Walking toward Denton’s Courthouse-on-the-Square on the first night of this year’s 35 Conferette, there was little way of knowing what surprises were to come over the course of the fun-filled, and, at times, aggravating, opening night.At around 7:15 p.m., which was well after dark, an eerie ambiance enrobed the areas…
Mavis Staples8 p.m. at Main Stage OneGospel soul legend Mavis Staples took the stage to the whoops and hollers of several hundred people Thursday night in the parking lot behind Wells Fargo, and from the opening notes of the harmony-rich “Wonderful Savior,” it was clear we were all in for…
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart7:15 p.m. 7:55 p.m. at Main Stage TwoIf all had happened accordingly, last night’s performance from New York’s The Pains of Being Pure at Heart would have gone over exceedingly well, with crowds swaying back and forth and Molly Ringwald-ing to the band’s equally…
Cut Chemist1 a.m. at Hailey’s ClubBilled as the first hip-hop event of the 35 Conferette, Thursday night’s show at Hailey’s was the most illustrious lineup Denton has seen in the genre for a very long time.And, given the festival’s proclivity toward indie rock and folk music, it was possible that…
35 Conferette kicked-off last night in Denton with Sarah Jaffe, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, and Mavis Staples. Steadfast (and midterm exam-exhausted) photographers Danny Fulgencio and Stephen Masker grabbed a series of great opening day and night photos for you over in our slideshow section, which–of course–including some…
Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. Jeff Parker spent many years as the bassist for [DARYL], but Les Américains has been his main band for…
The Walkmen, The Head and The Heart, SerynSaturday, March 5, 2011Granada TheaterBetter than: sitting at home listening to great vintage records. Looking at the members of The Walkmen during their performance at Granada Theater on Saturday night, they hardly looked like a rock ‘n’ roll band. Far from it, actually…
The Trashcan Sinatras, Salim NourallahThe LoftMarch 4, 2011 Better than: looking for closeout deals at the Borders in Uptown and Highland Park. There are shows where you completely forget about the pains of the day, like the rising price of gas, job woes, or the risk of getting the flu…
Linkin Park, Circa Survive and Paper TonguesMarch 2, 2011American Airlines Center Better than: an SMU frat party. From across the state and even across state lines, more than 12,000 fans amassed inside the AAC last night to witness the spectacle that is Linkin Park. And nowhere else could one witness…
Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. If you were involved with a college radio station in the 1990s, or casually listened to “The Adventure Club”…
EisleyMarch 1, 2011Good RecordsBetter than: paying full-price to see the same set in a more traditional venue. After four years of struggles both personal and professional for the Tyler-based DuPree family and their musical entity Eisley, yesterday indeed proved a cathartic one for the group. And why not? It was…
Elephant 6 Holiday Surprise ShowMarch 1, 2011The Loft Better than: trying to make your own music out of tools you found in the garage. It’s hard to believe that The Loft’s small stage would host such a huge act, but indeed that is what happened last night, with the venue…
Wanda Jackson, The King Bucks, LalagrayKessler TheaterFebruary 26, 2011Better than: a normal Saturday night spent with a 73-year-old. Just before the clock struck 11 on Saturday night, Wanda Jackson sauntered, quite slowly, onto the stage at the Kessler Theater, ushered in by a standing ovation — one that, quite literally,…
Marnie Stern, Tera MelosSons of Hermann HallFebruary 24, 2011 Better than: corporate team-building exercises. Marnie Stern stepped onto the small, half-circle stage at Sons of Hermann Hall, looking casual and cool with her hair braided down the side, wearing a cut-up Elvis Costello T-shirt that complemented her no-fuss style.During the…
Lucero, Robert Ellis & The Boys and Somebody’s DarlingClub DadaFebruary 24, 2011Better than: recent shows at Club Dada, at least sonically. Some 90 minutes into their Thursday night set at Club Dada, Lucero frontman Ben Nichols glanced out into the crowd, mid-song, and became a little overwhelmed.”It’s like karaoke night…
Welcome to My First Show, where we give bands a chance to talk about the first shows they ever attended — no matter how uncool and embarrassing those tales may be. Guyton Sanders is literally a drummer about town. Whether he’s playing a church gig with a praise band or…
Hayes CarllThe Double WideFebruary 22, 2011Better than: standing around, watching a show in a cramped space four times the Double Wide’s size. A little more than halfway through his two-hour performance at the Double Wide last night — the first of his five-day small-club jaunt through North Texas, which, in…
SwansSouth Side Music HallFebruary 19, 2011Better than: a stirring live reading of The Ugly Duckling. Considering that its name conjures images of immense, flowing beauty, seminal New York City No Wave outfit Swans sure makes some ugly music. And painstakingly ugly music at that.Which is all part of the band’s…
Red Bull THRE3STYLE DJ CompetitionGranada TheaterFebruary 19, 2011Better than: sitting at home watching friends try to play DJ Hero 2. Saturday night’s Red Bull-sponsored DJ battle at the Granada Theater started promptly at 10, and it went pretty much as DJ competitions go, with each of the contestants given 15-minute…
Broken Social SceneHouse of BluesFebruary 19, 2011Better than: on a night of so many choices, that’s hard to say… This weekend provided music lovers in Dallas with an overload of great options. Commitment to any one performance left the nagging feeling early in the evening that one might have made…
The Pretty RecklessFebruary 19, 2011House of Blues’ Cambridge RoomBetter than: my Chuck Bass impression.It was easy to anticipate what the crowd at the House of Blues’ Cambridge Room was going to look like on Saturday night — moms dropping off their high school-aged daughters in minivans, no doubt. Only, uh,…
Tapes ‘n Tapes, Oberhofer, Les AmericainsFebruary 19, 2011The LoftBetter than: Seeing yet another mediocre opening band. At around 10:40 p.m. on Saturday night at The Loft, Tapes ‘n Tapes ambled onto the stage before a nearly packed venue, channeling the ’90s bands that inspired them. Clad in blue jeans, T-shirts,…
