September Events OPENERS

A DECADE OF CHANGE



The first time that Dallas chamber ensemble Voices of Change performed as a group, an audience of one showed up to hear the concert. That was a decade ago. Despite their inauspicious beginning, however, these new music specialists are still going strong, presenting a steady stream of music by living composers to local audiences and making guest appearances not only in the Southwest but also on the East Coast and in Europe.

This year, Voices of Change celebrates its 10th year of music-making in a season that combines a healthy dose of world premieres with a retrospective of favorite works performed by the group in the past, as well as some 20th-century “classics” and, as always, music by Southwestern composers.

The season opener will feature the world premiere of Donald Erb’s Adieu for clarinet and percussion (written especially for Voices’ clarinetist Ross Powell), the five songs of Roethke Lieder (Book II) by SMU composer Sydney Hodkinson and Maurice Ravel’s Chansons Madecasses (Songs of Madagascar). Also on the program is Tyler native Gerald Busby’s Parallel (a theater piece for two harpsichords, dancer and gymnast) and Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu’s Towards the Sea for flute and guitar.

Sept. 24 at 8:15 p.m. at Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center, SMU. Tickets $6. 692-3189.

-Wayne Lee Gay

PHOTOGRAPHIC EXPRESSIONS

Allen Street Gallery went out of business last summer only to rise, phoenixlike, in the spring. It had a very successful first season in its new location, with exhibits of photographs by Paul Caponigro and Olivia Parker. This month, the gallery begins an even more promising second season with an exhibit of photographic works by that old master of the avant-garde, Robert Rauschenberg.

All things considered, it would be hard to find an artist who has been more visible and more important during the past 25 years. Back in the Fifties, when the drips and splatters of abstract expressionism seemed to have reached a dead end, it was Rauschenberg who found a way, in his collages and mixed-media constructions, to bring recognizable subject matter back into art. Anything was liable to turn up in a Rauschenberg-a quilt, an automobile tire, a stuffed Angora goat.

Almost from the start, the artist also made use of photographic images in his work, first in the so-called “combine” paintings, in which he mixed splash-and- drip expressionism with photographs and photographic reproductions. Then,during the Sixties, he made silkscreen collages in which he recycled magazine and newspaper pictures, raising them from the level of cultural artifacts to that of high art. Most recently, the artist has been using the photographic image as an end in itself rather than as a part of a larger whole.

The Allen Street show will feature 13 works from Rauschenberg’s Photem Series I, a group of works in which the artist has printed black-and-white photo-graphic images on large aluminum totem poles that he calls “photems.”

Although Rauschenberg is a Texas native (Port Arthur) and his work is familiar to museum visitors around the world, this is his first one-man show in Dallas. It is paired with an exhibit of handmade books by two local photographers, Susan Kae Grant and Celia Munoz. Sept. 8-Oct. 14 at Allen Street Gallery, 4101 Commerce. Wed-Fri noon-5, Sat 10-4, Sun 1-5. 821-8260.

-Ken Barrow



RAZZLE-DAZZLE AT NEW ARTS



New Arts Theatre artistic director Christopher Owens has secured a bright and shining hit to open his season with: On the Razzle, a 19th-century farce by Austrian playwright Johann Nestroy that was recently adapted by Tom Stoppard, England’s sterling wordsmith, who is most famous for his recent Real Thing successes in London’s West End and on Broadway.

Razzle was the basis for Thornton Wild-er’s play The Matchmaker, which was the basis for the musical Hello Dolly. But instead of Yonkers, New York, the setting is a village outside Vienna, where two mischievous shopbqys take advantage of their penny-pinching boss’ departure to Vienna by hitting the big city themselves. The object of their ambition is young ladies, whom they find, but not without getting into more than a bit of trouble along the way.

This is a physical comedy of close calls and complex misunderstandings, culminating in what turns out to be a circus of a dinner in an Austrian restaurant (the inspiration for Wilder’s famous restaurant fiasco). Nationally admired comedic director Jeff Steitzer directs this bawdy, clever romp, which ran successfully at Britain’s National Theatre in 1982 preceding its American premiere at the Arena State in Washington, D.C.

Sept. 13-Oct. 13 at New Arts Theatre, 702 Ross at Market. Wed-Fri at 8 p.m., Sat at 5 & 9 p.m., Sun at 2:30 p.m. Tickets $12.50 Sat; $10.50 Fri & Sun; $8.50 Wed & Thur. 761-9064.

-Tim Allis

D’s Openers include this month’s theater, music, film, sports, art, dance, enlightenment and recreation events, as well as a list of the top nightlife establishments in Dallas. These listings are updated and supplemented each month. They have nothing whatsoever to do with paid advertising.

All events listings should be addressed to the Openers editor and must be received at least two months before publication.

Credit card notations: MC/MasterCard, V/Visa, AE/American Express, DC/Diners Club, CB/Carte Blanche. “All credit cards” Indicates that all five cards are accepted.



ART



Currier & Ives. In the days before television or magazines, Currier & Ives chromolithographs kept a whole nation informed on politics, patriotism and the passing scene. This exhibit of 105 prints was drawn from the extraordinary collection of Esmark Inc. Through Sept 9 at the Dallas Historical Society, Hall of State, Fair Park. Mon-Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5. 421-5136.

The Gates of Hell. This 8-ton, 21-foot monumental bronze sculpture incorporates 180 individual figures and is usually considered to be Auguste Rodin’s greatest masterpiece. Through Oct 28 at the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N Harwood. Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat 10-5; Thur 10-10; Sun noon-5. 922-0220.

Masterpieces from the Collection. A museum once known mainly for its rip-roaring Remingtons and Russells puts a century and a half of American art on display, from the gentle landscapes of the Hudson River school to the desert-purified visions of Georgia O’Keeffe. Through Nov 4 at Amon Carter Museum, 3501 Camp Bowie, Fort Worth. Tue-Sat 10-5. Sun 1-5:30.(817)738-1933.

New York, New York. The image of this city of cities is examined in prints and photographs selected from the museum’s own collection. Through Sept 23 at the Amon Carter Museum, 3501 Camp Bowie, Fort Worth. Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5:30. (817) 738-1933.

Paul Rotterdam. An artist previously known for his austere abstractions in monochromatic encaustic gives in to expressive and romantic promptings. Sept 7-Oct 12 at Adams-Middleton Gallery, 3000 Maple. Tue-Fri 10-6, Sat 11-5. 742-3682.



Bonnard’s Colors



One gets the idea from his paintings that French artist Pierre Bonnard seldom stirred outside his villa at La Cannet in the south of France. Few other artists concentrated so exclusively upon a certain kind of interior-domestic, intimate and suffused with light. Bonnard drew upon sources as diverse as Greek sculpture, the paintings of Titian and the work of his immediate predecessors, Renoir and Monet, as well as contemporaries such as Munch and Matisse. But the intense palette and resonating colors in these works are all Bonnard’s own. As his work developed, surfaces dissolved into shimmering fields of color, and traditional perspective and illusions of depth were ignored. The large works, in particular, approach abstract art, but they remain rooted in the artist’s experience of everyday reality-and, one suspects, in love. Sixty-one of Bonnard’s lovely paintings have been gathered together from French, American and Australian collections for Pierre Bonnard: The Late Paintings, a show that was organized jointly by the Dallas Museum of Art, Washington’s Phillips Collection and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. Sept. 16-Nov. 11 at the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N. Har-wood. Tue, Wed, Fri & Sat 10-5; Thur 10-10; Sun noon-5. Tickets $3 for adults, $1 for children, free for museum members. 922-0220.

Spanish Painters in Search of Light. Around 1850, Spanish artists discovered the joys of natural light and of plein-air painting, and for the next century that discovery had a tremendous impact on Spanish art. Through Sept 9 at the Meadows Museum, Meadows School of the Arts, SMU. Mon-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5. 692-2516.



Glass Imagery

Dale Chihuly is one of those makers of objects whose work has crossed over from the crafts and decorative arts into the realm of the fine arts. His blown glass certainly qualifies as sculpture in every sense of the word. Some of his pieces have the translucent beauty of exotic sea creatures (and, in fact, the artist entitled a 1980 series Sea Forms). These structures of pure light and color may have carried elegance as far as it could go, however, because in his more recent works Chihuly has introduced a more disturbing and complex kind of beauty. The 40 objects on exhibit in A Decade of Glass at the Fort Worth Art Museum sample both the old and the new Chihuly. Sept. 22-Nov. 18 at the Fort Worth Art Museum, 1309 Montgomery, Fort Worth. Tue-Sat 10-5, Sun 1-5. (817) 738-9215.



THEATER



Angry Housewives. What an idea for a musical! Four housewives who are hard up for dollars enter a punk rock contest (calling their group the Angry Housewives) and win. The son of one of the women – a punk rocker himself – is chagrined; the local music promoter, Lude Fingers, is delighted (and takes a fancy to one of the women); and the Angry Housewives hit the big time with a vengeance. This wacky new work was found in Seattle, where it ran for more than a year. Sept 18-Oct 14 at Theatre Three, the Quadrangle, 2800 Routh. Tue-Sat at 8:15 pm, Sun at 2:30 & 7 pm. Tickets $13.50 Fn & Sat; $11 Tue-Thur & Sun. 871-3300.

Curse of the Starving Class. Considered one of Sam Shepard’s “family plays” and one of his strongest works, “Curse” portrays a poor Texas farm family that’s stifled by corruption within and without. But as in other Shepard plays, his peculiar, monotone domestic scenes give way to concerns of lost American innocence and corrupted dreams of a more universal scale. Sept 19-Oct 28 at Stage #1, Greenville Avenue Theatre, 2914 Greenville. Wed-Fri at 8:15 pm, Sat at 5:30 & 9 pm, Sun at 7 pm. Tickets $12.50 Fri & 9 pm Sat; $10 Wed, Thur, 5:30 pm Sat & Sun. 824-2552.

Down an Alley Filled with Cats. Recovering from an uneven inaugural season, the Plaza Theatre begins anew with this two-man mystery/thriller by Australian playwright Warwick Moss. The story is about the proprietor of an old bookstore and the young opportunist who comes to his shop in search of a clue. Each man has something the other wants. The play is being billed as something of an Agatha Christie/”Maltese Falcon”/ “Sleuth” hybrid, and the audience is never quite sure which way is up. It’s directed by the distinguished Robert Alan Ackerman, who directed “Bent” on Broadway. Sept 26-Oct 28 at the Plaza Theatre, 6719 Snider Plaza. Tue-Fri at 8:15 pm, Sat at 4 & 8:15 pm, Sun at 2:30 & 8:15pm.Tickets$16 & $14 Fri & Sat; $ 13 & $11 Tue-Thur & Sun evening; $ 10 & $9 Sat & Sun matinee. 363-7000.

Torch Song Trilogy. The Majestic Broadway Series presents actor/author Harvey Fierstein’s enormously funny, enormously warm and enormously popular set of Tony-winning one-act plays about the travails of an awkward and charming homosexual named Arnold. Amid so many recent gay-themed literary works, “Torch Song” stands unequaled in its brilliance, clarity, humor and humanity. Some hard language and frank details of gay life notwithstanding, this may be the most wholesome-and hilarious-show in town. Sept 6-16 at the Majestic Theatre, 1925 Elm. Tue-Fri at 8 pm, Sat at 2:30 & 8 pm, Sun at 2:30 & 7:30 pm. Tickets $23.50-$18.50 Fri & Sat; $22.50-$17.50 Sun-Thur & Sat matinee. Tickets available through Ticketron outlets or at the Dallas Theater Center box office, 3636 Turtle Creek Blvd. 526-8857.



MUSIC



Dallas Chamber Orchestra. Dallas’ resident chamber orchestra opens its subscription series with Purcell’s Overture to “The Fairy Queen,” Haydn’s Violin Concerto in C (with soloist J. Patrick Rafferty), Albinoni’s Adagio for organ and strings and Mendelssohn’s Symphony No. 9 for strings. Sept 16 at 7 pm in Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center, SMU. Tickets $9. 826-6974.

Dallas Museum of Art. The Fine Arts Chamber Players present the first of a three-part series, “The Genius of Haydn,” performing Haydn’s Sinfonia Con-certante for violin, cello, oboe, bassoon and orchestra and Symphony No. 62, as well as Bartok’s Divertimento for strings. Sept 6 at 7:30 pm at the Dallas Museum of Art, 1717 N Harwood. Tickets $8. 922-0220.

Dallas Opera. Opera on the Go, the company’s outreach ensemble, performs Sept 6 at 8 pm at the Bath House Cultural Center, 521 E Lawther; Sept 9 with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra at 4 pm at Old City Park, 1717 Gano; Sept 12 at 11:45 am at One Main Place; Sept 27 at 11 am at El Centra College, Main at Lamar; and Sept 28 at 11:30 pm at the Dallas Central Public Library, 1515 Young. Performances are also scheduled each Sat at 1 & 3:30 pm at the Galleria, Dallas Pkwy at LBJ Frwy. Free. 747-8600.

Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Aug 30, Sept 1 & 2: Eduardo Mata conducts the season opener, featuring Schubert’s Symphony No. 5; Britten’s Diversions on a Theme for piano, left hand and orchestra; and Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9 (“From the New World”). Sept 7 & 8: Mata returns to the podium for an all-orchestral program including Dukas’ “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” Chavez’s Symphony No. 4 and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 7. Sept 13 & 15: Pianist Lorin Hollander performs Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F in a concert also featuring Gershwin’s Cuban Overture and Sibelius’ Symphony No. 2, with Mata conducting. Sept 20 & 22: Mata conducts the DSO Chorus with soprano Gilda Cruz Romo, mezzo-soprano Mariana Paunova, tenor James McCracken and baritone Douglas Lawrence in Verdi’s “Requiem.” Sept 28-30: Kirk Trevor conducts Barber’s Overture to The School for Scandal, Dvorak’s Violin Concerto in A minor (with soloist Mark Kaplan) and Tchaikovsky’s “Manfred” Symphony. All concerts at Fair Park Music Hall. Thur, Fri & Sat at 8:15 pm, Sun at 2:30 pm. Tickets $16-$6. 692-0203.

Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra Pops. Roberta Flack appears in concert Sept 28 & 29 at 8 pm at Tar-rant County Convention Center, 1111 Houston, Fort Worth. Tickets $18-$10. 429-1181.



Toradze Returns



It’s been a year since pianist Alexander Toradze added his own name to the long list of Soviet musicians who have sought asylum in the West. Tor-adze, who was granted permanent refugee status by the United States in October 1983, returns this month to Fort Worth-the scene of his first big splash in this country during the 1977 Van Cli-burn Competition-to appear in the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra’s season opener. Music director John Giordano will conduct the all-Russian program, which will feature Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade. Sept. 22 at 8 pm and Sept. 23 at 3 pm at Tarrant County Convention Center, 1101 Houston, Fort Worth. Tickets $15-$5. 429-1181.



Meadows School of the Arts. Sept 1: Pianist Bill Cooper appears in faculty recital. Sept 8 & 9: Student Organ Showcase. Sept 10: Larry Palmer, harpsichord ist, presents a faculty recital. Sept 18: Perspectives, a student ensemble, presents contemporary music. Sept 24: Voices of Change, resident chamber ensemble, performs music by Erb, Takemitsu, Hodkinson, Ravel and Busby. Tickets $6. 692-3189. Sept 25: Trumpeter Richard Parks appears in faculty recital. All concerts are free and are at 8:15 pm in Caruth Auditorium, Owen Arts Center, SMU, unless otherwise noted. 692-2643.



DANCE



Fort Worth Ballet. The company kicks off its 1984-65 season Sept 14 and 15 with two performances highlighted by “Allegro Brillante,” a neoclassically styled work by George Balanchine that is considered his finest and most famous piece. The program will also feature a variety of classical and contemporary works, including “Ballade,” choreographed by Fort Worth Ballet artistic director Anthony Salatino to Chopin’s “Ballade in G Minor”; “Der Rosenkavalier Waltzes,” also by Salatino to Strauss’ “Der Rosenkavalier”; and “Texas Swing,” a salute to the Lone Star State. Sept 14 & 15 at 8 pm at Tarrant County Convention Center Theatre, 1111 Houston, Fort Worth. Tickets $22-$4.50; available at Central Ticket Office. Metro 429-1181.



ENLIGHTENMENT



Book and Author Luncheon. The Wellesley College Club of Dallas’ 21 st annual luncheon features novelists Richard Yates (“Young Hearts Crying”) and Diane Pearson (The Summer of the Barshinskys”), British journalist Linda Melvern (“Techno-Bandits”) and Jim and Sybil Stockdale (“In Love and War”) Sept 22 at noon at the Sheraton Park Central Hotel, LBJ Frwy at Coit. Tickets $25; $75 for patrons. Reservations required. 363-6368.

Dallas Cowboys Anniversary Exhibit. The Dallas Public Library will host an exhibit of Cowboy memorabilia, including photographs and Super Bowl trophies, as part of the team’s 25th anniversary celebration. Several Cowboy players will appear during the exhibit, which runs Sept 22-Nov 16. The film “Shoot for the Stars-25 Years of the Dallas Cowboys” will be presented Sept 22, 24, 25 & 27 from 1 -5 pm. Central Dallas Public Library, 1515 Young. Free. 749-4100.

The Dallas Institute. Two free discussions are offered this month by the Institute. “Theater in the City,” which will feature many leaders in Dallas theater discussing the role of theater in the city, will be Sept 12. The Sept 19 discussion, entitled “Music in the City,” will focus on the role of music in Dallas’ spiritual and psychological life. The discussion will feature Dallas Symphony director Eduardo Mata; Robert Rodriguez, composer-in-residence at the DSO; and Simon Sargon, SMU professor of music. Both discussions at 7:30 pm at the Dallas Institute of the Humanities and Culture, 2719 Routh. Free. 698-9090.

Morris L. Hlte Speaker Series. Broadcast journalist David Brinkley will speak on “Election ’84: A Journalist’s Insight” in the third lecture of the Morris L. Hite Memorial Speaker Series, which is sponsored by the Dallas Advertising League. The four-lecture series benefits the Salesmanship Club of Dallas. Sept 19 at noon at the Loews Anatole Hotel, 2201 Stemmons Frwy. Series tickets $100. 386-8767.

Soviet Communism Lecture. Dr. John Gray, official fellow and tutor in politics at Jesus College, Oxford University, will speak on “Soviet Communism: The View of the West.” Sept 28 at 8 pm at Gorman Lecture Center, Room A, the University of Dallas, Irving. Free. 721-5199.



RECREATION



The Old Preston Art Stop. This arts festival, which commemorates the historical landmark spot on the Old Preston Trail where cattle drovers once stopped for water, features Texas artisans displaying and selling their wares, as well as an old-fashioned bazaar. Tours of the church will be conducted. Sept 29-30 at the Episcopal Church of the Holy Communion, 5411 Hilton Head Drive. Sat 10-8, Sun noon-5. Free. 248-6505.



Pioneer Days. Country/western entertainment will highlight the Fort Worth Stockyards’ celebration of the 25th annual Pioneer Days. Included among the family activities are a 5-mile run, the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association national finals, a fajita cookoff, a gunfight competition and musical entertainment by the Fort Worth Symphony, the Fort Worth Civic Orchestra, the Fort Worth Jazz Ensemble and the Ballet Folklorico Azteca. Sept 21-23 at the Fort Worth Stockyards Historical District. Fri 5 pm-midnight, Sat noon-midnight, Sun noon-dusk. Voluntary donation: $1. (817) 626-7921.

Pioneer Tour and Park Festival. The Old Oak Cliff Conservation League celebrates its 10th anniversary with its annual Urban Pioneer Tour of Homes and Park Festival of artists and craftsmen. Sept 29-30 at Kidd Springs Park, Oak Cliff. Sat & Sun noon-6 pm. Tickets $4 in advance, $2 at the gate. 943-4567.



SPORTS



Bash for the Bard Polo Match. “A Bash for the Bard” is the theme of this Sept 29 benefit, which will be highlighted by an international polo match between the Guards Polo Team of Windsor Great Park and the Willow Bend Polo and Hunt Club team. Proceeds from the event will benefit the Shakespeare Festival of Dallas and the Shakespeare Globe Centre. Sept 29 at 5 pm at Willow Bend Polo and Hunt Club. FM 544, 1 mile west of Preston, Piano. Tickets $10; available at Willow Bend. 987-1993.

Belgian American Mixed Doubles Classic. Bjorn Borg, Chris Evert-Lloyd and Dallasite Bill Scanlon headline a star-studded field of eight teams that will compete for $240,000 and a top prize of $80,000 in this mixed doubles tournament. Pairings for the event, which is sponsored by the Dallas Times Herald, will include Borg with Bettina Bunge of West Germany and Evert-Uoyd with her husband, John Lloyd. Proceeds will benefit the Dallas Youth Foundation. Sept 13-16 at Las Colinas Sports Club, Las Colinas. Call 528-8812 for times and ticket prices.

Dallas Cowboys. Texas Stadium, Irving. Reserved seat tickets $18; available at the Dallas Cowboys Ticket Office, 6116 N Central Expwy. Home games start at 3 pm. 369-8000.

Sept 16 vs Philadelphia

23 vs Green Bay

SMU. Texas Stadium, Irving. Season tickets $70; individual home game tickets $14; upper deck end zone tickets $7. Season parking pass $20; single-game pass $4. Tickets available at SMU ticket office, Moody Coliseum, or at Rainbow-Ticketmaster outlets. Home games start at 7:30 pm. 692-2902.

Sept 22 vs North Texas State

29 vs TCU

Texas Christian University. Amon Carter Stadium, Fort Worth. Armchair and box seat tickets $13; reserved seat tickets $12; end zone tickets $6; students high school age and under $3. Home games start at 7:30 pm. 921-7969.

Sept 22 vs Kansas State

Texas Rangers. Arlington Stadium, Arlington. Reserved seat tickets $8-$4.50; general admission $3.50 for adults, $2 for children 13 and under. Tickets available at Rainbow-Ticketmaster outlets, Sears stores and Arlington Stadium Ticket Office. Home games start at 7:35 pm unless otherwise noted. Metro 273-5120. Sept 1 & 2 vs Milwaukee (Sun at 5 pm)

3-5 vs Seattle

14-16 vs Minnesota (Sun at 2:05 pm)

24-26 vs Oakland

27-30 vs California (Sun at 2:05 pm)



NIGHTLIFE

ENTERTAINMENT/DANCING



Diamond Jim’s. Although this is really a country/ western disco, rock ’n’ roll frequently prevails. Tight quarters make for close encounters between patrons, both on and off the rather small dance floor. (5601 Greenville. 691-2411. Mon-Fri 5 pm-2 am, Sat& Sun 7 pm-2 am. Happy hour: Mon-Fri 5-8 pm. Thur 5-9 pm. MC, V, AE.)



In Cahoots. Like a randy phoenix rising from the re-mains of the old Papagayo’s, this multilevel, chromed-out fleshpot is Babylon revisited in NorthPark East. What has the Me Generation come to? The obligatory video here is a mix of cartoons, rock and Selfdance – you can watch your celluloid self writhing on the dance floor, in case there’s any doubt about your reality. The waitresses are scantily clad, the drinks are strong and the happy hour buffet ranks with the best in Dallas. (NorthPark East, 8796 N Central Expwy. 692-5412. Mon- Thur 4:30 pm-2 am, Fri & Sat 6:30 pm-3 am, Sun 6:30 pm-2 am. Happy hour: Mon-Fri 4:30-8 pm, Sat& Sun 6:30-8 pm. MC, V, AE.)



NIGHTLIFE

DRINKING



The Den. Located in the Stoneleigh Hotel, this small, dark and very red bar caters to people in pursuit of serious drink and conversation. It’s a bar more reminiscent of New York than of Dallas. (The Stoneleigh Hotel, 2927 Maple. 871-7111. Mon-Sat 11 am-midnight, Sun noon-midnight. Happy hour: Mon-Sat 11 am-midnight. Sun noon-midnight. All credit cards.)

500 Cafe. It’s not that there aren’t any people in this most obscure corner of Deep Ellum next to the 500X Gallery. They’re just hidden behind crusty warehouse fronts doing mostly artistic things. This funky, casual cafe with a neon-lit patio (which resembles a drained swimming pool, only prettier) is a fitting place for artists and others to mingle. The place serves beer and wine only and has a chalkboard menu. (408 Exposition off Main Street, near Fair Park. 821-4623. Mon-Wed 11:30 am-midnight, Thur-Sat 11:30 am-2 am, Sun 5 pm-midnight. MC, V, AE.)

La Cave. When you’re in the mood to linger over a bottle of good wine, La Cave is a great place to go. The bistro atmosphere is relaxed, unhurried and conducive to conversation. Appetizers and light meals are offered, but the real value is the selection of foreign and domestic wines found in the walk-in wine cellar. (2926 N Henderson. 826-2190. Wine shop: Mon-Thur 10 am-11 pm, Fri 10 am-11:30 pm, Sat noon-11:30 pm. Bistro: Mon-Thur 11:30 am-2 pm & 5:30-11 pm, Fri 11:30 am-2 pm & 5:30-11:30 pm, Sat noon-11.30 pm. Closed Sun except for special wine seminars. All credit cards.)

Mimi’s. This is a simple, unpretentious bar that also offers a light menu, but Mimi’s forte is its selection of 100 brands of beer from 22 countries. The friendly bartenders won’t mind if you make a request from their vintage album collection. This is a true hangout. (5111 Greenville. 696-1993. Mon-Sat 11 am-2am, Sun6pm-2am. MC, V, AE.)



FORT WORTH NIGHTLIFE



Billy Bob’s Texas. This novelty club has a lot going for it: two restaurants, 42 bar stations, a real bull-riding arena and several shops. It’s bigger than Gilley’s, more urban than the Longhorn Ballroom and is a “must-see” if you’re in Fort Worth. (2520 N Commerce in the stockyards. Metro 429-5979. Mon-Sat 9:30 am-2 am, Sun noon-2 am. Reduced cover charge Mon-Sat 4-8 pm. MC, V, AE.)

Cheers. Don’t expect Ted Danson or Shelley Long tobe in this club’s crowd: This Confetti-like dancery is afar cry from the sophisticated wit of TVs Boston bar. Female bartenders wear flesh-colored Danskin tights,skimpy leotards and baseball hats, and there’s enoughpaper confetti around to make you want to save a tree.By the looks of the crowd on the Tuesday night wevisited, this is a good place for single women: The ratioof guys to gals was about 10-to-1. (6773 Camp Bowie,Fort Worth. (817) 735-8814. Mon-Fri 11 am-2 am, Sat& Sun 4 pm-2 am. All credit cards.)

The Hop. In three words, The Hop is warm, woodyand wonderful. It has the air of a typical college hangout (it’s located just one block from TCU), but it lacksthe cutesy crowd or trendy atmosphere. A stagetucked in the corner features national and local bands,with music ranging from folk to reggae, rock to country. The food is good, but nothing could surpass thepizza. (2905 W Berry. (817) 923-7281. Mon-Sat 11am-2 am, Sun 4 pm-1 am. MC, V, AE, DC.)