Richard Haskins Was Arrested Outside J&Js Before His 35 Denton Gig

Richard Haskins and his band the Wee Beasties were scheduled to play at J&Js Pizza in Denton on Friday as part of the opening night of music for this year's 35 Denton festival. But he never got as far as performing, as he was apprehended around 10 p.m. for charges...

By Jeff Gage

March 12, 2016

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18855504",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17105533",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105532",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18349797",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17105535",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Richard Haskins and his band the Wee Beasties were scheduled to play at J&Js Pizza in Denton on Friday as part of the opening night of music for this year's 35 Denton festival. But he never got as far as performing, as he was apprehended around 10 p.m. for charges related to his attempted bank robbery from December 2012.

Haskins' mugshot has appeared on the Denton County Sheriff's website. Hale Baskin, member of Denton band the Southpaw Preachers and friend of Haskins, spoke with him over the phone and has been told the arrest pertains to a parole violation from 2012 and not new charges.
The Wee Beasties' set had been surrounded by controversy before Friday night even arrived. Two bands scheduled to be on the bill at J&J's, local band Seres and Brooklyn band What Moon Things, had dropped out in protest of a blog called "Top-5 Ways to Get Chicks in Denton," published on Haskins' website, The Dentonian.

Seres, who relocated to a show at Sprockets bike shop not affiliated with 35 Denton, posted about their withdrawal from the show on Thursday afternoon: Haskins' mughost is, well, typical Haskins, as the bearded singer is not only smiling but also has a lightning bolt shaved on the side of his head. Friends of Haskins have set up a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of his bail and fines, which total $2,600.

Update 6:30 p.m.: Dallas Observer photographer Ed Steele captured the following video of Haskins as he was being taken away by authorities:

KEEP THE OBSERVER FREE... Since we started the Dallas Observer, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Dallas, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.