Vera “Velma” Hernandez
Audio By Carbonatix
Earlier this year, we published a story detailing the seven bygone Dallas music venues we miss the most.
Then, we braced for the comments.
Surprisingly, they were quite positive. People seemed to agree that the Bronco Bowl and the Lizard Lounge are some of the finest cultural institutions our city has ever produced. Even the detractors were kind, pointing out that we missed the chance to highlight hallowed favorites like Gypsy Tea Room while declining to insult our intelligence, our street cred or our mothers. To acknowledge these oversights — and to keep moving forward in the stages of grief — we put together a new list: The venues you should visit if you miss some of our dearly departed favorites. Let’s dive in.
Alex Gonzalez
If You Miss Curtain Club, Pay a Visit to Three Links
The endearingly DIY vibe of Curtain Club is alive and well in Dallas, even if it looks a bit different. Like Curtain Club, Three Links is a place where guitar cables snake across the floor, friends run the soundboard, and rock, punk and metal acts cut their teeth. The bar’s walls are lined with show posters, and the crowd feels like family (because often it is). If you want an intimate, engaging experience — that also includes drinks that won’t break the bank — see a show at Three Links. It’s the spiritual successor to the gone-but-not-forgotten Curtain Club.
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Andrew Sherman
If You Miss Galaxy Club, Then Club Dada Might Help
Galaxy Club is one of those places you had to see to believe. Where else would a roadkill piñata fly through the crowd? It might be impossible to match that singularly unhinged vibe, but Club Dada gets close. Since 1986, this venue has been hosting indie tours and metal and punk nights in a standing-room-only space. It’s a longtime favorite for local acts who helped the venue earn a rep as an incubator for Dallas talent. So if you’re chasing a raw, in-the-pit vibe that Galaxy Club could always provide, this is your best bet.
Andrew Sherman
If You Miss the Bronco Bowl or the Arcadia Theater, Try The Bomb Factory
Lists like this are tricky (or impossible) because no two venues will offer the same experience. You know that fact, deep in your bones, if you ever caught a show at the Bronco Bowl or the Arcadia Theater. You’ll remember the contradictions that made them unforgettable: Bronco Bowl was a bowling alley that hosted U2 and The Clash, while the Arcadia Theater was a movie house that became a punk battleground for The Ramones and Nine Inch Nails (who opened for The Jesus and Mary Chain at the Arcadia in 1990). We’ll always have a soft spot for the Arcadia, which hosted the Dallas Observer Music Awards. But in the interest of moving on (or trying to, at least), we must also acknowledge the power of The Bomb Factory. The venue retains its gritty, industrial vibe even as it opens its doors for up to 4,000 fans. And like Bronco Bowl and Arcadia Theater, The Bomb Factory has seen its fair share of legends. Black Sabbath, Radiohead, Rage Against the Machine and even The Ramones, who’ve hung around long enough for multiple generations of esteemed Dallas venues.
Patrick Williams
If You Loved Lizard Lounge, It’ll Do Could Do the Trick
It’ll Do is as close as we’ll get to the underground, old-school rave atmosphere that made Lizard Lounge unforgettable. It helps that Lizard Lounge’s Don Nedler has curated the vibe. He and his team have built a space with solid sound, good lights and a come-as-you-are vibe that ditches all pretense. The crowd is inclusive, community-driven, queer-friendly and deeply invested in DJs. If you love electronic music, It’ll Do is a must.
Andrew Sherman
If You Miss the Gypsy Tea Room, Try Trees
When the Gypsy Tea Room closed in 2007, Deep Ellum lost one of its most beloved stages. The Gods of music and capitalism usually taketh away, but sometimes, they giveth. (Or, in this case, local entrepreneurs work hard to bring back a venue.) That’s what happened with Trees, which reopened in 2009. Over the years, it’s managed to fill at least some of the Gypsy Tea Room-sized hole in fans’ hearts. Trees regularly houses national acts in a space that’s small enough to feel homey and personal, and by now, it’s carved a significant cornerstone in Deep Ellum lore. We wish both were still around, but at least we can drown our sorrows at Trees.
