Just after noon on July 4, 2005, I was sitting under a blazing sun in a dusty, wide-open field behind Billy Bob’s Texas in the Fort Worth Stockyards. I had just unpacked my folding chair and settled in for the first of what would be over a dozen performances during…
This past summer, thanks in large part to the contagiously fun success of the U.S. Men’s National Team during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, massive amounts of American’s either became new fans of soccer, or reignited a long lost love of the beautiful game. But to anyone paying close…
When watching soccer, it’s typically a fine idea to have a pint or two in hand, and it’s best to do it at one of DFW’s many European-style pubs. For the most part, these pubs are open early on Saturday and Sunday mornings, sometimes as early as 7, to accommodate…
For fans of most genres of music, it takes but only a few moments scrolling down our Concert Calendar, a Twitter feed or your Facebook page activity to stumble upon a local concert that interests you. Chances are you have a small handful of favorite venues that more often than…
Make no mistake; spelling bees are highly competitive events. In the splendid 2002 documentary Spellbound, viewers watched as a wide range of young students showed off their smarts and colorful personalities en route to the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee. So, what could be more entertaining than little geniuses spelling…
Dallas-based comedian Paul Varghese has been a bright spot on the local comic map for some time now. It would be easy to overlook him when so many so-called Big Names come to town regularly if he wasn’t so damn hilarious. Indeed, he’s made a name for himself outside of…
Chef Mat McCallister’s design district spot FT33 is as sizzling hot as it has ever been, which says a lot given the oft-fickle nature of foodie culture. The brash, inked-up McCallister knows that veggies can be more culinarily interesting than the proteins we worship in Texas, and he’s not afraid…
Despite the unforgiving bitterness of Russia’s winters and the country’s history of political unrest and oppressive social laws, Russians know how to have a good time. And you too can party Northern Asia-style, when Hotel St. Germain (2516 Maple Ave.) hosts its annual Russian Winter Festival. The fun begins at…
For years now, “Big Gus” Samuelson has been as busy a musician as can be found in North Texas. Whether he’s playing with his longtime band Swampadelic or flying solo, Samuelson, who also works as a DJ on KHYI 95.3 FM (we even gave him an award for it!), currently…
Sure, we’ve already handed out the DOMA trophies, and we had a hell of a good time in doing so. Just because the showcase and the ceremony have past doesn’t mean we’re ready to stop celebrating the artists that were worthy of DOMA-love. So, let’s tip a hat, a glass…
On an average Thursday night in the early spring of 2012, the Glass Cactus in Grapevine, next to the monolithic Gaylord Texan Hotel was empty. Such a scenario seemed stranger still, given the night club’s reputation as a prime cougar den and ideal spot for business travelers looking for a…
Sure, we’ve already handed out the DOMA trophies, and we had a hell of a good time in doing so. Just because the showcase and the ceremony have past doesn’t mean we’re ready to stop celebrating the artists that were worthy of DOMA-love. So, let’s tip a hat, a glass…
Jason Isbell With Sturgill Simpson WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, OK Saturday, January 10, 2015 I’ve got a brother-in-law named Joe. He’s a good dude and he likes music well enough, but he isn’t the type to seek out new stuff, especially from lesser-known names. I took him to see Telegraph…
This past Labor Day weekend in Fort Worth during the Clearfork Music Festival, it was evident early on that the atmosphere would be dampened by the rather thin turnout. But the general malaise that swept through the sweltering, empty spaces of land along the Trinity River proved no match, however,…
A Different Kind of Madness For a weekend in the rainy spring of 2014, NCAA’s Final Four rolled into town to complete the annual madness of March. The Boss, Bruce Springsteen, performed for free amidst a carnival and other family-friendly activities. For the 2015 football edition of sporty madness, we…
Since 2006, Dallas-based metal band Wo Fat has seared ears around the globe. Make no mistake: This trio, consisting of Kent Stump, Tim Wilson and Michael Walter, isn’t offering up simple hard-rock that’s just hard enough to be considered metal. According to the group’s Facebook page, “Psychedelic Doom” is how…
On Wednesday night in Dallas, this 38 year-old, balding suburbanite and married father of one (with a second child on the way) did something I hadn’t done before. Though I’ve been canvassing the North Texas musical landscape for over 20 years as a fan and, more recently, as a music…
As great of a year as 2014 was for country music throughout North Texas, many of the headlines were dominated by veterans, both young and grizzled. While 2015 will surely see some fine albums from this area’s better time-tested honky-tonk talents, there are a handful of fresher names we’re particularly…
Understandably, life is a bit crazy for the fast-traveling members of Seryn right now. Even after driving for hours on end following a sold-out show in Telluride, Colorado on Sunday night, making the choice on where to have dinner Monday night wasn’t a completely easy one. Most of them wanted…
Between 1987 and 1989, Nathan Nipper, the Bedford-based author of Dallas ‘Til I Cry: Learning to Love Major League Soccer, was a soccer-obsessed 12 year-old son of missionary parents on the go. In those two impactful years, the Nippers moved from Rose Bud, Arkansas (population 202 at that time), to…
Just because we handed out some trophies last week doesn’t mean we’re done celebrating the best music that came out of our area this year. As a historical matter of fact, North Texas has long enjoyed a rich abundance of country music talent. In 2014, we’ve seen that many beloved…
Since 2006, a Father-Son duo has helped give the suburbs north of Dallas a true beer-nerd clubhouse in the form of Lonestar Beverages in Carrollton. But as of the past week, Sam and Rick Ali have added a seductive new element to craft-beer loving here in the Dallas-area as Lonestar…
