Dallas Observer | Complete Issue

Pitch Perfect

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Derek Nicholson throws on a pair of black gym shorts, tucks in a red T-shirt, grabs his iPod and goes for a walk around the ballpark. It's 103 degrees, and the sun is beating down on QuikTrip Park. With three hours left before game time, nothing takes him out of his routine.

In this blist...

Weight of Evidence

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As a crime scene investigator, Dallas police Detective Roosevelt Holiday's job involved sifting through evidence to find clues to solve crimes. Before he was booted out of the crime scene unit nine months ago, the 26-year veteran officer claims he uncovered hints of a different sort of violation&...

Not High on Prometa|Blaming the Wrong Screwups

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

"Fighting Fire With Fire," by Megan Feldman, August 14.

Not High on Prometa

I am a clinical researcher and an addiction psychiatrist practicing in Dallas. I th...

Grapes of Wrath

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Grapes of Wrath: So now City Plan Commissioner Neil Emmons wants to rename the Dallas North Tollway after César Chávez. Proposals floated this summer to rechristen Industrial Boulevard after the late farm-labor leader—and then Ross Avenue—have drawn too much oppos...

Eat My Dirt

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I know. We'll just do this as an IQ test. Here's the situation: You're a builder. The law says you can only build a new condo building on Oram Street in East Dallas 36 feet or three stories up from the ground. You want to go up four stories, so you can sell more condo units. That would be illegal...

What a Drag

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

At 28, Josh Howard is in the midst of a midlife crisis.

No? Fine, then you explain what the hell is happening to him. Because I'm at a loss.

Just 18 months ago the Dallas Mavericks' forward was on the verge of superstardom. His versatile talent and vicious temperament made him the...

Ask a Mexican

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Dear Mexican: I am the proud uncle of five Mexican-redneck kids who recently moved to Wausau with their mamá Wisconsiana after living in la Capirucha all their lives. I've talked to them on the phone several times a week since they left for ...

Morning Wood

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

I'm not sure of the exact moment when My Morning Jacket became the best live band in the world, but I'll never forget the instant I realized it. It was at 12:10 on a foggy New Year's morning in San Francisco; 2006 had just flowed into 2007 and, in honor of the holiday, the band transformed the st...

They Shall Be Comforted

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When I walk into the modest house in North Garland, the children—McKayla and Matthew Butler Jr.—quickly latch onto my legs, 1-year-old daughter on the left, 2-year-old son on the right. "They miss their daddy," says Teresa Butler as she leads me past the family dog and a collection of...

The Cool Kids, Flosstradamus, The Party

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As if Kanye West, Common and Lupe Fiasco weren't enough proof on their own, you still need more examples before you'll buy into the fact that Chicago is where it's at right now in the world of hip-hop?

OK, then: Meet Flosstradamus and The Cool Kids. Both duos call Chicago home, and both c...

Shwayze

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Most everything you need to know about horny, go-getting Malibu newcomer Shwayze can be gleaned from this line on "Polaroid," off his self-titled debut: "Woke up with a semi-hard dick/In a fat chick/Three this week/Call that a hat trick/But everybody know hockey ain't for black kids."

Yea...

No Inhibitions

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Despite its slick vinyl interior, the Cha Cha Lounge in Los Angeles' Silver Lake neighborhood is still a gum-under-the-table kind of joint. Dale Crover, drummer of The Melvins, sits in a corner booth. Guitarist Buzz Osborne appears in the doorway, his signature hair mussed. He was outside, taking...

Steely Dan

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

While parents have predictably freaked out over the social menace imposed by blues, jazz, secular R&B, rock 'n' roll, heavy metal, rap and techno, they never seemed to bat an eyelash over Steely Dan. In fact, they seemed to dig the band more than anyone. And it's a testament to Walter Becker and ...

3OH!3

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

3OH!3 is a group you either love or loathe. Judging from the response the act has already gotten, though, most listeners land comfortably in the former category.

Stuffy literary types who blanch at the simplistic synth lines, rudimentary beats and admittedly crass lyrics are missing the p...

It's Evolution, Baby

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When discussing the Projekt Revolution tour, now in its fifth year, it's impossible to avoid mention of the other touring festivals that came before it: Lollapalooza began in 1991 and was the first of a string of multi-act tours that included the Vans Warped Tour, Ozzfest and the now-defunct Lili...

Nas, Talib Kweli

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Since his classic debut, Illmatic, Nas has been mostly coasting on his charm, his gift for public relations, and his skills as an MC. But on his latest album, Untitled, he's clearly hoping that by name-dropping big issues (reparations, single motherhood, media control) and dazzling ...

Greater Good

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

This local sextet has the influences down pat: Elvis Costello, Joe Jackson, The Faces and Stone Roses are all incorporated into a well-produced, well-played concoction that is packed to the brim with hooks and sweat. Throw in a little Motown edge to Americanize the sound just enough and Shake Til...

Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, Steve Winwood

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

While Petty and the Heartbreakers are the major selling point of this show, Steve Winwood has his own place in rock history.

His work in bands including the Spencer Davis Group, Traffic, and Blind Faith, and his big-time light-rock output in the ’80s, have made him a household name. ...

Still I Rise

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

There's a wonderful scene in an episode of Mad Men, AMC's drama about early-1960s New York ad execs, in which a character orders some sort of old-school cocktail that involves an egg white—probably a silver gin fizz. Actually, we see him order his second round; the first one is impli...

Cheap Bastard

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Times I got yelled at: 1 Slices I wish I had been able to eat: 40

I used to go to this place on Main Street called Café Ravenna, which served a nice slice and had a surprisingly large set of pasta options. It's now called Ravenna Pizza & Bar and serves a nice slice and has a...

Schoolhouse Rock

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Rocker bears the decidedly unmistakable odor of something made in 1983 and left on the shelf a good 25 years. Which isn't to suggest that it's fetid product in need of tossing out: Parts of it are genuinely delightful, and Rainn Wilson doesn't squander his first feature-film sta...

Hard-Knock Life

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When I heard that Quentin Tarantino handed the Grand Jury Prize for best feature to Courtney Hunt's Frozen River at this year's Sundance Film Festival, telling the audience that the movie "put my heart in a vise and proceeded to twist that vise until the last frame," my jaw went sla...

Family Feud

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Frisco RoughRiders are the Class AA affiliate of the Texas Rangers. Nolan Ryan, besides being eternally awesome, is the president of baseball operations for the Rangers. He also happens to be one of the principal owners of the Corpus Christi Hooks, a rival team whose CEO just happe...

Boning Up On Art

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

In a Moleskine safely tucked away in the area of "things to grab if there's an apartment complex fire," I have an original drawing on a napkin by one artist, Tonybones. It was from an interview I did with him for a graffiti piece in our long-since defunct section Full Frontal. Young master Bones was...

School Of Hard Giggles

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Kids say the darnedest things. They're funny without even trying, even if what's funny is also what gets them grounded from time to time. But that combination of funny/naughty is what comedy careers are built on. The Addison Improv's School of Comedy takes young comics and helps them hone their skil...

Victory Lap

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Remember the battle of the Davids? You don't have to admit it to us, but with seven seasons spent dominating the Nielsen ratings and pretty much obliterating any other show that dare air during Tuesday or Wednesday prime time, somebody has to be watching American Idol. It's OK, we won't tell....

Gangsta Lean

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The creators of the play Heaven for a G are justifiably concerned about youth violence. After all, as they say in their own press release, "violence is quickly becoming the new 'black' for the upcoming generation. Unfortunately, they are wearing it too well." Look around, folks--on run...

Truckload of Candles

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Mark your calendars, because God's birthday is coming up, and it's time for a celebration. No, I'm not talking about Jesus' dad. Rumor has it he's not really the partying type, and who knows when his birthday would be anyway. The birthday boy in question is the one and only Krishna--you know, that h...

Mall Varmints

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

We think it's about time you taught your kids about the regional wildlife. No, we're not talking about a field trip to Greenville Avenue at 2:05 a.m. after all the bars have let out. We actually want you to take them somewhere they'll have a chance of surviving without emotional scars. So, it might ...

Been Caught Stealing

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

There's no health plan in art. I'm sure that there are some artists out there who have spouses or families that can put them on their health plans, and I bet there are probably guilds and organizations that provide insurance to their members at a reduced cost. But I would wager that your average fre...

Aloha, Garland

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Geography is something of a lost science. With air transportation a fact of life, however miserable, there's no destination on earth that's not accessible with a day or two of travel. I think that's taken the urgency out of geography: Why bother to become familiar with points on a globe when a click...

Chin For Charity

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

He may be on his way out of The Tonight Show door, but Jay Leno isn't looking to settle down anytime soon. For starters, he's bringing those one-liners and witticisms to North Texas for one night in Casa Mañana’s "Laugh With a Legend Gala," benefiting the organization's art...

Chili Bowl

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

What does the NFL preseason teach us? Not much. That's especially true this year, when we know the Cowboys are stacked in pretty much every position and are the odds-on favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl. But still, this is Texas, meaning that if you're like me, you've been counting the...

The River Wild

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

As far as honeymoons go, taking a steam ship down the Nile sounds like quite the romantic plan. But in Agatha Christie's play Murder on the Nile, the exotic trip of newlyweds Simon and Kay Mostyn quickly turns to murder, mayhem and red herrings when they discover Simon's jilted ex is o...

Women's Room

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

For the "most popular women's event in the Southwest," VISIONS: The Women's Expo knows exactly how to target their audience. When it comes to bonding the ladies together, always go with the three F's: free stuff (facials, hairstyling, tastings, demonstrations), fashion shows (pet, human and j...

Sime-onara

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Talk about a wild ride. After 16 years as a theater critic, Tom Sime is now an award-winning playwright about to make the jump from Dallas to New York. Before he heads out, he'll be giving us the second of a one-two theatrical punch. Earlier this summer, he premiered Bloodletters, a thriller ...

The Great Tyrant

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The Great Tyrant can always be counted on for some coffin-dark rock. Vocal effects alternately give Beck voice-of-God depth and the guttural roar of a B-movie demon, and his keys spit forth insane-asylum piano dissonance and horror-movie organ blasts. The synth-bass-drums trio needs no guitars, than...

Mighty Morph-In'

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

For those who prefer to eat, sleep and breathe their craft, there's nothing like the full-on immersion of an artist's residency. And as far as artist residencies go, we can't think of many better places for one than Fair Park. UT Dallas agreed, and Centraltrak was born. With that as the creative hub...

All Grown Up

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Paula Nelson may not look like her daddy, the king of the Lone Star State's bio-herbal brigade and creator of some of the most legendary country ever, but she's got him in her voice. There's the shrill twang of Willie and a natural stage presence...mixed in with a bit more marketing and styli...

Cool As Ice

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

When someone mentions Paul Newman, I immediately think salad dressings, salsas and Ginger-O's, but then I picture him as Luke in the opening scene of Cool Hand Luke. Drunk and wearing a satisfied, smug grin, he's slowly, methodically cutting the heads off rows of parking meters with a ...

The Big Return

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Due to travel issues, US Congolese KORA Music Award winner Awilo Longomba (Rhumba legend), has not performed or even stepped on US soil in three years. Until now. Finally, those who appreciate the Longomba's traditional African music and Ndombolo talents will enjoy a dramatic performance featuring m...

Thanks A Lot

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The story goes that Lucky Tubb's grandfather pulled him over to his deathbed and said, "Carry on the family name, and make me proud." If you're a fan of old-school country, then you know that's a pretty tall order. And while, so far, Lucky isn't quite the musical trailblazer his great uncle ...

Haley Joel Haunting

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Once upon a time M. Night Shyamalan made a damn good scary movie. The Sixth Sense has it all: walking corpses (including a seriously creepy pre-DUI/-puberty Mischa Barton), a tension building score, haunting cinematography and a spooky twist at the end. It's a psychological thriller ab...

Major Dudes

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

If you're planning to go see the Dan o' Steel live, you'd do almost as well to find a set list from one of the band's recent shows, duplicate the song order on an iPod playlist and listen to it on a decent stereo. Donald Fagen and Walter Becker, the notoriously perfectionist studio rats behind such ...

Going Gustav

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The title "The Mahler Cycle" sounds like some low-budget 1970s science-fiction flick where a computer learns to program itself and creates a super-plague that only astronauts from the future can cure, starring James Brolin and Donald Pleasance. Well, it ain't, folks. In fact it is a series of perfo...

Mike Rhyner's Wednesday

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Rock and roll has so many genres and subgenres these days that nobody knows what it is anymore. Well, not nobody. Tom Petty knows. Yes, Tom Petty has always known what rock and roll is and has always been a champ at demonstrating how to play it. With no agenda and very little ego, he's played...