2020 has challenged everything we knew to be good and constant about the world, so let us do our part in restoring a sense of comforting continuity: the Dallas Observer Music Awards will take place this year. Before your imagination runs wild, know we won’t try to Flaming Lips it…
People are rolling their eyes at Ice Cube, and The D.O.C. is rolling his eyes at people who are rolling their eyes at Ice Cube. Last week, news circulated that the legendary N.W.A. co-founder was working with President Donald Trump on what the president called the “Platinum Plan,” a campaign…
Performance artists faced massive setbacks through the pandemic as restaurant, bar and venue closures left them primarily unemployed. Songwriters, DJs and other creators of music may have found ways to write and expand their online presence during quarantine, focusing on their original content on streaming platforms or livestreamed performances. Cover bands…
Ken Welker, owner of 13th Floor Booking, has not let the challenges of the year get in his way. With the booking agency, Welker has found that adaptability is the game to play in the fight to keep the live-event industry afloat. Drive-in, virtual, outdoor, socially distant and intimate shows…
Avid moviegoers and concert fans have at least one thing in common right now: angst. Even with some socially distanced theaters opening in Texas and a number of concerts with limited seating available, fans of live cultural events have experienced a drought of new content since shutdowns began in March…
When musician Natalie Schlabs was a kid, she and her three brothers would gather around their grandfather to hear a little music. The family relished large gatherings, and Grandpa Gerald’s guitar-strumming was a staple of the evening. He liked Johnny Cash, but had no time for The Beatles, whom he…
When he’s not campaigning for office, JJ Fenceroy can be found, more than likely, strumming a guitar. The 50-year-old retired Air Force veteran, who made the rounds at art shows and open mics before COVID-19, is also running for Arlington City Council. Fenceroy grew up around music, he says, and…
Dallas music fans mourned the passing of two music legends this week. Houston-born singer Johnny Nash will always be remembered for his 1972 hit “I Can See Clearly Now.” Eddie Van Halen, who died after a long battle with throat cancer on Oct. 6, is remembered for his incredible versatility…
On Thursday, The Telegraph ran a story whose headline reeked of hollow clickbait but nonetheless posed a question worth pondering: “Would John Lennon have been canceled?” The legendary Beatle and counterculture icon would’ve turned 80 on Oct. 9 had he not been murdered by Mark David Chapman on Dec. 8,…
Psychedelic music has become almost omnipresent. It was birthed out of the marijuana and mescaline-fueled writings of the Beat Generation, distilled into the powerhouse of surrealistic expression with the advent of LSD and the hippie movement and lives on today. The genre, it seems, will endure long after our high has…
Eddie Van Halen revolutionized the guitar. “Revolutionized” may be a strong word, but it’s accurate. The iconic guitarist, who died Oct. 6 at the age of 65 from throat cancer, was one of only a handful of guitarists to pick up the instrument and make the entire guitar community place…
The organizers behind Emo Night Denton don’t know how to describe the event, but they know what’s important to them: supporting marginalized communities and making room in the North Texas scene for emo music lovers. Part event and booking agency, music curators and creators, Emo Night Denton is a three-person…
The pandemic may be throwing endless hurdles at the live music industry, but local artists remain as committed (and inspired) as ever to releasing original music. Here are the best new releases by North Texas artists. Kaash Paige, “London” (Music video) The walking vibe known as Kaash Paige released an…
On his newest album True Story, Dallas rapper SniperShot revisits trying times over the past few years. Born Wes Brown and raised in East Dallas, SniperShot grew up listening to hip-hop and fell in love with the genre. His affinity for rap music began in the fifth grade, when he discovered…
Beauty Bar announced Thursday they are closing their doors permanently. The dance club, which was originally located on Knox-Henderson before relocating to Deep Ellum a year ago, was known for bringing the best local DJs together. Country artist Bill Brimer released a new concept album, A Genealogy of Ghosts. With songs…
In April 2019, the doors for Beauty Bar’s Knox-Henderson location were closed for good, but the revered dance spot found new life two weeks later as it hosted a soft opening at their current home in Deep Ellum. But alas, a future for the Main Street location is no longer…
Brave Little Howl didn’t know exactly what they were getting into on that chilly night on White Rock Lake, last December on Friday the 13th. Travis Wright, host of I’m a Fan of… podcast, had asked the indie-folk band to play a small concert to a select group of diehard…
Making any sort of comprehensive pop culture list is bound to be controversial no matter what. At the end of the day, it’s a matter of opinion and is completely subjective, but that will never stop people from complaining about their personal favorites missing the cut or claiming that the…
Is punk dead? It depends on who you ask. The Exploited said it wasn’t. Crass said it was. Dead Kennedys said it wasn’t, but that it deserved to be. Perish the thought that you should take a stance on that, however, because it is the stupidest and most meritless musical…
As Texans, we’re duty-bound to say that it is the best state in the union. As music critics, however, we have an even bigger obligation to say that our official state song (“Texas, Our Texas”) is truly terrible. We’ll give our dear Texan readers the requisite space to lash out…
You might not be able to tell by looking at him, but the rail-thin, mustached, cowboy-esque Garrett Owen loves to work out. The folk singer-songwriter can frequently be found nose-deep in fitness literature, yearning to bend, stretch, crouch and contort the way that the pros do. He does pistol squats,…
Racks of clothing line the walls as you enter the apartment, studio and workspace of local rapper Smoke Stkz, and not because his closet wouldn’t fit the entirety of his drip. It’s because his latest endeavor has placed him in a new field of artistry: fashion design. The 29-year-old Plano…
