This totally bitchin' documentary about fan films, Backyard Blockbusters, is playing at Thin Line.
Art lovers and party lovers, listen up: This is a great weekend to meet each other. There are events all over town simply overflowing with complimentary drinks, and if I'm not mistaken, those are your favorite kind. Not your scene? That's cool, how about a boxing match, a Don Coscarelli cinematic rock block or a documentary film festival to keep your attention.
Still not your bag? Fine.
How about a giant burlesque festival, a night with Lily Tomlin, a real live dating gameshow, and a chance to photobomb Christopher Lloyd from Back to the Future? Yes! It's ALL HAPPENING!
Use this handy list to guide you through the next four days, and just click the event titles for more information. I'll see you out there. (I'll be the one fondling the Ken Price sculptures.)
Thursday 2.7 Synthesia at WAAS Gallery -- It's a massive art show/throw down/slam poetry/open mic/party with live music. Yes, that IS a lot of things at one event, and you get it all for $8 or $5 with a DART pass. Check this out; it looks tight.
Don Coscarelli Double Feature with John Dies at the End -- He's a daddy mac of off-beat horror, and Texas Theatre properly honors his contributions to slightly soured film this weekend with Coscarelli's new release, John Dies at the End. On Thursday, you don't have to settle for one hit, you can get a double punch to the face of Don's work when Texas Theatre also screens Phantasm in 35mm. (Purr sounds.) I do love a good rock block.
Friday 2.8 Thin Line Film Festival Opens -- Now in its 6th year, this ballsy film fest out of Denton returns to showcase the best and most inventive documentaries made around the world. It has an eleven day run, and kicks off this evening with its showcase film Blood Brother. You'll want to see it all, so just set up a tent and camp out on the historic square, next to that time capsule that never got excavated. It's Denton, they're use to it. Art Opening and semigloss. Magazine Release Party at Goss-Michael -- I'd like to again point out that Goss-Michael has stepped up its community-building game and credit them for improved hospitality within Dallas' non old money sector. Friday is an excellent example of that evolution, as Susan/Elizabeth and semigloss. take over the space together. The former is a co-curated project by (wo)manorial (Jessica Iannuzzi Garcia and Haley Kattner Allen) + Kevin Rubén Jacobs and featuring female relationship-themed work by seven artists, with roughly half of them being from 'round these parts. Over in semigloss. land, we have issue two of the area's newest art and culture publication, self-published by big brain, know-it-all wonder artist, Sally Glass. This release centers around "ephemera" and will cost you a piddly $10. Oh, admission is free for all of this. RE Gallery Presents paintings are objects... and possibly people, A New Solo Show by Arthur Peña -- If you haven't had the chance to check out Wanda Dye's gallery space, RE, include Friday's opening in your art crawl plans. (6 to 10 p.m. on this one, so you've got some flexibility.) It's Arthur's second solo show and is accompanied by a catalog produced by Mr. Peña including an essay titled - "Defiantly Painting" written by the beautifully swollen mind of Dr. Charissa Terranova. Hey, where has she been? I want to read more of her words.
Saturday 2.9 Dallas Burlesque Festival -- Each year these ladies put together an AMAZING showcase of talent, and the 2013 line-up is even more exceptional. Just check it out; you'll want to camp at House of Blues for the entire weekend. There's dudes in this one also, so prepare yourself for some man gams!
Mardi Gras Kicks Off in Oak Cliff -- It all begins with the Race for the Beads, bright and early on Saturday morning. (Funds raised go to helping those Oak Cliffers get a much-needed dog park.) Later, there's the gala ball free-for-all at the Kessler. And Sunday is the big parade -- psst, you'll want to visit M'antiques and get beads before all of this stuff goes down. They've got some great ones.
Bud Light Pro Fight Series -- To see live boxing is equal parts thrilling and unsettling. It's a direct challenge, conversation and confrontation between two humans, who are allegedly of equal skill and size. Still, blood spills and sprays. We see ourselves at our most primitive. So what I'm saying here is this: Go and watch some bloodsports on Saturday. It'll be fun!
And now, ART: Daytime: Get thee to the Nasher. You must, must, must go see the new Ken Price Retrospective that we are so fortunate to have in our city. It opens to the public on Saturday, and you'll leave feeling positively elated. Not enough to lure you on its own? Okay, it was designed by Frank Gehry. I KNOW! For the evening, start off with a visit to The Reading Room (6 to 9 p.m.) and catch the opening of All-Time Lotion, the new solo show by Maury Gortemiller. (No cover) Next, kick it over to Deep Ellum to get all kinda competitive at For The Love of Kettle, the annual adrenaline rush shopping experience ($50 art!) that keeps Kettle's financial state in check. Remember, it's the last time you'll go to a Love of Kettle event at this location. (7 to 10 p.m. and no cover) From there, kick it over to Altered States, a guerrilla-style take-over of The Old Tornado Bus repair station, organized by collective say-whats, The Art Foundation. The ten dollar cover goes to funding a new piece of public art by UTD CentralTrak artist-in-residence, Robert Andrade. You get some immediate gratification as well, with DJ sets by Christopher Mosley, Sally Glass, Cassandra Emswiler, and Kathryn Falvo. (8 to 11 p.m.) Shut the night down with Phenomenon, the annual mega-party thrown by and at the Dallas Contemporary. It's one of the craziest art parties of the year and to have it staged within that insane DZINE exhibition is just turning the heat up on an open flame. Oh, want ANOTHER reason to attend? DJ Derrick Carter is going to drop beats all over you. (Starts at 9 p.m., and goes until you get thrown out. Probably around midnight.)
Sunday 2.10 The xx Dating Game! -- So my little blog, Mixmaster, is sponsoring this event with the Sundown at Granada, and you're going to want to come out. We've got comedian Chelsea Hood and Mavs ManiAACs dancer Drew Lyons hosting a dating show of all local contestants. This is going to be hilarious, and possibly heartwarming, if love connections are made. The winners get tickets to see the sold-out xx show(s) next week, the rest get your pity and prizes from the Dallas Observer. What's in it for you? Humor and cheap mimosas if you get there early. (I recommend 2 p.m. The thing actually starts at 3 p.m.)
Lily Tomlin -- In the galaxy of Sheroes, Tomlin is a supernova. You get an entire evening in her presence at the Winspear on Sunday. I'll be there, so let's laugh until we cry together, kay?
Sci-Fi Festival -- Great Scott! Christopher Lloyd and Leah Thompson will be at the Sci-Fi convention, which means you can finally vent about Back to the Future III in a safe environment. Also, those Battlestar Galactica kids will be there along with many other nerdy celebrities. It's also on Saturday, so go whenever you can get to Irving.
