Surely, you already know this: Tonight at the Jack Daniel's Saloon in the Gilley's complex on South Lamar, we're hosting the second installment of our free, monthly Locals Only! showcase of area bands. And tonight's offering is pretty awesome, featuring two of our favorite up-and-coming area performers, Analog Rebellion and Bravo, Max!
But we too know this: You've got a lot of options of things to do to night, not the least of which is simply staying home and watching your Dallas Mavericks take on the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game Two of the NBA's Western Conference Finals. So, on that note, we've decided to tell you specifically why you should come to our show tonight -- reasons beyond the fact that, yes, as always, this sucker is completely free to attend.
Check out the list, you guys. Because -- trust -- the Jack Daniel's Saloon is the place to be tonight. So, y'know, join us. Doors open at 8. Show starts at 9.
1. Analog Rebellion is one of the most talented performers in the region. It's true -- and we've been saying it for a while now. After going through the major label ringer as a teenager under his performance moniker of PlayRadioPlay!, Aledo native Daniel Hunter returned home, changed up his name, and, far more impressive, changed up his sonic style. Now a purveyor of what he calls "stadium lo-fi," Hunter's songs are big and catchy and surprisingly raw. He's a talent who'll be around for a while. Get on board early.
2. Bravo, Max! are about to release one of the best albums of the year. Dog's Light, the debut studio full-length from Johnny Beauford and his merry band of collaborators has seen its release delayed a few times. Blame technical difficulties of the production of physical copies of the disc for that, though; there's nothing wrong on the musical front. We here at DC9 have had the new songs in digital form for over a month now, and we've been listening to its songs non-stop. Combining Telegraph Canyon-like instrumentation with an endearing, heartfelt sensibility, the band's rocking folk-influenced fare should set the band up as one of the most adored acts in the region.
3. Jack Daniel's Saloon has better TVs than you have at home. High definition televisions are everywhere at Jack Daniel's saloon. So, yes, you can watch your precious Mavericks at this concert. And watch with other Mavericks fans, even!
4. Wells and domestic beers are only going to cost you two dollars at this show. Mavs, music and cheap drinks, y'all! Good luck finding a better combo elsewhere tonight.
5. Our street team will be there with free tickets to upcoming shows to hand out. Some killer sunglasses, too. Perhaps you saw a bunch of people at this past weekend's Homegrown Festival rocking some killer shades with the Observer logo emblazoned on the side? We brought a whole stack of these free sunglasses to the festival, and somehow ran out of them by 4 o'clock. Missed out on your pair? We'll have some for you tonight. They're all the rage, dudes.
6. The famed mechanical bull at Gilley's? It'll be working tonight. I go to Gilley's pretty frequently for shows, and I've never seen this sucker turned on, which seems pretty crazy, considering that the folks at D Magazine just put riding the mechanical bull at Gilley's on the cover of their "52 Things Every Dallasite Must Do" issue, but, hey, it's true. That won't be the case tonight, though; the bull will be active, and you can ride it. For free. So, yeah, come get some.