If for some reason you find yourself in Denton this weekend sans the shiny wristband required for entry into 35 Denton, the town's four-day, walkable music festival, don't fret! There's still plenty of cool shit to do and excellent music to see that costs absolutely nothing. Below is a list of the best unofficial events, house shows and day parties that we could dig up. Enjoy.
Pre-35 Denton Festing with Last Joke, Cozy Hawks, I'm The One Who's Fighting Wednesday, March 6, at J&J's Pizza, 8 p.m., Free If you simply cannot hold out until Thursday to get your festival on, head to the dingy old basement of J&J's Pizza for a little "pre-fest fun" complete with music, beer and pizza. As if Ryan Thomas Becker wasn't busy enough during this time of year, he'll be playing a little "pre-fest" show with his band Last Joke, filled out by openers Cozy Hawks and I'm the One Who's Fighting this Wednesday night.
35 Underground with DJ Titan and Others Saturday, March 9, at 3730 E. McKinney St., Suite 135, 10 p.m., $5 Saturday night DJ Titan will headline what very well may be one of the cooler "unofficial" DJ events you'll see this spring. About twenty local DJs will fill more than three stages in a 6,400 square-foot office space at 3730 E. McKinney St., Suite 135. The party goes from 10 p.m. on Saturday until 6 a.m. on Sunday morning. A few ground rules include parking in front, not back, avoiding glass containers, bringing your own beer and putting your trash in the receptacles.
DJs include: Passthe40, Ghost Daddies, Max Carritt (Secret Squid), Usual Suspect, SpaceChase, Gleebs, Sofaking, Tyler Brown, Black Frames, DJ MWC, Psymatic, Mooseka, Timeless, Betamaxx, Fropsi, 70/140, Mars Pluto and DiscoJelly. All of that for just five bucks!
Denton Radio on the Square Thursday, March 7-Sunday, March 10, at the Denton County Courthouse-on-the-Square, Free If 35 Denton's handful of official venues and two main stages weren't enough to fill your proverbial music cup to the brim, Denton Radio is an online radio show that exclusively plays local music, and will be hosting a showcase from a stage on the Courthouse lawn that will feature more than 40 bands during all four days. Each day starts in the afternoon and goes until evening. Best of all, it's free! See the schedule below:
Thursday 4:00 - 4:45 Wise Ruby 5:00 - 5:45 The Awkward Customer 6:00 - 6:45 Mat Grigsby 7:00 - 7:45 The Future Eyes 8:00 - 8:45 Reinventing Jude 9:00 - 9:45 Sonar Lights
Friday 2:00 - 2:25 (caruvana) 2:30 - 2:55 Ellie Meyer 3:00 - 3:25 Kelsey Henry 3:30 - 3:55 Billy Bennett 4:00 - 4:25 Big Round Spectacles 4:30 - 4:55 Seth Weaver 5:00 - 5:45 West and the Grooves 6:00 - 6:45 Ellee Morris 7:00 - 7:45 Ashley Gatta & The Free People 8:00 - 8:45 1140 9:00 - 9:45 Woody's Rampage
Saturday 12:00 - 12:45 Polly Maynard Tiny Big Band 1:00 - 1:25 Richard Gilbert 1:30 - 1:55 Caleb Coonrod 2:00 - 2:25 Dave Thomas 2:30 - 2:55 Jess Dixon 3:00 - 3:45 Sol Tax 4:00 - 4:45 Back Water Opera 5:00 - 5:45 Brave Combo 6:00 - 6:45 Kerry Davis Band 7:00 - 7:45 MockingByrd Station 8:00 - 8:45 Levi Cobb & Big Smoke 9:00 - 9:45 Bone Doggie & the Hickory Street Hellraisers
Sunday 11:00 - 11:45 Earthshine 12:00 - 12:25 Mr. Joe 12:30 - 12:55 Maria Cecilia 1:00 - 1:45 Jacko Suede 2:00 - 2:45 Molotov Dogs 3:00 - 3:45 Baloney Moon 4:00 - 4:45 Karyna Micaela 5:00 - 5:45 Zach Balch 6:00 - 6:45 My Kickdrum Heart 7:00 - 7:45 The Contingency Clause 8:00 - 8:45 Boombachs 9:00 - 9:45 Star Party
Unofficial, Nonofficial Day Party at Wine² Thursday, March 7, at Wine², 4:30 p.m., Free Local wine bar Wine² has a little shop directly on the Downtown Square, making them the perfect location for those wanting to kick off the music festivities as soon as they clock out of work on Thursday, while also keeping an eye on the happenings around the Square's perimeter. The lineup includes Robert Gomez, Team Tomb's Caleb Ian Campbell and Kristy Kruger, although the event promises an interesting little twist: a "special guest," which the event has touted "I MEAN REALLY SPECIAL." Hmm...any guesses? Show up to find out.
The DIME Store Pre-Party and Pop-Up Show Friday, March 8, at 510 S. Locust St., 6 p.m.; Saturday, March 9, at 7 p.m., Free A new vintage shop is opening up on Locust Street, and to foster new business, is throwing a pop-up preview of the store before its grand opening in April. The DIME store couldn't have picked a better time or place. Saturday the quaint store will feature local music, although it is unknown yet as to who exactly will perform. Swing by to find out. 35 Daves All Day House Show Saturday, March 9, at Daves Good Times, 1 p.m., Free A handful of local musicians are turning their house into an all-day show venue. The location is undisclosed, but the people who run the venue encourage you to "Ask a punk." Or, you can message the event page on Facebook for details. The event promises free barbecue, a keg of beer and 14 bands playing live music. The two grills fire up at around 1 p.m., so get there early. See below for the schedule:
Anger House - 2:00-2:30 Enthusiast - 2:45-3:15 Bike Problems - 3:30-4:00 Kid Prison - 4:15-4:45 Speial Guest - 5:00-5:30 Dahling - 5:45-6:15 Half Truths - 6:30-7:00 Muhammad Ali - 7:15-7:45 Father Figure - 8:00-8:30 Warm Needles - 8:45-9:15 Occult Detective Club - 9:30-10:00 The Novice - 10:15-10:45 Mind Spiders - 11:00-11:30 Krusty Krab and the Krabby Patties - 11:45-12:15
Friends of Friends & New Media Recordings Present an Unofficial 35 Denton Showcase Saturday, March 9, at 911 W. Hickory St., Free If you roll out of bed by noon on Saturday, still hungover from Friday night's drunken debauchery, you'll have plenty of time to catch Friends of Friends and Fort Worth's newest production house New Media Recordings' unofficial showcase, situated in a house on Hickory Street, and surrounded by trees. How they've managed to pull off two stages is beyond me, but I'll take it as a win. Skim the schedule below for your friends' bands:
Stage A 1:00 Eyes Wings & Many Other Things (Dallas) 2:30 The Migrant (Denmark) 4:00 Don Feagin of The Theater Fire (Fort Worth) 5:30 Jacob Metcalf (Dallas) 7:00 Tiger Tooth & Paw (Denton) 8:30 Skeleton Coast (Fort Worth)
Stage B 1:45 Ghost To Falco (San Francisco) 3:15 The Angelus (Dallas) 4:45 Clint Niosi (Fort Worth) 6:15 Twigs & Yarn (Austin) 7:45 Sisson (Austin)
The Human Paraquat Party Saturday, March 9, at 1401 Bolivar St., 12 p.m., Free Bolivar Street has always been known for its house venues. In keeping with the tradition, Amy Donaldson of Hard Drinking Housewives is opening her home for "The Human Paraquat Party," which will feature four kegs of beer and a porta potty for those in need of a good tee-tee or poo-poo. And oh yeah, it will also feature the following local, kick-ass bands: Safari Dudes, Hard Drinking Housewives, Cozy Hawks, Daniel Markham, Treelines, Rude Rachel, Sealion, The Vuvs, Savage & the Big Beat and Informant.
808 Elm Presents: NX808 Saturday, March 9, at 808 Elm St., 12 p.m., Free Every year the residents at 808 Elm Street have done something cool to celebrate the festival, which is why they adapted the event's title from the old misnomer "NX35." This year they'll be throwing a house show to help out some touring bands. Flohawk, Ghost Foot, Bashe and Cowboy Indian Bear will play. The event says that "some alcohol will be provided...somehow." Better BYOB to this one, folks. Do For It Records 2013 Showcase Saturday, March 9, at Abbey Underground, 8 p.m., Free If you're looking for a way to still be on the Square, around all of the action, but simultaneously out of the elements (which could be brisk, come Saturday evening), local record label Do For It Records has put together a pretty good bill. Even though the show will be held in Abbey Underground's the dark, cool venue space, it promises to be free, and doesn't require a wristband. Bands include Shaolin Death Squad, The House Harkonnen, The Phuss, The Spectacle and Urizen.
Little d Music Blog Presents Fabulous Badasses Reunion, Bad Design, Paper Robot and More Saturday, March 9, at Denton Record-Chronicle Parking Lot, 1:00 p.m., Free If you've been an avid reader of local music magazine Little d After Dark, since its launch in 2011, you may have heard that the once-print paper is going all digital this week. In an effort to stir up some support and attention, Little d will host one of two parking lot sessions, at 314 E. Hickory St., starting Saturday. The first go-round will feature the Fabulous Badasses (for a special reunion), Bad Design, Paper Robot "and more," according to the event.
Little d Music Blog and I Love Math Records Present Cozy Hawks, Space Camp, Death Squad, Son of Stan and Crime Choir Sunday, March 10, at Denton Record-Chronicle Parking Lot, 1:00 p.m., Free The second installation of Little d's two-part parking lot sessions will happen on Sunday, starting at 1:00 p.m. The blog teamed up with local label I Love Math Records to showcase local and touring bands alike.
A Small, Good Thing Episode 11: Señor Fin from A Small Good Thing on Vimeo.
Backyard Day Show with Señor Fin Sunday, March 10, at 1112 Bernard St., 1 p.m., Free Just yesterday I told you about Señor Fin, a jazzy Denton quartet that is doing cool stuff. Well, this weekend they're opening their home (and backyard) again to the masses. The event says it's open to all people who don't "ruin parties by being obnoxiously intoxicated." Keep that in mind. Also, there's a suggested $2 donation for the bands. Grills will be fired up as well, for both vegetarian and carnivores alike. Here's the schedule:1:00 - Goodnight Ned (Dallas) 1:45 - Layer Cake (Denton) 2:30 - Monastery (Fort Worth) 3:15 - Venetian Sailors (Dallas) 4:00 - Señor Fin (Denton) 4:45 - Pageantry (Denton) 5:30 - TV Ghost (Lafayette, IN) 6:30 - Babar (Denton)
Brent Best, Austin Lucas, Isaac Hoskins Sunday, March 10, at Oak Street Drafthouse, 4 p.m., Free A fine assortment of local musicians will come together for a little heart-to-heart on Sunday afternoon at Oak Street Drafthouse. Just yesterday the bar celebrated its one-year anniversary, so it seems fitting that it would bless it with good vibrations. Slobberbone frontman Brent Best will headline a show with Indiana's Austin Lucas and Denton's favorite acoustic tear-jerker Isaac Hoskins. The event says the musicians have "gathered to break our hearts and put us back together," and I have no doubt believing that is exactly what they'll do.
