Arts & Culture

As much as we complain about Texas summers, we secretly love them. The sticky, hot nights bring their share of mosquitoes and stunning utility bills but their charms come in spades — soaks in the pool, barbecues, cold drinks and sizzling social soirees filled with loquacious party people like you’ll…

Geekly bylaws dictate that members of the nerd community observe several lesser-known holidays. Honoring the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter is a must-do on Pi Day, March 14. Lightsaber salutes better happen on May the Fourth be With You. And Free Comic Book Day? Well, true nerds…

Let those day-drunk journalists blow cash to rub elbows with Susan Orlean and Ben Fountain at the Mayborn today. Everyone else will post up at Oil and Cotton (837 W. 7th St., Oak Cliff) for Read-Rite Market: a free celebration of the written word and the social practice of reading…

The Design District is geared up and ready for its Gallery Day, and on Saturday, you can take in the view on and around Dragon Street. Galleries participating include Red Arrow Contemporary, Circuit 12 Contemporary, Cohn Drennan Contemporary, Conduit Gallery, Galleri Urbane, the Goss-Michael Foundation, PDNB Gallery, RE Gallery, Holly…

Beer. Meat. Music. What more could you possibly ask for? The Flying Saucer in Addison knows exactly what it takes to keep the locals happy, so it’s serving up the brews, brisket and beats this weekend at the third annual BeerBQ. On the menu of eats will be barbecue faves…

Perhaps you’ve heard stories about UNT’s Mayborn Literary Nonfiction Conference, which starts Friday. Perhaps you’ve heard of its drunken excess, and anyone who has spent a good portion of their lives in journalism school, or around writers or editors, knows these stories are likely true. But the Mayborn is more…

It’s effing hot with no sign of relief in sight. You should be at the damn lake. Oh, you don’t have a boat, you say? You’re in luck. Enjoy the luxury of air conditioning at Dallas Market Hall (2200 N. Stemmons Freeway) Thursday through Sunday and peruse some of the…

Drunk spelling bees, often called “adult” spelling bees, have now become part of your adult life. On Tuesday night, the most responsible of nights, Dan’s Silverleaf (103 Industrial St., Denton) is offering up its own version. It’s officially called Buzz Bee: Dentin’s Ownly Uhdult Spellen Bee(r), and it will be…

Dubbed “the most unique children’s entertainment in Dallas,” Le Theatre de Marionette has been pulling kids’ strings for more than 20 years, and they’re staying the path this month with a production of Hans Christian Andersen’s beloved tale The Little Mermaid. Kids will be delighted by the performance, which includes…

In alternate universes, hats can be damn scary and extremely dangerous — at least that’s what we gather from Captain Kurt and the rest of the Starship Compromise crew, head mockers of the latest Pocket Sandwich parody, Star Trip II — Hats of Horror. Watch as the starfleeters take on…

The Webb Gallery’s (209 W. Franklin St., Waxahachie) latest show is titled Peep Show. It’s a thoughtful flashback to when sexy was sexy, and not just Miley Cyrus dry-humping a pillow in a white bodysuit. Peep Show is simple, seductive and features girlie shots from burlesque shows throughout the 1940s…

This evening at 8 p.m., Hooters (aka “The Owl Place”) cordially invites “local fans, friends and family” to a viewing party at their fine establishment in Plano. Tonight, as you likely already know, is the national premiere of the 30th Anniversary Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant (HISP) on FOX-Speed TV at…

You’ve been shouting it for years anyway. The tantrum phrase has been helpful for: shutting down aggressive dudes at bars; gaining your own seat on subway travel; and pre-holiday shopping, from the Pepperidge Farm mall kiosk to the Honey Baked Ham pick-up counter. (Note to self: You give shitty gifts.)…

Before embarking on this furniture journey, please note that while these five consignment/refurbished/antique furniture stores are awesome, there are infinitely more in DFW, many of them great. Honorable mentions include Curiosities, Lost and Found Antiques and Big Mango Trading Company. But these are five of our favorites, covering the gamut…

Space tourism. Whether you view it as the ultimate rich man’s mini-vacation or a means to offset funding for important work, those seats start at $95,000. That’s unattainable for most people, making space exploration an inherently elitist treasure. That’s something Edward Wright would like to change through the Dallas-based nonprofit…

I was in Target the other day, in the checkout line behind an extreme couponer. He was purchasing about 800 butt tons of Lean Pockets and approximately 300 ass loads of detergent. At first glance I did not judge these purchases, presuming that the purchase of that many Lean Pockets…

God I miss Rebecca Sealfon, ’97 Spelling Bee Champ. There’s little information so far, save for one lonely Facebook invitation, but Dan’s Silver Leaf will halt musical programming Tuesday night and switch gears. They’re throwing a drunken competitive word party for nerds who hate their livers, called “BUZZ BEE -…

While we hear a lot about Dallas’ emerging artist movement, what’s less publicized, though equally compelling, is the emerging gallery force. In the last couple years we’ve watched makeshift spaces spring up everywhere, many of which are artist-run or double as homes and studios. At these start-ups you’ll find folks…

Bastille Day in Bishop Arts just makes sense. Silly hats, scarves, mustaches and heavy gesticulating while holding wine? Oak Cliffers were probably doing that stuff anyway. Sunday was the fourth annual street party for the city’s francophiles, and they came out by the striped-shirt thousands to sample food by Dallas…