Electronic music’s recent surge in popularity comes with serious side effects for underground-party aficionados. Suddenly, Daft Punk is winning Grammys, and drunk girls (and guys) are ruining life at 4 a.m. in a warehouse somewhere. By Sarah Stanley-Ayre Take this recent incident: Under a haunting pink hue Dustin Zahn tended…
Very interesting press conference Friday in the Flag Room at Dallas City Hall … wait … wait. Oh, no. Did I just tell you there was an interesting press conference in the Flag Room at City Hall? Tell me I did not just say that. No, what I meant to…
I’m going to let you in on the secret: I don’t know anything about music that normal adult humans listen to. Avalanches of culture engulf our entire society while I sit in a grubby basement, hunched over a laptop listening to old Motorhead records. However, on occasion, I’m forced to…
Wait. The State Fair of Texas spent $30 million to start up a new summertime amusement park at Fair Park. It ran one season — two months plus a week — last summer. Now they’re giving up already? No second season? What is this, Broadway? You put in $30 million,…
Matt Hooker”David Lee Pan” combines the best of Van Halen and Big Trouble in Little China.One of the most painful feelings in the world is when you encounter someone who desperately wants you to see their art. If you’re not overcome with waves of panic and dread, you’re already plotting…
Drinks are for drinking, not for chewing. I thought this was obvious. But then I bought a coconut water from the grocery store. “With pulp” it said. “OK, that’s probably like orange juice with pulp,” I replied. I opened the can, took a sip, and that’s when the pulpy can…
You know, I’m beginning to think a million bucks, maybe a couple million, just flat does not matter in today’s world, at least if it’s “public” money (that would be yours and mine sorta). Maybe whenever people say “a million bucks” on a public document or in a public hearing…
Dear Mexican: Do you agree with gente who think you can’t be vegetarian if you’re Mexican ’cause meat is an essential part of our diet? I think it’s babosadas. Like, my parents growing up in Zacatecas only had meat on Friday when the pollero came knockin’, or other rare occurrences…
The powers that be made sure leadership of the Dallas City Council’s Trinity River project committee would go to Vonciel Hill, their biggest suck-up. Therefore, most of the good information about the project dies right there. Everything would die if it were not for Sandy Greyson and Scott Griggs. Griggs,…
It’s been a ride. For nearly four years, I’ve enjoyed writing the Local Music ‘Mericans column, getting to know some of my neighbors who are in love with music at least as much as I am. As a tribute to this column known as Local Music ‘Mericans, I’ve been asked…
Courtesy of the author My parents, three years before I was born.Yes, those are my parents in that picture. Their pet snake, Phallys, is no longer around, and thankfully my Dad has ceased wearing a chain linking a nose ring to his ear. (Click the photo to enlarge it.) But,…
Editor’s Note: Shea Serrano is an award-winning music writer and goofball whose recent exploits include Bun B’s Rapper Coloring and Activity Book. In his new column, he writes about his life and times. 3:20 p.m.: Today I am chaperoning our school’s Valentine’s Day dance. A line of about 100 kids…
Whether you love the Winter Olympics (“Guns plus skiing equals yes!!”) or hate them (“Stupid Winter Olympics need more gymnastics less ice dancing!”), everyone knows all Olympics are better with beer. Or whiskey. Or and whiskey. Welcome to the 2014 Sochi Olympics Drinking Game, the only way to enjoy the…
Just when you thought I would never talk about the Kennedy assassination and the Sixth Floor Museum again, I’m baaack. But, look, I’m only baaack because Robert Groden is baaack, this time with a state district court lawsuit against the city for malicious prosecution. Groden is the nationally known New…
We’ve been talking here off and on about land owners near the new UNT-Dallas campus in southern Dallas who want a sewer. They think City Hall is deliberately holding back on a system they were promised years ago. And, yeah, I always feel I need to stop and stipulate that…
Are you a musician? Is your group having issues? Ask Fan Landers! Critic Jessica Hopper has played in and managed bands, toured internationally, booked shows, produced records, worked as a publicist and is the author of The Girls’ Guide to Rocking, a how-to for teen ladies. She is here to…
Here’s an afterthought on the galactic response to WFAA sportscaster Dale Hansen’s anti-homophobia commentary last week about football player Michael Sam. It puts him in a weird position, old-white-guy-wise. My own comments on it at the time were typical — making a big deal out the fact that Hansen is…
If you’re a parent, it’s essential that you learn how to brag about your child as soon as possible. After all, parents are competitive about their children as soon as the kids pop out. (Sometimes, even before the kid’s born. “My pregnancy was super easy. I loved being pregnant! My…
There he was again yesterday commenting on my thing here about the convention center hotel, Wylie H., the city’s smartest, best informed and most mysterious commenter, and all I could think of was how badly I want to see him exposed. Wait. Why would I want to see Wylie H…
In honor of St. Valentine’s Day, we wanted to offer you a list of love songs. But, these aren’t the ordinary love songs about boys falling in love with girls, or girls getting their heart broken. The following heavy metal songs represent the madness and chaos of love’s firm grip…
In the romantic-comedy of your life, you’d look to the camera during your DVD commentary interview and say, “It’s a story about finding love in unexpected places.” And then you’d say something like, “Really, the third character is the city. It’s about the places we run into each other.” But…
When the Omni Dallas Hotel opened next to the convention center in downtown Dallas in 2011, the story was that it would dig the convention center out of its financial hole. That was a big part of the pitch in 2008 when then-Mayor Tom Leppert was selling voters on bonds…
