Articles about Events
March 11 Is Now Larry Hagman Day
JR Poem by
I’ll let the folks at the “Remembering J.R.” Facebook page take over:
March 11 is officially declared as “Larry Hagman Day.” The Mayor of Dallas will declare it and issue a Proclamation declaring it official. The Dallas episode airing that evening is called “J.R.’s Masterpeice” and will be the funeral of J.R. Ewing. It is a very special show where you the fans get to say “goodbye to J.R. and to Larry Hagman”. You will get to go to the “funeral and the wake” and mourn and grieve this incredible man, but most importantly to say your own personal goodbye. Watching this episode is your opportunity to not only remember him, but also to thank Larry for sharing not only his talents with all of us, but his incredible outlook on life. So on March 11 go ahead, get out your Stetson hats and cowboy boots, wear them all day long, and remember, if Larry were here today, his parting words to all of us would be “Don’t Worry, Be Happy, Feel Good.”
In honor of that, fan Scott Carlson wrote the above poem. You may remember Carlson from “A Year With Perot!,” a poem in honor of the Perot Museum opening.
Programming Note: Artist Richard Patterson Unveils Rare Video Work at Texas Theater Tonight!
You may know the name of British artist Richard Patterson for a variety of reasons. Perhaps you were enthralled with his defense of the opening ceremonies of last summer’s London Games. Perhaps you’ve read his musings on FrontRow. Maybe you caught his exhibition at the Goss-Michael Foundation in 2009. More than likely, though, you know him because Patterson is an accomplished and renowned painter who has been residing in Dallas now for some time, a member of that pivotal generation of British artists that is known by the clumsy moniker “YBA.”
I said painter, but as you all know, Dallas does funny things to people who move here and stick around for a while. In Patterson’s case, he has been dabbling in video of late. The result is a series of video pieces Patterson is calling “Six Short Stories.” They are screening tonight at 8 p.m. at the Texas Theater for one night only. Admission is completely free.
Why can’t you miss this screening? Well, for one, because the work is hilarious, fascinating, moving, deeply intelligent, and beautiful. It is also likely the only chance you’ll ever get to see Patterson’s videos (in part because of all sorts of confusing copyright stuff that tends to give gallery dealers headaches).
So what to expect? Pushed to describe his work, Patterson calls the videos “dream-like vignettes” and feigns British self-deprecation:
[It is] A film with scant originality and little authenticity featuring fast cars, bare breasts, inflatable furniture, the music of Allegri and Michel Legrand, death, the Jaguar Mk2 and much, much more… Don’t bring your children.
Also, following the screening, I’ll be participating in an onstage conversation with Patterson, and after we gab, a DJ set by Wild in the Streets will take us all into the night. See you there.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Jan. 31
Just an excuse to post this.
There are at least two other people in this office who will back me up on this, but Drumline is a fantastic movie. A great movie. One of the best, perhaps.
We all received the AT&T Performing Arts Center calendar months ago, so I’ve been pretty excited for tonight’s event for awhile. Pretty excited is probably an understatement. Drumline Live offers all the excitement of a college halftime show without the actual football game. (This is good news for some people, obviously, definitely not me.) For those worried about keeping canon with the original Cannon (boom), the folks behind this national tour are the same people behind the movie, and the stage show features the best of marching band traditions from historically black colleges and universities across the United States. There’s even a pair of orchestra seats left, and if you hop over to FrontRow, we’ve got a last minute pair of tickets to give away.
Also this evening, since the Sound City documentary screening at the Magnolia is sadly sold out, may I recommend Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo over at Theatre Three? Playwright Rajiv Joseph is having quite the year here, what with this production of his play and a commission from the Dallas Theater Center set to debut later in the season. This is exciting, but surely nothing can be more exciting than the idea of a wild beast stalking the streets of a newly invaded Baghdad. In Joseph’s darkly funny play (a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize), the tiger, played by comedian Robin Williams on Broadway, searches for the meaning of life amid the rubble and corruption. Bonus: this play was the subject of our Broducers column over on FrontRow, and our guest bro reviewer, Paul Ramon, is hilarious. Thanks, Paul. My go to for dinner over there in the Quadrangle is Dream Cafe, because plenty of the servers are actors and they do brisk pre-theater service.
For more to do tonight, go here.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Jan. 30
We’re saying goodbye to the beautiful, talented, and infinitely well-dressed Charlotte of Charlotte Watch fame today. She’s leaving us for an amazing opportunity, but I, for one, will miss her. I also thank her for the opportunity to try Stampede 66 for lunch.
Tonight marks the beginning of the end for the Ochre House’s production of Old, a Matthew Posey-penned play that draws its inspiration from Shut Up, Little Man!, the true-life audio recordings of argumentative alcoholics Raymond and Pete. Posey adds Vaudeville-esque hallucinations, music, and puppetry for an experiment that’s all his own. Our critic, Lindsey Wilson, said the elements were hit or miss, but still somehow “grimly fascinating.” The show will close this weekend, so if you’re interested in giving it a shot, your time is limited. Craft and Growler is open for your imbibing pleasure before the show, and you get a beer with your theater ticket.
Also this evening, the Latino Cultural Center hosts a Spanish film festival, featuring movies that reflect the current developments in Spanish filmmaking, such as La Bicicleta, Barcelona (Una Mapa), Dias de Futbol, and Mondays in the Sun (Los Lunes al Sol). I won’t pretend to be an expert here, but I do love discovering an excellent foreign film or two. And since you’ll be in Deep Ellum, there’s no reason not to go to Cane Rosso for dinner.
For more to do tonight, go here.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Jan. 28
This was the Art Con piece I wanted. Other people wanted it, too. Kudos to the artist.
Back in November, there was Art Conspiracy No. 8, a Dallas-exclusive fragrance of art, charity, music, and free-range beer drinkers. It was great. The artist-donated artwork that I wanted was auctioned off for far more money than I could spend, so I bought a blue keepsake koozie instead. It’s almost as good, if not better, than something to hang on my wall.
And presumably, this year’s Art Con raised a decent amount of money for their beneficiaries, the W.T. White Ceramics Program, and Girls Rock Dallas. The organizers will announce precisely how much tonight at their “thank you” party at the Double Wide. The check presentation is set for 8:30 p.m., bookended by bands The Days and The Chloes. Nammi Truck will be there so you can have a barbecue pork banh mi whenever the mood strikes. Art Con volunteers and artists get in free, but otherwise, the cover is five bucks.
Also this evening, far far away in Fort Worth, the second-ever Cliburn Competition winner, Radu Lupu, returns for a one-night solo recital. I can only assume the Romanian pianist has gotten even better since 1966. Lupu interprets the classical masters, such as Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, and Brahms, with unique flair, and keep in mind that prior to this Cowtown appearance, he played Carnegie Hall just last week. This is also a pretty good reason for me to visit Tim Love’s Woodshed, since I have still yet to do so. Embarrassing.
For more to do tonight, go here.
Things To Do In Dallas This Weekend: Jan. 25-27
How far would you run for this Hypnotic Donut?
I’m attending all three hours of King Lear tonight, so I’ll be swift about this.
Friday
If I wasn’t settling in for Shakespeare at the Wyly, I’d bounce back and forth between two Deep Ellum venues with musical acts I’ve actually been dying to see. The timing would out perfectly, provided you were also interested in seeing Home by Hovercraft (supporting Air Review for their album release party) at Trees, since the band goes on at 8 p.m., and then heading over to Club Dada for Geographer. The opening act there is Daniel Hart. You can’t really go too far wrong picking one or the other, but why do that when you can have both? If you buy your tickets online, the grand total is $20–still less than you’d pay for a single concert at Palladium Ballroom or Verizon. I caught on to Home by Hovercraft thanks to their charming gem of a musical, On the Eve, and I’ve been into Geographer’s brand of synth pop since I got my hands on a seven-inch single of “Kites” quite a few years ago. I recommend all of it highly.
Cane Rosso for dinner, just because I haven’t braved the hoards in awhile, and Black Swan Saloon for drinks. Easy.
For-Profit Race Company Poised To Take Money Away From Sick Kids by Competing With Dallas Marathon
UPDATE: Dan Cruz with the Competitor Group sent me a note on Friday letting me know that the San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon has been moved to mid-November. Also, he let me know that the Competitor Group has contributed more than $200,000 to Scottish Rite Hospital in the past four years. So all is well.
In 2010, Dallas Marathon (or, at that time, the Dallas White Rock Marathon) officials signed a contract with Competitor Group, which produces the Rock ‘n’ Roll race series, forbidding it to produce a race in Texas between December 1 and May 31. This clause would protect Dallas Marathon and let it grow into a big event that attracts runners, vendors, and business to the area. It would also allow the nonprofit organization to continue to raise money for Scottish Rite Hospital.
It appears that the Competitor Group forgot/misread/overlooked/didn’t care about the contract and just announced that the San Antonio Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon will take place on December 8 this year, which just so happens to be the exact same date as the Dallas Marathon.
Runners and businesses are upset about the news. But, according to this article, it sounds like many will be loyal to Dallas. Competitor Group said that sharing the date of the Dallas Marathon will only negatively affect 776 runners.
Dallas Marathon’s official response is after the jump.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Jan. 24
The Grape’s cheese and charcuterie plate.
In case you missed it, Peter Simek broke the story Monday on how, for more than a year, the Dallas Contemporary has been selling donated artwork on eBay for cheap without the artists’ knowledge. Oops.
Was there ever a moment more fitting to have a big panel discussion on the state of contemporary art in our fair city? No? Perfect. The Dallas Museum of Art hosts their regular conversation/lecture series this evening, with Jeff Whittington moderating a talk between Carlos Donjuan, a man with a fantastic surname who also happens to be an artist and adjunct professor at UTA, Kim Cadmus Owens, an artist and associate professor at UTD, and Lucia Simek, art critic for Glasstire who occasionally moonlights for us over on FrontRow. Tickets are only five bucks, and the conversations always prove lively. It’s also supposed to be incredible outside tonight, so pack a picnic and have dinner in Klyde Warren Park before walking over to the museum.
Also tonight, The Grape kicks off a new year of their “come-as-you-are” casual dinners with wines from the Burgundy region of France paired with a three-course prix fixe menu selected by chef de cuisine and former Top Chef: Seattle contender Danyele McPherson. And as I’ve mentioned a few times before, I’m a big fan of The Grape in general. You can’t miss with one these dinners, especially if you’d like to make your Thursday night a wee bit more special than usual.
For more to do tonight, go here.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Jan. 23
These guys are wearing Speedos.
International Pie Day? I’m actually way more offended I didn’t have today off than I was working on Monday.
Tonight, there’s a show worth seeing over here in the Arts District, and it closes this weekend. The Undermain Theatre is temporarily installed in the new Dallas City Performance Hall, putting on a, from all accounts, excellent production of Enda Walsh’s Penelope. Walsh, who recently won a Tony Award for his book for the musical Once, appropriates the story of Homer’s quick-witted lady who tricks various suitors for 20 years while waiting for her husband, Odysseus, to return to her. Max Hartman, Bruce DuBose, R Bruce Elliot, and Gregory Lush play four would-be lovers who are in it for the long haul, battling each other for the beautiful Penelope at the bottom of her drained swimming pool while she slinks about on high. There are all sorts of reasons to recommend this play (the Tony-winning writer, wonderful director Stan Wojewodski, Jr., the fact that even the Undermain’s weakest shows remain some of the better productions in town), but I’m also curious about how they’re using the 750 seat theater. Only slightly bigger digs than what they’re used to underneath Main Street, really.
Also this evening, FrontRow’s Christopher Mosley, he of the discerning musical tastes, spins a set at The Dram at the behest of resident DJ Blake Ward. Ward, in what is clearly an attempt to shirk his duties, has also invited artist Samantha McCurdy to do the same. Whiskey drinks are $5, so there’s that. For the curious, I sent Mosley a message this morning that said, “What are you playing tonight? Just Orange Juice?” He responded: “Possibly some Sky Ferreira, which is my current pop obsession, Trust, questionable covers of Hot Chip songs, some early `00s throwbacks, and of course, Orange Juice.” That’s all I really needed. And since Raya reported that Rio Room is closing, perhaps we’ll dance at The Dram more often.
For more to do tonight, go here.
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Jan. 22
Oral Fixation wants you.
If y’all follow me on Twitter, I finally dedicated 140 characters to a thought that I have at least once daily as I drive and walk around the Arts District. We have at least two taco food trucks. Why can’t we have a breakfast taco food truck? It’s a long cold ten minutes from my parking garage to this office, and I don’t think it’d be an exaggeration to say that a couple of egg, bacon, and cheese tacos would actually improve my life.
Okay, fine. I know. This evening, though, you can have everything you want, if what you want is a trip to cloud nine. I’m lying. That’s just this month’s theme for the storytelling series Oral Fixation, where you can hear folks deliver personal essays about flying high in probably both the literal and the figurative sense. It’s generally a fun thing no matter the topic, though tonight the stories range from terrifying helicopter rides to a girl meeting her favorite musicians. It’s at the McKinney Avenue Contemporary, which makes grabbing a burger and a beer at Maple & Motor easy, and quick enough to get you to the theater in time. And as always, if you have your own tale to tell, you can submit via the Oral Fixation website.
Speaking of food, the first-ever Dallas Dishcrawl is also this evening. The secretive dining event revolves around downtown, and features four courses at four different restaurants. The meeting location is revealed to ticket-holders 48 hours before the event via email, and the names of the restaurants are still being kept a secret. If you love a relatively inexpensive foodie mystery or if your name is Veronica Mars and you just can’t help yourself, it’d be worth it.
For more to do this evening, go here.
ZaZa Marks 10th Year With ‘Thank-You’ Bash
Saturday night all roads led to Uptown’s pioneering ZaZa boutique hotel, which threw a 10th anniversary bash for more than 1,200 of its nearest and dearest. Oilman Allan McBee, for example, was camped out in the lobby waiting for his wife, Lynn, who would arrive from a Joffrey Ballet performance at the Winspear, and a friend, who would come from the Stars game at the AAC. Benji Homsey, president of Z Resorts Management and Development, said the big shindig was a “thank you” to its supporters from the company, which also has a boutique hotel in Houston and will break ground on a third in Austin later this year. The Dallas property’s performing well, he added, with consistent annual occupancy rates in the mid-to-high 70s.
Saturday’s event was quite a thank-you gesture. The 154-room luxury hotel was decked out with oversized tents, flaming sparklers, booze and gourmet grub, two deejays–one specializing in ’80s disco–a contortionist and a tarot-card reader. “Oh my god. It’s like the Blues Brothers meets modern cheese,” one 40ish businessman said, fighting his way through the crowd. “If we can’t score here …” Meantime, well-known socialite Kate Rose Marquez was getting her cards read by Valentina Burton, “the fortune teller of Dallas.” Anything positive? “She told me 2013 will be a year of fun, and that good things are coming my way,” said Marquez, at left in photo with Burton. “She also said I’m finally going to get something that I’ve been waiting for for a long time.” The party didn’t end ’til 2.
Headed to the Dallas Museum of Art Today? Check Out a Renegade Exposition.
As we mentioned last week, beginning today the Dallas Museum of Art today will allow visitors into the museum without an admission fee. Special exhibits will still be ticketed, but the museum’s permanent collection is now open to any stragglers who happen to wander in the doors to warm-up.
Among those stragglers are two artists, “KITNFACE” and “Luckyirkman” (presumably the pseudonyms of the two artists, Lucy Kirkman and Justin Hunter Allen, who run Studio Don’t F*ck This Up (DTFU)). The artists are marking the new admission policy with an unsanctioned exhibition in the DMA’s galleries. How are they doing it? Well, you need to download a booklet and Onvert Viewer, and then head the DMA’s American galleries with your smart phone which will – via codes — layer the artists’ images over the museum pieces. The end product is an infiltration of sorts, artists incorporating art into the art that’s already in the museum. Or, as the artists describe it in a release:
EA/AD uses augmented reality to discuss conventional barriers to museum freedums [sic]. Studio DTFU is pleased to present this exhibition as a continuation of the studio’s ongoing investigation in the display and marketing of digital art.
Regarding Early American, KITNFACE types of the project, “u78uy8888½½½½½½½½½½½]” fc i can haz museum sho nao?” In sƃuıÊÉɹp uÉɔıɹÇɯ∀, Luckyirkman takes a subtle approach to the American landscape and the history of the Ab-Ex mark. When asked to comment on the work, Luckyirkman says,
“Â ______
/ Â \ Â \
/ Â Â \___\
| Â Â | Â |
|_H__|_o_w “
Things To Do In Dallas Tonight: Jan. 21
Big day.
Last weekend, I got to pose as a TV producer and go up in the press stands where the networks are currently watching President Obama watch the big parade. In other news, happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
As I understand it, it’s a school holiday. Oil & Cotton kindly fills in the blanks with a special MLK interpretive sculpture camp this afternoon that revolves around his “What Is Your Life’s Blueprint?” speech. For lucky parents who also have the day off, this is a prime opportunity for lunch and coffee at Bolsa Mercado.
Downtown, the International House of Blues Foundation’s Martin Luther King celebration also gets underway shortly. It’s free family fun with dance and music, including a performance by the wonderful Dallas Black Dance Theatre, so just drop in anytime until noon. Erykah Badu will give the keynote speech, but several students are slated to present, as well.
And finally, the Dallas Museum of Arts kicks off the return to free admission by opening its doors on a Monday. Amazing. What do we get? Well, Jerome Weeks over on Art & Seek already gave us with this adorable photo of our Peter Simek. But the museum store is offering a free gift for the first “DMA friends” to stop by, plus you can take advantage of tours and musical performances in the galleries. The DMA’s director, Maxwell Anderson, will talk briefly at 2 pm. Later in the evening but still in the Arts District, I’d make plans to attend the Dallas Institute of Humanities’ yearly symposium at the Dallas City Performance Hall. The topic for discussion is “The Role of the African American Church in the Civil Rights Movement,” and the guest is Ambassador Andrew Young, a pastor and close friend of King himself. It’s an incredible opportunity to hear from someone who was right there, for everything.
For more to do tonight, go here.
On Monday, the Dallas Museum of Art Will be Free. Here’s What to Expect, and What it Means for Museums
At a press event this morning, Dallas Museum of Art staff offered a sneak peek of the museum’s new DMA Friends program which launches Monday, January 21, at which point the museum will be free.
That’s right, completely free (well, except for special exhibitions). But what makes the DMA’s new program unique is not free admission, rather it is that the museum is offering what it calls free “membership” to anyone who walks in the doors. Membership may not be the right word; after all, for those who still want to pay to go to DMA, you can become a DMA “partner,” which offers some of the benefits that used to come with membership (free parking, tickets, etc.). The DMA Friends program is basically a credit card-style rewards program: sign up and earn points for participating in museum events and logging time in galleries. Then you can turn those points in for rewards, anything from gift store discounts, free parking, or special event tickets to higher value benefits like private gallery tours, free use of the museum’s Center for Creative Connections for parties, or a trip into the DMA’s underground art storage vaults.
So what does the museum get from this? Well, that’s where things get interesting. Jump.
The Video Teaser That Doesn’t Announce Who’s Playing KXT Summer Cut
In the video above, you’ll recognize some of the faces (Hi Dirk!), maybe a voice (that’s Sean Bass?), and put faces to some of the bylines you see in the local music press. But what you won’t get is any info about who’s playing the next KXT Summer Cut concert. That’s the joke, of course. It’s cute. D’s music guru Christopher Mosley has the best line in the whole thing.
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