While having dinner at Pecan Lodge over the weekend, I was startled by something that I had not expected from the once-quiet restaurant: Live music. A band was tearing through a Traveling Wilburys cover on the patio, and it blared through the open doors and into the dining room. I suppose this is to be expected due to the restaurant’s move to Deep Ellum. Since watching live performances is part of my professional life, this can be a little bit like someone dumping a bunch of receipts onto the dinner table of a dining tax preparer. That being said, I understand that not everyone’s life is like mine and so I accepted the surprisingly potent dinner atmosphere.
This started a debate at the table as to what should be the appropriate music for a barbecue place. “Old Hank Williams records, played at a low volume,” said an acquaintance. I thought that was a great answer.
Tonight presents a special opportunity to see what a world-famous DJ with a highly evolved palate thinks you should hear while you eat. Damian Higgins, otherwise known as Dieselboy, will be playing a drum-and-bass set at FT33 this evening. Meanwhile, a 9-course meal will be prepared by his friend and associate Alex Stupak, an award-winning New York chef and founder of the Empellón restaurants, Cocina and Taqueria. Stupak will collaborate with FT33’s Matt McCalister as part of the restaurant’s guest chef series.
The DJ has some strong opinions on the lockstep taste of the piped-in music at most restaurants. Here he is commenting on the subject, with Eater New York:
If the music is terrible, it really does grate on me. What bothers me a lot is what I find in South Beach: that background soundtrack of minimal house music. Every single restaurant seems to have it. That bothers me so much, that they have to play this generic music all over.
I know exactly what Higgins is referring to, as that sort of house music is the go-to for many restaurants attempting to create a relaxed yet “cool” mood, and it does get tiresome. He obviously won’t be taking the predictable route with his music selections this evening, and I respect FT33 for taking a bit of a risk. I’m not sure if I’m ready for the sustained intensity of a drum and bass set at dinner, but you very well may be, and this is like nothing I’ve written up in nearly a decade of covering events. For reservations, call 214-741-2629.
It’s Monday so the usual reliable weeklies will help to break up the historically dead night. Veteran DJ Mark Ridlen’s “Vinyl Tap” will take place at the Double Wide, while “Cool Out” will keep the upper level of the Crown and Harp packed. There will also be music in the first level of Crown and Harp, a sort of experimental variety show called the “Outward Bound Mixtape Sessions.” One of the guests this evening is the classically-trained vocalist, Sarah Alexander, whose acrobatic singing techniques should be experienced if you have yet to see her.
For more things to do tonight, go here.
