WHY I'M VOTING

With mid-term elections taking place tomorrow everyone will be headed to the polls to cast their ballot.  Issues like infrastructure, healthcare, and education are at the forefront of everyone's minds.  Shot by Emily McCartney and the good folks over at Battleground Texas, here are a few local citizens (including yours truly) telling you why they're voting.  Check it out and remember to get out and VOTE!

Halloween 2014

For all those looking to venture out this Halloween here are just a couple of the notable events you might want to consider including in your itinerary.  So whether your going trick or treating (which translates to bar-hopping for grown ups), getting all dressed up in you scariest costume, or just looking for a good reason to wear those fish-nets and thigh-high boots in public without being judged here are a couple places to do it:

First up is Black House and what is sure to be one of the best parties for the evening.  Join them for the sexiest Halloween party this season. Black House is taking place at The Globe. Conveniently anchored on the up and coming Riverfront Boulevard near downtown Dallas. After Midnight, Black House's costume contest begins. The best costume of the night walks home with $300 CASH! This is not an ordinary costume contest where some CVS makeup and fake blood will get you the cash.  Expect to see some of the scariest, sexiest and most creative costumes you will ever behold. Doors open at 10PM – 2AM. Special Guest DJ Jay Clipp  Purchase your tickets HERE

 #blackhouse 
 First Free Ride on Uber use code BLACKHOUSE 

Maybe the typical Halloween costume party doesn't spark your interest.  Then how about classic Hip Hop?!  DJ Spinderella has made Dallas her home in the last couple of years and now she's bringing the ladies that helped to pioneer the road for women in rap music.  Catch Grammy Award winning duo, Salt-N-Pepa, perform LIVE at The Rustic. Tickets at $26 and are on sale now at Outhouse Tickets.

JUMP N FUNK

Auditions for ADU

Attention are thespians and would be thespians.  Local artist and creative extraordinaire Justin Adu is having in open casting call.  He is in the process of writing, directing, and producing an African American production, which is slated to premier early next year. He is casting for the following roles Sunday, October 26^th from 6:30-8:30pm at Union Café in Dallas Texas. If you are interested and would like to audition please stop by and if you have any questions please email him at adu_contact@yahoo.com (*No experience needed) He can also email you more information about the roles he is casting for. Here are a few major roles he is looking to cast immediately:

 

Gender: Male or Female
Age: 18-35
Ethnicity: Black
This character must be able to recite a monologue and convey emotion. The monologue will be roughly 5-8 minutes long, if you have experience with spoken word or rapping that would be a huge plus. This is a leading role.

 

Gender: Male or Female
Age: 18-35
Ethnicity: Open

News Reporter

This character will report a news story. The character is very aware of current issues and will be providing news coverage.

 

Gender: Male or Female
Age: 18-50
Ethnicity: Open

This character will play the lead in an infomercial and sell a product.

 

Gender: Male 
Age: 30-40
Ethnicity: Caucasian

Police Officer

 

Gender: Male 
Age: 21-35
Ethnicity: Black

This character will play a supportive husband

 

Gender: Female 
Age: 21-35
Ethnicity: Black

This character will play a supportive wife

 

#DallasActor #DallasFilm #DallasActress #DallasMovie

Culture Map Social

 On Wednesday, October 22, Culture Map is taking over 129 Leslie for what promises to be their biggest and best Social yet. Here are the details:

• Stop by the Cointreau Garden to learn how to customize your own Cointreau Rickey
• Visit Belk's Pop Up Shop to find out why it is Dallas' hottest new shopping destination carrying brands including Trina Turk, Kate Spade, Laura Mercier and more.
• Learn how your next date night can be courtesy of Lincoln Motor Company
• Mix and mingle with  guests and you could take home a treat from Post Properties
• Must Have Swag: The first 100 ladies will take home a chic ring from All The Wire and the first 100 guys will take home dapper pocket squares from Quixotic
• Plus, bites by Villa-O (stay tuned for more info on the afterparty) and tunes by DJ John Fuller

Partners include Circle Five Seven, Dallas Regional Chamber Young Professionals and Downtown Dallas, Inc.

Tickets are $20 and include bites, beverages and valet. Get yours before they are gone!

The Dopest DJ Sets In Dallas

Everyone knows that music is subjective.  Completely determined by your style, what you're into, your upbringing etc.   So to dub a post "The Dopest DJ Sets In Dallas" is a bold statement.  But it's my blog and I'll cry if I want to.  Obviously this will be a forever evolving post but as it stands right now I feel quite confident in making this claim being that I have had a chance to experience them first hand for myself.  These sets are reoccurring and you can catch them anytime.  This is also for that person (yea you) who is constantly complaining that there is nothing to do in Dallas.  So here we go....

First up we have C.U.R.E. which as you can see stands for Chill,Unwind, Relax, and Exchange at the Foundation Room inside the House Of Blues put on by the good folks at E3000.  It's a smooth groove with a soundtrack provided by Neo Soul Cafe's very own Frances Jaye providing silky sounds from 8pm-10pm.  Then the "Turn-Up" occurs when DJ M. Knight gets on the ones and twos from 10pm-12pm.  This happens every 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month.

Next up we have Soundwaves at Sunset.  A nice set put on by So-So Topic and Simon Pheonix delivering lush tunes and cold grooves - Neo Soul remixes, Hip Hop flips, wavvvy instrumentals to get you rockin, and much much mo', y'all.   Every Tuesday at the Sunset Lounge with drink specials and $2 tacos to boot.  I tend to lean toward the fish tacos myself.  You can't lose with those!

Last but definitely not least you've got Fresh 45's at Crown and Harp. Dallas' premier 45's night!  Every 3rd Thursday they invite you to join them as they dig deep in the crates to play the best in classic hip hop, soul, funk, boogie, and much much more!  This one is typically hosted by Dallas' on JT Donaldson, Jay Clipp, and the legendary Spinderella.  Warning:  These DJs tag team you with hits making it impossible for you to leave!

So there you have it.  But don't take my word for it, go and check them out for yourself.  Each offering a unique experience unto themselves.

The BIG REVEAL

Wednesday, October 29th @ 6:30 PM, the Young Citizens of Dallas will come together for the Big Reveal and Dallas ISD Signing Day. Over the past 2 months, they have been working on a plan that will communicate to the city and Dallas ISD their vision for Education. The plan is now complete. They are about to deliver it to the school district and key leaders around the city. Join them for this historical moment, when young professionals begin a movement to help make Dallas a better city.

RSVP HERE

The Family Dinner Dallas | "A Night to Remember"

It's a rare occurrence to be able to make genuine connections with new people that are not based on preconceived notions or ideas.  However The Family Dinner provides for just that sort of interaction and it is making its way back to Dallas.  As opposed to the same old network meet and greet fueled by business cards and musings about which college you attended, it is a chance for authentic friendships with new people to blossom with great food serving as the backdrop.

RSVP Today  & Invite Someone You Know or Someone New to Join
 

Our Family Dinner Dallas || "A Night to Remember" 
Saturday, October 25, 2014 @ 4:00 pm
 Chino (Chinatown) | 3011 Gulden Ln, Suite 110
Dallas, TX 75212
***
Complimentary #Zacapa Cocktails for Family

Lexus Presents: UPTOWN Uncorked Dallas

                                                                Click HERE to RSVP

Who’s In Transit: His + Her

Photo Credit | Danielle M. Sabol

By Tamara Devers

It was like watching two best friends when I sat down for a chat with the fabulously chic Eddie and Angelee Fortuna of the Dallas style blog, HIS + HER. Their love affair began ten years ago in college when Eddie walked into the shoe store where Angelee worked, pretending to buy sneakers. They were immediately smitten and have been practically inseparable ever since. This dynamic duo recently celebrated their 1^st blogiversary and got me up to speed on how HIS + HER was born.

Photo Credit | Yesi Fortuna

Eddie explains, “We had a Tumblr blog that we dubbed His and Her blog and we put a bunch of fashion, home, architecture, design stuff that we were inspired by. We started it when we were wedding planning. We wanted to brand us becoming one through the wedding process. We developed the name and the idea of HIS + HER, together.” And even in its infancy, HIS + HER is getting noticed. Eddie and Angelee have been featured on the GQ website, the winter issue of Bungalow Magazine and on InstaDFW.

Photo Credit | Angelee Bravo Fortuna

For the pair who share a love of fashion, working on the blog together adds a deepening layer to their relationship. "Reaching outside my comfort zone, as far as styling goes, is what's exciting to me," says Angelee. "By collaborating certain pieces with one another, I'm being not only pushed by myself but also by him."

Photo Credit | Eddie Fortuna

Raised in a small rural town outside of Lubbock, Texas, Angelee always dreamed of trading the town’s one flashing yellow light for the flashing lights of D-Town. With Eddie’s Master’s in Architecture and Angelee’s Bachelor’s in Retail Merchandising they felt Dallas was big enough for both of them to grow in their respective fields. As they grow, they’re excited to see the cultural and artistic community blossom here, as well.

Photo Credit | Yesi Fortuna

“There’s definitely a hunger here. Because Dallas is a smaller city, it’s not L.A., it’s not New York, it’s not Chicago. So there’s a hunger here that is unique for Dallas because we are trying to make our way toward the top and be a global city."

Photo Credit | Yesi Fortuna

As surprising as it seems, Eddie and Angelee don’t have an ultimate goal for HIS + HER blog. “Obviously we have the dreams and visions of where it could be, but again, we just want to be part of the conversation. It’s vague, but I think it’s vague by design. We don’t want anything specific, we just want to be there.”  If being a part of the conversation was their aim, Eddie and Angelee have gone above and beyond that. They’re not just a part of the conversation, they’re the subject of it.

Who’s In Transit: M Knight

By Tamara Devers

M Knight wants to be clear.  He does not do booty photography. Period. “I like racy shit. I’m not a booty photographer. You can take a selfie for that. Do I love shooting women? Yes. Do I love shooting nude stuff? Yes. Do I want to push myself into the booty realm? No. It’s a fine line. I’ve crossed the line, I mean everybody has, but I think it’s a matter of where you want to set yourself. What is your marker for taste? Some people shoot booty really well. I like their booty shots, I just don’t want to be that guy.”

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s talk about what guy M Knight is. Born and raised in a serious church-going family in Jackson, Mississippi, he had a conservative upbringing. But M Knight craved what every young person craves. Freedom and money. So, when he got out of high school, he made his way to Mississippi State University where he majored in Computer Science but graduated with a B.A. in Partying.

Photo Credit | M. KNIGHT

Despite not having a college degree, M Knight moved to Dallas where he started doing IT  work and after years of working for local companies, he went independent. These days M Knight splits his time between being a self-proclaimed IT nerd, a party pumping DJ and a no holds barred photographer. He’s always been fascinated by cool imagery and has trunks of magazines to prove it.  Surprisingly enough, M Knight’s interest in photography grew from the shadow of his DJ career and now is surpassing it.

Photo Credit | M. KNIGHT

“I like being an opening DJ. I can rock a party. When you’re opening DJ you always have that two hours to kill at the end. Either I can sit there and drink myself stupid or I can put something in my hands,” says Chris.  “I decided to put something in my hands. Plus, I was going to parties and all the pictures I saw were horrible. There were a couple of photographers that took great party pictures and we were all friends. I said ‘Hey, let me pick up a camera.’ So, I would pick up a camera and I would take pictures of my friends in low light without using flashes. So, I would kind of catch pictures of them. And I would just run around and I learned how to be real sneaky with a camera. People kept telling me I was good so I just eventually tried something else.”

That “something else” has since evolved into the racy, funky, sexy, crazy, stylish, fun, simple, erotic, complicated and sometimes nude images that populates M Knight’s world. He names German-Australian photographer, Helmut Newton as one of the main influences in his photography career. “His book sits at the front of my house. I don’t know how he did it. I wish I could have sat in on that man’s shoots. His stuff was classy as hell and yet racy as hell. And I don’t know how he thought up all these situations but he did. And the stuff that isn’t racy at all, it’s beautiful. It’s art.”

Photo Credit | M. KNIGHT

The craziest thing about M Knight is that despite being published in magazines and online publications practically every month, he considers his photography good, but not great. Humble to the extreme. If this is M Knight’s version of good, I can’t wait to see what great will be.

"Are You In" Launch Celebration

This past week we launched the new site for our blog and to celebrate we played some music, poured some drinks, and invited a few friends over.  We got a chance to talk about the new site and share our thoughts on the cultural landscape of this city.  A good time was had by all!  It was a beautiful start to what we hope is a great new chapter for us and all readers.  We'd be remiss if we didn't thank our sponsors Epocha and Deep Eddy Vodka.   If you didn't get a chance to party with us don't worry, you can check out all of the pics in their entirety right HERE!

moonlighting: an audiofuturist love story

By Marco Smith

The year is 3127. Human existence has moved far beyond the confines of the planet Earth. So much so that we’ve discovered we’re not alone in the universe and you’ve met someone who’s peaked your interest from Phomeda 7. You know, the planet where the people are a cross between human and amphibian and the women resemble mermaids. They breathe underwater and above ground. That meeting has resulted in an interstellar rendezvous of sorts and the possibilities of a relationship unlike any you’ve ever experienced. Well at least that’s what you’re thinking before you’re awakened from your inner most geeky fantasy. But if this scenario were true the soundtrack to it would most definitely be "MOONLIGHTING: AN AUDIOFUTURIST LOVE STORY". It's the latest offering from Simon Pheonix. Dallas' resident creative communicator, visual villain and multimedia artist. He experiments in image, voice, and sound.

Unlike most mixtapes "Moonlighting" is an experimentation of the sensual from a futuristic perspective. A sonic journey into a ubiquitous realm of aquatic sounds and tones. This is not your slow jams tape from high school. You may hear the alternative crooning falsetto of Childish Gambino or the sweet familiar voice of the late great Aaliyah. Either way you're in for something special to set the mood.

Tracklist:
1. Urn - Childish Gambino
2. Bloom - Dpat
3.All We Do - Kaytranada ft JMSN
4. Moist - Bene Quilo
4. Shaclackclack The Puppet - Jordan Rakei
5. Feelin Me - Leland Aleem Fākir 
6. What Would I Do - Mikos Da Gawd
7. Flight of the Navigator - Childish Gambino
8. Send Me OUt - Kelela
9. Won't - Jo Def
10. Forbidden Fruit - Ka-Yu
11. Everything Must Go (Alternate Mix) - Jhene Aiko
12. youknowthisthoo - soulunreal
13. Dramatic Entrance - Insightful
14. Lapdance - Onrazel
15. Without You - Lapalux ft Kerry Leatham
16. Tea Leaf Dancers - Flying Lotus ft Andreya Triana
17. Love Bird - Self Scientific
18. Homie.Lover.Friend - MoRuf ft Jesse Boykins III
19. Rock The Boat - Aaliyah
20. Stay With Me - Pharell
21. Let Me Love You - GXNXVS & CVIRO
22. Sumthin' Sumthin' (Mellosmoothe) - Maxwell
23. Summer Love - Justing Timberlake
24. Imagination (chopped & screwed) - Floetry
25. Lowkey - Rochell Jordan
26. A Light Within - Low Leaf + King Britt

"Dandy Fresh": A solo exhibition by Rosie Lee

By Tamara Devers

Local contemporary artist, Rosie Lee captures the stylish flair of the Congo Sapeurs subculture in his first solo art exhibition, entitled Dandy Fresh.  These “Dandies,” with their silk handkerchiefs and bright, tailored suits use flamboyant duds as a form of fashionable resistance against the socio-economic realities of their community.  Rosie Lee has added his own unique flavor and rendered these walking works of art to canvas.

With Dandy Fresh, Rosie Lee re-imagines himself with a new style and never before seen artwork.  He uses his art as a way to formulate ideas, question authority and present creative expression.  Lee's artwork is based on the research of cultures, the history of textiles and the role that fashion plays in reference to image and identity. This multi-dimensional exhibit incorporates drawings, paintings, photography, sculptures and a clever use of thrift store clothing to create an art experience that is as vivid and unforgettable as the "Dandies", themselves.

Who’s In Transit: JT Donaldson

By Tamara Devers

Music Producer and DJ, JT Donaldson is a well known fixture in the Dallas landscape. When he’s not spinning for the masses, and creating dope beats, this self-proclaimed recluse enjoys being a homebody and cooking. Who knew?! We chopped it up with the DJ extraordinaire about his travels, his turntables and why Dallas always draws him back.

***

Marco Smith: We’re going to start off real basic. Kinda give me that background on you, you know, DJ’ing, music. How long you been DJ’ing, what got you into it?

JT Donaldson: I was born in Memphis. My father was a drummer, so I guess that might’ve contributed to some of it. I didn’t really know my father that well, so, who knows? But I had an older brother, as well. He was seven years older than I was so, when I was ten he was already going out to teen clubs and listening to electronic music and dance music and stuff. So I had a pretty early exposure to electronic music and hip hop, especially. Mid-80’s stuff, Run DMC, Beastie Boys, all the early stuff.

Marco: You were still in Memphis at this time?

JT: No, we moved to Dallas when I was three, just to back track. But I have Memphis roots as well, where my uncle is this guy named Don Nix, who’s part of Stax Records and was in with Booker T and the MG’s when they were in a high school band called the Mar-Keys. I didn’t know any of this stuff until you start to get into music and you start to trace your roots and you’re like “Wow, this is starting to make sense. This is really cool.” So, there was a little bit of a lineage there but mostly moving to Dallas I didn’t know anything about that. I would just listen to the stuff my brother would bring back and started messing around with buying records and trying to get pawn shop turntables when I was about thirteen. And after about a year of buying records, I was really interested in how they were made, how the music was made that was on the records and I started toying around with trying to find a sampler and drum machines and things like this. When I was about 17 was when music production started.

Marco: Tell me a little bit more about that.

JT: I put out my first record with some guys here in Dallas. Fairpark Records. We started our own thing, pressed our own music, got A&R down off Industrial Blvd. That was 1996, ’97. And once I started putting music out, I just kept doing it. 

Marco: What is it? Is it the love of the music? Is that what drives you?

JT: Yeah. It never bores me, it always keeps my interest. And the people that you meet along the way, too. Because I’ve met so many great people that I know I would have never met if it wasn’t for doing what I do. That’s become a huge, important thing as I get older, too. Those relationships that you form with people. And it’s crazy to be able to get paid and go travel and share music with people and…it’s crazy.

Marco: So far, what’s been the highlight of your career?

JT: I had a good run for a minute there, I will say. There was a good group of years where we were doing Japan and Tokyo and we were in Southeast Asia and Dubai-

Marco: When you say ‘we’, we’re talking about?

JT: I toured a lot with Lisa Shaw from Naked Music. Between what I was doing and her need for a DJ to do her live shows it really worked out well. Yeah, there was a good run. Touring with Lisa was a pretty good time. I would say the traveling in general has been a highlight.

Marco: With In Transit, we like to focus on Dallas and highlight the cool shit. With all the places you lived and traveled, is there a reason you chose to live here?

JT: My family’s here, which is a big part of why I came back. There’s also a lot of opportunity here and I think that’s part of the reason that keeps me here. It’s a challenge to be in this arts and culture realm because it’s not as communal as it should be in a lot of ways. I feel like a lot of people are interested in music, arts and culture and fashion but there’s very few times you see all that in one event.  I don’t get out and go to everything so I could be speaking off base. But at the same time, I like it here because if you try 1 out of 10 times you’re gonna have a really good experience at least once where you’re like “I have hope. This is really great.” It’s difficult. I think a lot of the people that live in Dallas and the majority of the youth maybe haven’t traveled around, maybe haven’t seen how things go down in New York and L.A. and gone to some of these events that I would like to bring to this city. It’s frustrating sometimes.  Then we have our moments which excite me and bring me hope. 

Marco: Can you tell me about one?

JT: The Dilla party was really nice. I had a really good time. And it was a lot of people from different places, there was a lot of new faces. People I’ve never seen, people I haven’t seen since. And that was exciting to me. I felt like I was in another city ‘cause half the crowd I didn’t even know. Usually I know everybody.

Marco: Ok, so the whole thing about In Transit is that it’s a state of mind. I look at individuals who are coloring outside of the lines, marching to the beat of their own drummer, being true to themselves. What would you say about yourself that makes you In Transit?

JT: For me that is the norm, that is my everyday life. It’s like when something chooses you. You’re like “Ok, this is it.” And when you decide that’s what you’re gonna continue to do, you almost set yourself up with this fear of, “Well, I can’t do anything else. What else am I gonna do? This has been working.” So, you keep moving with it.  And moving back home, what keeps me motivated to do things is the lack of what I experienced in other cities.  I’d like to bring that to Dallas.



Check out JT at The Standard Pour every Thursday and Friday - So & So’s every Saturday - The Crown and Harp every 3rd Thursday with DJ  Spinderella and DJ Jay Clipp.

Abnormal Artbeats Open Reception

So if you're an avid reader of this blog then you know that I'm a big proponent of the arts. Especially when it comes to the arts here in Dallas and even more so when it comes to the great local artists that this city has produced. This passed Saturday I had the pleasure of attending an open reception for Abnormal Artbeats curated by Adu. But this was not just any old regular art show. It was a multimedia experience of sensory overload.

The Foreign Exchange: Love In Flying Colors Tour

Dallas has been getting its fair share of great concerts in that last couple of months. Little Dragon, The Internet, Les Nubians, and Jose James just to name a few. Not to be outdone The Foreign Exchange made their annual stop through the Big D for their Love In Flying Colors tour. This was my third time seeing them but it was my first time getting a chance to actually shoo the show. All courtesy of Frances Jaye and our friends at Neo Soul Cafe.

Abnormal Artbeats Vol. 1

Nerv Gallery announces grand re­opening of the remodeled gallery space with special exhibit event by artist Adu benefiting the Nancy J. Cochran Elementary School arts program and future art programs in the DFW area.

This event is open to the public and FREE. Adults, teens, and children are all welcome to come experience an art show like no other, complete with live music, food trucks, and live art workshops appropriate for all ages. The event also marks the grand re­opening of Nerv Gallery after an extensive remodeling of the space. Workshops will be facilitated by 8 artists, curated by Adu, named by Dallas Observer as one of the top 30 under 30 leaders of Dallas, who will also have a solo exhibit on display. A portion of the profits of sold works will be donated to Nancy J. Cochran Elementary School in Dallas, TX in support of their arts program. Come join Adu in improving test scores, attitudes, social skills, and creative thinking. Donations of art supplies are welcome and encouraged!

Cigars, Art, and Fatherhood

A few months back I featured J Taylor on the blog to get some insight behind the mind they makes some of the great work that he creates.  In the process we got a chance to know each other and our shared commonalities. We shared similar outlooks on life, the art scene in Dallas, and fatherhood.  This led to him speaking about "The Father Project", a series of work dedicated to men and their relationships with their children and fathers.  He interviewed several guys (myself included) to find the inspiration that would help him to create this particular series of work.  The open reception for The Father Project will take place on Fathers Day weekend, June 14, at the Janette Kennedy Gallery in Southside Lamar at 7pm.

WHO'S IN TRANSIT: EPOCHA

photo credit | Simon Pheonix

"You know DeepEllum is rich in African American history.  It was a place where people were free to enjoy themselves without having to adhere to any laws that were being enforced by Jim Crow.  It actually was a red light district. After work many African Americans would catch the train on central track down to Deep Ellum to eat, drink, shop, and listen to blues amongst other things.  It was one of Bonnie and Clyde's favorite hangouts, because no one would think to look for them in the Negro part of town.  It's from this that the name Deep Ellum was actually derived.  

BLOG ABOUT TOWN: ATAMA Presents: Bloody Franks & Mario

photo credit: Dallas Rising Magazine

This past Saturday was the opening reception for Bloody Frank's and Mario at Atama. Bloody Franks is an offshoot from the larger scaled Sour Grapes collective out of the Oak Cliff neighborhood in Dallas, Texas. The mini crew was created by Arturo Donjuan (Arma) and Ricardo Oviedo (Congoh) as they felt the desire to express themselves in a totally different direction than normally seen from Sour Grapes. It has a more sarcastic and rude application to its sinister approach.  It was good to see the support of the city for local artists.  

Crate Diggin'

I'll admit I got a late start for Record Store Day this passed weekend.  And subsequently it came back to bite me in my ass a bit.  I started at CD Source over on Greenville Ave and was met with a long line just to start diggin.  Clearly the word had got out.  I thought about Bill's Records but being that I had such a late start and other things scheduled for the day Bill's wasn't really an option.  Any avid vinyl enthusiast knows that if you go to Bills you have to be prepared to really dig!  I ended up at Half Price Books and found some gems.  I was able to get "Fresh" by Sly and the Family Stone, "Caricatures" by Donald Byrd, "Fire" by The Ohio Players (which I gave to a friend), and "The 1976 Solo Keyboard Album" by George Duke.  Sly had the best album artwork.  All in all I did pretty good and all for under twenty bucks!  Not bad for a late start.

Record Store Day!

For all my "Crate Diggers" and vinyl enthusiasts alike that wonderful time is upon us once again.  The weather is nice, the city is beautiful, and we all gather throughout the metroplex for that never ending search for a once forgotten music medium.  April 19, 2014 marks the 7th annual Record Store Day!  A day where all music connoisseurs troll the city for great deals on their favorite artists.  The resurgence of vinyl in the last few years has created a subculture of people who will go out to tomorrow happily trolling the city in search of that most obscure find.  There will be new pressings of old releases and original pressings.

DESTINATIONS: Dallas Art Fair

Spring is here and with the gorgeous weather comes all sorts of ways to enjoy the city.  Since it is Arts Week in Dallas there will be plenty of events showcasing some of the best and brightest in the art world.  One of them being the Dallas Art Fair.  Located at the Fashion Industry Gallery – adjacent to the Dallas Museum of Art in the revitalized downtown Arts District – the 2014 Dallas Art Fair will feature over 90 prominent national and international art dealers and galleries exhibiting painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, video, and installation by modern and contemporary artists.  The Fair is open 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday through Sunday and tickets start at $25.

DESTINATIONS: "We From Dallas" Screening

To help kick off the Dallas International Film Festival will be the red carpet premier of "We From Dallas" at the Angelika Theater 04/08 at 7:30pm.  It's director Teddy Cool's ode to Dallas hip hop. A locally produced documentary covering the rise of hip hop culture in Dallas,Tx. From the early days of KNON radio, the golden era of Deep Ellum, and the rise of the southern rap culture, we speak to the heroes and legends that made it all possible. DJ’s, producers, emcess, b-boys, graffiti artists, no stone is left unturned. For the first time, all the architects of Dallas hip-hop are brought together in a feature length documentary to speak on their city, the music, the fans and let the world know WE FROM DALLAS.