Arts & Entertainment

A good actor doesn’t just act when he or she is speaking. Acting is reacting, and Stormi Demerson, a veteran of DFW theaters and star of recent productions at Amphibian Stage and Theatre Three, is expert at listening and reacting to the actors around her. Always enhancing the roles she plays with just the right touches of humor and vulnerability, Demerson is a strong, sure presence in any show. In Death Tax at Amphibian, she was a nurse crushed by the pressure of a Faustian bargain with a dying patient. In T3’s By the Way, Meet Vera Stark, she played an aspiring actor in 1930s Hollywood, tired of being cast as mammies and maids, commanding the scene where her character railed against the racism of showbiz. Good acting, says Demerson, is good storytelling that goes beyond the relationship between the viewer and the viewed. “Our energies are dependent on one another,” she says. “But I have a responsibility to help tell a story that will make the audience feel something when they leave.”

The zine is a tricky art form, but if anyone in Dallas has mastered it, it’s the team at THRWD magazine. This avant-garde publication continues to exist as a result of spunk and determination, delivering the work of the underground art scene issue after issue. It’s a labor of love and a much-needed publishing company, shedding light on the artists who are just inches away from the spotlight. They feed stories directly into the machine and they do it with a perspective of which the new journalists of the 1970s would be proud. THRWD is decidedly part of the scene, with the writers both participating and critiquing young, outsider artists. Curious what you’re missing? Visit thrwd.com to learn when you’ll be able to grab the next issue.

For too long, the Margo Jones Theatre in the middle of Fair Park went unused by theater artists. As the Magnolia Lounge, it was a visitors’ center for the State Fair. But Dallas theater director Matt Tomlanovich had ideas for how to turn one of America’s landmark small theaters back into a place to see new plays. He became the Margo Jones’ re-inventor, welcoming local performing companies including Soul Rep, Audacity Productions, Nouveau 47 and others. Now, except for the fall months of the fair, the little Art Deco building buzzes with shows. This year brought in the first Dallas Solo Fest, produced by Brad McEntire, and on the 2015 calendar are premieres of new plays by Dallas actor-writers Van Quattro and Danny O’Connor. Theater pioneer Margo Jones, who started the legendary Theatre 47 in this space in 1947, believed in giving a showcase to new work outside of New York City. Her namesake playhouse is back in the business of doing just that.

Dallas Theater Center’s artistic director Kevin Moriarty loves to surprise theatergoers by shaking up expectations, especially with popular pieces like Les Miz. For this summer’s DTC production of the beloved musical, Moriarty brought in director Liesl Tommy, who’d never seen Les Miz (or so she says). She changed the show’s context, making it more Occupy Wall Street than 1800s French uprising. That meant modern costumes, anti-corporation slogans on protest signs held by the “peasants” and dreadlocks on the “master of the house” (played with delicious evil by Steven Walters) as he picked the pockets of the wealthy. Bold and inventive, full of big performances and bare emotions, this production framed the Victor Hugo story as a contemporary battle between haves and have-nots. And the cast, led by Nehal Joshi as Valjean and Edward Watts as Javert, sang their hearts out.

The tiny Ochre House theater, a 40-seat storefront space near Fair Park, is founder Matthew Posey’s artistic playground and his home (he lives in the back). With no formal season and no subscriptions, this company works on a schedule set only by Posey’s prodigious output as playwright, director and star of his own work. Over the past year he’s presented a string of provocative shows, including the new musical Christhelmet, set in a murky L.A. bar full of characters Elmore Leonard would love. Posey also dreamed up El Conde Dracula, a sexy vampire tale starring Dallas flamenco dancers Delilah Buitrón and Antonio Arrebola. These two also star in Perro y Sangre, Posey’s imagined tale of Ernest Hemingway’s trip to a haunted Spanish village. That one’s going to New York this fall. As always at Ochre House, Posey’s ideas are in step with audiences looking for something fresh and offbeat.

If playwright Matt Lyle hadn’t already decided to return to Dallas from Chicago (where he did some time at Second City), we’d have sent out a posse to get him back here. With Barbecue Apocalypse, given its world premiere this summer directed by Lee Trull as the centerpiece of Kitchen Dog’s New Works Fest, Lyle established himself as an explosively good writer for the stage. Set in bland suburbia, the two-act comedy of modern manners shredded keeping-up-with-the-Joneses, selfie-obsessed culture by dropping a bomb on three couples and seeing which one learned to adapt and survive post-Armageddon. Guess what? It was not the pair of Tweeting experts.

A solid season of comedies, dramas and musicals has boosted Uptown Players, the gay-centric company that gets bigger and better by the year. Its regional premiere of Christopher Durang’s Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, a send-up of Chekhovian themes, featured a tight, comically fine-tuned ensemble (Bob Hess, Wendy Welch, Diana Sheehan, Nadine Marissa, Evan Fentriss, Julia Golder) and astute direction by B.J. Cleveland. Then came another dark comedy, The Lyons, starring roaringly funny Terry Vandivort. The boffo season-ender was The Boy from Oz, a glitzy musical bio of gay Aussie composer-singer Peter Allen that no theater anywhere had staged since it closed on Broadway 10 years ago. Director Cheryl Denson gave Dallas’ own Alex Ross the starring role — he was spectacular — proving that there’s no place like home for talent at Uptown Players. This season brings Uptown favorite Cleveland back to star in The Nance, followed by musicals Catch Me if You Can and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. Uptown just keeps upping their ante.

Many theater directors have wrestled with the most difficult works of Shakespeare, Albee and Stoppard. Only one we know of has done them to critical acclaim with actors under the age of 16. Jeff Swearingen is director and resident playwright at Fun House Theatre and Film, the all-youth company he founded three years ago with partner Bren Rapp. He takes the craft and art of acting seriously and is passing along all he knows to budding actors, some as young as 6, who clamor to be in his Fun House shows. This summer he wrote and directed two new comedies, Game of Thrones Jr. and Stiff, which both sold out their two-week runs. Strict about behavior when he’s working, Swearingen allows no flip-flops, food or texting at rehearsals. Now if only he could direct the audiences.

Over the past decade on Dallas stages including Undermain, Kitchen Dog, Shakespeare Dallas and Second Thought Theatre, Drew Wall has matured past roles as the goofy kid and silly sidekick. Now in his early 30s, the Baylor drama grad, part of Second Thought’s regular acting company, is a confident, handsome leading man. This season he gave his best performances yet. In Second Thought’s Nocturne, a one-man show by Adam Rapp, Wall delivered a wrenching 90-minute monologue about the lasting effects of childhood traumas — a stunning tour de force that left audiences weeping. In the debut of Steven Walters’ Booth, Wall was comic relief as part of John Wilkes Booth’s band of conspirators. Wall’s acting résumé lists his extra skills: ice skating, juggling and welding. We’d happily watch him do any of those.

He’s the nicest man you’re likely to meet at the theater. And if you go to the theater, you’re likely to meet him. James Stroman volunteers at almost every theater in town like it’s his full-time job. He helps build sets, assists with opening night parties, ushers and then at the end of the run he helps tear the sets down. You’ll see him at Shakespeare in the Park, Kitchen Dog Theater, Upstart Productions, Margo Jones Theatre and anywhere else where there’s a tool belt for him to wear. He’s truly the best man to have behind the scenes or sitting down the aisle.

It may not technically be in Dallas, although a new location is expected to open in The Cedars sometime in 2015, but this Austin transplant stands out for what it has, and what it doesn’t. For a movie theater, the food and beer selections are fantastic, as is the chain’s special programming, like sing- and quote-alongs and screenings you can’t catch anywhere else. What you won’t see is anyone texting or peeking at Twitter after a movie has started — that merits an ejection from the theater after one warning, seriously — or any unaccompanied kids, as every person at every showing must be accompanied by someone 18-plus.

OK, so Mark Lamster wins this by default since he’s the only professional architecture critic in Dallas, but don’t let that take away from his importance. Imported from New York City through a partnership between the University of Texas at Arlington and The Dallas Morning News, he is a public intellectual, which is rare around these parts. He not only critiques Dallas’ fancy new buildings — though there’s plenty of that — he casts a critical eye on how the city is built. He’s not the only one doing this, but he’s the most visible, and he’s too intelligent and too good a writer to be ignored.

On the air since 1983, Lambda Weekly claims to be the longest-running gay and lesbian radio show on the air anywhere on Earth. We were unwilling to do the work required to substantiate that claim but considered it irrelevant anyway: Lambda Weekly is just such a great show, gay or lesbian or longest-running or not. Captained by the genial and always well-informed David Taffet, the show is an informative and thoughtful window on local and national issues. With his very smart and loyal lieutenants, Lerone Landis and Patti Fink, at his side, Taffet has interviewed Charo, Lisa Loeb, Jagger, The Dixie Chicks, SONiA, Jaston Williams and Joe Sears (), Alan Sues (Laugh In), Dan Butler (Frazier) — a bunch of celebrities and many important national political figures. It’s never a mistake to catch Lambda Weekly on Sunday.

On Sunday nights when long-time local radio host and musician Paul Slavens takes over KXT’s signal for a few hours, the otherwise dull, listener-supported station comes to life. You can hear literally anything from Slavens’ show: experimental music from locals, French standards, Italian horror soundtracks, an actual person of color, even. That’s because Slavens has built a reputation on great taste and actually listens to what his listeners suggest he plays. Think of it as supported-listeners radio.

David Finfrock is an institution in this town. Every kid growing up in Dallas was glued to the Finfrock’s coverage when there was even a hint of a tornado or flood or other sign of impending Armageddon. He’s been with NBC forever (or since 1975), and is always incredibly soft-spoken and calm in the face of natural disaster. But more than someone who seems very nice on TV, he’s someone you’d want to be your grandfather. He likes gardening and maps (he’s the editor of the Texas Map Society newsletter, which is as awesome as it sounds) and nature hikes. He would probably bake you chocolate chip cookies for no reason. Also you could write sonnets about that mustache, and many people probably have.

“KRLD’s traffic and weather on the 8s” is the go-to program for Dallasites banging their heads on their steering wheels during rush hour or stuck in a torrential downpour. Which is to say, everyone. When the typical waves of massive storms and a few tornados roll through North Texas in the spring, KRLD’s coverage is one of the most exciting things to happen on local news radio. The station goes all out: Angry siren noises, panicking announcers, the works. “Get in a shelter NOW,” announcers tell listeners repeatedly, creating chicken-with-its-head-cut-off drivers all over the area. Weather excitement aside, KRLD is a staple to Dallas radio with its reliable and thorough coverage.

Perhaps the most jarring segue in Dallas radio is at 4 a.m. on Sundays, when extreme metal gives way to gospel music. What makes KNON work so well is that it has no use for mainstream or pop music, even if some of the artists that various shows play are household names. Each show has a particular focus, whether it’s zydeco, Jewish music, ’60s psychedelia, hard country, rockabilly or blues. What that results in is volunteer DJs who are extraordinarily passionate and knowledgeable about their respective genres — the narrower the niche, the better. And then, counter to this notion but equally enjoyable are the station’s new weekday Morning Blend shows from 7 to 9. Each day, it’s like a different host puts KNON’s weekly programming on shuffle. You’ll hear folk, blues, country, rock, reggae, metal, cumbia and more, all in the span of a couple hours, like a JACK-FM with better taste.

Any show anchored by John McCaa has an almost insurmountable advantage over its competitors. Throw in the two best cop reporters in the city, Tanya Eiserer and Rebecca Lopez, a theatrically hyperventilating weatherman/demigod Pete Delkus, the unexpectedly progressive social commentary of Dale Hansen and big-game hunters Brett Shipp and David Schechter, and it’s not even a competition.

You take them in your car; in your place of business; in your bathroom (gross!). We’re getting really tired of your lack of creativity. If you insist on showing us how green your eyes turn in the sunlight (#chameleon) or want our opinions on your new haircut (#unsure), could you please find somewhere more exciting to do your social navel-gazing? May we suggest downtown Dallas’ Eyeball sculpture. The unwavering stare of artist Tony Tasset’s larger-than-life eye is the perfect background for your #SelfieSunday. Oh, and you looked better without bangs #truthhurts.

Clay Jenkins has had what some might call a banner year. In his quest for equality, the judge spearheaded the effort to give private employees who contract with the county a better quality of life by raising their hourly wages to that of full-time county employees. He applauded Parkland Hospital when it announced its minimum-wage increase, and he hopes to create a critical mass so every worker in the county makes a living wage. So, he fights for the poor, but he also fights for the children. He announced, to much national fanfare and local controversy, that children who crossed the border would find shelter at three Dallas schools. This even sparked a protest at his Highland Park home, but Jenkins won’t be deterred from doing what he thinks is right.

Kevyn “Konfident” McCallister creates some of the most interesting body art in the nation, a statement that’s easily backed up by a perusing of his personal website and Instagram feed, where McCallister posts snapshots of his work. McCallister specializes in portrait work, frequently inking some of the most realistic-looking portraits you can find, but lately has been experimenting with a number of colors, which has led to some stunning pieces that almost put watercolor expert Sasha Unisex to shame. Expect to see more advances in McCallister’s work as he transitions from the Addison-based Cat Tattoo to the new Zack Singer-owned Perception Fine Body Art. After all, he is the same guy who created the image of MTV’s Daria as Lil Kim. That type of mind never rests.

The GeoDeck is the recently reopened observation deck on Reunion Tower. Dude Perfect is a mildly obnoxious group of frat-guy types who have achieved Internet fame filming themselves making improbable basketball shots. How it took until 2014 for the two to come together is a mystery, but it finally happened back in January when a basketball was hurled from Dallas’ most ’80s landmark into a hoop in the parking lot below. After all, the land around Reunion Tower isn’t being used for anything else.

When the folks behind Dallas Comic Con announced they were finally bringing it to Dallas proper, con attendees shrugged their shoulders. When it comes to conventions like this, location of the building doesn’t matter because inside it’s an entirely different universe. But accompanying the setting change was the announcement of all-star guests Stan Lee and William Shatner. That’s right, earlier this year while you were busy binge watching some crappy Netflix drama, the creator of Spiderman was hanging out with Captain Kirk and thousands of nerds in downtown Dallas. The con was bigger than ever and its new home at the convention center handled the overwhelming crowds well. It’s grown exponentially in just over a decade’s existence and from the looks of it has the potential to become one of the biggest comic cons in the country.

For years, the southernmost strip of Greenville Avenue had a reputation for underage drinking and drunken disagreements. Now it has a reputation for frozen pops and poutine. In just a short time, these few blocks have become desirable real estate, welcoming in new tenants like Trader Joe’s and the ever-popular Truck Yard. It’s got everything you could want, from the early morning brews at Mudsmith to the late-night beverages on the rooftop of HG Sply Co. Plus, you can fix your flats at Transit Bikes Co. or see a show at Contemporary Theatre of Dallas. We’re one step closer to a walkable neighborhood, Dallas.

It’s a simple image: Two grackles painted in shades of azure and watermelon pink. But in context of Trinity Groves, these derisible birds in the mural by Michael Sieben carry a narrative of beautification and restoration. One of several collaborations between the Dallas Contemporary and this West Dallas culinary epicenter, the mural taps into the zeitgeist of vivifying a previously deserted area of the city. It’s a thoughtful execution of public art, and it’s really damn pretty. Plus, it joins the ranks of the area’s Shepard Fairey and FAILE murals, making Trinity Groves a mural destination.

If you must live outside of Dallas — maybe it’s the fear of Dallas ISD, maybe the reality of being priced out of booming neighborhoods — live in Richardson. It has good schools, affordable homes, and, as part of Dallas’ older, inner ring of suburbs, lacks the nouveau riche tackiness of a Frisco or Southlake. Dallas expats will be amazed by the functional library, public pools and recreation centers. And the city’s diversity is a boon to anyone who enjoys the cosmopolitan feeling of sitting in Starbucks and hearing a half dozen languages being spoken around you, or cheap ethnic food.

Exposition Avenue is a strange little street filled with diversion and magic. No, really, magic. You’ll know Confetti Eddie’s magic parlor by the smaller-than-life dinosaur out front — an artifact of his own creation. Inside, you’ll be welcomed into a show that is equal parts art and magic. He performs tricks with cinematic perfection, shrinking the unshrinkable and making permanent things disappear — like heads, for one. Working with his lovely assistant Karleena, he fills his magic show with marvels that will make your jaw drop. The next time you see one of his shows on the calendar, don’t hesitate, grab those tickets. They disappear faster than Karleena’s clothes, and you don’t want to miss that trick.

Maybe you’ve heard of the Goss-Michael Foundation because one of its founders was pop singer George Michael. Or perhaps you know this West Dallas nonprofit for its programs featuring British art. But it’s more than all that — it’s also a foundation dedicated to achieving some good. Under the watchful eye of Kenny Goss (Michael has mostly moved on at this point), the space hosts year-round educational initiatives and fundraisers, like the annual MTV:Redefine, a high-profile contemporary art and music showcase that primarily benefits the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, an HIV prevention program. And this year, GMF stepped up its game with the (FEATURE) program, which presents the work of a hand-selected local artist to exhibit alongside mid-career and emerging artists from across the pond.

In June, Dallas Police Department spokesman Major Max Geron messed up. He tweeted that Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib was charged with public intoxication. NBC soon realized the name was wrong and corrected him; it was actually Yaqub Talib, Aqib’s brother. Geron took to Twitter to say sorry. Not that the DPD should be giving out bad information, but the occasional wrong name is a minor price to pay for a DPD spokesman with a Twitter account that is entertaining and strangely human. “Where should you definitely not speed or commit any other traffic violation? (Besides everywhere you drive today),” he posted recently, linking to a DPD list of traffic enforcement locations. He posts a mix of standard crime news mixed with jokes aimed at his coworkers. But the account is most interesting for the news articles and posts he publishes that are critical of law enforcement. Recent stories he tweeted include a report about Texas officers getting in trouble for hazing and a Morning News editorial calling for police departments to develop less lethal measures on mental health calls. He added a commentary for the latter story: “It’s unconscionable — mental health system is so bare bones that police officers are frontline mental health workers.” Not exactly whistle-blowing or anywhere close, but he’s at least willing to offer some commentary on working in law enforcement that’s far more interesting than the usual “police good.”

The Continental Avenue Bridge spanning the Trinity River west of downtown reopened in June as a multi-million-dollar renovated park. It now offers playground equipment, a bocce court, spray fountains, incredible views of downtown and, most important, a walking path. While this may not have the pizazz or glamour of the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge, walking on Continental at least gives one a nice view of the former, and unlike Margaret, Continental is actually built for pedestrians. No cars are allowed.

We know people who look down on big traveling art exhibitions, those money-makers larded with masterpieces that draw masses who line up to rent headsets for the audio tour. Well, screw those canape-nibbling hater snobs. We like the big shows. Take, for example the Kimbell’s exhibition from earlier this year, The Age of Picasso and Matisse: Modern Masters from The Art Institute of Chicago. Now, the Art Institute is one of our favorite places on earth, but it’s a long haul to Chicago, so the chance to drive to Fort Worth to see an expansive, sharply curated survey of Modern masterworks, plus get an informative lecture on the links between the artists and the development of styles, made for a wondrous day. The Kimbell, wide open, glowing with light, is the perfect place to take in a show like Modern Masters, which is why we’re looking forward to Faces of Impressionism: Portraits from the Musée d’Orsay this October. Thanks, Kimbell, for delivering beautiful art on our doorstep and giving us such a magical space, especially the new Renzo Piano Pavilion. Walking through its mix of gentle curves, blond wood and translucent glass make you feel like you’re aboard a sailing ship that floats on air and light.

Dallas is so overrun with festivals that it can be a little overwhelming. Picking and choosing is a necessity lest one suffer from a bout of festival fatigue. No matter how selective your list of must-attends is, though, Index Festival should be on it. The festival, which takes over Deep Ellum for the third consecutive fall this year, has grown to a three-day, 90-plus-band extravaganza that highlights the best of Dallas’ best music neighborhood. Catch the big-name acts on the outdoor stages early, then stick around for the venue-hopping late-night fun that comes after. You never know what you’ll find, but it won’t be disappointing.

Does anyone else remember lock-ins? Those all-night gatherings that locked a bunch of elementary or middle school kids into a gymnasium or some other school-condoned space where kids would eat candy, play games and wreak havoc until their parents came to pick them up? This year for its 35th birthday, the Dallas Contemporary hosted an art lock-in, only this time you could come and go as you pleased. Oh, and there was booze. For 35 hours straight, the ultra-hip West Dallas art space hosted bands, comedy shows, temporary art pieces, performance art, early morning yoga and anything else they could dream up to keep a bunch of drunk arty adults occupied. The crowd ebbed and flowed, peaking around 11 p.m. and tapering off around 3 a.m. only to pick back up as the midday sunshine arrived Saturday. And no matter which hour you stuck around till, it was much cooler than the lock-ins of yesteryear.

A good retrospective walks you through the stages and phases of an artist’s career, like a road map for a career’s journey. A great retrospective takes you on the trip. The joint exhibition between the Nasher Sculpture Center and the The Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth succinctly walked visitors through the career of David Bates, pairing early works with later iterations and telling a narrative of the artist’s preoccupations with the Gulf Coast. His early work seemed almost prophetic when placed next to his series of paintings about Katrina that filled several rooms in the Modern. Then, a trip to the Nasher saw a man interested in rendering a canvas into something three-dimensional. His sculptures were a new story of a painter reinventing himself late in life to deal with something more corporeal. This collaboration didn’t just shine a light on a Dallas-based artist’s four decades of work, it also told an interesting story about one man’s lifelong journey with artistry.

When it comes to commercial galleries in Dallas, the Design District is the hotbed of the Dallas arts market and Dragon Street is the epicenter. But for the most part, the area presents fairly standard fare. Few galleries break the predictable mold while still retaining a reputation as a go-to gallery quite like Circuit 12 Contemporary. In this last year, they’ve added fashion programming to the docket and rearranged their space to redefine what the gallery can do. Muralists demonstrate the scope of their work on the white walls; conceptual artists disguise the gallery as a spaceship. And still the art you’ll find in the gallery retains its bold, contemporary aesthetic.

If someone pitched you the idea for a bookstore, wine bar and coffee shop, would you buy in? What if it was the first to the neighborhood? Better yet, to the city? We could assign The Wild Detectives countless awards this year, but instead we’re just going to give this thriving Oak Cliff business the expansive superlative: Best New Thing in Town. Because, if we’re being honest, there’s nothing greater that’s opened in the past 12 months, if not long before that as well. It satisfies both our gastronomy and literary cravings, which is saying quite a lot. Thus far, there have been book readings inside, concerts outside and a great deal of wine and local beer split between the two.

Anyone with their finger on the pulse of North Texas hip-hop had been waiting for this one for a while. Brandon Blue, the beat-making mastermind behind local rap troupe the Brain Gang, had been carving out a fresh niche as a solo MC under the guise of Blue, the Misfit. Early in 2014, he dropped “Drugs on the Schoolyard,” a murky mindfuck of a track that featured none other than Kendrick Lamar on the guest spot. But with Child in the Wild, Blue didn’t need a blue-chip cameo to make a top-notch statement. These 15 tracks showcase the Misfit in all his weirdness and vivid imagination, with stuttering, restless beats that undercut the most outrageous flights of fancy and headstrong braggadocio. Blue, a natural introvert with a keen eye for storytelling, outwardly revels in the excesses of an all-night party while implicitly rejecting its cheap, hollow thrills. Blue’s talents are too great to be wasted on merely being the life of the party, and Child in the Wild is proof.

While North Texas has a more than an adequate array of outdoor venues and patio stages, and although the climate may be unbearable at times, there are still a few outdoor settings that cater well to the music lovers of the outdoorsy type. Among them, Klyde Warren Park easily sets the standard. With the city’s skyline serving as the backdrop, the concerts range anywhere from large-scale shows by notable artists to intimate singer-songwriter performances. This architecturally attractive setting, now approaching its two-year anniversary, isn’t necessarily a traditional venue, nor a staple entity among Dallas’ list of stages in the open air; they don’t even charge admission. Touring artists don’t typically book shows here, and while that is best left to grandiose outdoor auditoriums saturated with corporate sponsorships and overpriced beer, what is gained from a concert at Klyde Warren Park is the quintessential outdoor experience at the heart of downtown coupled with a humble appreciation for local musicians of all varieties.

A triple Best of Dallas winner this year, Dada is a welcoming place not only for all ages, but for those with all kinds of musical tastes. In an average week at Dada you can see indie, rock, rap, metal, country, folk and probably country-metal, if you look hard enough. Dada’s not fussy about genres. Many venues around Dallas have a set place, and that’s good too — you know where you can go to see a particular genre you enjoy. At Dada, though, every single kind of music will come through that divine patio and into a room with a weird-angled stage and cheap booze (sorry, kids), and that kind of eclecticism is good for Dallas.

Far removed from the usual bar and club spots in Dallas, It’ll Do has carved out a little oasis off Columbia Avenue in Old East Dallas. A big dance floor, no VIP, no bottle service and one of the best club sound systems in town make for a true-to-roots dance club experience that at times feels just like an old warehouse party. The booking is top-notch, featuring some of the best talent in underground dance music. Simian Mobile Disco, Roy Davis Jr., Doc Scott, Kevin Saunderson, Maceo Plex, MK, Mark Farina, Disclosure, Juan Atkins and James Murphy are among the international club heavyweights who have brought heat to It’ll Do. To see most of these DJs you have to travel halfway across the country and still probably have to see them at a festival. Supported by the always dependable resident DJ Red Eye and every now and then some of the city’s finest house DJs, It’ll Do has filled a void in Dallas’ long legacy of house music that had been needing a proper home for many years.

Night in and night out, you can make the trip up to Denton to catch an up-and-coming punk band from literally anywhere trying to make it work in the same grim room so many of their forebears played in. Josh Baish and his crew of merry men and women have been going strong since 1997 and don’t seem to be showing any sign of slowing down despite new venues to compete with opening every year. Plus, they get bonus points for going smoke-free, so you can get hot, sweaty and beer-soaked, but your lungs will be safe.

Vinyl records sales have been on the steady increase over the past decade and locally that has been most visible at Good Records, where the vinyl racks moved from their upstairs to the main floor display a few years ago. Every year Good leads the charge with an all-day lineup of DJs and bands playing in celebration of Record Store Day. The line up is always a good thermometer of what’s coming up or buzzing in Dallas’ backyard. This year was no exception with sets from synth prog punks Nervous Curtains and Pinkish Black, dubbed-out deepness from Wire Nest, Son of Stan, Ice Eater and an acoustic set from the slightly more notable Midlake. The standout out-of-town act came in the form of Oklahoma’s Stardeath and the White Dwarf with Tyson Meade of the infamous Chainsaw Kittens. Throw in some kegs, a few food trucks and a busy parking lot from 8 a.m. till late into the evening and Good Records embodies the spirit of Record Store Day as a bona fide national holiday.

Dallas has a surprisingly wide variety of open mic nights, from classical music to country, blues to hip-hop. The Prophet Bar in Deep Ellum offers the greatest in the latter end of the spectrum, and for the audience, few open mics are quite as entertaining. RC Williams, an Erykah Badu producer and band member, plays with The Gritz every Wednesday. After, he leads the open mic, accompanying aspiring musicians seamlessly onstage with his band. Although some of the strongest rock and R&B musicians in Dallas — including Badu — grace the stage at turns, the prevailing atmosphere is that of an unshakable hip-hop culture. With the allied community making up the liveliest crowd and its smooth production, the Prophet Bar’s is the open mic night that most resembles an actual concert.

Who says strip clubs are just for bachelor parties and tits? All night, every night, Dallas hunks are tearing off their trousers and shaking what their daddies gave them at one of the few all-male strip clubs dedicated to female clientele — men must be accompanied by a woman to enter. Slip through the black curtain and enter a masculine world of fire-breathing, strip-teasing hunks who smile and flirt as you and your girlfriends hoot and holler. It’s like real-life Magic Mike, which may be why it inspired a former stripper to make a documentary about it earlier this year. But unlike watching the movie, you’ll want to have dollar bills in hand.

Saying farewell to George Strait is bittersweet for any country music fan, but there could have been no more fitting end than the final performance of his The Cowboy Rides Away tour at AT&T Stadium. After a 30-year career and more success than almost any other artist in the genre, Strait said goodbye to life on the road in what will likely go down as one of the best country concerts of all time. In fact, he set a world record for the largest indoor concert and performed to more than 100,000 screaming fans. Joined by country legends such as Alan Jackson, Martina McBride, Faith Hill, Vince Gill and newcomers Jason Aldean and Miranda Lambert, Strait marathoned a great deal of his discography in the three-hour show before riding off into the sunset. If you weren’t there, you’re probably going to regret that decision.

JR’s has been pouring drinks on the Cedar Springs strip since 1980. The lively bar is split into two different sections; the downstairs is adorned in dark wood and has the feel of a charming, old-school pub, while the upper level feels more like a Miami nightclub decked out in stark white walls, crystal chandeliers and LED lights. There’s a different drink special at JR’s every night of the week (yes, even on the weekends), making it the perfect spot to grab a draft beer, or even a fancy Irish coffee with whipped cream and a cherry on top.

By their very nature, do-it-yourself venues tend to come and go quickly. Whether it’s a house in East Dallas, a warehouse in Oak Cliff or some rotating combination of the two, staying off the radar is often integral to their survival — both from a standpoint of overexposure and trouble with the authorities. Yet these grassroots ventures are also aimed at cultivating a sense of community. These days, no one does that better in Dallas than Two Bronze Doors, which has been hosting poetry readings and living-room concerts since last April. Led by Natalie Jean Vaughn and her fiance, Jonathan Foisset, Two Bronze Doors was reportedly once the home of a psychic who did business out of the living room. Nowadays that living room is host to art exhibitions and, at quieter moments, the household dog. Located just a few hundred feet from the hustle and bustle of Lower Greenville, Two Bronze Doors aims to put down roots in the name of a thoughtful, expressive and locally driven way of life. Let’s hope those roots are permanent ones.

If you interpret “best live music venue” as “best place to listen to live music,” then the only winner in town has to be the Kessler Theater. Above all else it is a listening room: The acoustics and quality of the sound system are far beyond what anywhere else in Dallas has to offer. You’ll be able to hear the smallest sound, the kind that gets lost in the mix in other places. That’s not to say that other places don’t know how to mix. They do. They’re just not working on the same level as the Kessler, which is as good a place to listen as we’ve heard anywhere.

The relentless and tireless Preston Jones of DFW.com is literally everywhere. There must be about six of him. If you tried to keep up with him at SXSW, you’d have needed a teleporter. We have no idea how he gets into all the shows he does, but we’re more than a little bit jealous. We can’t even get up in the mornings, let alone take in that many musical events in one day. We’d be stuck in a line somewhere, check our phones, and Preston’s hanging out with Kanye and Jay-Z. How do you do it, Preston? Are you magic?

You’ve only been here a minute — barely enough time to fork over your $3 daylight cover, pull out a Dos Equis from the arctic beer bin at the entrance and pull up at the bar. And yet, she’s already pulling up next to you, Zora from Portugal, curvy and sweet. Annoying? Maybe, if you come to strip clubs to gawk from a safe distance. But you’re at Baby Dolls, tucked off Northwest Highway in Dallas’ industrial/boob district, for what makes strip clubs interesting — playful conversation heightened by the safest kind of sex: the not-sex kind. Zora does it right, just lingering, chatting, no mention of the lap dance(s) she needs to give to make rent. You don’t mention it either, keeping the inevitable conversation at bay while you and Zora debate the merits of the bartender’s newly purple hair, and you steal peeks at one of the 7,000 TVs, all locked to ESPN, all portending fantasy-football doom. Soon Zora will have to take the stage; you’ll be right here when she gets done, right? Yes! Maybe. Maybe.

It isn’t often that “best” and “free” coincide, but in the case of Adair’s, that’s the winning combination that has turned this place into a Dallas institution. On any given night of the week, you’ll hear up-and-coming or established artists from Texas and beyond who are trying to keep country music alive. It may not have thousands of square feet for two-stepping or a fancy reputation, but there’s no disputing the place in history that Adair’s holds for Texas country musicians. On the walls, you’ll find photos of performers who have gone on to immense success, like the Dixie Chicks and up-and-comer William Clark Green. The staff is down-home friendly and the food is perfectly good for this kind of dive bar. Most important, there are plenty of cheap drinks that are perfect for both putting a tear in your beer and hanging out with all your rowdy friends.

While it might not be a new bar, Twilite Lounge is the best up-and-coming new host of music in Deep Ellum. Stepping it up from hosting live music maybe once every week or so, now it’s packed Wednesday through Sunday with DJs, live blues, jazz, folk, the best karaoke in town … it’s amazing what they can fit into such a small space, and the booking is impeccable. Also, it’s always free to get in. Since it’s started hosting so many concerts, Twilite Lounge has made everyone else around them up their game too.

OK, we know we also named Three Links best metal bar, but what the hell. They’re not all-metal all-the-time, and no one out there can compete with the consistent quality of rock shows hosted by Three Links these days — and that’s no slight to other venues in North Texas. Helmed by the booking duo of Scott Beggs and Kris Youmans, who between them have logged more years in the music biz than they probably care to count, plus business partner Oliver Peck, Three Links rose from the ashes of La Grange less than 18 months ago, but all of that experience shows in the bands they land. Just in the past six months, they’ve brought in rowdy yung’uns like Diarrhea Planet, got a little weird with Bob Log, courted controversy with Perfect Pussy and snagged an almost-impossible-to-get name like British punk vets Sham 69. They also have the ska scene on lock-down. So step back, pretenders. Three Links is here to show us how rock music is done.

Nobody is putting on the caliber of up-and-coming or underground metal and punk that Three Links is. Since opening last year, it’s found a groove that Dallas didn’t even know it was missing, one that contains all the most interesting shows toward the louder end of the scale. While Trees down the street puts on the more predictable metal, Three Links isn’t afraid to take a risk on booking acts that are great but may not necessarily sell out the relatively small venue. It’s the most valuable addition to Deep Ellum in a while.

Often at concerts and local shows, the lull between bands means that you’ll see a bunch of faces lit by the glow of their smartphones as they peck out texts, hunt for Tinder matches or read their Twitter feeds. But at the Granada, sometimes they’re all lit by … well, a Twitter feed. At least it’s a somewhat more communal feed, as a big screen displays the sometimes funny, sometimes ridiculous and sometimes offensive tweets from patrons to the venue’s account. (Though one doesn’t have to be present to get a tweet up there, references to the show make it clear that generally participants are indeed in the building.) Sometimes it’s the most entertaining part of the show: People at indie-rock shows are as good at issuing snarky one-liners as the bands are at staring at their feet.

For this and every other year, R.L.’s should win best blues bar, and here is why. It is an experience like no other, a one-off in Dallas where some of the most talented blues, soul, old-school R&B and funk musicians get together every weekend to play one set that’s many, many hours long while the entire bar shakes their thing. It’s BYOB. It’s unbelievably welcoming. It’s one of the best, most memorable experiences you can have in all of Dallas.

One Observer staffer loves to tell the story of when he realized that BTW is the exception to the rule for DISD schools. Early in his daughter’s freshman year, she saw a crowd of kids rush over to surround some commotion in the courtyard. She assumed what any other kid fresh from a DISD middle school would and asked an onlooker, “Ooh, who’s fighting?” but got a quizzical look in response. The girl made her way forward in the crowd and saw what was the source of the hubbub: a breakdancing competition. Those are the kind of kids who get accepted into the prestigious, national award-winning arts magnet. It’s like Glee or High School Musical come to life. Too bad the vast majority of DISD high schoolers’ experience is more like Stand and Deliver except without the savior teacher.

Whether it’s in a one-day workshop or semester-long series of classes, this Bishop Arts District shop offers something for anyone who wants to learn or improve at an art and/or craft. Past classes have included opportunities to learn the art of horror writing, creating pinhole cameras, printmaking, glass-cutting, calligraphy and much more. Of particular interest to parents of budding young artists who hope to devote their high school years to learning more is the shop’s extremely helpful course on putting a portfolio together — crucial to anyone trying to get into Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

It’s a question as old as hangovers: What exactly constitutes a dive bar? To some, true dive bars are not social places so much as dark, dank watering holes where customers can get away from the rest of the world. But to hell with that. Our checklist for dive bars includes such quaint features as wood paneling, hubcaps on the wall, curtains on the windows and, what the hell, a velvet painting or two. Most important, it’s a place to have fun and meet people. In those regards, Single Wide — the younger sibling to Kim Finch’s flagship bar, Double Wide — covers the bases. There isn’t a better bar along Lower Greenville to slam your Lone Stars and Jamesons while listening to a DJ spin post-punk or, on Sundays, some real stand-up karaoke performances. The tight quarters and smoking patio only encourage socializing.

There are always at least two doormen waiting by the entrance of the Joule hotel lobby, and they will not let anyone else touch the door. It can feel awkward. All guests who approach will immediately have the door held open for them whether they want it or not. After being ushered in with such aggressive politeness, visitors can relax with a pile of free copies of The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Financial Times or The Dallas Morning News. The restrooms are beautifully decorated, offering full-length doors in front of each stall for maximum privacy. Instead of paper towels, guests dry their hands with cloths and then throw the towels in a basket. A lobby cafe called Weekend sells excellent coffee and pastries. Surrounding the cafe is ample seating, Wi-Fi and a wide selection of arty coffee table books that people read without even buying. The best part is that no one seems to care whether visitors are actually guests at the hotel, though that may change if anybody buys too many drinks from the lobby bar and passes out on one of the comfy couches.

This authentic sit-down Mexican restaurant offers hearty staples like $1.30 tacos, free salsa and chips and a full bar. It’s open until 2 a.m. on weeknights and all night over the weekend. But this restaurant has something that other late-night establishments in Dallas don’t have: children. The kids come with their parents. They’re even there on Tuesday nights, when drag performers such as Extasis Show put on sparkly dresses for a full night of singing and jokes. The drag performance is in Spanish, but gringos can enjoy the lively scene and music while scarfing down barbacoa. There’s something particularly awesome about watching kids and parents laugh together at a confident performer who may or may not be making jokes about the size of his penis.

If you want to see a rap show, just like a metal or punk or anything show in Dallas, it would behoove you to hang around Deep Ellum. Trees is a great place to catch rising mainstream stars before they make the jump from clubs to venues with names sponsored by corporations. Thanks to The Door’s setup as a dark and dank space, it exudes the do-it-yourself culture of rap. Those places are great, but Dada, where niche acts and kings of the local scene drop by at steady and alarming pace, is the crown jewel of places to see rap in Dallas. The bills at Dada are wonderful, yes, but there’s nothing like going 0 to 100 real quick in that small and intimate space. There’s something that’s just so charming about the energy.

Finding good jazz spots in Dallas is a slippery proposition, but hardly impossible. Often, impromptu performances and roaming venues deliver the highest quality jazz to our city, but like any great one-off exhibition, these come few and far between. If what you’re after is a settled locale, the Dallas Museum of Art is the best place in town. The DMA’s weekly “Jazz in the Atrium” series is the most consistently rewarding live jazz offering in Dallas. From 6 to 8 p.m. every Thursday just outside the DMA café, the museum plays host to a different jazz group, typically local but always high-caliber. The kicker is that, aside from cocktails and food, the evening is completely free of charge, including a stroll through the museum’s exhibits if the mood should strike you.

The news anchors you grew up with are gone. The McGarrys and the Rowletts and the Camposes, they’ve been replaced by children who, while bright-eyed and eager, have smooth, unfurrowed brows incapable of properly conveying the gravity of the day’s news. John McCaa’s brow, by contrast, is perpetually furrowed, the legacy of three decades delivering news at WFAA Channel 8. No one on local TV outside of Fox 4’s Clarice Tinsley is as experienced as McCaa, and even she can’t match the avuncular, Murrow-like presence that assures viewers that, no matter how horrific that fatal car crash, everything’s going to be all right.

If you’re sick of waiting in line to sing a song you barely know to a tune you don’t recall, ditch your usual spot and head to the Windmill Lounge’s Thursday night karaoke. It might be known as one of the best cocktail bars in the city, but it’s about time the Windmill earned recognition for its karaoke. DJ Raye offers more song choices than any Thursday night crooner deserves and won’t let anyone skip the line. Whether you’re a first-time one-note or a regular, it’s heaven for Carly Simon wannabes or “All That Jazz” reproductions. Just sit back, sip your drink and attempt to hit the high notes.

You know that old trick where you clear out a bar by picking some terrible song on the jukebox and play it on repeat for as many spins as a five-spot or sawbuck will cover? It can’t be done at the Twilite Lounge. There, the jukebox’s CDs (yes, CDs, not that Internet crap where you pay double to download a song someone else hasn’t previously chosen) may not all be to your taste, but it’s clear they were carefully picked by people who know good music. Which makes sense, as the bar is owned by musicians Jess Barr and Danny Balis. There are R&B, classic country, jazz and local rock — Johnny Cash, the Beatles, Bob Marley and many more all rub shoulders in the old-school mechanical jukebox. And they all fit the vibe of the cozy, dimly chandelier-lit, rich wood-paneled Deep Ellum joint — effortlessly cool.

Some pub quizzes are too crowded. Some have hosts whose jokes are so awful you want to slide under the table in embarrassment for them. Some have hosts who are so manic it’s exhausting just to watch them. And some have questions that are just too hard — come on, we went to public school. Ten Bells Tavern’s manages to find the sweet spot, with challenging but not impossibly hard queries that are right in the wheelhouse for the big but not too big crowds of twenty- and thirtysomething Oak Cliff pub patrons who come out weekly. Hosts Scott Porter (of Record Hop fame), Grant Jones (sans The Pistol Grip Lassos) and a rotating cast of standup comedians keep it fun during four rounds of 10 questions, with a different theme for each round. You might get 10 questions about marijuana, Monty Python, condiments or just 10 random subjects. And with the comedians doing sets before and after the quiz, even if you don’t win the $50 or $25 gift card prize, at least you get a free show out of it.

The last Thursday of every month, Klyde Warren Park hosts a free concert that comes alive when the weather is warm. Close to the stage, hundreds of people gathered on a recent Thursday to dance to an awesome light show while Red Eye, Rob Vaughan and DJ Love spun records until around 10 p.m. Away from the tightly packed groups of dancers, hundreds more people lounged on picnic blankets and towels in the grass, enjoying the people-watching, drinks and food from dozens of trucks surrounding the park. People can argue all they want that Dallas is a snobby city with no sense of community, but the diverse group of young and old partiers crammed together, clubbing for free in the outdoors, would disagree.

Now that Dallas has marked the 50th anniversary of JFK’s murder, the city is moving on from the tragedy. It’s time to acknowledge that the Grassy Knoll is a great spot to hide in and yell at people. The most elevated point at Dallas’ knoll has an excellent view of tourists below, all of whom appear very interested to hear any Dallas factoids, personal revelations or conspiracy theories shouted at them from above. For people intent on yelling at tourists all night, showing up drunk tends to yield more creative results, such as the ever popular “Al Qaeda did it!” Other fun knoll-related activities include just silently sitting and not yelling at people and rolling down the hill.

Every Thursday, The Travis Disco is home to a clubbing experience that calls itself a dance party, and feels like one too. That’s probably because DJ Sober learned his trade not at sleazy clubs but at house parties, spinning vinyl in people’s homes before he went on to become a successful local DJ. Sober has since become a regular in this newspaper, most recently taking home the best producer award for the Observer‘s annual music awards. Last year, Sober teamed up with another DJ, Dallas’ PicnicTyme, to form a popular new production duo called Booty Fade, playing what they describe as New Orleans bounce and Dallas boogie. But you don’t have to be cool enough to know what those phrases mean to appreciate the simple fact that Sober puts on a good party. His Travis events cram together people of all ages, races and style of dress, a rarity in Uptown.

Single Wide offers the same cheap deal as Double Wide, its sister bar: $2 wells and domestic beers every weekday from 5 to 9 p.m. Both bars attract an artsy-looking but unpretentious, slightly punk, tattooed crowd. But Single Wide’s patrons are a little older, calmer and generally less annoying for anyone who just got off a long day of work, and business clothes worn to Single Wide are far less likely to get anything spilled on them by a fresh-faced 21-year-old. This is a mellower dive bar. It gets crowded during the weekend and isn’t a bad place to party. But it’s best as a judgment-free zone for anyone who just needs to get wasted in the middle of the week.

“We gladly serve gator because they would gladly serve you,” says the menu, giving some attitude in its explanation for why a dish of fried alligator and french fries is on there. The Free Man is on Commerce, away from most of the Deep Ellum nightlife and music venues. That’s for the best, as it doesn’t really fit in with the rest of the neighborhood anyway. This quirky, fiercely independent lounge brings bluesy, New Orleans-style jazz and swing music to an otherwise quiet block every night. The drinks are strong, and the kitchen serves Cajun favorites such as gator, crawfish and jambalaya. At least two jazz bands play most nights, and regular performers include the The Free Loaders and the Savoy Swing Band. The lounge gets its name from an American libertarian journal, and the bar is decorated accordingly with anti-government posters and signs. It’s not just a shtick: The lounge recently played host to Rocky Palmquist, the Libertarian candidate for Texas agriculture commissioner.