The sound of pounding mallets pour out of Felipe Ramirez Jr.’s small red-brick house in North Oak Cliff. He’s hammering a new heel onto a pair of boots, just how his father showed him. “There are people [in DFW] who do belts and wallets and seats, which is all good,…
Put down those flowers and drop the chocolates! I know it’s Valentine’s Day and all, but I think by 2016 we can all agree, this artificial holiday is in serious need of a face lift. Don’t do what she/he/they expect, step your game up and eschew the clichés. Love is…
In the summer of 1973, Dallasites of all ages salivated at the thought of the opening of Valley View Center. In 2016, the only thing leaking at the 42-year-old mall is the roof. Soon the mall, along with everything else between Preston Road and the Galleria Dallas, will be replaced…
After months of anticipation my kid brothers’ dreams finally came true on July 17, as the three of us walked into the Embassy Suites Dallas-Frisco/Hotel for the ScrewAttack Gaming Convention. Mikhail and Luka had a pocket full of cash each for the dealer room, a 24-hour arcade with dozens of…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Fresh off the 18th year anniversary party, the guys at Crown & Harp have a lot to be thankful for, particularly our next Dallas luminary, Moody Fuqua. Since 2013, Fuqua’s been doing everything there, from…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. One of the most exciting additions to hit Oak Cliff in 2014 was definitely The Wild Detectives. From the outside the place looks like any other house down 8th Street, but inside you’ll find three…
Jeffrey Liles’ life story reads like a wide-eyed, music-loving teenager’s wet dream. Over the course of his extensive career he has done everything from manage The Roxy Theatre in L.A., to prevent a riot at Trees by pulling Kurt Cobain out of a closet. A North Dallas native, Liles was…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Carolyn Sortor has been called “the hardest working woman in the Dallas art scene,” and it’s hard to argue after glancing at her résumé. Between curating art shows all over Dallas, displays of video art…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Oak Cliff native Stefan González has been honing his craft since grade school. The now 29-year-old auditory adept has pushed his skills, into a Bermuda Triangle of emotional experimentation. While most commonly associated as one-third…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Chad Houser loves his job. The former co-chef-owner at Parigi in Oak Lawn is living his dream, and giving the same opportunity to disadvantaged youths everyday, as Executive Director and Head Chef of Café Momentum…
Things were simpler when we were kids. Responsibilities consisted mainly of remembering to feed the dog, not touching the rat poison under the sink, and leaving dad alone when he’s drinking his “grown-up” apple juice in the front yard. But the absolute best part about being a kid no competition…
Halloween is about more than trick-or-treaters and revealing costumes. It’s the one time of year when society encourages the type of frightening behavior normally reserved for gatherings of juggalos and cough syrup connoisseurs. Nothing says Halloween quite like being accosted by strangers dressed up as killer clowns, and the Strangling…
As most Texans are well aware, our state’s image and history is rife with cultural intrigue and mystery. From the grizzled cowboy to Charles Whitman, there is no shortage of exotic motifs in the Lone Star state, and since 1996 California native Gary Sweeney has utilized our eccentric history to…
Being an artist can be a tough gig, especially if your heart is set on living indoors and enjoying the occasional meal. Naturally most artists find themselves working more than a few odd jobs to keep the lights on. So when California native Gary Sweeney was given the chance to…
In a city with as many artists as Dallas, getting your name out can be a struggle. Hell, getting your work shown can be a daunting task even for seasoned artists. Luckily for Dallas’ starving artistic masses, RAW Dallas is putting on another show, at 7 p.m. Friday at the…
Mixmaster presents “100 Creatives,” in which we feature cultural entrepreneurs of Dallas in random order. Know an artistic mind who deserves a little bit of blog love? Email lauren.smart@dallasobserver.com with the whos and whys. If you drove past The Basement Gallery during the day, you might not know it was…
Well, it’s taken 23 years, but it’s finally here guys. The musical adaptation of the 1991 flick Dogfight is heading to Dallas. Come see the 2013 Lucille Lortel Award-winning production, opening at 7:30 p.m. Monday at the Water Tower Theatre (15650 Addison Road). Newly forged Marine, Eddie Birdlace (Zak Reynolds)…
In front of a weathered old Singer sewing machine, in the middle of one of the oldest costumes shops in the South, 83-year-old Fortunato Mata sits surrounded by costumes from nearly every period and place in time. The Dallas Costume Shoppe has been outfitting big time Broadway bombshells in decadent…
Are you looking for some comfort? Well, end your woes like the evening sun and take in a show at Samuell Grand Amphitheatre (1301 Tenison Parkway). The opening night of the latest Junior Players summer production starts 8:15 p.m. Tuesday. The kids will be strutting the boards in a production…
Expanding your horizons is a pretty popular pastime nowadays, and plenty of folks decided to spend this past Sunday, blazing cultural trails at the Angelika Dallas, for the centerpiece showcase of the 13th annual Asian Film Festival of Dallas. The theater began to fill as showtime neared. Some moviegoers were…
The term “outsider artist,” comes with some interesting connotations. Refer to yourself as an outsider in the wrong context and you’ll be sure to hear the sound of monocles shattering and frightful gasps. Luckily, most outsider artists are too busy looking for cans to care. But in Dylan Hunt’s case,…
Do you enjoy stand-up comedy? Do you like bar hopping? Do you think getting trashed on Friday is so passe? Well then it’s time to count your lucky stars, mark your calendars and keep your bail money in hand, because we’re doing all three. The second annual Dallas Observer Comedy…
