the Dallas area alone were the number of record…
What do Harley Davidson motorcycles, Dean guitars and southern metal have in common? It’s all part of Ride For Dime, a two-day bike rally in honor of the fallen guitarslinger Darrell “Dimebag” Abbott, a Texas legend whose band Pantera helped to establish southern metal as the brutal force that it…
From Keith Richards and his swagger to Jimmy Page with his operatic solos, sexy guitarists have been dominating our minds for more than four decades now, causing fans to riot as if the guitarist itself exuded something magical. In the ’50s, Beatle-mania forced police to wear riot gear while thousands…
