Welcome to 2015, and a solid three or four months of having to correct yourself every time you accident write “2014.” (Good thing no ever writes anything by hand anymore, am I right?) It’s the first full week of January, and we here at DC9 at Night are ready to…
When we come to the end of a year and look back at all the great things that happened in Dallas music, there are some easy ways to measure it all: Concerts, albums, songs, even music videos. And in some ways, those are the most obvious indicators of a successful…
And the end-of-year celebrations roll on. Having started the month off with our biggest annual celebration of local music, the Dallas Observer Music Awards, we’ve continued to shine a light on some of our favorite goings-on from the year past over the last couple weeks: The best concerts in Dallas…
It’s been an exciting year for Dallas music. If there were any room before to doube whether the local scene was on the rise, there should be none left after 2014. There are plenty of ways to judge that, from the reemergence of Deep Ellum to the artists who’ve gotten…
By Rip Rowan Rip Rowan is a Dallas producer and engineer whose credits include artists like the Old 97s, the Deathray Davies, Whiskey Folk Ramblers, Fate Lions and Dovetail. He also performs on keyboards and drums (sometimes at the same time) with his indie singer-songwriter wife, Vanessa Peters and other…
As 2014 draws to a close, there’s one thing that seems pretty clear: It’s been a hell of a year for Dallas music. Tonight, in fact, we here at the Dallas Observer will be celebrating some of the best music to come out of North Texas over the past 12…
Hoo boy, do our heads ever hurt. Well, they hurt yesterday, at any rate. Today’s a little bit better. But we’re still not totally sure where all these bruises came from. Which means, yep, it was a pretty successful Dallas Observer Music Awards showcase. (We had fun anyway. We hope…
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, isn’t it? No, we’re not talking about the holidays, although those are OK too. We’re talking about the 26th annual Dallas Observer Music Awards, which kick off with a showcase this Saturday in Deep Ellum followed by the award ceremony and concert…
Oh, Dallas. You give us all the feels. Sometimes we love you, sometimes we get tripped up on your oversized ego. But mostly we just love you, and in particular, we dig your music. We’re not the only ones, either: Artists from around the world have been inspired to write…
Well folks, welcome to the best week of the year. “Why’s that?” you might ask. Because Thanksgiving is this Thursday and it’s the best holiday of the year. (Just ask our resident Englishman about it.) It’s one of the rare times of the year when we all get to slow…
By Amy McCarthy and Jaime-Paul Falcon Bars, clubs, and music venues are generally great places to be, especially when you factor in copious amounts of alcohol and loud live music. Still, there are plenty of people in Dallas who are dead-set on harshing your mellow while you’re taking in a…
By Roy Robertson At the end of October, Denton’s Pageantry traveled to New York City for the annual CMJ Music Marathon. We invited singer and guitarist Roy Robertson to reflect on the band’s experience there — their first time attending the convention — and its potential value to Texas musicians…
Almost everyone, at one time or another, has a story about a haunted house or some other sort of paranormal activity. Maybe it’s a benign spirit, some former tenant of a home or apartment that continues to inhabit its former residence. Maybe it’s the ghost of a tormented soul who…
By H. Drew Blackburn, Jaime-Paul Falcon, and Matt Wood No matter what someone tells you, they generally tend to judge a book by its cover. This isn’t a good human trait, but we do it. Often we’re wrong about our first perceptions of people based on an extremely vainglorious surface…
By H. Drew Blackburn, Jaime-Paul Falcon and James Rambin There ain’t much to do in Denton, Texas except party. We’re talking about the quintessential college town, a place where the highest percentage of residents are between the ages of 20 and 29. A place where if you didn’t end up…
Let’s face it: Going out to catch live can be about a lot more than just the music. A lot of the time, it can also be about spending time with friends. Or it can be about having a quality drink. (Oftentimes, both.) There is of course a time and…
Punk venues are a little like snowflakes: Each one is different and they’re all uniquely special. Well, okay, maybe that comparison will be lost in this part of the country, but the point remains the same. Which is to say, as far as music venues go punk venues are a…
Festival season has really gotten into full swing of late in Texas. Those peak summer months have finally given way to (slightly more) seasonable weather, and suddenly the big music events have been coming seemingly every weekend: Oaktopia was two weeks ago, then came Index, and now Austin City Limits…
By Steve Watkins Last Monday’s premiere of The Voice introduced the world to Luke Wade, a voice already familiar with fans all over North Central Texas. At least six separate watch parties were underway in various area venues where Wade has been a regular performer. Although a native of Dublin,…
Photo courtesy of EB MediaBy Chris Gray and Matthew Keever HONORABLE MENTION: SUNNY SWEENEY Thus far mainstream success has eluded Sunny Sweeney, but not for lack of either talent or trying. According to her Facebook page, Sweeney (a former standup comic) has now played the Grand Ole Opry 41 times…
Texas may not be Colorado, but hell, that’s never stopped us from being awesome. That’s just kind of a rule of thumb for life in general, but it’s particularly appropriate when it comes to, you know, marijuana. Getting high. Baked. Stoned. Keyed. Whatever the hell lingo you happen to prefer,…
This month, the Granada Theater is celebrating its 10th anniversary as a music venue. It was then that Michael Schoder bought the then-movie theater and transformed it into the concert venue we know and love today. To help mark the occasion, we decided to pull together our favorite memories from…
