Become a member and become part of our story.
You can join as a recurring member or give a one-time contribution.
At the Dallas Observer, we remain committed to our core mission:
- We believe in free journalism.
- We believe in change.
- We believe in growth.
- We believe in our readers.
News: from Kelly Dearmore
I'm especially proud of the stories our news department was able to tell that highlighted the lives of neighbors most of us wouldn't otherwise have known about. Often these are stories that the traditional media outlets in town might overlook, but I think Dallas Observer readers and members appreciate it when a spotlight is put on lives and stories that otherwise wouldn't get much attention.Some of my favorite stories that we have covered this year include:
- Dallas' Opioid Response Team Meets Overdose Victims in Their Most Desperate Hours
- 'Heartbreaking To See': Images from Eagle Pass and Abbott's Floating Border Barrier
- Signs of Life: One Year After the Tragedy, Uvalde Clings to the Past
- Florida Man Says He's Stuck in Dallas After Chime Account Drained
- The Big Squeeze: Surviving Dallas' Affordable Housing Crunch Makes Roommates Out of Strangers
Music: from Eva Raggio
Almost Dallas-Famous: The DFW Music Scene Is Built To Last, but Are Local Fans Coming?
I had this story in mind for over a year and worked on it for several months after attending various shows and talking to many sources. This is a look at the state of the live music scene in North Texas post-pandemic and even before that, and whether fans are still coming out to shows. Experts weighed in on how they thought the scene could improve. Once we published this story, it inspired a lot of discourse online and in person.
The Techno Scene in Fort Worth Isn’t Out of Nowhere
A reader reached out to compliment us for the previous story and also sent in a tip about Fort Worth becoming a hotbed for techno. I sent this tip along with some sources to our former intern Ava Thompson, who did a great job reporting on Fort Worth's history with techno and how it led to the current scene.
A Woman Left Her Abusive Husband in Dallas and Went on To Become Tina Turner
Not everyone loved this title, but it certainly sums up the strength it took for Tina Turner to leave her abusive marriage and go on to become an icon. I didn't have much time to work on this when her death was announced — after a few attempts to assign this, one writer took it and told me an hour later that he couldn't do it — but I had to tell this story of how Dallas played a role in Turner's empowerment and in music history at large.
The Kid's Alright: Drummer Brandon Pertzborn's Unlikely Journey to Joining Legendary Punk Band The Offspring
I asked David Fletcher to interview The Offspring ahead of their Dallas show, but he sent me a bit of background on their new drummer, a North Texan with an incredible career trajectory. After we ran the preview, we asked David to expand into a cover. I'm really proud of David for digging and finding this story instead of going for the obvious celebrity interview.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs Cast a Sex Spell on Dallas
Staff writer Carly May Gravley wrote a fantastic review of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs in May, with incredible photos by Vera Hernandez. I wrote the headline. Karen O, Yeah Yeah Yeahs singer, shared our review on Instagram with the words "Hell yeah, sex spell." A good day for all of us.
Record Store Owner and Dallas Music Legend Bucks Burnett Has Died
Obits are tough because there's a quick turnaround and there's not much time to do justice to the subject. Danny Gallagher executed this beautifully, perfectly summing up how this eccentric and well-known Dallas character affected the music community.
North of the Wall: Dallas' Live Music Scene Takes Over the Suburbs
This was the result of many conversations with Mike Brooks, who is an exceptional photographer and gifted writer, but newer to reporting. Editor Patrick Williams and I filled in some gaps in the story, making it a great team collaboration. I'm so proud of Mike's first cover, which is about Dallas suburbs building their own music scenes. His writing here is inspired and clever, and it sheds light on a lot of venues and scenes that are often overlooked while our attention is on Deep Ellum.
Still Swinging: Deep Ellum Celebrates 150 Years As the Soul of Dallas
This was a tall order for any writer, as these stories have been told many times. But Danny Gallagher did an excellent job of looking back on Deep Ellum's 150 years as Dallas' entertainment district.
Which Drug Goes With That? A Pharmaceutical Companion to Coachella's Lineup
Molly Mollotova's list imagining which drug pairs with which act at Coachella was hysterical. I added the part about Marc Rebillet to give it some Dallas presence, and he tweeted the photo of the part about him. If only he'd shared the link!
News: from Jacob Vaughn
There have been a lot of high points this year as far as writing goes, but one small article I’m especially proud of is about overcrowding at the local animal shelter.The Dallas animal shelter has struggled throughout the year with the number of large dogs it has in its care. The more dogs they have, the more cramped things get and the worse it is for the dogs. A cramped facility can make it easier for illnesses to spread, for example. Back in early October, the shelter had just over 500 large dogs and only 300 kennels to put them in. It was a tight squeeze and the shelter needed help lightening the load. They put out a call asking anyone who could to come and foster or adopt a pet. That’s how we heard about the story. I initially didn’t think I’d be able to talk to anyone with the shelter before my deadline, but I talked with two people there: Sarah Sheek, the assistant general manager over community engagement, and Mary Martin, the assistant director. What they told me was fascinating.
They discussed the effects of an overcrowded shelter, but they also tried to explain to me why there was an overcrowding issue with large dogs. First off, it’s generally just harder to find people to adopt large pets, they said. They also said situations like evictions can be a factor. Sheek told me that many pets they have come into the shelter are from owners who are going through an eviction. I hadn’t thought before that housing insecurity could translate into overcrowded animal shelters.
The problem is widespread. Previously, the Dallas animal shelter was able to send dogs to other facilities when it got overcrowded. Now other facilities are facing the same issue. There’s no quick fix for the shelter’s woes. It takes the community pitching in and adopting or fostering pets to make things easier on the shelter and the animals there.
This was one of my highlights from the last year partly because Martin later reached out to thank me for the article, saying it was really thoughtful and well done. Just like we couldn’t do what we do without our readers, we also can’t do what we do if people aren't willing to talk to us. I really appreciate Martin and Sheek taking the time to explain the issues to me so I could write a story about them.
Arts and Culture: From Eva Raggio
Messi Is Coming to Frisco!I wrote this story about Leo Messi playing in Dallas and was contacted by a producer to appear on an Apple TV docuseries, so there I am embarrassing myself with bad posture (not my fault entirely) and heavily edited soundbites.
A Coven of One’s Own: How Denton Built a Modern-Day Witch Community
This is a longer article in which writer Darby Murmane tied the story of her own ancestor, who was persecuted and killed as a "witch," to modern-day covens in Denton.
How To Tell if Your Date Has Been Influenced by Andrew Tate
Valerie White wrote this clever list about how to spot Tate-specific misogyny. She got a lot of sexist comments and hate from men as a result. The irony.
Jerry Saltz Brings the Fine (and Fun) Art of Criticism to the Dallas Museum of Art
Kendall Morgan talked to Jerry Saltz, a self-taught art critic, ahead of a Dallas appearance, and he provided a deep, smart interview about his career.
If you enjoyed our stories and the rest of our local journalism this year, we ask you to consider giving a gift to support Dallas Observer.
We're steadfast in our commitment to nurturing the finest journalistic talent in Dallas and sustaining our unwavering dedication to community coverage. Exceptional local journalism thrives with the curiosity and demand from our invested local readers. We're fortunate to have a dedicated audience who values and supports our mission.Can we count on your support in 2024?
You can join as a recurring member or give a one-time contribution.
