Deep Ellum experienced a true renaissance moment with the recent Block Festival concerts, and Fort Worth's prodigal son Leon Bridges returned to a sold-out Dickies Arena with fellow homegrown star Charley Crockett.
Before that dollop of cranberry sauce kicks off our carb fest of a family feast, we took our time around the table — so to speak — to reflect on the things we love about the Dallas music scene, a space that’s as rich in sounds as it is in history.
We couldn’t be prouder that our jobs entail documenting, uncovering and (in our small way) helping recover our community. Here are some of the things we are thankful for in the music scene in 2024:
- St. Vincent always doing the unexpected and releasing an album in Spanish when she doesn't even speak Spanish. Mi gente Latino for the win.
- Shows at The Factory ending early enough to have a nightcap and a bite to eat afterward — or to go home and relieve the babysitter before the fee reaches triple digits, or to not feel like hammered shit at work the next day.
- The Texas Theatre’s Behind the Screen and live score events pairing impressively curated and complementary films and music acts.
- The lasting impact of the music scene figures we’ve lost this year, such as Mark Ridlen (aka DJ Mr. Rid), Daron Beck, John Freeman, Enchanting, Zac Crain, Michael Corcoran, Ron McKeown and Shaun Martin.
- The satirical punk news site Hard Times using local legends The Polyphonic Spree, Bowling for Soup and Pantera as joke fodder.
- All the lighting directors who know what they’re doing and go easy on the smoke, making photographers' jobs easier.
- The new venues opening up, and the old ones getting a better facelift than Salma Hayek's: Silo, Texas Tea Room, Club Dada, Ferris Wheeler’s.
- Bands in the Denton music scene and Rubber Gloves' move to expose predators and promote a safe, inclusive space.
- The artists who don't say they're coming to Dallas when they're actually going to be in Fort Worth.
- TJ Novak bringing back the live album with his Live in Deep Ellum.
- The smoking area at Trees for being the best place to bug your favorite artist while they're trying to load up their shit and go home.
- Shot Topic for having a cheap rotating shot of the week and blasting "I'm Not Okay" as loudly as we wish we could've when we were back at Mom's.
- Velvet Taco having the best post-bar crawl cuisine and more drinks, too, if you're not quite finished yet.
- Erykah Badu being honored by the Council of Fashion Designers of America with a Fashion Icon award — as ever, the rest of the culture is catching up to her. And the fact she joined Andre 3000 on stage at the Winspear Opera House.
- Fantastic new albums from a slew of North Texas-bred talent in 2024: St. Vincent, T Bone Burnett, Norah Jones, Kacey Musgraves, Leon Bridges, BigxthaPlug, Erica Banks, 4Batz, Mickey Guyton and Charley Crockett all dropped bangers.
- Tastemakers such as Jeff "Skin" Wade and Danny Balis helping talent shine as producers and via their Skylark Soul Co. label.
- Joshua Ray Walker kicking cancer's ass and ending the year with fantastic health news.
- The launch of the Dallas Music Office, which, hopefully, will unlock even greater opportunities for musicians in and around Dallas.
- Tripping Daisy is officially back!
- Garrett Owen has a new album, and that's the gravy topping off our turkey this year.
- Remy Reilly and her family. If you know them, you know.
- The artists showing the world that Dallas is where it's at by bringing home the Grammy noms.
- North Texas band Chimney Dream's viral gimmick of seeking an 80-year-old drummer for a Chappell Roan death metal cover band.
- Justin Piel of Denton band Hi, Crikey! for showing how to combat cancer with humor.
- Gabe Thompkins of Dream Fever for showing how a shy person can transform into a beast onstage.
- Music town Denton proving that it was also Halloweentown with its haunting downtown square and nightly community events.
- North Texas Vinyl's continued dedication to releasing classic local albums on vinyl, most recently with the Tales from the Edge compilation and the second pressing of Hagfish's Buick Men.
- The Deep Ellum Block Party for pulling off a massive celebration of local music, culture and art through a moving display of community.
- The new Josey Records location in Garland.
- Deep Ellum Bob, for continuing to be the music scene's lucky charm — as long as you give him a ride.
- Dezi 5 for trying to bring some class to this unclassy joint with the Dallas Entertainment Awards. And for finally releasing his debut album, Dirty Laundry.
- The supporters we see at every show that matters, such as Nicole DiUbaldo, Erin Parisi and Evelyn Goldstein.
- The woman named Jada who broke 4Batz's heart, which led to the making of his album, U Made Me A St4r. And that 4Batz didn't get swept up in the Drake/Kendrick Lamar beef.
- New artists J$ph, Zillionaire Doe, Montana 700, Latrell De'Sean, BashfortheWorld, and Meet The 6ixers, who built a following online, allowing us to follow the herd.
- DJ Kat Avila keeping us up to date on all the hottest music in Dallas every week.
- The music scene's hottest couple, KJ Gray and Liz Magill, because we like seeing good people find each other.
- The Helium Queens continuing to blow our minds through a legal psychedelic: their concerts. And generally to Poppy Xander for everything, always.
- The intimate shows at The Echo Lounge. It feels illegal.
- The La Bruja shows at Charlie's because it was about time parties got crowded.
- Flip Croft-Caderao and his Cali Sober THC mocktails, which always come through in the clutch when we're about to lose our shit.
- Stylist and music tastemaker Morgan Perrault for religiously supporting rock bands such as Trauma Ray and Aztec Milk Temple half a decade before anyone else cared. And Trauma Ray for representing DFW shoegaze in style ahead of their months-long European tour. While we're here, to Scott from Aztec Milk Temple for elevating any conversation into a meaningful, thought-provoking exchange.
- Garrett from Ruins, who's on an endless mission to see to it that things go as planned.
- Larry Gee, who continues to fight for a chance at life with endless grace and kindness.
- Olive Vox for proving that you don’t even have to be of legal age to be a great band and pack out sweaty rock clubs with Gen Z kids.
- The time Sudie came back for her debut album release at LadyLove. We missed our girl.
- Doublewide, Trees, Three Links, Club Dada and the bars keeping some parts of Deep Ellum sacred among many grifters (you know, the area we like to call "Shallow Ellum").
- The band Van Damme for putting the "damn" in its name. (Just go with the joke.)
- JT Mudd for keeping Ishi the band to watch. Literally.
- Rosegarden Funeral Party's Leah Lane for her fierce energy on and off stage, and her impossible-to-replicate makeup skills.
- Heck, we're thankful to our loud friend Gavin Mulloy for continuing to advocate for the right to party.
