Kathleen Hanna began fronting Bikini Kill in the early ’90s when America was coming off a 12-year run of red-state, top-down politics. When Oregon and Washington had become unlikely musical epicenters. And when Americans were obsessed with Murphy Brown, grunge and pubic hairs in Coke cans. Yup, it was a…

What happens when you take an uppity black family from California and stick them back in their hood roots for the holidays? You get Kendrick D. Young’s newest stage production, Christmas n’ Da Hood. That’s right! The flyer really sums it up: The scene is set with an artful rendering…

Look ladies: You can go anywhere to visit Santa, but if you’re just going to ask him to gift you an investment banker, save the Big Guy some leg work and see him at Reunion Tower (300 Reunion Blvd.). It’s unlikely that you’ll encounter Mr. Right at the Valley View…

As much as you box your ears when you hear the words “holiday concert,” something magical happens when the Dallas Symphony plays those candy cane licks. They bring the stuff to life in that way that relaxes you and lets you enjoy the holidays, rather than panic over unbought gifts…

Why does it makes me so happy? It’s a toss-up between the discount tickets available at Williams Chicken and the curious punctuation of Christmas n’ Da Hood. When people omit a letter — “I” in this case — they generally sub in an apostrophe to neck with the next letter…

Front Row’s Peter Simek recently pointed out this Interview Magazine article with Tony Tasset. In it the artist discussed Eye, his three story sculpture that’s currently locked in a staring contest with the Joule hotel, dismissing notions that surveillance serves as an intentional underlying theme. It’s a fun read, and…

Roughly 100 holiday party specialists tackled Dallas on Saturday night to spread cheer, do shots and get a little freaky with the mistletoe. Mohawked rude boy Santa, bearded banana Santa and church mice of questionable virtue were all present for the annual bar crawl, and so was photographer Kerry Langford…

How many plays has Dallas Observer Theatre Critic Elaine Liner reviewed in her career? “I’d say 3,000,” she reports from her writer’s enclave near White Rock Lake. “And at least 500 of those were Steel Magnolias.” She goes on: “I wish more characters had died in Steel Magnolias. There’s a…

(We Are 1976’s Soul Train Party happens Saturday. Break out the butterfly collar.) What’s that old saying? Last week’s ice storm is this week’s party bender? Since Cleon dialed our collective metabolism down to “suspended animation,” most of last weekend’s events were rescheduled for — you guessed it — this…

There’s no joy to be found in adventuring through the McDonald’s playscape. Just suspicious smells and discarded french fry evidence. But those magical tubes at Neiman’s? Well, that’s a different story. Tonight you can become a human hamster and journey through the things, while simultaneously being a generous adult who…

To those naysayers who said acrylic fibers couldn’t save the world, listen up. Thursday, we’ll gather around Dallas’ favorite fireplace to drink, munch on snacks and generally look like dorks, trussed up in ugly Christmas sweaters, and we’ll do it — dammit — because it’s our civic duty. The Ugly…

Scripture states that someone shoved mescaline fruitcake into the manger’s VHS player and nine months later the Everything is Terrible! Holiday Special was born. Now, let us all give thanks. This Chicago-based video blog tours its tripped-out seasonal offering through Dallas on Wednesday night, stopping for one screening at Texas…

Observer theater critic Elaine Liner knows a thing or 30 about what makes a play exceptional. (Lord knows she’s done her share of research.) That’s great news for you because Liner has recently switched teams — artfully speaking — to write a one-woman show called Sweater Curse, A Yarn About…

We can all agree that Die Hard is more than just an amazing holiday movie: It’s also the greatest action film ever made in which an off-duty New York cop becomes ensnared in a high-stakes heist disguised as a grand act of terrorism in a glass office tower on an…

You just don’t see 200 slutty Santas doing shots and hopping DART every day. Just once or twice a year, thanks to start-up fun-makers Santa Rampage. The bar tour has become more than a drunken Dallas tradition, it’s an excuse to go jingle balls-out with the old hot-glue gun to…

RIGHTEOUS! Just because our Observer staff’s hearts are made of artificial ice doesn’t mean we’re immune to the hypnotic power of glowing things. Our brains are pretty primitive in that regard, among others. Bright stuff is awesome, and you better believe we’ll stare at it, unquestioning, for hours at a…

Dallas cameos: Maxwell Anderson at the 3 minute mark and a Rawlings at 4:56. Let’s give it up, São Paulo! [Arsenio arm thing] In June of 2014, the Dallas Arts District will serve as think tank housing for the New Cities Summit, an annual event organized by the New Cities…

As was prophesied upon primitive bathroom walls and select Laffy Taffy wrappers, A Krampus arrived in Denton yestereve. He flexed his musky, destructive prowess, then proceeded to enslave wayward youth while generously bestowing gifts upon his more cherished. A Krampus then proceeded to fulfill His destiny by unlatching the netherportal…

We Are 1976 turns four years young this Saturday night, December 7, but with those sweet dance moves? Well dayum — I wouldn’t clock ’em a day over three. It’s a polyesther throwdown, a shag carpet shakedown, and a retro revival of dancetastic proportions. So buff up those platform heels,…