January's Protest Against President Trump's Travel Ban at D/FW AirportWhen newly elected President Donald Trump announced he was banning travelers from seven Middle Eastern countries, effective immediately, at the beginning of January, sympathetic North Texans flocked to D/FW Airport to show their support for those who might be stuck there, as well as those who might be arriving from one of the banned countries. […]
Glenn Beck and Tomi LahrenGlenn Beck and Tomi Lahren deserve each other. That’s what made it so sad when the two right-wing yakkers, thrown together at Beck’s The Blaze, went through such an acrimonious divorce earlier this year. The Blaze froze Lahren out after she went on The View and told the world that, as a civil libertarian, she […]
Wilshire Baptist Church's LGBT VoteAt least one vote took place last November that left us not appalled, but applauding. After careful consideration and a review by a church committee, Wilshire Baptist Church’s congregation took a vote on whether to accept LGBT people as full members, meaning they can serve in church office as lay leaders and clergy and even […]
Lucky the DogIn late February, Dallas’ broadcast airwaves overflowed with the tragic tale of Lucky the 4-month-old Chihuahua mix who ate a bag of heroin as he sat in the parking lot while his owners ran a pricetag switching scam inside a Carrollton Home Depot. Luckily for Lucky, cops busted his owners and found him in the […]
John Wiley Price Beats the FedsOver the six years between the FBI’s 2011 raid of John Wiley Price’s Lake Cliff home and his trial this spring, a consensus developed: Price was likely guilty and likely to be found guilty of the corruption charges brought against him by the federal government. The feds had so much evidence and had spent so […]
Dallas Police Pension CompromiseOver the last two years, the Dallas Police and Fire Pension System’s unfunded liability grew from a constant source of frustration into an existential threat to the city of Dallas. Because of changes in federal accounting rules and the hits on the city’s bond rating, the DPFP’s multibillion-dollar unfunded liability placed the city’s continued solvency […]
PlanoRecently, one of our staff members moved to — dare we say it? — Plano. The looks of pity on the faces of his tattooed co-workers were a disheartening sight. Plano! The epitome of white-bread, cookie-cutter suburbia totally lacking in hipness. The only people who want to move there are major industries like Toyota and […]
Confetti EddieEdward Ruiz’s magic shows are really one part magic, one part vaudeville, one part burlesque and something totally unique. Ruiz, who goes by the moniker Confetti Eddie, got his start (and the nickname) while firing a confetti cannon for Ruby Revue burlesque shows. His personal style and approach to his craft match wits with the […]
Jeremy BiggersThe times, they are a (not really) changing. The past year goose-stepped us further into protest for both sides of the law — especially within the black community. And a T-shirt that spells out “Legalize Being Black” began populating Dallas in 2016, worn by artists and activists alike. Designed by Stem & Thorn owner Jeremy […]
Hip-Hop Book ClubIn April, Josey Records drew attention when it announced a book club that didn’t involve reading any books. But Hip-Hop Book Club has proven with its monthly discussions of seminal rap albums that reading need not be the defining feature of book clubs. Instead, it’s the willingness to dig deeply into a topic and share […]
Armoury D.E.Jeffrey Brown has made magic at Armoury D.E. this year with his free Saturday night series, Locked and Loaded. Under the name King Camel, Brown has booked many shows at venues like Crown & Harp and Three Links over the past few years, but he’s the first person to helm Armoury’s new music program, and […]
Regal RoomLast year, Independent Bar & Kitchen blended into the landscape of Deep Ellum. The bar and restaurant, opened by the owners of Club Dada and Off the Record in spring 2016, fit right in with the evolving neighborhood’s penchant for upscale comfort food, but until this year it had failed to truly differentiate itself. That’s […]
Longhorn BallroomThere hasn’t been any boot-scooting at the Longhorn Ballroom, built in 1950, in nearly a decade. In the ’50s and ’60s, it was a regular stop for country stars such as Bob Wills and R&B singers Otis Redding and Al Green; in the ’70s it went on to host more rowdy shows by punk acts […]
King's X ClubThe first handful of times we passed King’s X, in a shopping center near Forest Lane and Greenville Avenue, we were fairly certain it was a strip club. The windows are mirrored, so it’s impossible to see in. One day, after visiting the excellent Ethiopian restaurant next door, our curiosity compelled us to go in. […]
Barbara's PavilionOn the spectrum of karaoke experiences, a night out at Barb’s in Oak Cliff, which has karaoke Thursdays and Saturdays, falls somewhere between getting onstage in front of hundreds at Sherlock’s and booking a private room in Korea Town. The former is too much pressure, and there’s not much point in intentionally embarrassing yourself in […]
Crown & HarpIn the last decade, Greenville Avenue has sacrificed its reputation as a live music strip to cater to the brunch and artisanal Popsicle crowd. That’s well and good, but we were still sad to see the street’s last great music venue, Crown & Harp, hand over its keys in May. The two-story bar venue got […]
Medicine Man RevivalThere are only a few acceptable reasons to end a show early, but your keyboard catching on fire is definitely one of them. In May, Medicine Man Revival proved it has a crazy work ethic when that happened mid-song at Independent Bar & Kitchen, and the group finished out the show. The 1974 Rhodes had […]
Lakewood LandingLakewood Landing doesn’t have the largest pool table or the most well-cared-for pool table. But it has the best pool table. The Landing is a pit stop for anyone east of Central Expressway who feels like a nightcap, so you’re never short of partners, whether friends you’ve run into or ones you haven’t met yet. […]
Morrissey Actually PlayedA Morrissey show isn’t a Morrissey show until he’s canceled and rescheduled. But when the English singer and songwriter, best known for his time as the frontman of the Smiths, did this three times with his November 2016 Dallas date, we were skeptical the show would happen at all. We even went so far as […]
It'll DoIt’s not hard to declare It’ll Do the best dance club in Dallas because it’s leagues beyond all the others. Those who value exclusivity, expensive bottle service and waitresses in short dresses on their nights out dancing may disagree. But for those who just want an unpretentious and fun place to let loose to good […]
Lewellyn's Print ShopEvery band needs a cool shirt, and who better to help you whip one up than fellow Dallas musicians? The owner of Lewellyn’s Print Shop, Chris Lewellyn, is a drummer who has been in the music merch business for nearly 20 years. He got his start working with Reverend Horton Heat and opened his own […]
Kanye West at American Airlines CenterWhen Kanye West brought his Saint Pablo tour to American Airlines Center last fall, he brought with him a moving stage unlike any we’d ever seen. Throughout his succinct, one-hour-and-40-minute set, West was suspended above his 20,000-person audience on a giant platform that glided around the arena and left him mostly in shadows. Smoke and […]
