Friday
Now in its 16th year, the beginning of Kitchen Dog Theater’s New Works Festival has become something of a Memorial Day Weekend tradition, however unlikely a combination that may be. The 2014 edition of NWF features the premiere of Matt Lyle’s Barbecue Apocalypse, which will be directed by Dallas Theater Center’s Lee Trull. D’s own Liz Johnstone has an illuminating discussion with Trull in our May issue, but you can also read it over on FrontRow.
Memorial Day is the perfect time to reflect on some of the rights that we take for granted after a couple of centuries or so. For instance, just how much has been greatly sacrificed simply for many of us to publicly run our mouths however we see fit, thanks to the first amendment which also protects good old “unpopular expression.” Thank goodness for that. If you’d like to see that particular right in action, you have a couple of choices this evening.
The extremely chatty Los Angeles punk band Off will be at Club Dada, and when I caught them at another venue a while back, the between-song banter was longer than the actual songs they performed.
Elsewhere in Deep Ellum, Houston rapper Paul Wall will be at Prophet Bar, and the artist has a fascinating rags-to-riches story that took him from working out of a car trunk to collaborating with Kanye West while scoring big radio hits. It turns out that unpopular expression is pretty popular after all.
Saturday
This week marks the film I’ve been most anticipating in the Classics at Klyde Warren Park series: 1955’s On the Waterfront, starring Marlon Brando. Though there’s no water at all within eyeshot of the surroundings, the glow of downtown and the buzzing highway below should add plenty of offscreen dramatic flair for such a tremendous performance. And what better line is there to sum up our city’s endless quest for legitimacy than “I could’ve been a contender?”
It seems a bit crass to promote a sale on a weekend like this, but all of the stock at Good Records is 25% off all weekend. The independently owned shop has plenty of music by local artists, and there’s no harm in telling you to support them. Somebody has to.
Speaking of local artists, the Deep Ellum Windows project is drawing to a close on Saturday, and it’s been a great run for the pop-up series, which has ended up being as fun as it is well-curated. Peter Simek has more info in his art opening recommendations, as well as an assortment of other gallery-related events.
Sunday
As perhaps one of the most reverent events taking place over the break, the Dallas Memorial March is one of the truest to the origins of this day of remembrance. The veteran-founded Carry the Load organization is in charge of the event, which includes a two-day symbolic hike beginning at Reverchon Park. Registration is not required and all are encouraged to attend, even if for just a portion of the march.
Monday
Motorists please be aware: you will not be able to access a significant portion of Cedar Springs Road on Memorial Day, between Klyde Warren Park and the Katy Trail. The Uptown Ciclovia will be held from 10 am to 3 pm on Monday, and the event has its origins in the vibrant bike culture of Bogota, Colombia, in attempt to give cyclists and pedestrians a safe public space while also reconnecting traffic-choked neighborhoods. As you may have heard, that’s a pretty big issue around here of late.
Taking those last two recommendations as evidence, you may have noticed more fitness events popping up on the site. This week marked the launch of our new health and fitness page, Be Well Dallas. You can find everything from healthy recipes to workout playlists and more by going here.
And finally, if you’d like to be outside, but don’t really feel like doing much, there’s always the FOE, a popular Memorial Day destination. That’s likely where I’ll be, so take that as either a warning or an invitation.
For more to do this weekend, go here.
