The untitled intro track of Pi on the Side—a trippy, echoing, swirling array of voices chanting “Thank you for ingesting me” over a distant shouted argument that eventually condenses to whirling psychedelic noise—is a jarring surprise from a band that previously seemed content to put out tight Minutemen-inspired punk-rock jams…
Trying to transcribe a Kevin Hart joke is difficult, as many of his funniest moments are imitations of people whose speech he doesn’t understand–his toddler daughter, thugs, women. But he does have some advice that shows he has at least some grasp of how to deal with the latter, as…
Painter Deya Harris can’t seem to decide what to specialize in, which makes her work all the more interesting. One painting might be a surreal spacescape on canvas, followed by a portrait painted on a smooth rock, followed by abstract swirls painted on a cross. Influenced by Diego Rivera, Pablo…
The Libertine Bar may have earned last year’s Best Bar Food award with Rosanne Dileo heading the kitchen, but owner Simon McDonald is trying to look at her departure to LaGrange as an opportunity. Matt Reddick, formerly of Nonna, starts work tomorrow.”The big thing is that he’s trained at culinary…
The last time I went to a Flying Saucer beer festival (the fall 2009 fest at the Fort Worth location), I learned that tasting the big, bad, high-gravity and high-ABV beers before trying lighter brews can throw off your tastebuds and make the latter drinks seem puny by comparison. At…
Ironic that Dallas Independent School District, a system whose bureaucrats and politicians aren’t exactly unfamiliar with the smoke-filled-room approach to doing business, would name a student art exhibition DISD:Transparency. Students from several high schools were given license to create installations in a variety of media focusing on the theme of…
Why is it that team names, logos and mascots are so much cooler at the lower levels of professional sports? Dallas’ NFL team is the Cowboys, whose logo is a blue star–both pretty boring if you look at them objectively, without considering their historic significance. But its Arena Football team…
Each week City of Ate will give you the lowdown on a local happy hour in Quittin’ Time, with the details on why you should or shouldn’t take up the featured bar or restaurant on its drink specials. Where: The Loon, 3531 McKinney Ave. (at the corner of McKinney and…
Thanks to my generous in-laws, Lady Hophead and I headed to the Meddlesome Moth Monday night to celebrate our 13th wedding anniversary. Her mother and stepdad offered to take us to a much fancier restaurant, but we felt the Moth, with one of the best beer selections in Dallas, was…
Two years ago, Whiskey Folk Ramblers (in a tie vote with Tejas Brothers) earned the honor of “Best New Act” in the 2008 Dallas Observer Music Awards, largely on the strength of their debut CD, Midnight Drifter. The disc was a rollicking collection of songs that blended Old World elements…
The Oak Cliff Foundation has scheduled a cinematic fundraiser with connections to the two events that arguably opened and closed the tumultuous period in this country’s history that we now think of as the ’60s. The setting will be the Texas Theater, which is best known for being the spot…
Valley House has shown the work of Brian Cobble five times now, and one look at his impressive pastels is all you need to see why the gallery books him so frequently. His landscapes are almost photo-realistic, yet still capture something soulful about the settings. Or maybe he’s got compromising…
Each week City of Ate will give you the lowdown on a local happy hour in Quittin’ Time, with the details on why you should or shouldn’t take up the featured bar or restaurant on its drink specials. Where: Adair’s Saloon, 2624 Commerce St., 214-939-9900.When: Happy hour 11 a.m. to…
For most music lovers, any old beer will do at a concert or club show as long as the music is good. At, say, Verizon Theatre or whatever they’re calling it these days, a big plastic cup or two full of American macro-lager is all it takes to get in…
One of my first jobs was at small press, the hobby of a lawyer who could find no other outlet for his ham-handed legal thrillers. The series’ main character was a fantasy version of the author who fought his way, literally and figuratively, to victory while fending off advances from…
Where: Tradewinds Social Club, 2843 W. Davis St.When: 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Mondays through FridaysWhat: $2.50 well drinks and domestics. Additionally, the bar offers “Dinner and a B-Movie” at 8 p.m. on Wednesdays, with pizza and two domestic beers or wells for $12 during movie screenings. Why or why…
Just as I was finishing off the sample pack Harpoon sent recently, a few free samples from Magic Hat arrived, offering a nice opportunity to compare IPAs from two well-established New England craft brewers. The contrast between the two companies could hardly be starker. Magic Hat has a markedly lighter,…
Combining music and comedy is a dicey proposition. For every Flight of The Conchords, there are 100 dudes who decided to punch up their awful stand-up acts with the three chords they know how to play on an acoustic guitar. That’s not the case with Everybody Was In The French…
The Ringling Bros. Red Nose Run, an American Heart Association benefit, is considered a “fun run.” Too bad, because a “terrifying run” would be much cooler–and jack up heart rates of kids and other participants. Just equip circus clowns with bloody fangs and have them chase runners along the 5K…
Who would have won in a fight between Michael Jackson and Prince? In their prime, it might not have been the laughable sissy match you’d assume. It took strength and endurance to pull off MJ’s stunning dance moves, and according to Charlie Murphy on Chappelle’s Show, Prince had some serious…
Each week City of Ate will give you the lowdown on a local happy hour in Quittin’ Time, with the details on why you should or shouldn’t take up the featured bar or restaurant on its drink specials. Where: Flying Saucer on the Lake, 4821 Bass Pro Drive, Garland. 972-226-0725.When:…
As mentioned in Hophead a couple of weeks back, this week (May 17 to 23) is American Craft Beer Week. That item already mentioned the Texas Craft Brewers Festival Saturday night at the Dancing Bear Pub in Waco, but there are a few other ways to celebrate closer to home…
