David Byrne Digs the High Five

The former Talking Heads frontman was recently in town to collaborate with a certain robot builder. You can read about it on Byrne’s blog (link props to KERA’s Arts + Culture). But I liked what Byrne had to say about the High Five, which he encountered on his drive in from the airport:

After about twenty miles, I turned north on Highway 75 on what might be the mightiest and most awe-inspiring interchange I’ve ever seen. At least five levels of roads are stacked up, all swooping over, under and around each other as if in some mighty concrete mating dance. It’s a truly incredible work, graceful, and of a scale so large that it is impossible to see the whole thing from any one vantage point.

Good Records Celebrates Its 8th Birthday, Record Store Day This Saturday

On Saturday, Chris Penn, C.J. Davis, and the other fine folks at Good Records will celebrate eight years in the CD-selling business. That’s reason enough for a party. Saturday also happens to be Record Store Day. Another, ahem, good reason for a shindig. There’s plenty of free swag to be had, not counting the day-long in-store concert detailed after the jump. I saw Chris putting together some goodie bags last night, when I dropped off two big boxes of CDs for giveaway. Which CDs? These. OK, concert lineup time. Let’s jump.

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D Magazine Intern Scores “A-” on Profile of Tim Rogers

Caitlin Myers is one of our capable interns. She’s a journalism student at SMU. When she asked if she could profile me for a student paper, I said sure, as long she didn’t mind my posting it on the blog. Below you’ll find her effort, submitted with a few comments.

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Playboy’s Dallas Search

Are we still talking about Playboy’s 55th Anniversary Playmate Search? Yes. Yes, we are. Or rather, I am. In particular, I’d like to point out that we have photos of the casting call, including notable attendees Bridget Marquardt, Amber Campisi, and Holly Madison. Plus, the multitalented online producer Kyle Kearbey is editing a video of the event as well. Stay tuned.

About This Convention Business Business…

All this convention hotel talk is giving me serious déjà vu. I can’t help but remember a feature I wrote for the print product way back in 2003. (It’s easier to remember, since it was the last feature of considerable length that I had the stamina to write.) The story “Topless Bars and Bottom Lines” (catchy title, that) was about the confluence of bad tidings that hampered our Convention and Visitor Business. Notable among them was the debate over a convention hotel. Five years ago, the same arguments were made, albeit by different people. The relevant passage is after the jump.
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Ben Stein, Others Party For New Flick Like It’s 1999

Belo8 film critic Gary Cogill was among hundreds partying at the Palomar Hotel Wednesday night after the world premiere here of Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, a controversial new documentary about the Establishment jihad to suppress proponents of “intelligent design.” The flick stars Ben Stein, a prolific writer but probably best known as the boring teacher in the movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. “I’ve always admired Ben Stein,” Cogill said at the party. “He’s one of the few intellectual conservatives who have a sense of humor–something that’s rare among conservatives and intellectuals.” Jump to find out how Ben Stein reacted to that.

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Re: Even Skeptics Think the Convention Center Hotel is a Done Deal

“Could be vacant 290 days of the year”? You’re overreaching, Trey. The place would never be vacant. If you’re assuming it’ll be fully booked 75 days out of the year, the question becomes how full will it be the rest of the year?

I find it interesting that Crow is the only businessperson who doesn’t favor the hotel. And he has an obvious interest in killing the deal — or he thinks he has an interest. At our dog-and-pony show, Phillip Jones et al. said that all the other hotels in town, even the ones downtown, support the convention center hotel. They believe a rising tide will lift all ships.

Even Skeptics Think the Convention Center Hotel is a Done Deal

I had lunch with Angela Hunt today and invited her to speak to our board about her skepticism on the convention center hotel, since earlier this week we had a slickly packaged dog-and-pony show from the pro side. She was gracious enough to be willing, but she thinks it would be pointless. She thinks the convention center hotel is a fait accompli, even though fundamental questions still haven’t been answered. Questions like, if you’re asking Dallas homeowners to make an investment, why won’t you give us any specifics on the projected returns? Or, why invest so much in an industry — the convention and meeting industry — that is at best static and more likely shrinking? Is another empty high-rise really going to revitalize Dallas? (We ask more questions in our profile of Harlan Crow in this month’s issue of D CEO.)

The mayor’s freight train already has 13 votes for a 1,000-room hotel that could be vacant 290 days out of the year, with residents on the hook for the $350 million hotel and $150 million ballroom and meeting room space. Leppert has staggered the process to get, as Harlan Crow puts it, a little pregnant at a time: the council will vote next Wednesday on the bonds to buy the overpriced parcel for the hotel for $40 million; the six bids for the hotel development won’t be opened until late May. The indefatigable Sam Merten has a lot more over at Unfair Park.

Kids in the Hall To Be Kids in the Nokia Theater

True fans no doubt know already that the members of Kids in the Hall are coming to Dallas April 23 for a live performance. I made TV Critic Ed “Uncle Barky” Bark write a preview of the shindig, including an interview with troupe member Mark McKinney. Okay, by “made him write,” I mean “assigned him a Web-only feature.” Check it out. It’s good stuff as always from Ed. Oh. And if you’re wondering: My favorite Kid (at the time of the show) is Bruce McCulloch. My favorite Kid post-show is Dave Foley, for NewsRadio (natch). Close second for Scott Thompson for Larry Sanders Show. Mark McKinney on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip was just … sad.

Layoffs at the Star-Telegram

Sad day in Fort Worth at the newspaper. Several newsroom folks, some of whom I know, are getting the pink-slip shiv. About 20 overall, I think eight or so in the newsroom. High-level folks, too. Memo after the jump:

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Re: WFAA Uses a Hammer to Smash a Fly

Tim, sorta yes and sorta no. WFAA definitely approached this like they’d found the Lindbergh baby. (Am I dating myself?) Organizations from Radio Shack to the Department of Veterans of Affairs have left personal info in trash bins, on laptops left on park benches, and what not. It’s going to happen because people can be lazy and stupid. (All the more reason for people to refuse to give out Social Security numbers to Blockbuster or to the local school.) But one of the comments was right — Hexter being a great school isn’t going to console someone who gets his identity stolen.

WFAA Uses a Hammer to Smash a Fly

Yesterday afternoon I got a call at work from Jolee Healey, the principal of my son’s elementary school. She sounded shaken. “Oh, no,” I thought. “What has the boy gone and done now? He better not have brought a trebuchet to school or something.” But no. Turns out Healey was worried about a news report that was about to air.

Jump to learn about the shockingly startling news at Hexter Elementary and how Channel 8 bravely brought the story to light.

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Joe Simpson Continues to Impress

I tried to stay away from the Ashlee Simpson engagement gossip that turned out to be true and then the pregnancy rumor too, but this item is too good to resist. Joe Simpson is pimping out photos of his soon-to-be-wed daughter and unborn grandkid, wanting $1 million for a cover shot, of which he demands to be the photographer. A magazine editor says one million is a bit high. Like, about $940,000 too high. You stay classy, Joe Simpson.

Leading Off

1. The council enacted a few new laws governing local strip clubs. I wasn’t going to link to Dave Levinthal’s story, because the laws are smart and, in some cases, overdue. Then I realized I could use this quote from councilman Dave Neumann: “We need to make sure the tool works.” Then he added, “So I guess we better make sure these clubs stay in business, am I right?” Then he totally tried to high five Mitch Rasansky, who left him hanging.

2. I know this is an extremely awkward segue, but let’s just say when two homeless people are arrested for going through the pockets of a very recently dead motorcyclist, it doesn’t make activists’ jobs any easier. You’re not getting anyone kicking in for homeless centers or SROs with that in the paper.

3. And, finally, the Mavericks previewed their upcoming playoff series against the New Orleans Hornets by bringing the ruckus at the AAC, mainly during a game-changing 32-8 run that I didn’t get to see because someone decided they wanted to watch The Land Before Time twice. Special shout-out to Don Cento, who hasn’t seen a Mavs loss in person thus far this season. Cubes, get him floor seats.

(Also, to people who went to see Feist last night: she didn’t sing this, did she?)