Arts & Entertainment

Between the start-ups downtown and bar-saturated M Streets lies the calm, treesy East Dallas neighborhood, Lakewood. Lakewood was developed around 1914, which means that many of the houses are filled with an abundance of secrets from the past. Lake and city dwellers alike flock to the neighborhood to settle in and, for better or worse, never leave. Decades of relics and family histories pile up in the Hutsell houses; sometimes in the form of old postcards tucked away in a closet, others in a dress someone wore to their high school prom in the 1940s. There are always stories to hear, and there is always lots to buy. Sales are either independent or held by one of the many estate sale companies in the area, like Help Me Rhonda, Another's Treasure or Remington Estate Sales. There are, unfortunately, a fair share of McMansions to avoid. Most of the houses, however, have been in Lakewood since the 1920s. They're quirky in their age, with wooden floors that creak and doors that stick in the summer. Wandering around inside is reason enough to stop by. But if you're lucky, maybe you'll find something neat for yourself, like a haunted old portrait, or someone's attic-stashed collection of Playboy magazines.

Jeff Gibbons, Susan Kae Grant and Julie Buck Jones are just a few of the many artists represented by Conduit Gallery in the Dallas Design District. Since opening the gallery in 1984, owner and director Nancy Whitenack, who founded the space without any formal art training, has brought the work of established, mid-career artists and emerging talent to the public, showing works by artists not represented elsewhere. The space features an assortment of contemporary works, including paintings, photographs and sculptures, and is one of Dallas' top destinations for avant-garde and experimental pieces.

This 55,000-square-foot museum and 1.5-acre garden give visitors the chance to see more than 300 pieces of sculpture by dozens of artists. The museum's sculptures allow interaction with art in a different way: Viewers can walk around and, in some cases, through the work, viewing it from all sides. The outdoor sculpture garden is a walled-off piece of tranquility in the middle of downtown Dallas. The museum's 'til Midnight at the Nasher program allows visitors to hang around, as the name suggests, until midnight on the third Friday of every month, enjoying museum tours, activities and outdoor concerts.

All dance (at least, all good dance) blatantly shows off the capabilities of the well-trained human body. Contemporary dance does so with a sense of trickery: The audience isn't always sure why bodies are moving in this bizarre way, but we are amazed that they are able to do so. We're even more surprised when these strange human shapes end up telling a story. Dark Circles Contemporary Dance combines this enchanting, slightly confusing use of the body with unique traditions and stories, often bringing two seemingly incongruous styles together. Their 2019 winter and spring series exemplified the company's style of storytelling: in Winter's Boys Are, Dregs and Bud, four choreographers created dances exhibiting their queer identities, a surprising rarity in the dance world. The dances were expectedly erotic, unexpectedly hilarious. Whatever stories they decide to tell, and however they decide to tell them, Dark Circles ends up impressing its audience members, whether they are well-versed in the oddity that is contemporary dance or not.

Cinemark 17 doesn't have wait service, craft beer on draft or a yearly Hitchcock festival. It's not the Alamo Drafthouse. What it does have is Dallas's best IMAX screen, the one you go see a movie on if you want a true, immersive experience with all the bells and whistles but without the unnecessary frills.

The problem with commercial radio is that it's too commercial. Flip from one Top 40 station to the next, and you'll hear the same songs, the same artists and the same commercials. KXT is a listener-supported public radio station, giving them the ability to hand-pick songs you aren't likely to hear anywhere else. The station also sponsors local concerts and hosts live sessions where established artists and up-and-coming acts give intimate performances in the KXT studio and at other locations across North Texas and beyond. Each performance is archived on the station's website.

If Oscar Wilde's bon vivant, Dorian Gray, lived in Dallas rather than Victorian London, we could find him at the artsy lobby of The Joule Hotel. Joined by fellow aesthetes, his morning begins with a scone and cortado at Weekend Coffee, where the previous night's theater ignites spirited opinions. Eventually bored with the mindless chatter, he reclines in a midcentury modern chair, perusing titillating images from a glossy tome in The TASCHEN Library. Next, he meanders through the Hotel Shop, sniffing candles named "Loose Lips" and "Loveless." After lunching at Americano or CBD Provisions, he laughs riotously with a foxy "friend" over craft cocktails. If you desire to follow Lord Henry's iffy advice, "Be always searching for new sensations," then this lobby will indulge every whim.

Covered nearly head to toe in tattoos, Hetzer literally embodies the power of a great tattoo artist. The proprietor of the award-winning Dallas Tattoo and Arts Company is also an accomplished artist and has taken his inkling for ink on the road and across the globe with appearances on TV shows and at international tattoo fests. But don't worry: Hetzer's shop and clothing line are here to stay, and so is his tattoo gun.

Undermain Theatre is daring enough to please everyone. With each season, Undermain stages classic plays we've almost forgotten about and new plays we've only just heard of. If you go see an Undermain production of Ibsen or Shakespeare (or even a stage adaptation of the classic novel Madame Bovary, premiering later this season), you'll reflect on how the world has changed in the last however many hundred years — but go see one of their world or regional premieres, and you'll come to understand something about the world of right now that you'd completely failed to notice. Either way, you will find yourself falling into a fascinating production in a dark, mysterious basement literally under Main Street.

Bar trivia used to be a simple thing. You showed up, ordered a couple of beers and drank just enough so your brain could remember useless facts like the population of Sri Lanka or the number of seasons Shelley Long was a regular cast member on Cheers. Then someone decided that trivia nights had to be live entertainment productions with attempts at comedy, visual aids and more unnecessary special effects than a Michael Bay film. Every Tuesday at Malarkey's Bar and Tavern on Trinity Mills Road, the pub trivia night hosted by Rick Brown is focused more on the trivia than most places. Brown has honed his art by sticking to the challenge of trivia and the friendly competition it produces between new and regular teams. He speaks each question and score with the efficiency of a drive-time news radio anchor and plays high-energy, retro music that relates to the category just enough to make you wonder if he did it on purpose. Brown has the poise and gravitas to be the Alex Trebek of Dallas pub trivia with more impressive facial hair.

Perhaps the strangest and least known art showcase in Dallas, The Hand Collection at the Baylor Medical Center is exactly that — an assortment of bronze hand casts. The exhibit was founded by esteemed hand surgeon Dr. Adrian Flatt, who began making hand casts for research. After retiring from surgery, Flatt decided to expand the craft into a sort of artistic expression. Celebrity hands, surgeons' hands, deformed hands and baby hands are all on display, as well as a strange video. The sound of Dr. Flatt monotonously speaking hums on loop in the background, all fuzzy and VHS, in a recording likely unchanged since the collection was put on display in 1982 — and the hands of Andre the Giant loom large and encased in the corner. The exhibit is located in a nook of the lobby of the George W. Truett Memorial Hospital. While parking at the Baylor garage costs money, the showcase itself is free to view at any time of day.

Turkish-born Ilknur Ozgur, along with her collective Artstillery, has a collaborative approach to theater production. Ozgur's plays are interactive, with an ever-evolving democratic writing process, and involve fantastical elements while grounded in the reality of minorities. In last year's Dirty Turk, Ozgur made use of every square inch of the venue's space, with scenes taking place outdoors, spilling out on the street, simultaneously showcasing both ambient technology and oversize puppets, making for a purely enveloping theatrical experience.

While Adam Bazaldua hasn't had enough time to make his policy mark on the Dallas City Council, he's already shown that he's got the political chops to lead a district that's needed strong leadership for a long time. In order to win his seat, the high school teacher knocked off District 7's last two incumbents by showing a willingness to collaborate and learn what often seemed elusive for Kevin Felder and Tiffinni Young. Fair Park has a progressive voice on the council who doesn't seem to owe anyone anything. That's an unqualified good thing.

Located on the sixth floor of the building that once housed the Texas School Book Depository, the museum overlooks Dealey Plaza, where President John F. Kennedy was shot to death on Nov. 22, 1963. Visitors can see historic films and artifacts from the assassination, as well as the window from which assassin Lee Harvey Oswald fired the fatal shot. Exhibits walk visitors through the social and political climate in the early 1960s, Kennedy's two-day visit to Texas, the assassination and the aftermath. Those looking to avoid lines can buy tickets online.

For the last two years, Oak Cliff-based De Colores Collective has blessed us with a steady stream of podcasting and programming highlighting people of color and their creations, trials and triumphs. Their weekly podcasts alternate between hilarious and heartrending and offer a fiery mix of hot takes, hot topics, blistering commentary and interviews with local artists. Sisters Eva and Pat Arreguin and their co-host Rafael Tamayo discuss everything from memes to abolishing ICE, to an ongoing feud over the best rapper of all time (Eva is Team Kendrick; Rafael is Team Jay-Z). Acclaimed writer Shea Serrano is a fan, having traveled to Dallas for a live show at the Texas Theatre. Move De Colores Radio to the top of your "Must Listen" podcast pile.

An offshoot of the nonprofit publishing company of the same name, Deep Vellum Books is a tiny shop in the heart of Deep Ellum. Although it's a small space, the shop makes good use of it by closely curating its offerings. The store shines a light on works by authors who don't always get the attention they deserve, including writers of color and LGBTQ writers. A few times a month, the bookstore brings in authors for readings, book signings and other evening events. For readers on a budget, the store's White Rock Zine Machine dispenses local handmade magazines for a quarter apiece.

Have you noticed yourself feeling joy lately? Is your mood starting to pick up? If so, it's likely you need a good blow to your sunshine, and the Dallas Underground exists to serve you. This late 20th century tunnel system provides a functional link between some of Dallas' largest office buildings, and contains central areas housing unexpectedly diverse food courts and newsstands. Access it via the unsettlingly concealed stairways labeled "to concourse" on the first floor of buildings such as the Bank of America Plaza or Hotel Indigo. You'll quickly realize it's not a place you want to enjoy for too long. Its fluorescent-lit concrete corridors, reminiscent of a Soviet-era bomb shelter, are always a-bustle with powerwalking office workers and midday snack hunters. It's well worth a visit as a sort of cultural relic, even if it comes at the expense of your happiness.

Local performer and yoga teacher Stefanie Tovar — who could be her own Best of Dallas item — founded Hanuman Homies in 2017 with the goal of sharing yoga with those who don't have access to it. After traveling the world as a performer, Tovar found yoga and decided to dive into training. She has since accumulated hundreds of training hours in various practices and has combined her yoga and performing background into the curricula she creates and shares through Hanuman Homies. Yoga possesses a number of beneficial properties that have, in recent years, been secluded in studios not everyone can afford. Hanuman Homies seeks to equip women and children who are battling mental illness and trauma with healthy, yogic-based coping mechanisms they can carry into life. In giving young people a base of yogic breathing techniques, mindful movement and meditation methods, Hanuman Homies hopes to allow for a space in which they can heal and grow within their own bodies.

stefanietovar.com/outreach

Forget the Met Gala — the campiest event of the year was the AT&T Performance Center's production of Cruel Intentions the Musical in May. The traveling show retold the '90s teen-movie tale of Sebastian, a rich kid vying for a place in his cokehead stepsister's bed through a bet hinging on his ability to deflower a waiting-till-marriage ingenue. In the play, the Dangerous Liasons-inspired story is told as a musical with '90s hits, from one-hit wonders like Marcy Playground to the decade's rock icons like No Doubt. The production not only captures the sound of the time but also its irreverent humor, including the casual misogyny, racism and homophobia. It was, after all, a time in which "gay" was interchangeably mixed with the word "lame," while "fag" was tossed around like a hacky sack.

What the Design District has: a great dive bar/bowling alley (Bowlounge), a fantastic craft beer bar (Meddlesome Moth), a perfect neighborhood coffee shop (Ascension) and a bevy of the city's best restaurants (Town Hearth, Wheelhouse, Sassetta, El Bolero, Rodeo Goat and Ferris Wheelers, to name a half-dozen). What the Design District doesn't have: overwhelming crowds, stumbling drunks or — for the most part — scooters on the damn sidewalk. Gather ye rosebuds and head to the west side of I-35 while ye may.

Robert Redford publicly announced The Old Man and the Gun as his last film, and the last story he wanted to tell was that of affable and gentlemanly bank robber and serial prison escapee Tucker Forest. Redford brought the script to Dallas-based (and Disney director) filmmaker David Lowery, who assembled a dream cast including Sissy Spacek, Danny Glover, Tom Waits, Casey Affleck and Elizabeth Moss. The film puts its audience through an awkwardly conflicted moment of moral introspection as we root for the bad guy to get away with crime. It's a beautiful piece of filmmaking told through Lowery's austere style, with impeccable scoring by fellow Dallasite Daniel Hart.

The phenomenon that is May May Graves has been wowing audiences throughout the area since making her way into the local drag and burlesque circuit in 2015. Confidence and stage presence may be prerequisites for drag performers, but Graves has those attributes on a level that's transcendent within her craft. Graves has built a massive following, which has allowed her to pursue other ventures in the entertainment industry. Graves released an industrial punk album in July 2018 called Monsters. She's also a highly sought-after event host, but fair warning: Graves as an MC is essentially a stand-up comedian. The only thing that's more blue than her make-up and outfits is her sense of humor. On the second Thursday of every month, Graves produces Qweird at The Nines. The show blends the genres of drag and burlesque while intentionally pushing the boundaries of what audiences come to expect from both.

For 20 years, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions was untouchable. Then, suddenly, in 2018, he wasn't. Counting on local distaste for President Donald Trump and Dallas' rapidly changing demographics to push them to victory, four Democrats threw their hats in the primary ring. Colin Allred, a civil rights attorney and former NFL player, won the right to take on Sessions. In the general election, Allred repeatedly hammered the incumbent on healthcare, a winning issue in North Dallas, and cruised to victory by six points. Sessions blamed his loss on California residents moving to Dallas, but Allred beat him on the issues.

Opened by entrepreneur brother-sister team Rachel and Alex Fox, The Refuge is a city haven for meditation. The Foxes are Dallas natives and SMU alums who spent time in California then decided to bring a bit of Los Angeles meditation practice to Texas. Located in Deep Ellum, The Refuge's classes take place in an airy, high-ceiling loft space decorated with local art, crystals and candles. A seemingly industrial scene becomes serene in the presence of their welcoming, diversely trained teachers. The Refuge offers a full schedule of classes, ranging from a quick but effective 30 to 50 minutes, all within the realm of meditation and self-care. One of those offerings includes therapeutic yoga, which allows for hands-on, personal mental and physical renewal. Others are their sound and essential oil baths, which seek to send students into deep, restful relaxation. It's the ultimate place of self-care for an overworked generation.

There's a new age-old question: Are art pop-ups — installations made primarily for Instagram's benefit — cheapening the traditionally high-brow art world experience, or elevating selfie culture by offering backgrounds far more interesting than your dirty bathroom mirror? No matter how you feel about the selfie factories, they're not going anywhere — especially in Dallas, where we can count at least eight happening just this last year. But nobody does it as well as Sweet Tooth Hotel, which changes themes seasonally and is always impeccably constructed by custom designers Built by Bender, with art installations by some of the city's greatest. With a Prince-themed bar and a silent disco fitness class, there's far more to do at Sweet Tooth than making a duck face with your friends.

Before a federal court hearing in Fort Worth, Alvarado's Michael Lummus took the chance to berate one of the attorneys representing plaintiffs trying to destroy the Affordable Care Act. "Why you lying, boy?" Lummus said. "That Obamacare saved my life, and people like you want to kill people like me because we can't work. I'm trying to find a job, but they ain't going to cover me if you take away pre-existing conditions."

When Dallas made the decision to take down its Robert E. Lee statue, one of the many arguments trotted out by those who wanted the statue left in Turtle Creek Park was that getting rid of it would be too expensive. As it turned out, the city made money on the deal, thanks to a successful online auction in June. It cost the city $450,000 to take the statue down. It got $1.5 million from an Addison-based attorney for the oversize bronze. Good riddance.

Eric Johnson may have won Dallas' mayoral election, but the tape that emerged of one of his fundraisers in May certainly livened up his race with former City Council member Scott Griggs. The tape made clear what many observers had whispered for a long time, that Dallas' moneyed cabal intended to do everything it could to stop Griggs. The anonymously recorded tape didn't change the election's result, but it crystallized what was at stake.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot ran for office on a platform of ending mass incarceration and reforming the county's criminal justice system. Last April, Creuzot announced steps his office was taking toward that goal. Among other changes, Creuzot declared that he would no longer prosecute misdemeanor marijuana cases for first-time offenders or cases involving people arrested for possession of trace amounts of drugs, driving with a suspended license or stealing necessary items. It's too early to say how effective these changes will be, but it's always good to see an elected official walking the criminal justice reform talk.

It's not fair, because this was really no contest for Dallas' other reality show stars. For starters, Maelyn Jarmon is someone you don't root against or wish would stop being such a (insert your own filthy noun here). You root for her because she's genuine, nice and talented, unlike 99.1% of the people who make it through reality show producers' casting departments. The Frisco native became one of the first 12 finalists at the start of the 16th season of the NBC singing competition The Voice with a beautiful performance of Sting's "Fields of Gold" during her blind audition, and musical powerhouse John Legend chose her to coach for his first season on the show. The choice would lead to a big payoff for both of them when Jarmon finished first in a neck-and-neck race with Gyth Rigdon, giving Jarmon the top trophy and Legend's first win on his first season of the show. She deserved the win, and we're not just saying that because she was born on the near edge of the metropolitan area. Jarmon is completely deaf in her left ear and has only 80% hearing in her right ear. She deserves everything her music career is destined to bring her.

Dallas' comedy scene has grown so large and expanded so much that it's really hard to come up with a way to make a stand-up show stand out now that almost every theater, club and coffeehouse has an open mic. The only place left to hold an original, one-of-a-kind comedy showcase is to do one on a public street, and comedian Gretchen Young, aka GretchYo, found a way to do that without getting an angry letter from the North Texas Transit Authority. Young created the rolling comedy roadshow Destination Unknown, in which the audience sits on a bus and watches a series of Dallas' best up-and-coming stand-ups such as Tony Casillas, Ashley Elias and herself do a tight 15 minutes of some of their A-list material while the vehicle's in motion. The bus has a list of destinations to local bars and breweries that the guests don't know about until it comes to a stop. Something like this could reinvent the comedy-club concept with its faux brick wall, stool and two-item minimum with an overpriced ticket.

Let's face it: Good swing sets are few and far between. Some of them are too low to the ground; others have those painful ridges on the sides of the seats. Some of them are directly in the sun, which renders the chains and rubber seat scalding. When you find a good swing set, by god you hold onto it for dear life. Like a very special pair of swings at White Rock Lake, which hit nearly every criteria for an ideal swing set experience. Located behind the historic Big Thicket building, the swings are suspended by extra-long chains and are perched atop a slight hill overlooking the docks, the White Rock Lake trail and the water. There are multiple seats, and they're all nice and wide. They're shaded year-round by a canopy of old oak trees. They are a bit loud, however. The chains seem to echo throughout the small park, but it might add a touch of nostalgia, or perhaps authenticity, to the experience. Even the best swings have things they're working through, just like each and every one of us.

The Dallas-Fort Worth area has become an interesting hub for new gaming technology, but the thrill of going to an old-fashioned video game arcade that doesn't require a wearable computer will never stop being fun. Free Play Richardson, the launch site of the Free Play retro arcade empire, continues to find ways to maximize its tiny space with neon-pink '80s ambience, the best new and classic arcade games and even some games that no other arcade has ever had under its roof. This past year, the Richardson arcade hosted some of the most fun gaming events in the area. The arcade became one of the first places in the world to get a full-size Atari Pong Cocktail Table that used physical foam pieces floating across a magnetically controlled surface instead of pixels. Free Play Richardson's success has ushered in a new modern arcade movement just when we thought going out of your home to play games was dead.

Board games have made one of the greatest comebacks as a medium for entertainment. It seems like we went from just having Operation and Monopoly to a whole new generation of challenging puzzle, party, strategy, role-playing and card games. The @nerdvana coffee shop and board game store that's also part of the video game-themed restaurant and bar on Frisco's downtown square has given the board-gaming crowd such an awesome place that our only complaint is that we have to go all the way to Frisco to enjoy it. Every inch of the space has been decorated with some kind of gaming paraphernalia or decoration, from the walls to the glass-covered display tables that celebrate genres of gaming like "Star Wars" or the dice-rolling RPG. The board game store's collection is a bit smaller than your average gaming store, but the selection contains the cream of the modern board-gaming crop from modern-day publishing powerhouses like Cryptozoic and North Star Games. And if you just don't have the dough to get one, there is a massive selection of public board games for customers to play while they suck down a tasty iced coffee or a delicious frozen chocolate. If there's a board-game heaven, this is a pretty good artist's rendering.

Beginning with November's state constitutional amendment election, Dallas County voters will be able to vote at any voting location in the county, regardless of when he or she chooses to vote. The decision is good news for those who work far from their homes, those who wait until election day to cast ballots and those who support wider access to the ballot box.

Filmmaker Augustine Frizzell got her start as a costume designer and actress, frequently collaborating with now husband David Lowery (A Ghost Story, Pete's Dragon). But in only two years since she broke out with her debut film, Never Goin' Back, an honest (albeit exaggeratedly comedic) depiction of suburban broke female teenage-hood, Frizzell seems to have actually never gone back. Her technical and expert eye for nuance skyrocketed her into a nonstop level of high demand; Frizzell has since directed episodes for HBO's hit show Euphoria and Starz' Sweetbitter as she continues to line up big-name projects. The Garland native and Lakewood resident also employs many locals, carving a place into silver-screened history for her Dallas crew.

Times are so tense. We wear our politics on our sleeves like badges. It's become an us vs. them culture where any sense of a middle ground has exploded into a fine powder and blown away with a hard, hot wind. This not only ensures that we won't get much of anything done, but it's perfect for people who aim to make us look foolish. Enter street artist Eric Mancini of Denton, who's been publicly expressing our collective disdain with public works of art like his "Trump dumpsters," in which he posted our president's mug on the entire front of garbage dumpsters; witty Facebook responses to critics placed in frames; and his signature spray-paint squiggle rendered on canvases, walls and an entire home in Bishop Arts. His public presentations took a satirical turn on April 1 with a gutsy installation in which the people who saw it became his muse and medium. Mancini made up two banners announcing the opening for a Trump-brand hotel, and in the middle of the night, he hung them to the chain-link fence surrounding an empty plot of land on Lamar Avenue that he later learned was owned by Mavs owner Mark Cuban. The sign actually stayed up for a few weeks and was taken down just after someone made their own artistic mark on it that made it look, shall we say, more profane than the idea of Trump opening a hotel in Dallas, before Mancini took credit for it on his Facebook page. Sadly, Mancini has since moved out of state, but we hope he's wreaking havoc in another city.

Located in a clandestine spot near Lower Greenville, Can You Rob the Bank is one of Dallas' most exciting indoor thrills. Up to 10 participants at a time can rob a fictional bank in a Wild West, space alien or superhero setting. Each team is given an hour to "rob the bank" and escape without getting caught and arrested. Members of each team will be given clues and riddles to solve, and with each correct answer, they unlock a door that leads them closer to their escape. Plus, Can You Rob the Bank is owned by bad-ass single mother Jill Brandenburg, who is also a breast cancer survivor.

QuakeCon is one of the video game industry's oldest game gatherings. The first QuakeCon, the now-annual gaming convention that celebrates game franchises like "Wolfenstein," "Quake" and "Rage" — made by local studios such as id Software and Bethesda Softworks — happened in Garland in a hotel meeting room with only 50 people in attendance. This year's gathering at the much larger Gaylord Texan Convention Center in Grapevine had a special reason to celebrate. It marked the 25th anniversary of "DOOM," the bloody, highly stylized first-person shooter that became a gaming phenomenon and made id Software a major player in the video game industry. Naturally, QuakeCon 2019 was also dubbed "DOOMCon," featuring the first playable preview of the next game in the franchise, "DOOM Eternal," and other new games that players could try by making a demo reservation instead of waiting in ludicrously long lines. The weekend also featured a record-setting speed run that completed every "DOOM" game from every era, including "DOOM 64" for the Nintendo 64 console and the upcoming "Eternal."

So you think you have "it" but you're not sure what "it" is? Learn acting for stage, screen and TV (at affordable prices) at S.T.A.G.E. (Society for Theatrical Artists' Guidance and Enhancement). With the help of local showbiz pros, including longtime director and education coordinator LisaAnne Haram, prepare for call-backs, learn to do make-up, get the secrets of voiceovers and more. The organization also supports local playwrights with readings and rehearsal space, plus there's a big library of plays to dip into. Founded in 1982, S.T.A.G.E. has put lots of working actors on the stage.

One of the few problems with most dog parks is the fact that dogs of all sizes are fenced in together, leaving terriers and Dachshunds to cower in a corner while mastiffs and great danes lope around the pen as they please. NorthBark Dog Park solves this problem by having two separate play areas — one for big dogs and another for smaller ones. Your Pomeranian can run, chase and snuffle around without having to worry about getting stomped on by a German Shepherd. The park also has a swimming hole where dogs can wade and paddle and a cleaning area where you can hose down your pup before you head home.

Dallas Flamenco Festival has become an annual celebration of the fiery Spanish dance, enhanced by a narrative "play" written around the original choreography and percussive dancing of Dallas husband-wife team Delilah Buitron Arrebola and Antonio Arrebola. Presented at the Ochre House Theater next to Fair Park, this year's passionate production of La Muerte de Don Quixote, written by Ochre House founder Matthew Posey and featuring professional flamenco musicians, provided a hot-stomping revisit of the classic tale.

Why yes, we do think you should have an unquenchable desire to immerse yourself in the a cappella (that's un-accompanied, for dorks like us who don't speak Italian) vocal music of the 16th century. The deeper implication of this selection is "best resonance," and of course, different types of music respond better to different levels of resonance. Perhaps the most demanding is music from the Renaissance, because it sounds best in an acoustically "wet" room, where notes continue to resonate for seconds after actual sound production has ceased, and acoustically wet rooms are usually big and made of stone. Because of these uncommon requirements, Church of the Incarnation in Uptown shines forth as the place to hear this music. Further, the church offers a tantalizing sacred music program that can help satisfy the cravings of those who appreciate early music.

Did your education terminate after earning a degree? Enter the Dallas Institute of Humanities & Culture. In a city known for its business, real estate and technology industries, we need a nursery for the intellectual life that is safe from the rapacious profit motive. With a campus in Uptown, the public can discover truth, beauty and goodness by listening to a dramatic reading of Goethe's Faust; attending a program with music, dance and cuisine based on Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights; enrolling in a class on political thought; or joining the spirited conversation at a Friday Night Salon. The Institute reminds us that the humanities are not only crucial for the health of our democracy but for our wisdom too.

Nowadays, ensembles with a program worth mentioning are hard to come by. It's always the same hundred or so classical pieces: Beethoven 5, Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, Handel's Messiah, Dvorak's New World Symphony, blah, blah. Often, the worst offenders when it comes to boring programs are large orchestras and opera companies. Dallas Symphony Orchestra, however, has prepared a program with plenty of promise, boasting underplayed works such as Prokofiev's Symphony 6 and the Bruch Violin Concerto; classics like Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 "Emperor" and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 4 "Italian"; and even new works by Steven Mackey and Salina Fisher. DSO is also bringing in celebrated violinist Joshua Bell, and has arranged for a performance with the world-renowned Vienna Boys Choir. A surprisingly wide range of musical adventures await us, so get your tickets now for the rich and resonant Morton H. Meyerson space, where there are no bad seats.

Dallas is home to a number of semi-professional ensembles in which musicians perform at a professional level but not as their primary source of income. One standout is the University of North Texas Baroque Orchestra under recorder player Paul Leenhouts. The orchestra sources some of the most talented young musicians in the United States and provides high-quality performances of Baroque works (think Bach, Handel and Vivaldi) on period instruments, such as the harpsichord and natural trumpet. The realm of "period performance" is not one in which the citizens of Dallas have many options, but the UNT Baroque Orchestra, composed of students, has very reasonable ticket prices, and their performances are consistently laudable.

Whether it's Amélie on Valentine's Day, obscure music documentaries or the original double feature playing when Lee Harvey Oswald escaped after shooting JFK (as the legend goes, and with the original ticket admission price), Texas Theatre seems intent on a mission to keep Dallas cultured. Sure, the cinema's sound isn't always the best, but its programming is unfailingly stellar, relevant and original. To begin with, the building itself is a historical landmark and a beautifully preserved relic, a space for themed parties and underground music shows taking place behind its movie screen, a frequent participant in various film festivals and a host to visiting art figures from Crispin Glover to Adan Jodorowsky.

A favorite in Dallas' nightlife scene, DJ Blake Ward is a master in his craft. Regularly playing sets at spots like Beauty Bar, Midnight Rambler and Alice Dallas, Ward knows how to curate and tailor a mix suitable for any occasion you can book him for. Each of Ward's mixes are carefully produced and arranged, with each track flowing into the next. Ward is a DJ who is genuinely passionate about music, respects the art and knows how to create a sonically pleasing arrangement. His energy is unmatched, as he is able to remain pumped all night, from opening to last call.

Over the decades, everyone from Richard Pryor to Eddie Murphy and Ellen DeGeneres has stood in front of the Improv's iconic brick wall. The Addison location has served as a launching pad for many comedians and continues to be the area's top destination to see both up-and-coming and established talent. The club recently stepped up its game with a major face-lift and a revamp of its menu, which features standard bar fare like wings and nachos. And while there's a two-drink minimum — you've been warned — it's a small price to pay to see tomorrow's comedy royalty.

Since taking over the music programming at the "hoity tonk" Uptown venue a few years back, entertainment director Kylee Kimosh has diversified the traditionally country spot with rootsier, soulful acts. From Shakey Graves to Charley Crockett, Kimosh has kept her taste-making fingers on the pulse of the current soundscape by making the bar a destination spot that includes R&B and blues. But it's The Rustic's themed nights that make patrons show up for a night of nostalgic delight. Whether it's up-and-comers like Frankie Leonie doing Dolly Day, Taylor Nicks signing '90s country diva favorites, or popstress Remy Reilly tearing into No Doubt covers, Kimosh manages to showcase new talent while appealing to the audience's sentimentality.

This North Dallas bar has changed immensely in the last decade; long gone are the kitschy decor items and the Chuck Norris urban tales painted on the bathroom walls, and most disappointing, the promised presence of velvet Elvis artwork. Without all the hipster-friendly attractions, the Velvet Elvis has gone from a movie set's idea of a dive bar to a true dive bar that isn't pretending anymore. For starters, there are plenty of loners hanging around, and the crowd is such a Cheers-like selection of random humans that you're likely to never run into anyone you know. So this is the place to come to talk shit about everyone in your life without having to look over your shoulder. The place now looks like a standard bar in any average city, with a foosball table that nobody ever plays and rarely touched billiards. The only things that remain are cheap drinks and a cigarette machine. We're all set.

Even if country music isn't really your thing, The Round-Up is a fun environment where you can dance, grab a couple of drinks and let loose. If you're a little bit rusty on your two-step, there are nights when instructors will give you lessons on their spacious dance floor. Plus, there are karaoke nights when singers are invited to belt out their best notes and even compete for cash. In the mood to be entertained? The Round-Up hosts killer drag shows with curated themes celebrating all types of gender-bending performances. If Lady Gaga is in town, chances are you might catch her at The Round-Up after a show, as they were one of the first bars to book her before her rise to fame.

Every Sunday from 3 to 8 p.m., patrons pack the narrow walls of Single Wide for Liquid Courage Karaoke with DJ Javier Mendoza. Crowded though it might be, participants and onlookers are fervent in their Sunday Funday passion for a good song sung as well as it can be. The mix of songs is always as diverse as the mix of talent, and you can expect to hear some real pipes and some — well, frankly — really drunk girls doing their best to get through Bloodhound Gang's "Bad Touch." Whether it's the song quality, the mix and spirit of the people or the physical closeness that the Single Wide forces you into, what makes Liquid Courage Sundays unlike any other karaoke residency is just how infectious it is. Spots fill up quick, so be sure to get there and grab a Lone Star right after you wrap up your mimosas. 

It really doesn't get more rock than Reno's Chop Shop Saloon, a Dallas staple nestled in the shadows around the corner from Punk Society on Crowdus and July Alley in Deep Ellum. Don't let all the dyed-black hair, black clothes and dark make-up of its patrons scare you off; Reno's is friendlier and more welcoming than meets the eye. The only catch is that you absolutely have to be ready for the soothing sounds of the hardest metal and punk rock you will find in any bar in Dallas. Possibly in the state. Divided between a bar and a performance space, Reno's is also a great place to catch small and local bands that play anything from pop punk to powerviolence. Reno's doesn't mess with a lot of glassware, preferring bottles and cans and plastic cups to anything that might be perceived as elegant or dainty. And the drinks are some of the cheapest you'll find in Deep Ellum, served up with a sign of the horns and a few bangs of the head.

This past October, the NBC hit reality music competition featured Dentonite and University of North Texas graduate Katrina Cain. A few days after walking down the aisle, the lead singer for electronic band TOMKAT decided to take a detour from her honeymoon, veil practically flying off, and take a stab at auditioning. Cain's impossibly high notes in her rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Rhiannon" earned her the chair-spinning approbation of judges Jennifer Hudson and Blake Shelton, although Kelly Clarkson and Adam Levine said it would've been a "four-chair turn" had the latter pair not used up their open spots. Cain ultimately chose team Blake, moved to Los Angeles and was eliminated a few rounds later, but her pitch-perfect cover has received millions of views and remains one of the show's best auditions.

Trinity Hall is perfect. Plenty of seating, the best Guinness drafts in town and pub food that's better than any chain. It caters to soccer, rugby and Gaelic football fans, but it happily accommodates fans of more traditionally American sports, too. It never overwhelms — thanks to its TVs only being on when there's a game — and never disappoints. Trinity Hall is a great place to spend a Sunday morning, Saturday night or anything in between.

For four days every September, Grapevine shuts down its historic Main Street to car traffic and throws what it bills as the largest wine festival in the Southwest. Admission gets you a wine glass and access to the wine tasting area, where more than 100 Texas wines are on offer. For a full glass and a shaded place to sit, head to the champagne terrace or the wine and brew pavilions. Food vendors offer pizza, kettle corn and other treats from booths along Main Street, and local artists are on hand to show off their work. Other highlights include a grape stomp, a Champagne cork-shooting contest and a tennis tournament.

It'll Do dominates this category by consistently providing a well-curated and world-class dance club experience. No bottle service, no VIP and no pretension — just a big dance floor and top-notch sound servicing a calendar of touring acts you would typically have to fly halfway across the country (or overseas) to see. The atmosphere has the old-school warehouse party vibe of the '90s minus the dusty floors. They lean heavy toward house music, but in the past year, they've hosted a diverse array of talent such as Danny Tenaglia, Dubfire, Nightmares on Wax, Dusky, Lee Foss, Leon Vynehall, Ben UFO, DJ Boring, Derrick Carter and even hometown superstar DJ Maceo Plex. On the off nights when there are no touring acts, resident DJ Red Eye keeps the dance floor moving with his Occupant night — which often rivals the high bar set by their touring acts.

If we're all being honest, we can agree that there are only about 15 days out of the year in Dallas when it's not too hot, wet, icy or tornado-y to sit on a bar patio with a drink. So when one of those 15 days comes around, it's important to make good use of it. Happiest Hour has enough space to allow you to do just that. With a ground-floor beer garden and a rooftop terrace, there's plenty of space to breathe without worrying about putting your elbow into someone else's IPA. And it's just a few blocks from the American Airlines Center, making it a great place to stop for a beer or a cocktail before a Mavericks game.

Founded in Bryan in 1977, Messina Hof added a tasting room in a historic hotel building on Grapevine's Main Street in 2014. There, visitors can sample reds, whites, rosés and ports the winery makes from grapes grown across the state, including in the Brazos River Valley and the Hill Country. Some favorites are the Estate Sagrantino, a ruby-colored red made from grapes grown at the winery's Bryan vineyard, as well as a Riesling from the winery's High Plains Vineyard. The winery also offers a full selection of ports and dessert wines. If they're pouring the tawny port during your visit, make sure you have a glass.

Gatsby-era decadence meets a modern industrial aesthetic at The Henry. New to the Dallas dining scene, the restaurant boasts great design, Southern-inspired comfort food, and the real highlight, a sprawling rooftop bar and lounge. Open until midnight on weeknights and 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the rooftop bar is prime real estate for happy hour or dinner al fresco. Libations include a variety of Champagne, wines and beers, and interesting cocktails, such as the Drunken Panda, which blends cucumber sake with dragon fruit tea, calamansi and Chinese lager.

Musician Teddy Waggy is best known for fronting the theatrically inclined rock band Midnight Opera and has been stepping into her own spotlight with frequent collaborator Sudie. But Waggy, a noted guitarist and songwriter, has taken a turn into fashion design, with food-printed designs she calls "meatsuits" and handmade, impeccably tailored garments with original forms and vivid prints befitting her iconoclastic, cool buyers. Waggy's clientele is made up almost exclusively of artists and musicians, making her Dallas' version of Vivienne Westwood.

Nate Girard and Kendra Blank must have someone in Dallas who's doing their laundry. That's the only sensible explanation for why the Chicago-based crunch rock duo known as North by North stops by so frequently. They play Dallas venues more often than many genuinely local bands — and we're not complaining. Guitarist Girard and drummer Blank have an electric presence that makes stages large and small feel gigantic. And it looks like we're destined to continue hearing from them for a long time. Even after playing more than 650 shows, North by North are sticking by the ethos emblazoned on their home page: "Tour until we die."

There are many reasons to love the Oak Cliff hangout: its views, pool parties, outdoor concerts and art moderne architecture. When the hotel changed hands a few years back, its new investors' dream was simple: to build not simply a business, but a myth. And while a lot of this vision has yet to materialize — into something between the Beverly Hills Hotel's boutique legend, the Chateau Marmont's decadence and Hotel Chelsey's massive counter-cultural significance — the inspiration holds up. And so far, it remains the ultimate spot in Dallas to attract the artsy elite: Alejandro Escovedo (a Chelsey figure) even took up residency there. But on any night, you'll find photographers shooting partygoers dancing with regulars Leon Bridges, Jonathan Tyler and Sarah Jaffe.

The Prof. Fuzz 63 is a family punk band consisting of husband and wife of 30 years Mike and Maren Farmer and their 24-year-old son Brooks. The band became a true family band after releasing their Chinese Folk Songs album in 2016, when their original drummer left and Brooks was asked to join. An art-punk band in the style of Devo or The Fall, The Prof. Fuzz 63 plays guitar-driven, organ-backed ditties about hip replacements, panda attacks and nudist women. The band plays frequently in and around Dallas, and spectators can expect to see a stage filled with red — red amps, red keyboard, red guitars and Mike's signature red telephone receiver-turned-microphone. As an actual professor of Chinese studies at UTD, Mike is completely comfortable telling awkward dad-jokes onstage. Their latest release, Kirvin Streetman's Sugar Bride Blues, is available digitally and on vinyl through Dreamy Life Records.

In early 2019 the Fort Worth electronic duo Vogue Machine released an instrumental single called "Kardio" for a bump during Adult Swim's smash hit Rick and Morty, garnering well-deserved local attention. Clayton Norris and Dylan Rice have been performing together since 2013, beginning as a synth pop group in Denton then moving to Fort Worth. Vogue Machine has since evolved into what the duo describes as "coldwave/postwave," but all that means to the average listener is that there is a higher chance of dancing and possibly taking off pants.

While he's known in Dallas as a visual artist and curator of Tradewind's avant-garde noise cabaret Running With Scissors, Jim Branstetter can also be caught performing in the darkest corners of the city as Schmekelhead, a project that is either an evil scientist's experiment or a one-man show of hair-raising soundscapes created by homemade theremins and spring boxes to score black-and-white silent films. Branstetter scores with such precision that it is easy to fall into a story of one's own making no matter how abstract. Is it performance art or just something refreshing on the bill? We're not sure, but Schmekelhead is something straight out of science fiction.

Skip Tinder and chat up a hotty at The Whippersnapper. It's the perfect mix of sports and art and therefore pulls a diverse clientele. Muster up some confidence, walk up to that fine guy or gal and bring them onto the dance floor for some bump-and-grind action. Or, take things slow, sit at the bar, and talk things over with some killer cocktails. Either way, the eye candy at The Whippersnapper is some of the finest in Dallas, so go over and get on with your fine self. Just don't be a creep.

If you don't know about ironically trashy trailer-theme bar Double Wide by now, maybe it's not the right place for you. The indie band haven is deliberately tacky, and patrons are too cool to take pictures sitting on the patio's row of toilets or in front of the Dolly Parton mural. But nobody is above the effects of its bar's concoctions. One drink in particular stands out in its stealthy knockout powers: the Yoo-hoo Yehaw. The frosted, cherry-topped delicacy's alcohol content is so hidden in between the flashback flavor of the childhood-favorite chocolate drink that it's like getting drunk by eating dessert. For bonus points, the winter version of the bar's staple is served hot and is seemingly twice as potent.

Texas Floyd stormed onto the Dallas tribute-band circuit in Summer 2017. They mostly mined the Pink Floyd classic catalog but also dipped into deeper cuts from the discography like "Obscured by Clouds" and "Meddle." In their brief existence, they've been decorated with numerous accolades, taking top honors at the MXD Rock and Metal Awards for best Pink Floyd tribute band in Texas along with landing in the top three for best overall Texas Tribute. Pink Floyd officially bowed out with their final album, but thankfully there is still a place for old- and new-school fans to get their fix without having to leave town.

Venues showcasing local talent in Deep Ellum have decreased in recent years. Three Links has been crucial in keeping the pulse of local music alive. With a schedule that features plenty of touring indie and punk acts, Three Links still hosts local acts of all stripes. From hardcore to synth, pretty much all forms of music beating with an independent heart have a place here. Although the stage is modest in size, it boasts enough quality sound reinforcement to create the illusion of a much bigger venue.

2704 Elm St., 214-484-6011

Paul Slavens is a fixture in local music. The Dentonite who sings and plays keys for the long-running, Dallas-based alt-rock band Ten Hands is truly a virtuoso in his field, and his almost-weekly gig at Dan's Silverleaf in Denton on Mondays is a perfect example of his musical genius. Great for a date night, taking the kids out or just sipping beer, Slavens' Spontaneous Song Generator night gives the audience control. Simply hand Slavens a piece of paper or bar napkin with a made-up song title and a few bucks for a tip, and listen as he makes up a song inspired by your input on the spot. Using his keyboard and beats he's composed and recorded, it's pure fun all around. If you can't grab cash first, Slavens usually offers payment through Venmo.

No other music venue in North Texas has undergone quite as many changes over the past year as Denton's new and improved Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios. The once-grimy DIY venue that's positioned mere feet from the train tracks that run through Denton's industrial district reopened earlier this year after shuttering in 2016 — booting the filthy toilets and sticky floors for a shinier, polished version of itself. The venue has hosted some of North Texas' rowdiest punk shows for a couple of decades, so it was high time for a little spring cleaning. Longtime fans will remember the many stickered and graffitied walls, the bathroom horror stories and possibly the legend about a scorpion falling from the ceiling and stinging a guitar player onstage. Today, under new ownership and staff, Gloves can thrive again as a cleaner arts venue welcoming anyone with a creative itch to its updated and spacious digs.

This year, the Denton Main Street Association presents the 26th annual Twilight Tunes concert series on the lawn of the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square Museum. The free, family-friendly eclectic series features a mix of rock, big band, Motown, Americana, bluegrass and country performers. As long as the weather is nice, it's worth the drive to check out the performance while picnicking on the lawn with sandwiches or a cheese plate from home or a to-go order from a restaurant on the Square. The spring and summer series usually runs from mid-April to the end of June with concerts on Thursdays from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Twilight Tunes is scheduled to return for a fall series on Thursdays Oct. 3 through Oct. 24. The concerts take place rain or shine with an updated indoor location posted on social media.

It's now easier than ever to get to Dallas' best place to dance. After closing its original Knox-Henderson location, Beauty Bar opened shop in a bigger, better location, with a huge dance floor and flashier, more vibrant bar. Getting an Uber or a Lyft in Deep Ellum is a bitch-and-a-half, especially with the new designated drop-off and pick-up areas. So skip those surged fees and hop on the green line to Deep Ellum station. After a quick, 10-minute walk to Beauty Bar, you and your squad will be at the hottest spot in town, ready to get your groove on. Sip on some bomb cocktails and back that thang up on the dance floor to everything from throwback favorites to current bangers.

The résumé of Norman "MouseQuake" Barrett speaks for itself. His national credits for production and engineering work include Lil' Wayne, Nas, David Banner, UGK, Kevin Gates and ScarFace, to name a few. Locally he's crafted and cured beats for Rakim Al Jabbaar, Stone Mecca, DQ Hampton, Flower Child, Shoose McGee, Flexinfab and on and on. MouseQuake's profession can be a thankless job. When the finished product is streamed or performed onstage, it's easy for artists and fans to forget about the person who created the instrumental. What differentiates MouseQuake is that what he provides to the DFW hip-hop community is deeper than beats and proper EQ levels. He's a mentor who shares wisdom and experiences aimed at helping local artists become the best version of themselves.

Kimber "Crimsin" Fox is a DFW native who established her entertainment career and substantial following as a member of the Her Sins Burlesque & Cabaret troupe when she lived in Austin. Upon moving back to Dallas in 2017, she established a subsidiary of the troupe called the Erotic Side of Sin. Through that brand, Fox has done a great deal as a performer and producer to elevate erotic performance art into the mainstream of Dallas burlesque. The themes of her shows include elements of kink and fetish with the intent to normalize expression in ways that are safe and consensual. There's surface entertainment value in her productions, but for Fox it's important that people learn they shouldn't be ashamed of who they are as sexual beings as long as consent has been established.

EvryDay Tony has a lot going for him besides a cool stage name. Honestly, we don't know much about him, but here's what we've gathered so far: The up-and-coming rapper hails from Arlington by way of New Jersey. Lyrically he's armed with potent punch lines and stellar lyricism. Back in March he stood out among a strong crop of talent at the Master of the Mic competition, which he won. Also, EvryDay Tony has a strong team behind him. He's signed to Fort Worth hip-hop icon Erotic-D's label E-World, which means he has plenty of fire beats to go with his exceptional lyrics. For anyone who's in the market to become a new fan of a local rapper, you should listen to his song "Super Nova" immediately when it becomes available. If the legendary Italian director Sergio Leone came back from the dead to direct a modern, hip-hop-influenced western, "Super Nova" would be the theme song.

Promoter and music marketing guru Gavin Mulloy has been a pillar of the Dallas live-music industry for more than a decade. After manning the creative director post at the Granada for five years, he left to oversee marketing for Trees and The Bomb Factory. This made him a vital part of maintaining and elevating the resurgence of live music in Deep Ellum. He also handles marketing for Dallas-Fort Worth's seminal local music event Homegrown Festival. Last year he headed north for a position at Legacy Hall in Plano, which gave instant credibility to their live-music ventures. Mulloy is an outspoken staple of the community whose passion extends to the people and businesses of Deep Ellum. He's typically present at any town hall meeting or panel discussion relevant to Deep Ellum, and whether online or in public, he'll spar with whomever for what he believes is in the best interests of the diverse population of residents, patrons and business owners who are the lifeblood of Deep Ellum.

In the year of our Lord 2019, it's nearly impossible to get a decent adult beverage for under $10. Thankfully, Bryan Street Tavern has us covered. A vodka soda will set you back only $3.25 during happy hour, which is Monday through Friday from 4 to 7 p.m. They also run daily specials like half-price pizza on Mondays and half-price Texas drafts on Tuesdays. It's also a great date spot. When you get bored of all that awkward small talk and you need something to do with your hands, you can play darts or pool. Plus the cavernous lighting is flattering, no matter the time of day. As an added bonus, the bar is a stand-alone establishment with plenty of parking, and they're conveniently located in East Dallas.

Anyone who's lived in Dallas for more than a few years has heard of The Balcony Club. Settled a few feet above ground adjacent to the historic Lakewood Theatre, the Balcony Club is primed for people-watching. The club opened in the late 1980s and has faced many closure threats through the years. Yet the club's original decor and comforting, community-based feeling survives. Folks commingle among the dusty neon and velvet unlike any other place in the city, and whether it's in the bar or the dance floor at Mi Cocina below the balcony, there's always something to eavesdrop on. The best time to visit the club is Sunday nights, when jazz, poetry and people who actually go out on Sunday nights convene. You never know who you'll meet — or what you'll hear.

The Booker T. Washington senior recently announced an impending move to Los Angeles, where the angel-toned Balady will surely be discovered before exiting the plane. Her playful arrangements and emotive scope suggest the maturity of an artist post-burnout and recall — and put her on par with — fellow singer-songwriter-pianist Regina Spektor. Balady's music videos easily surpass 100k views, like last year's "Merry Go Round," a stunning slice of cinema focused on a hypnotic interpretive dancer. But it's the singer's bubbly, uptempo outlook, in songs like "Mustard" and "Begin Again," that will propel her into a playlist must-have.

Sons of Hermann Hall is undoubtedly a landmark of historical significance , but once you step into the bar on the right side of the entrance, that sense of formality is tossed aside immediately. It always feels like an episode of Cheers when you get settled into your barstool, and if you come at the right time, you'll see some people circled around an electric campfire for a jam session that anyone with an instrument is welcome to partake in. Sons gets aptly recognized as one of the best country music venues in town, but not enough people mosey in just to drink. You owe it to yourself to down some dirt-cheap Shiners from plastic cups beneath a ballroom where Townes Van Zandt once stood.

The Limbo Room in the back of Ruins is a gigantic music venue squeezed into one of the smaller music venues in Deep Ellum. For a venue with a maximum capacity of 200 people, Ruins' Production Manager Christopher Kent Cotter has gone above and beyond to ensure that everyone has the best concert experience possible. Cotter was instrumental in finding and installing the sound system along with Emerald City productions, owned by Ryan Kyle McGinnis of Arlington. He is also obsessed with how every show booked by Matt Battaglia looks and sounds, turning to respected freelance audio engineer Eric Anthony Rogers for tuning and Granada Theater's Josh Gully for the venue's incredible lighting rig. Shows in The Limbo Room are typically varied in genre. Accompanied by Ruins' signature drinks and food menu, any show you catch at this small venue is sure to make you feel like a VIP.

The 10th Anniversary of Homegrown Music and Arts Festival may have been forced to split into two days due to inclement weather, but you never would have known it. Despite the absence of regularly scheduled performers, the packed festival was treated to performances by favorites like Pearl Earl and 40 Acre Mule, the first live performance ever by Oscar DeLaughter, the ATO Records label-signing celebration of Black Pumas and a mind-blowing performance by Tripping Daisy featuring a walkthrough by the long-lost brother of Guglielmo Achille Cavellini, the Italian artist on the cover of the band's breakthrough 1995 album I Am an Elastic Firecracker. Capped off with an electric performance by Toadies, Homegrown proved to be North Texas' favorite festival with its never-say-die attitude and dedication to showcasing the best musicians from all genres across the state.