It's turkey time once again, but there are many other things to be grateful for this Thanksgiving. Here are five music-related items that North Texas residents should be thankful for having.
1. The Old 97's finally made another good record. As sad as it is to say, it's been over a decade since the semi-local and semi-legendary alt-country quartet known as Old 97's has made a great record. The Grande Theatre, Volume One came out last month and is easily the band's best effort since 1997's Too Far to Care. Rhett Miller and crew have finally shaken free of those pop ambitions and realized that country rock is their true forte.
2. Club Dada is going to reopen. Love or hate the sound issues, ownership snafus, long lines and odd booking policies, it's still nice to know that the old Deep Ellum landmark known as Club Dada is soon going to be a working nightclub, again.
3. The Granada Theater
No other North Texas venue has a better booking record than The Granada Theater. Where else can you see Bad Brains, Wolf Parade and John McLaughlin all in a manner of weeks? Also, the opening bands usually hit the stage around 8 which means the headliner is on by 9 and concert goers above the age of 18 can get home before the next morning.
4. The slew of good to great local bands
After catching Here Holy Spain the other night, I started thinking about how many good local bands the Dallas area has these days. From Spector 45 to PVC Street Gang to Crushed Stars to Bravo, Max! to you-name-it, there is a talented local band in almost every conceivable genre playing some area venue this weekend. Even in the heyday of Deep Ellum, I cannot recall a time when a better collection of talent called North Texas their home.
5. The success of all ages venues Hey, I have a thirteen year old son and I sure like being able to take him down to The Prophet Bar or The Door and catch a couple of touring acts and then get him back home in time to finish his homework. Sure, I have to suffer through a lot of EMO and pop/punk, but seeing about two hundred other dads taking their kids to see the likes of Mayday Parade and The Rocket Summer can't be a bad thing. The family that goes to concerts together stays together.
