This Week in Dallas Music History: Our First Music Awards Ceremony, Yay!

This summer, we'll celebrate the 22nd year of our annual Dallas Observer Music Awards. And we've come a long way from the first ceremony taking up only one venue.The April 28, 1988 edition of the Observer had Brad Bailey reviewing our first annual Dallas Observer Music Awards ceremony on April...

By Shahryar Rizvi

April 26, 2010

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This summer, we'll celebrate the 22nd year of our annual Dallas Observer Music Awards. And we've come a long way from the first ceremony taking up only one venue.

The April 28, 1988 edition of the Observer had Brad Bailey reviewing our first annual Dallas Observer Music Awards ceremony on April 21 at Arcadia Theater before it burned down in 2006. There wasn't a showcase back then--just a ceremony--and Bailey recounted a few interesting experiences that year. Turns out some woman by the name Michele (no surname... Shocked maybe?) handed out the awards. So did Edie Brickell's mom. Back then, the award came in the form of plaque with a reject CD pasted on the board, shiny side facing out.

Who did we give the honors to that year, you ask? Well, we heaped a bunch of awards on the New Bohemians: Best Songwriter, Best Female Vocalist, Leader of Best Act and Best New Music/Underground Act. Awards also went to Sara Hickman, Brave Combo, Rigor Mortis--who, possibly stoned, seemed amazed by the shiny plaque--and the One O' Clock Lab Band out of then-called North Texas State University (now the University of North Texas, go Eagles!)

It's been some time since the awards were held so early in the year, though. This year's event will take place in mid-to-late July: On Saturday, July 17, we'll hold our annual showcase of nominees at various venues in Deep Ellum. The actual awards ceremony, meanwhile, will take place on Tuesday, July 20, at the Granada Theater.

After the jump, a four-pager looking back on the DOMA's humble beginnings...

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