Sometimes the draw of a culture convention is the costumes, or sharing an experience with like-minded fans. Sometimes it’s even going to educational panels and learning something new. In this case, it’s a perfect storm of smoldering celebrity panels, more smoldering and a … dance party (fans may also enjoy…
It may be more than a hundred degrees outside with no sign of letting up, but on Sunday, you’re gonna need to put on your coat … the brown one. At least, you will if you want to look the part for the annual Can’t Stop the Serenity event, benefitting…
What do you get when you combine two icons of mystery and suspense? A pipe smoker with blonde ambition? A rounded silhouette with a penchant for deerstalkers? Sort of, not really, and something way more fun. In celebration of the birthday of the Master of Suspense, Sherlock’s Baker St. Pub…
The horromance. The ever-blustery settings. The centuries-old habits and dialogue. Everyone still loves vampire movies, right? Let’s be honest: That Twilight bullshit kinda effed up the whole vampire genre for everyone, forcing even the most respectable Dracula or Anne Rice fan into hiding until Edward Cullen stopped gleaming in the…
Neutrals are strong and dependable; nothing’s changed. But as much as black is slimming, gray is chic and a nude shoe can lengthen the leg, there’s something to be said for the energy and attitude of vivid color. It can feel fairly daring to try to live in floral and…
If drafting up a list of things that feel lucky, you’d have to include the following: A day off from the rat race. Getting to choose from a wide variety of awesome food that comes from a festival of mobilerants (aka food trucks). Bounce houses and pony rides, hello. All…
If you find yourself wanting more from your pageant viewing, we have the answer. If you find the interview portion of generic pageants little more than inane comments on foreign affairs, stop searching. If you need more talent — dare we say, talent with a capital MISS T — then…
Of the visits humorist and satirist David Sedaris has made to Dallas, two of my favorites include the times I happily waited in an extremely long line for a few moments of chat with the man himself. Of course, his reading of new, unpublished material was thrilling, as was his…
War is no stranger to drama, song or the combination of the two in classic form: opera. The Vietnam conflict, however, isn’t something we hear contextualized through song as often. Colonel Jim Thompson’s book, Glory Denied, details his experience of coming home as the longest-held prisoner of war. After nearly…
When it comes to a good experience, three little words can make all the difference: “the second annual.” That phrase can mean no bullshit, fewer kinks, more awesomeness and, in the case of the Big Texas Beer Fest, more stomach padding than last year’s inaugural event. The festival — launched…
Cancer is a disease that everyone would like to see eradicated in the next week. Apparently, crawfish is also something people feel very strongly against — boiling them alive by the thousands, ripping apart their bodies to eat, and then actually sucking their brains. Admittedly, that’s a stretch, a really…
Are you reading this while you slurp cereal? Do you have steaming pho to your front? Is tomato bisque your lunch jam? Well, then consider yourself exceptionally lucky. So many people have nothing on their plates, zilch in their bowls. And so Tom Thumb is presenting Empty Bowls — An…
It may not seem obvious at first, but drinking local brews can help the people of Rwanda have clean water. It’s sorta like that when-a-butterfly-flaps-its-wings thing, except totally different and much more deliciously charitable. In this case, the relationship between great beer and clean water isn’t just the science of…
Y’all ready to savor some bites, people? Good … let’s just hope you have a quality bike, or some gas money. That’s right, it’s the time of year when we cherish the delish food and drink of Dallas in the respectable, yet slightly distant, settlement of Irving. But wait! This…
It’s not as if aspiring photographers unwrap gallery shows and feature spreads for their 18th birthdays. It usually takes years of cultivating talent, creating a series and generally busting ass in the art world to even get noticed. Prix de 1814 MAGAZINE — 2013, a photography contest, could change that…
Whoever said variety is the spice of life had definitely seen a good burlesque show. Because you know, a burlesque revue is essentially a variety show filled with jokes out-to-there, dance numbers down-to-there, and spicy, sultry talent through the roof. So the fifth annual Dallas Burlesque Festival is pretty much…
Beer people don’t need much prodding to attend a dinner dedicated to extolling the virtues of beer. It’s sort of a non-challenge. In the case of the Libertine Bar Saint Arnold Beer Dinner, we really just have to mention the name of the event and brewsters will be warming up…
Now that the season of incredibly emotional charity commercials has closed, we’re feeling pretty good about the opportunity to give locally with a smile, swollen heart and, most important, an empty stomach. Café Momentum helps the at-risk youth of our city by providing culinary training, a real-world skill set and…
It’s time for some holiday fun pro tips, people: Six Flags Over Texas is badass in the winter (note: the term “winter” is used very loosely). Why? We’ll give a few reasons, actually. Because yes, both classic, underrated, creepily be-mannequined mine-train rides (Mini and Runaway) are open, as well as…
Warning! This item contains “life spoilers” and is intended for readers ages 8 and older. Proceed with caution. Here’s the thing about Christmas: It involves so many stories of things that just don’t happen in real life. Sugar plums don’t really dance. Reindeer can’t fly. Friendly snowmen don’t have motor…
Holiday shopping is either the thing that gets you the most jazzed about the season, or the thing that sends your stress level right into Santa’s flight path. No matter which reaction you have to the ubiquitous carols, perfectly folded displays and jam-packed mallways, shopping season is in full swing…
Being an introvert doesn’t make you unfriendly or a social Grinch. It can, in fact, be a celebrated quality. What it would definitely do, however, would make doing publicity for your new book on introversion a bit of a challenge. Take local author (and occasional Dallas Observer contributor) Sophia Dembling…
