Arts & Entertainment

Houston-born and, lately, Fort Worth-based Robert Ellis is a maelstrom of musical output. The singer-songwriter, a part owner of Niles City Sound (and the studio-affiliated label, Niles City Records), just released a superb new solo LP, Yesterday's News, to the same sort of acclaim he helps acts like Jamestown Revival and Thomas Csorba earn via his work as a producer. Ellis also finds the time, somehow, to tour extensively across the United States and Europe, both on his own and as a support act for artists like Ben Kweller and Belaver.

It’s a safe bet that question is asked every day around Dallas. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, North Texas was home to three of the 10 fastest-growing counties in the nation between 2020 and ’22, — Kaufman, Rockwall and Parker — and Collin and Denton county were among those with the largest net population gains.

Relocating to another metro area is daunting, but luckily immigrants to Dallas have a resource designed to make them feel right at home: Dallasites101, created by Kara Cecala and Lily Kramlich-Taylor. They’re Dallas immigrants, naturally: Cecala is from Connecticut and Kramlich-Taylor from California. They met through mutual acquaintances after moving to Dallas for work in 2014 and bonded over a shared love for their new home.

“We kept meeting a lot of other transplants who didn’t love living in Dallas,” Kramlich-Taylor says. “They would talk to us about how they would go to work and go home and didn’t know how to meet people. They didn’t enjoy the city, and it made us really sad to hear because we were having so much fun.”

The pair started an Instagram page to share their experiences with other newcomers.

Dallasites101 — the name is a riff on introductory college courses — was created in 2015. The original goal was to serve a niche market of newcomers. After the two got their first offer of money from a local restaurant to place a post on their Instagram site, the model shifted as more offers came in.

Today, calling them influencers is a stretch. Cecala and Lily Kramlich-Taylor’s creation has become a small, booming media and marketing business located in a converted house in the State-Thomas District. They employ more than two dozen people and have expanded into newsletters, event planning, advertising and media management.

Planners naturally look to the future, and the pair already have their eyes on further expansion. They’ve created Austinites101 on Instagram, and they founded 101Media as an umbrella group for their efforts, which include managing social media for businesses and possible expansion into other cities. Cecala says they’re moving carefully on entering other markets, since key to their success here is the fact that they are here, talking knowledgeably about the city they grew to love.

In the meantime, their Dallasites101.com website continues to expand and has become a go-to resource loaded with event news, lists of popular venues and businesses, and news on the latest trends.

“We truly just wanted to encourage people to get out and about in Dallas and have a great day here and not second-guess living here,” Cecala says. “We really felt like we wanted to create community here.”

Following 2022's scorching debut EP Maniac, North Texas metal lords Fugitive are already back for more blood. The supergroup includes guitarist Blake Ibanez of Power Trip fame, plus members of Creeping Death, Scourge, Impalers and Stymie. Fugitive recently dropped a music video for its latest devastating thrash cut, "Blast Furnace," melding an old-school, VHS aesthetic with seriously sick new riffs. Watching "Blast Furnace" feels like viewing history in the making: Fugitive is well on its way to securing metal legend status. Mark our words.

Love & Death, starring Dallas native Jesse Plemons and Elizabeth Olsen (WandaVision, Wind River), is a masterwork based on a true-crime tale that unfolded in nearby Wylie. In the limited series, Olsen plays Candy Montgomery, a bored housewife who strikes up an affair with her friend's husband (Plemons). Things then go terribly wrong, as in ax-murder wrong. Love & Death is pitch-perfect North Texas circa 1980. Filmmakers got everything right, from the accents to the small-town rumor mill to supporting actress Krysten Ritter's closer-to-God hair. This show better bring home all the dang awards or we'll lose even more faith in humanity.

This sophomore LP from Frozen Soul is further proof that Dallas is home to the most cutthroat metal around. The band is upping the undead ante with 2023's Glacial Domination, an impressive effort co-produced by Trivium's Matt Heafy, with guest appearances by North Texas' Reese Alavi (Creeping Death) and Blake Ibanez (Power Trip, Fugitive). Glacial Domination's bone-chilling death metal is the perfect tonic to Texas' stupid-hot summers, and its ambitious-yet-accessible tracks will rattle around in your skull for days. Frozen Soul is definitely the band to watch.

This born-and-raised Dallas Democrat is gearing up for the match of his life. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Colin Allred announced his entry into the 2024 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate. Allred, a former NFL athlete, impressed politicos in 2018 when he flipped Republican U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions' seat blue. Now he's bringing that same fighting spirit to take on GOP Sen. Ted Cruz. Allred has rapidly expanded his name recognition and reported robust campaign fundraising. His dedication to bipartisan legislating makes him the advocate that Texas desperately needs in the Senate.

Oh, Longhorn Ballroom: How we missed thee. The irreplaceable Dallas music venue recently came back with a bang after Edwin Cabaniss, who's also behind The Kessler, bought it in 2021. The Longhorn's much-anticipated renovation was well worth the wait, as it now serves as a mini-music museum where concertgoers can take in history while sipping a beer. Over the years, the Longhorn has been visited by country-music gods like Willie Nelson, Emmylou Haris, Merle Haggard and Asleep at the Wheel. Here's to a bright future, Longhorn.

GOP lawmakers may have succeeded in banning abortion statewide, but reproductive rights groups haven't stopped working to get folks the care they need. The Texas Equal Access Fund continues to help low-income North Texans attain abortion care by offering financial and emotional support. Those who can't afford to travel out of state for an abortion can contact this nonprofit for assistance. TEA Fund tirelessly advocates to correct misinformation and break down stigmas surrounding abortion. The organization's work is more crucial today than ever.

Some shows may be splashier or garner more ink, but the DMA's Saints, Sinners, Lovers, Fools: 300 Years of Flemish Masterworks is the must-see exhibition of the year. This irreverent yet elegant collection of more than 130 rarely seen works from The Phoebus Foundation in Antwerp, Belgium, includes work by Hans Memling and Peter Paul Rubens. Saints unveils the best and worst of the human condition, from ethereal paintings of the Nativity and the Magi to whimsical portrayals of medieval life full of greedy merchants and frolicking fools. The intricate brushwork and incredible details keep audiences returning for more: The DMA has extended the exhibition through Oct. 15, 2023.

The Dallas art scene has gone through ebbs and flows in the past decade, but we are definitely on an upswing when spaces like Keijsers Koning join the mix. Delivering art of all media and aesthetics with a dollop of humor, the gallery opened in early 2022 and has a little something for everyone. Its Art Fair offerings were particularly droll, with a rainbow troll doll sculpture by Brent Birnbaum and neon cherry pierced by a screw by Tamara Johnson. Curator/owner Bart Keijsers Koning isn't afraid to mount work with a bit of controversy, either. Recent exhibitions have included the feminist-focused Breathing Among Werewolves group show and an exhibit of work by industrial pioneer/provocateur Genesis Breyer P-Orridge and Eric Heist, to name a few.

Attending the theater can heighten emotions, but should one expect to laugh, cry and dance? Very Good Dance Theatre has a magical way of creating space for audience members to become participants through immersive performances that have a wide range of content. It could be the intimate scenes from collaborative works with movement monologues that will make you weep or The Annual Gay Show, a production that is absolutely wild, challenging the perceptions of what dance should be and redefining what it means to be "good." Fortunately, that can include everything from bondage to ritualistic poetry that ends in a sparkle party disco. Absolutely wild, absolutely profound, absolutely perfect.

Event locations vary.

This joint is tucked into a lot next to a tire shop, and the only evidence of life after dark is a dimly lit sign that reads, "Cocktails and Dancing," shining like a dive bar beacon. It's everything you could possibly want in a dive: carpeted floors, a jukebox, a shuffleboard table along the wall and the light of the neon moon glowing from every fixture. "It's just a neighborhood little fun spot," owner Kent Smith, who can usually be found in his corner bar spot, told WFAA in 2017. No sports, no fuss, and they don't put up with assholes. Most nights the bar serves as a bumping karaoke spot with classic movies playing on the television screens. It's a perfect place for a shot and a beer, cocktails, dancing and a night you may not remember.

Before the pandemic, Deep Ellum had become a certified country gold hot spot, but in the years since, honky-tonkin' spots such as Mama Tried and Blue Light Dallas have blown away like tumbleweed in a desert ghost town. The 2022 arrival of the Wounded Ostrich on Main Street injected some twang back into town, with a steady stream of live country and folk talent as well as pool, darts and cocktails you can (literally) buy and drink by the bucket. If alcohol served in buckets isn't country, what is?

From Lil Wayne to Summer Walker to Gucci Mane, Headquarters has kept its focus on providing partygoers with the ultimate nightlife experience by the world's biggest stars. Imagine enjoying great drinks at great prices or VIP bottle service around the most stylish people with your favorite celebrity performing right next to you between sets by the city's best DJs. Toss in a reasonable cover charge and more celebrities ready to party on any Friday and Saturday night. The line that always stretches around the building includes people from all over the world who have heard about the nightclub either through word-of-mouth or through 96.8 million hashtags on TikTok, The exquisitely spacious Chris Poux-owned nightclub gives you a night you will love to remember over and over again. Everybody is somebody at Headquarters.

When Love Is Blind came to Dallas for its third season, we were beyond pumped. A binge-worthy reality show featuring some of the hottest singles Big D has to offer? Sign us up. But one contestant especially stood out thanks to her love of fitness and clean eating: Raven Ross. We've been following Ross' posts on Instagram, and her down-to-earth, lighthearted approach to getting healthy has us feeling like we can take on the world. Ross is the positive inspiration that we've needed to finally get our asses to the Pilates studio.

HG Sply Co. has good eats and drinks and a great space to enjoy it all. The rooftop patio at this cool spot offers comfortable seating and a great view of bustling Lower Greenville. With 9,000 square feet of space, it has more than enough room to spread out and take in this vibrant piece of Dallas. Stylish wooden furniture and string lights overhead give off the perfect rustic vibe for you and your friends to sit back and get cozy as you stuff your face and slam drinks down your gullet.

Rubber Gloves is one resilient venue. After COVID-19 hit in 2020, the renowned Denton mainstay managed to avoid a fate that befell countless other clubs. That tenacity has paid off, and Rubber Gloves hosts some of the most brutal metal acts around. From national bands to hometown heroes, this venue always has its finger on the pulse of the metal scene. And at a time when certain stages are spurning mosh, Gloves' consistently packed shows are conducive to fierce-yet-friendly pits and harmonious headbanging. Thanks, Rubber Gloves, for cultivating a mecca for local metalheads.

Operating as a nonprofit in a beautifully restored, hundred-year-old church in Winnetka Heights, Arts Mission Oak Cliff provides a radically different kind of space for local artists, one that focuses on health, wellness and the creation of new, original works. Yoga and meditation classes, hilarious comedy nights, an Artist's Way book study, Canorra's multimedia and fashion show event, live music performances by Home by Hovercraft and 808 Saints, a full theatrical fun of Cabaret, locally written works of "Artists-in-Residence" Rai Barnard and Very Good Dance Theatre, and a Beginner Beyoncé Ballet class have made for a staggering repertoire and a year of sold-out performances. If more venues and event spaces followed this business model, it could revolutionize the arts culture in DFW.

There aren't as many festivals here as there were before the pandemic, but one thing is as true now as it has been for more than 25 years. The annual KHYI Texas Music Revolution is a mandatory appointment for any serious Texas country fan in the Dallas area. For the past three years, the two-day fest has taken over the historic downtown square in McKinney, where several stages within easy walking distance offer headliners such as Randy Rogers and Charley Crockett along with the most exciting up-and-coming talent.

This local couple knows how to deliver the true crime goods: with excellent wine. Brandy and Chris Diamond's Texas Wine and True Crime podcast covers some of the most sordid tales to have unfolded in this state. The Diamonds recently taped a live episode at the Dallas Public Library's True Crime Mini-Convention to discuss the resurgent Candy Montgomery case, and they've also aired a series about the 2016 Midlothian murder of Missy Bevers. True to its name, Texas Wine and True Crime thoughtfully highlights Lone Star State-grown wines, making this podcast an all-around gem.

Nonprofit Deep Ellum 100 started as a way to help the musicians, businesses and workers of the entertainment district affected by the pandemic. A year or so later, it took on an incredible musical project: updating the Sounds of Deep Ellum album from 1987. Among hundreds of applicants, Deep Ellum 100 selected the 10 definitive musical acts that represented the sound of the time and helped keep music at the heart of the neighborhood. Together with a team of local producers and artists, the group recorded a live showcase at Trees that yielded a compilation album of performances by Lorelei K, Skinny Cooks, Memory Shivers, Maya Piata, Cure for Paranoia, Stone Mecca, Flower Child, Chilldren of Indigo, Ducado Vega and Labretta Suede and The Motel 6. It's now on vinyl, serving as an archive for the era.

The next time you feel a mean hangover coming on, pour yourself a bloody mary and crank up this song. Vincent Neil Emerson serves up some juicy, twangy goodness in this cover of "Bloody Mary Morning," one of Willie Nelson's essential drinking cuts. Emerson's version of the tune makes for the perfect first song on the album One Night in Texas: The Next Waltz's Tribute to The Red Headed Stranger, which also includes renditions by legends Ray Wylie Hubbard and Shinyribs.

What is Erykah Badu up to now? When it comes to Dallas' High Priestess of Cool, the better question to ask these days is what isn't she doing? Seemingly every day, news of another fascinating Badu endeavor ricochets around the internet: Her collaboration with cannabis entrepreneur Berner; her appearance at this year's Met Gala; her arena-headlining tour with yasiin bey — hell, by the time you read this, she'll probably have done 12 more awesome things. Given her current ubiquity (did we mention landing the covers of both Vogue and Elle Brazil in the span of three months?), there's a sense the world has possibly caught up to the woman who has long been ahead of us all.

The first thing you notice while listening to Aperture, Mesquite native Hannah Jadagu's full-length debut on Sub Pop, is the songs' intimacy. Jadagu's lovely, delicate voice threads through precisely constructed thickets of snarling guitars, burbling synths and fleeting digital flourishes born out of her early days in the Dallas suburbs as a shy homebody impulsively assembling sonic collages on her iPhone 7. While she makes her home in New York these days (and studies at NYU), the 20-year-old Jadagu is also busy turning heads and earning raves from the likes of The New York Times with her cozy but commanding work.

Dallas' comedy community is relatively new, but locals have gone on to carve out huge comedy careers, and Ralph Barbosa is one of the newest names destined for stardom. The most admirable part is how humble and shy he is in an era of comedy where testing the edge to see what you can get away with and ramping up the energy in lieu of good writing are shortcuts to the spotlight. He calls himself "one of the shyest attention hogs to ever do comedy" on his website, but any comedy fan knows that the quiet ones often have the best material because their patience gives the time to write and practice. He's got a Bob Newhart vibe where he seems sedated but still enthused by his material. Barbosa started the year with a performance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, followed it by opening for Dave Chappelle and ended it with a sold-out, six-show run of live performances at The Kessler that will become his first feature length special on Netflix.

Dallas resident and Denton native Dustin Ballard has 2.7 million TikTok followers who are following him straight into the pits of despair. On his TikTok account "There I Ruined It," he car-crashes two songs that have no business together, and the results have a strange beauty to them. Want to hear Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" sung to the backing instrumentals of Bob Wills' "Cherokee Maiden"? What about Josh Groban's "You Raise Me Up" to the backing instrumentals of blink-182's "All the Small Things"? Ballard has done all of it, and with the advent of artificial intelligence, he has also recently taken to AI remixes, including one of Frank Sinatra singing Lil Jon's "Get Low." Such antics have earned Ballard the attention of victims such as Lizzo, Ed Sheeran and Snoop Dogg. The words, "Thanks, I hate it" apply here, but with a bit more emphasis on the word "thanks."

After spending a couple of years or so paying dues at clubs like Rubber Gloves and Andy's, Denton band Homewrecker & the Bedwetters played an EP release show in support of their Undressing EP. The all-local show brought a crowd literally in the hundreds, and it had the energy and exuberance that will have attendees reminiscing far into the future. The way Gen-X scenesters in North Texas wax nostalgic about seeing Funland and Baboon play to hundreds at the Fry Street Fair, the attendees at Homewrecker's EP release show will be telling others about how people stage-dived as the band played "You Are Valid and We Love You."

It's cool to buy handmade ceramics, and it's even cooler when your ceramics come from an artist in your very own city. It's eco-friendly, and it's something to brag about to your friends. Make sure to let them know that if you were to mistakenly eat off of any mass-produced IKEA ceramics, you could go into anaphylactic shock. Cue Stephen Salter, who produces some of the most impressive and practical ceramics around, ones that are as beautiful as they are useful. Salter has a tangible passion for ceramics, and he loves to share his process with the world. He has an entire TikTok dedicated to his work and how it's done. You could stare at the mesmerizing rotating clay for hours, and you will, because you're probably addicted to social media. Once you're sufficiently influenced, click over to his Etsy page and bust out your credit card.

Maybe you just broke up with your long-term boyfriend, or maybe you are just one more heinously unfunny prompt on Hinge away from a brain aneurysm. Dating is exhausting, and if you feel the ick toward one more man you thought you might have had feelings for, you may become celibate for life. So, it's not a crime that you just want to hook up with a man who isn't going to hit you up to ask how you think the first date went. What you need is a trip to Barley House, the best bar in Dallas to find current and former frat guys. The guys here won't even ask you what your name is, and that's just fine. Grab a pitcher of beer, do some shots and let loose with Logan, Kyle or ... Todd. He'll take you back to his beige unfurnished apartment, you'll have a good time, and you'll never have to hear him tell you about how he could have been a professional athlete if it wasn't for that one injury in high school.

It can't be easy to come forward with claims of abuse, but doing that in front of the entire world takes some serious guts. That's just what Dallas-based entrepreneur Courtney Vucekovich did in House of Hammer, a Discovery+ docuseries in which she airs gruesome accusations (including flirtations with cannibalism) against her ex-boyfriend, actor Armie Hammer. Vucekovich alleges that her romance with Hammer turned so dark that it left her with PTSD. Several other women detailed similar accounts, which Hammer has denied. Vucekovich's bravery and mental health advocacy will undoubtedly help countless women avoid toxic relationships.

From the Texas House to the U.S. House, Jasmine Crockett's political star continues to rise. Crockett previously earned the Observer's "Best Freshman Lawmaker" during her time representing Texas House District 100, which stretches across parts of Dallas. She's now bringing that same fighting spirit to the nation's capital, where she recently went viral for her verbal takedown of U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, the controversial Colorado Republican, after Boebert was rude to a witness at a congressional hearing. Crockett's dedication to voting rights and civil liberties is apparent, and we're excited to see where her political career takes her next.

Since launching several years ago, KUZU 92.9 FM has been disrupting the airwaves in Denton in the best way possible. The nonprofit radio station champions local artists, helping to keep the North Texas music scene alive and well. Its grade-A DJs spin some of the most eclectic selections around, and KUZU's true DIY spirit cements its place as the standard-bearer for community radio. Be sure to roll up a fat doobie and tune into 92.9 FM for an always-excellent mix of killer tunes.

For weeks in early 2023, people were on high alert following a series of break-ins at the Dallas Zoo. Enclosures were tampered with, including the clouded leopard and langur monkey exhibits, and a lappet-faced vulture died from an apparent stab wound. Two emperor tamarin monkeys vanished and were later found at a boarded-up community home in Lancaster. The bizarre string of events captivated Dallasites until police arrested a 24-year-old man in connection with the crimes.

For most musicians, the idea of covering Queen Lizzo must feel pretty daunting. Joshua Ray Walker, Dallas' consummate country king, was clearly up to the challenge. In Walker's take on "Cuz I Love You," his majestic vocal range is on full display, sending chills up listeners' spines. Damn, that man can hold a falsetto note like no one's business. The banger's black-and-white music video was directed by Walker, who captivates on screen in a gender-bending outfit complete with a feather boa. We've said it before, and we'll say it again: Walker is destined to become country royalty.

We love it when North Texans get to strut their talents on TV, and that's exactly what Anthony "Lanky" Langston did on Secret Chef. The bartender-cum-home chef — who also works at the ever-delectable Ten : One Artisanal Cheese Shop in Denton — recently took home the top prize on the Hulu cooking competition, brought to viewers by executive producer and famed restaurateur David Chang. Langston's smarts and culinary creativity set him apart from the pack, and he ultimately wound up winning the $100,000 grand prize.

Did y'all know we have a five-time Grammy Award-winning violinist in our midst? A recent addition to the city, Tixier is an incredibly accomplished violinist. Originally from Paris, he moved to New York some years ago. Lucky for us, his next move was to our little old city. He's played with Stevie Wonder, Adele, Hans Zimmer, Beyonce and many more insanely famous people. He's also a professor at UNT. So, yeah, he does a lot. You can Google him; he has his own Wikipedia page and one hell of a resume. You may even stumble across a performance of his at a random party if you're very lucky (or know the right people). He's obviously one of the coolest people in Dallas, and he is super nice too. Some people really do have it all.

On the edge of Old Koreatown is a spot whose interior looks like any well-worn Dallas dive, a dimly lit room full of dark wood-paneled walls and tables covered in graffiti. But the bar has a TV blasting K-pop videos, there's a fridge stocked with Soju in every flavor and the kitchen slings a full menu of hot, delicious Korean food. For the most immersive experience, we suggest sitting at the bar, drinking an alcoholic boba with a side of K-pop fries and taking in the high-value production of the music videos by bands like BTS and BLACKPINK that paved the way for K-pop to take the world by storm.

Dallas-born actor Jesse Plemons is a friggin' chameleon. He effortlessly goes from playing a villain in Breaking Bad to a bumbling affair-haver in HBO's Love & Death. Plemons' drama chops earned him an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in the 2021 Western psychological thriller The Power of the Dog. The thespian's dedication to on-screen truth telling is apparent, and his nuanced takes on complex characters set him apart from the rest of young Hollywood. It's only a matter of time before Plemons brings home an Oscar.

Dallas native Cooper Raiff wrote, produced, directed and starred in Cha Cha Real Smooth, which premiered at Sundance in early 2022 and started streaming on Apple TV+ that June. The dramedy has generated positive reviews — including an 85% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — and has a formidable cast, including Dakota Johnson (Suspiria, 50 Shades of Grey) and Leslie Mann (The 40-Year-Old Virgin). Raiff, 26, was a pupil at Greenhill School and the Dallas Young Actors Studio, and last year he was named one of Variety's "10 Directors to Watch."

Dallas is big, so figuring out what to do on a night out can be a daunting task. Lower Greenville is a standout option, as you can quench your thirst for a tried-and-true Texas experience while also exploring everything else the city has to offer. Get your BBQ at Son of a Butcher, have an "Italo Texano" dessert at Botolino, bar hop down the street or watch live music at Sundown at Granada. However you choose to customize your time on the block, it will be worth it.

Queer icon Jo Sappho has been keeping Barb's Burlesque absolutely bumping the third Wednesday of every month, producing an evening of gender-bending acts, drag kings and queens, special guest performers and a healthy dose of comedy for packed houses at the beloved Oak Cliff dive known as Barbara's Pavillion, a true LGBTQ+ gem. You might be wooed by some of the hottest burlesque performers around, such as Mina Montenegro, Vivienne Vermuth and Sodi Moore, or even catch a glimpse of the rugged pistol-packing cowboy, the notorious naked hot dog vendor or any one of the personas Sappho sports that totally blow the doors off traditional burlesque and keep it sexy, fun and did we say queer?

Located in the heart of Deep Ellum, Third String Entertainment produces hundreds of concerts each year for bands of all sizes. Since 2004, the entertainment company has grown to promote two annual music festivals in the area: Unsilent Night at Gilley's Dallas and the So What!? Music Festival in Fair Park. While each of those festivals brings in dozens of bands and thousands of fans, where Third String really stands out is the daily concerts it books across Texas. This is a company that strives to grow the local music scene, whether by sending local acts across the country or pairing them with the national acts that come through town. While North Texas remains the company's biggest market, it has expanded into Houston, San Antonio and Austin, and it has big plans for the Midwest.

Whenever a hip-hop-loving Dallasite is asked who the best rapper in DFW is right now, BigXThaPlug is the 9-out-of-10 immediate response because of his unified, organic support from the music industry, radio stations, peers and, most importantly, fans. This year has been one of milestones for the larger-than-life star, with opening tour spots for rap superstars Key Glock and Kevin Gates. The runaway success of Plug's No. 1 debut album, AMAR, spawned an appearance on the Fast X soundtrack, a sold-out nationwide tour and a shared appearance alongside the rap icon Eminem as BigX walked out DFW boxing star Errol Spence Jr. in the fight of the decade. It all happened in front of a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and 650,000 pay-per-view fans worldwide.

Texas welcomed the freewheeling Meow Wolf's latest permanent exhibition when it opened earlier this summer. But the 30,000-square-foot walk-through attraction in Grapevine Mills wasn't merely wanted around these parts — it was needed. Meow Wolf brings viewers into an alternate reality via a two-story brick replica of a family home constructed in a former Bed, Bath & Beyond in Grapevine. It tells the story of a disappearing family, offering clues among the art and hidden in nooks and crannies. It's the perfect place to keep the littles occupied when it's hot outside and an inspirational example of what ambitious creatives can do when they put their minds to it. And it's the perfect place for arty Gen Zers to feel seen and appreciated, just as they are.

Let's face it: White dudes have had more of their fair share of artistic accolades and gallery shows, which is why the programming at Daisha Board Gallery is so refreshing. Board, a self-made art expert, got the idea to create her own space showing BIPOC, LGBTQ+ and artists with disabilities after her daughter Savannah asked why there weren't images of people like her in the museums and galleries they frequented. This led to the founding of Black Sheep Art Culture and Board's eponymous space, which opened in November 2021. Board added to her artistic mission by opening a second space next to the Joule during art week, giving her more room to show energetic, inspiring work.

Although most museums embody a "look, don't touch" philosophy, the Nasher bends that rule (just a little) for shows like Steel Like Paper by Mark DiSuvero, which included a hug-like sling called "Swing" that begs kids of all ages to climb on in. Add to that a sculpture garden that invites hide-and-seek style exploration and the institution's annual kid-friendly "The Great Create" event, and you have a perfect mix of elements to inspire the next generation of artists.

This category is crowded with movie theaters debuting La-Z-Boy-esque chairs by the hundreds to bring a touch of luxury to their theaters. But Inwood Theatre has always known what's up. The setup here dares to ask what happens if movie theater seats were sort of a bunch of beds with some pillows — and some bean bags, too, of course. If you are still searching for a theater to set forth on your Barb-enheimer marathon, look no further.

A fire station is probably not your first choice of a destination for a night out. It might even be the last place you would like your night to end. But The Firehouse Theatre is the perfect place to see a live theater if you're craving art but your eyes are growing weary from endless at-home streaming. Tucked inside a historic 1958 fire station facade, the intimate theater puts on beloved theater classics and some off-the-beaten-path gems. Blankets are offered for all to enjoy. Its 2023 season includes Newsies, The Addams Family, Finding Nemo Jr., and Miracle on 34th Street.

An outdoor performing arts venue next door to Woodall Rodgers Freeway? It's a tough sell, but it works. Watch a jazz tribute band while the sunset lights the skyline or a new alternative rock band with your toes in the grass, reclining in a lawn chair you probably haven't used since watching a T-ball game. If you can't see a show, the space is also open to the public while private events aren't happening, and the ambiance is just as great.

Burned out? Or just art thirsty? There's no better way to unplug, drift away and recharge your creative batteries than DAMN. Started in 2015 by musician Cody McPhail, DAMN's performances set experimental sounds to abstracted visuals with mind-expanding results. Offering local artists sculpting kaleidoscopic visuals on panoramic screens, each entry is a journey through innerspace that's like communing with the numinous. Having brought heavy-hitters such as New Age legend Laraaji and composer Steve Hauschildt of Emeralds fame to our city, DAMN provides an immersive musical experience like nothing else in Dallas.

Showcasing the types of gorey, grungy cinema that went straight to grindhouse theaters in the '80s and direct to VHS in the '90s, Texas Theatre's TNT series is a blast. These free screenings happen on the first Tuesday of each month and frequently include local horror-themed vendors and boozy after-parties in the Texas Theatre's lounge. If you like violent slashers, creature features, cheap special FX or just lo-fi, unintentionally funny flix, TNT is up your alley and then some. Sit back, melt into your seat and let the refreshing trash wash over you.

OK, we admit that it took us far too long to realize that Shaquille "Shaq" O'Neal, NBA titan-turned-actor extraordinaire, lives in Carrollton. But boy are we glad. The inimitable celeb is now bringing his love for bass-heavy music to North Texas audiences via his much-buzzed-about namesake music festival. This September, Shaq's Bass All-Stars boasted top-tier acts such as Alison Wonderland, DJ Diesel (Shaq's music persona), Kai Wachi, Sullivan King and Crankdat. Next time you see Shaq, be sure to tell him that we're grateful he's bringing such baller bass gods to Texas.

Texas Cannabis Collective is a Facebook group run by and for people looking to know the latest on everything cannabis in the state. Whether you're seeking some funny 4/20 memes, the latest on Texas cannabis news or just looking to connect with other cannabis enthusiasts like yourself, you'll want to join the Texas Cannabis Collective Facebook group. The group is mainly a social place for anyone following the nonprofit Texas Cannabis Collective. Started by local activist Daryoush Zamhariri, the nonprofit strives to advance cannabis laws across the Lone Star State. So, if you have a funny cannabis-related meme to share or have genuine questions about the legal landscape in Texas, join the Texas Cannabis Collective group on Facebook.

In a sea of podcasts that focus on musicians, this one has found a fresh and unique angle. It simply asks them about the strangest gig they've ever played. Host Chris J. Norwood is a seasoned musician and founding member of the band Texicana who has just started a new project, Chris J. Norwood & The Knockdown Dragout. Norwood has presented a range of DFW's favorite musicians, including Salim Nourallah, Chris Holt and Matt Hillyer, to name a few. The edits are slick and the specific nature of the topic often sparks previously untold stories from the artists. Norwood is a great host, presenting a relaxed conversational style that puts guests at ease and makes for an listen every time.

Kids are active, vibrant, imagination machines who run around trying to live out their most fantastical dreams, even if that means just pretending that they have an imaginary friend or believing they can fly. Don't believe us? Sit a young person down, give them a pad and a piece of paper and tell them to draw whatever they want. So what happens when you give a bunch of imaginative teenagers a whole room to use as their canvas? The creative learning center SPARK! did exactly that for a pop-up exhibition called Prismatic, and the results were fantastic. A group of four high school students was tasked with designing one of six rooms in which they would immerse their guests, using only a single color as their theme. They produced rooms that could draw emotions from pure happiness in the bright and cheery "Sunjoy" room to sheer dread in the "CitySlime" room. One group created a monstrous, friendly creature decorated in furry orange and another used its red room to make guests feel invaded by prying eyes poking out of pixelated walls. SPARK! took a chance on them in a way that paid off big.

The word "clubbing" has gotten a bad rap. Maybe because it evokes soulless, machine-made, repetitive beats fit for a torture chamber, or maybe it's the memory of velvet-roped-off snobbery and overpriced and disappointing nights. But clubs can also be catalysts for counterculture. Think Studio 54, Lizard Lounge, Starck Club. Double D's is not quite like any of those, but it was truly needed in Dallas. The name and slogan ("This is not a tittie bar") should tip you off. The Design District bar doesn't take itself so seriously; it's glamorous but unpretentious, the crowd is ageless, the service friendly and the cocktails exciting. This is the place to tell your intrusive, self-aware thoughts to shut up and dance.

Social media serves many functions, and influencers' jobs largely consist of being better than you in every way. Connor Hubbard, known online as @Hubs.Life, wants to normalize ... normalcy. The Dallas native films himself doing the most mundane 9–5 yuppie crap ever: getting dressed, making a smoothie, going to work. It's like the start of a great film, except nothing eventful will disrupt the flat plot line, and there's a real beauty to finding value in our comfortable monotony and coming to love the expected.

There are Latin clubs where you can dance salsa, and then there's Club Vivo, a dark, warehouse-ish, large box that's more of a meeting spot for South Americans. Whether it's a World Cup game or a Los Auténticos Decadentes concert, Vivo provides a safe space to let your flags fly. You can count on finding empanadas for sale on Argentine cumbia night — when you can bust out soccer chants like you have Messi-specific Tourette's. The drinks are overpriced like they're denominated in pesos, not dollars, but the club upstairs knows the real Latin songs we want to hear, so we're drunk enough on nostalgia.

Great artistic experiences walk a fine line between avant-garde and laughably artsy. Ochre House has always been on point. Its theater productions are original, boundlessly creative, well-produced small wonders that leave audiences as pensive as they are delighted for a good few months after a show. Founder Matthew Posey is a courageous art conspirator who's long enriched the cultural scene through Ochre House's oddball characters, strikingly original plays and locally grown music and theatrical talent. The Exposition Avenue theater is a nook of uncompromising art in a vast landscape of commercialized entertainment. That alone is worth the ticket, but there's also a "donate what you can" night.

Nonprofit Dallas Summer Musicals has brought the best of New York's marquees to Dallas since 1941, so it only made sense that a year ago the company changed its name to Broadway Dallas. With recent productions such as Moulin Rouge and Pretty Woman, the organization brings the lights, action and super-nasal singing of musical theater to places such as the Winspear Opera House and Fair Park. Give your regards to Broadway right at home.

It seems that every influencer is in cahoots with the airline industry to get you flying like a bat outta hell anywhere away from your couch. But we really just want to know what's nearby, so we can have some attainable goals for realistic day trips we're actually going to take. Not that a treehouse hotel in Bali doesn't sound nice; we just know ourselves. That's why blogger My Curly Adventures is such a spirit guide. She knows the best stays, pools, events and natural beauty spots near and far from North Texas. If you're looking for the nearest turquoise-water oasis or the "weirdest" things to do, she has the map to these Texas treasures.

Downtown McKinney is absolutely charming. Among its cookie shops, record shop and vintage shops is a big comic book store with a wide-open space large enough to fit your enthusiasm for all things nerdville. The shop has a well-stocked selection of board games, anime books, posters and comics to entertain every type of cool geek out there. Our favorite thing, though, is the long mezzanine overlooking the store, which offers seating so you can get lost in your fantasy of choice.

Here's one fantasy we don't share with one another enough: the game shows on which we'd love to participate. Not everyone needs to be Jeopardy smart. Some of those clues are unnecessarily convoluted, and those who can guess when the price is right just might be far more financially intelligent. Whatever your personal skills, show them off with a group at Game Show Battle Rooms. Yes, this is something Michael Scott would totally force on his Dunder-Mifflin staff as a (cringe) team-building exercise, but we only wish we could spend the workday this way. Or, bring your relatives and get ahead of the Thanksgiving fights by starting the family feud early.

Opera can sometimes seem like an excuse for rich people to dress up and take a really fancy nap. And while the most moving of arias and fanciful costumes are worth the splurge, there's a whole lot of "what's happening" in between the breathtaking moments if you don't speak Italian. Or German. Or is it Elvish? Wagner's Das Rheingold, performed by the Dallas Opera in February, is part of the composer's four-opera Ring Cycle series. The Dallas Opera delivered the "visual magic" it aimed for with an inarguably spectacular production.

Thanks to Dallas' efforts to preserve jazz education — look to Booker T. Washington High School or the University of North Texas' music programs — the city isn't short on talented brass players. Yet Quamon Fowler still stands out as a saxophone player with his 25-plus-years of hitting jazz notes right in the soul. The musician, teacher and bandleader has released seven albums and won third place in the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition in 2008, and he continues to melt the ear off listeners with the Quamon Fowler Quartet. He's as smooth as it gets.

Most Instagram makeup accounts are fun to look at, but Bailey Turfitt's craft is on another level entirely. The artist creates photography collections that pop on Instagram's feed as they would hanging on any art gallery. With accomplished special effects, makeup skills and an ability to turn a self-portrait into a dynamic theatrical still, her account is nothing short of mesmerizing and feels more like a great bit of performance art in 2D.

Dean Terry's mad brainchild, the experimental theater collective Therefore, made a comeback this year with AT&T Performing Art Center's Elevator Project series. The play Poems for Broken Screens was an intermedia collection of skits that delve deeply into digital existentialism, much like its 2018 predecessor, The Alexa Dialogues. The high-tech components of the show are just as masterful as its flesh-and-bone actors, including Abel Flores and Hilly Holsonback, and its impressive original music. The result was a too-real analysis of the ways technology exposes the best and worst of us.

Quite a few publications are devoted to local events (cough) but we gotta hand it to @Dallaslovelist for getting us excited for the newest pop-up or food find. From kid-friendly spots to floating hotel suites, you'll always find a destination for your weekend plans among its recommendations. Between its Instagram and TikTok, the local influencer account has more than 750K followers, so even purists who aren't fans of social media can agree that @Dallaslovelist plays a part in driving the local economy.

Modern art isn't for everyone, especially the modern art that seems inspired by the schools of artists working at Pixar and Dreamworks. But if you love the whimsy inherent in a giant sculpture of a balloon animal, then you'll be more than tickled by the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth. This is a great space for kids to learn about art and, most important, how to coexist in society by being civilized in shared spaces. Highlights include the massive Kaws sculpture at the edge of the museum's pond, a large installation by post-modern genius Jenny Holzer and contemporary exhibitions such as the recent Black Mirror-like take on technology, the interactive I'll Be Your Mirror. There was even a Takashi Murakami retrospective a few years back.

Singer Abraham Alexander has everything it takes to be an international star. He was born in Greece to Nigerian parents, and relocated to Texas at age 11. The R&B singer's world-weary wisdom comes through in his music and the local-honey lusciousness of his vocals. Alexander has long had support from fellow Fort Worthian Leon Bridges, and on his debut album SEA/SONS, he teams up with legends Mavis Staples and Gary Clark Jr., reminding us why he belongs on much bigger stages.

We recommend checking out DFW's original music scene, but if your cup of sweet tea consists in having some beers and singing along to songs you know all too well, then no judgment. Legacy Hall in the swanky Plano entertainment district Legacy West books tribute bands almost exclusively, but also has trivia nights, and it serves as a big sports bar during important games. The cafeteria-style venue has dozens of mini restaurants serving a variety of flavors from bourbon ice cream to tandoori chicken. So if you want to catch a Queen tribute band followed by a screening of Spice World, douse your chips in vinegar and sing along to "Radio Gaga" like you're watching Freddie at Wimbledon.

The mostly instrumental band Polyphia has such a mix of influences that it satisfies the discriminating taste of jazzheads, world-music chasers and those dudes who sit in the corner of Deep Ellum bars with an approving stank face while lost in the groove. The group's broad appeal is easily quantifiable; Polyphia has millions of listeners just on Spotify. But the Plano band that plays to huge crowds around the world isn't a household name in Dallas — at least not yet. Wait until word gets out that a local band is popular elsewhere, and local fans will flock to it; it's a Dallas tradition.

Any time a '90s-rock-influenced indie band comes out of DFW, you just know it's from Denton. And that's a true compliment. Smothered, a four-piece formed by singer Taylor Watt and drummer Simon Russell, is an alt-rock outfit that's a guitar-driven, scream-filled, grungy trip back to the nights of MTV-binging and days of Bill's-Records-browsing for the latest Tripping Daisy. But the group has 2020s values: Smothered donated half of the proceeds of their latest single "My Southern Girl" to an LGBTQ+ nonprofit. Rad.

At this point, the expression "Thoughts and Prayers" is more loaded with sarcasm than any word out of Audrey Plaza's sardonic mouth, yet some lazy, naive "well-wishers" still believe it's an appropriate response to any tragedy. This was the idea behind drummer-turned-singer Young Dean's video for his single "Thoughts and Prayers." As we wrote in November, his debut solo song is "a bomb of chamber pop originality" that tackles those uncommitted, indifferent pleasantries uttered in the aftermath of shootings and the threat of human rights violations. The first video for the album Terror on Vacation illustrated the song's message with a kitsch Tex-Mex hodgepodge of religious iconography in the style of tattoo art — after the song slaps you with Motown-style keys. You have to see it.

The past few years have been trying for everyone, and we're only talking about the pandemic and its ripple effects in the workforce. Add to that mass violence, political disarray and a general rise in unhappiness correlated to the use of social media. Sometimes the best ways to cope are those tried-and-true comforts that kept humanity thriving through the ages: community support, talking to strangers and finding common ground with others. Foundation 45 was born from the loss of two Deep Ellum residents, and the nonprofit continues to fight for better mental health for all through meetings, events, art therapy classes and other resources. It's so much more than a crisis hotline; for many, it's an actual lifeline.

Everyone has a different idea of what an ideal playlist entails when it comes to a banging night out, but longtime DJ and Dallas musician Wanz Dover really knows how to soundtrack a Saturday night. Dover's weekend series plays through the decades with electrofunk, cold wave, disco and soul, so it's part music lesson, entirely a vibe. It also takes place at Charlie's Star Lounge, our 2022 winner for Best Rock Bar, making it the perfect marriage of cool sound and cool space.

Five years ago, Kim Noltemy left Boston for a sweet new gig as president and CEO of the Dallas Symphony Association. In 2019, she achieved one of her goals for the organization when the association took over management of the Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Center. Her bigger goal is an ongoing challenge: beyond bringing audiences to the symphony, she aims to bring classical music to audiences everywhere. That's why you'll see the DSO playing for the elderly at home or on buses and teaching kids in elementary classrooms. Noltemy's overarching aim is to get Dallas to take the same civic pride in its orchestra as it does in its sports teams. Mission accomplished.

The spotlight can feel like a heat lamp from hell or a beacon of light on your unrecognized talent, but whether you can't carry a tune or can sing like a nightingale, your stab at karaoke will entertain crowds. But the best is when you get the chance to sing in front of friends who'll laugh a bit with you and somewhat at you, and not with large audiences who'll definitely be laughing at you. Casablanca is a luminous bar in Bishop Arts that offers private karaoke rooms, the Casanova Karaoke Lounge, with all-day or hourly options. It has a full menu, with plenty of cocktail choices for your friends — who'll surely need them after you bust out an old bore like Lady Gaga's "Shallow." Don't play it again, Sam.

Little image is ironically named, because the Dallas band keeps a consistently striking visual presence. Just look at the alt-rockers' music videos, such as "Out of My Mind," or their Instagram page, which follows the same red-to-white-to-black ratio of a White Stripes marketing rollout. The group's complementary color scheme on Instagram is cohesive, but their look is not overly curated. And it's not all crimson smoke and mirrors. Little image's aesthetic is but one component of the band's overall irresistible artistic package, which starts with the rocking pop flavor of the band's music.