It’s Halloween. You know the drill. It’s still the middle of the week and everyone has expectations so unrealistically high that they might find themselves a little down if they don’t temper that before stepping out while dressed like idiots. Have you ever seen a parent crying in the kitchen because Thanksgiving was a disaster? Well, Halloween is often like that for 20-somethings who still have an active night life. I can’t count how many times I’ve seen a sad punk rocker wiping away a tear because he didn’t get to cause as much mayhem as he was promised. Or a “sexy cop” pouting on Lower Greenville because the day wasn’t just so. Let’s go ahead and get a little emotionally grounded before we go out this evening. It might not be the wildest night ever, and that’s okay. That being said, various promoters and organizers around town have done their best to make sure you at least have the possibility of said wildness.
And before we get started, take some time to peruse the options presented by the always prompt, Liz Johnstone, over on FrontBurner. We have some crossover today.
Missy Fingers/Melissa Meaow (Texas Theatre): Rather than go see Ender’s Game, which has a soft premiere today, this event encourages you to boycott that film, due to Orson Scott Card’s rather intolerant views on homosexuality. To make matters worse, Card has also made some unfortunate comments concerning ethnicity in regard to the President, which only adds fuel to the ongoing controversy that Science Fiction as a genre seems to have a questionable history when it comes to race and discrimination. The music starts at 7:30 pm and the much-less offensive Fifth Element will be showing at 9 pm. Proceeds from the screening will benefit, in part, the Resource Center Dallas’ GLBT Youth Program.
Pinkish Black/Terminator 2/Curse/Visceral Cuts (The Chat Room Pub): If you care to see some acts that are also scary every other day of the year that is not Halloween, then make the drive to Fort Worth, or just hop on a friend’s pegs in the bike-friendly city. Pinkish Black and Terminator 2 are a couple of our most morose and intense local acts, along with some help from Curse, here are here all the way from Baltimore. I’ll spare you a Poe reference. I explained the Visceral Cuts concept when it was held at Good Records recently, and you can go here for info on the horror-themed performance.
Ben Aqua/Supraman/Track Meet (The Crown and Harp Upstairs): If I had to bet on who would really go all out this evening, it would be the DJ collective who has made me feel like I was at a dayglo haunted house during Easter: Track Meet. The group has a new compilation available today, featuring not only their guests this evening, but also selections from their truly global network of likeminded producers, including Poolboy92, Mike G, and Drippin.
For an entrypoint, I recommend this downloadable mp3 by Drippin, which features Kanye’s infamous croissant-request, but at a ridiculous speed. If you’re looking for a hyper-current dance party with an aesthetic that is as bizarre as it is elusive, this is the place to be this evening.
And while you’re there, make sure to stop downstairs as well, where there will be a trio of quality live acts for “Lost Generation,” including Frauen, The Silver Saint, and Sir Name & the Janes.
Home by Hovercraft/Bethan (The Patio of the AT&T Performing Arts Center): I didn’t realize how much I loved Home by Hovercraft until I was given the unlikely option of seeing another tap-dancing band in the same week. Let’s just pretend that we that never happened. There can only be one.
“Golden Age Halloween Party” (141 Glass Street): Though I still can’t completely support the “Golden Age” distinction everyone is so quick to throw around regarding the current state of Dallas hip hop, I will say that writers seem more engaged with trying to fully cover the scene at most publications around town, which is encouraging. I am of the opinion that a so-called epoch of such magnitude is indeterminable until long after it’s over, which is cautious, perhaps. Either way, does it really matter if this is the Golden Age or not? My advice is to go and enjoy just how varied this genre is, locally, at this particular moment, as Lord Byron is nothing like -topic, who is nothing like Buffalo Black, who is nothing like Jenny Robinson. And they’re all impossible to ignore when they take the stage, which this evening will be in a giant warehouse gallery next to the Contemporary. The schedule:
8 p.m. Taylor Effin Cleveland [DJ Set]
9 p.m. Bobby Sessions
9:30 p.m. AZ feat Dustin Cavazos
10 p.m. Jenny Robinson
10:30 p.m. Buffalo Black
11 p.m. Lord Byron
11:30 p.m. Tunk
12:15 a.m. -topic. and Team From Nowhere
1 a.m. Tony Vice
1:30 a.m. Taylor Effin Cleveland [DJ Set]
“Decks in the Park” (Klyde Warren Park): Expecting this popular event to be doubly popular tonight. Schedule as follows:
7:00-7:40 Kids with Weapons / Jeff Mitchell
7:40-8:20 Left Right
8:20-9:00 Ge-ology
9:00-9:40 JT Donaldson
9:40-10:30 Paradise
Swamp Dogg/Bobby Patterson (The Kessler): If you’ve ever exclaimed,”What the?” while shopping for soul records, there’s a good chance you may have just come across a Swamp Dogg record. The singer and producer, otherwise known as Jerry Williams, has been making music since the 50s, often with an irreverence that would prophesize the direction of popular culture for decades to come. He is joined by Dallas’ own Bobby Patterson, and the Kessler is really just giving the average music listener a very impressive music history lesson for the past 24 hours.
Fab Deuce/Playdough/S. Good/Brain Gang BLue/Emeka Ibe/Yeahdef (Andy’s Bar): This free All Hollow’s Eve Party is hosted by the always-great, Chris “AV” Cole, of K104 fame, not to mention his own brilliant music.
Other Halloween Shows—
Hints of Death/Black Habits/Beauxregard (Three Links)
Ginny Mac’s Wunderland/End of the World Parade (The Live Oak Music Hall and Lounge)
“Big Bang” (The Travis)
Danny Church (The Dram)
“Vibe” (Beauty Bar): Chris Rozier is the guest this evening.
Photo: Lord Byron. Credit: Andi Harman.
