Sam from the Observer just confirmed that DoubleWide has in fact closed down... apparently they just weren't pulling in the cash that they needed or something. I'm sure more will be said about this in the near future. The press release:

Tornado Season is Officially Over
After Three Years Double Wide Closes Its Doors
Contact: Kelly Smith
Endeavor Public Relations
Dallas, Texas-(April 11, 2006)-After three years at the edge of Deep Ellum the swirling tornado known as Double Wide has closed its doors effective immediately. Home to an eclectic hodgepodge of trailer park kitsch, Double Wide dually served as a popular watering hole and live music venue. Citing neighborhood issues and declining Deep Ellum patronage, Double Wide has decided to look for space further North and reopen serving food and great music.
“It’s not necessary to regurgitate the issues Deep Ellum business holders face, but you just get to a point where you have to take a step back and make the best decision even though it’s not easy,” says Double Wide owner and operator Jim Sibert. “My initial plan was to locate a new venue and make a seamless transition, but that venue hasn’t presented itself yet so we’re going to go ahead and say last call to a great run.”
Double Wide booking hopes to reschedule show. More information will be posted on http://www.double-wide.com | .

I totally didn't post the last comment.
But, yeah, OK, I agree....
but didn't post it.

JB
RGRS

JOSH BAISH:

Use your resources and start a rubbergloves, Dallas!

We could both totally benefit from a venue similar to rgrs!

a decent small venue with a bar and a place for bands to practice....

bring it on!!

ave arts sucks

i wish there was a book reading themed bar...where you go with your favorite book and read while you get fucked up. take the bands and loud music totally out of the equation, and learn something while getting your crunk on!

there are a couple of options comming in the near future as far as clubs go. be patient, and more info will present it's self soon. i don't want to jinx it.

Sad about the DoubleWide- one of the few places I really liked to play in Dallas. Hopefully they'll be up and running again in no time. As for the Lollipop Shoppe- Club Dada has new owners that are really trying to do something good and were very welcoming and sought us out. We are still doing stuff at Avenue Arts but are also doing events at Dada. Avenue Arts (we love you) doesn't have much in the Air Conditioning department in the warmer months and it is expensive (hence the cover charge ;( ) to do events there in the Summer. Dada has a stage and soundsystem and hopefully will be the ideal place to have bands play. I'm a firm believer that a place is what you make it and although I have forsaken Deep Ellum for so long (there was really nothing going on there I wanted to see) I am taking the Charles Bronson stance and going into No Mans Land in hopes of booking some cool stuff. So yeah, I need good bands to play our events and supportive people to see what we can do. All we can do is try. But once again- we're still at Avenue Arts. The party continues on!

LETS BUY A WESHOTJR BAR!!!!

just kidding (unless you're serious)... but i think the answer is NEITHER deep ellum or greenville (at least not lower greenville).

... most people don't live very close to downtown. part of the reason that place is a skelleton of a place on weekdays is because no one wants to drive that far just to be outnumbered by panhandlers and cops... and pay $5 parking.

greenville poses other problems... overpopulation on the weekends... no open spaces for a cool bar left (unless someone wants to try and steal the cuckoo's nest from the coke dealer who owns it..... who said that?.... i dunno how it would sound, but it's a huge place (relatively, anyway) and it's not too far from lower greenville...but also a lot closer to north dallas (and further away from annoying gel-headed reef wearing rich-kids).

unfortunately, the whole of downtown is turning into no-mans land...... i don't know whether to spend time trying to save it... or if dallas needs to move on and find other places to have cool shows and events.

...what's up w/ lollypop shoppe @ dada? no offense, but i don't want to go to deel ellum... especially when i can't bring my own beer... and dada's kinda full of codgers, in'it?

hopefully the reopening goes well... but i don't trust anything that side of town.

Aside from the music venue, that place blows my ass. I fucking hate dumb juvenile themed bars. Can we not just enjoy a bar purely based on the fact that it serves us alcohol which enables our lips to loosen up for some type of social interaction.

Yeah, let’s figure this out! In fact, I propose a meeting, say, 10:00 this Saturday Night! At the Metrognome Collective in Fort Worth! And between set by Spitfire Tumbleweeds, 100 Damn Guns, and Chicago’s best one-man band Phillip Roebuck, we’ll talk about the issues and come up with solutions! Sounds good! I’ll see everybody there! At the meeting! This Saturday!

everyone up for going to see a show this weekend?

nahh, didnt think so.

so lets come up with ways to battle the issue with turnover. lets build a scene! we decide what prevails and does not. NOT THE PROMOTERS! do we get behind a certain club? or do we get behind a certain band? do we go to greenville or deep ellum?

is it the albums the bands release? or the clubs?

I WANT OPINIONS!

True! A statement well made. It is everyones apathy that kills the clubs. Of course it helps if the clubs book good acts and treats their patrons/bands respectably. These places are ripe for good ideas and bands to do something to change it all around.

Typically, the turnover rate for venues is quick. Even in a city like New York, places are opening and closing doors constantly. If the Double Wide has plans to reopen, hopefully they'll revamp the problems they had and turn over a new and better leaf. You can't blame Deep Ellum or some vague state of affairs in Dallas at large for difficulty. It's the lack of interest that pushes things downward. Go into that place on a weeknight when a show wasn't going on and you see maybe 3 people there at the bar. The fact of the matter is it's rare to see a place in Dallas at or near capacity at any other time than on the weekend. If you're concerned with giving a place staying power, people need to stop viewing Dallas and Denton as purgatory for the two coasts and get out there and consistently embrace the history and possibility that the city has musically.

theres nothing that can be done with dallas... its going to have to die out one by one until a whole new real scene emerges... until then its shitty sounding shows at the cavern for all to enjoy.....apparently Trees is in the works of being re-opened soon... but I still have a feeling its not going to do any good... wow.. now I am really depressed... :(

Well, crap. My band was suppossed to have their first show at the Double Wide. Now I'm sad.

I like the room too. I just hate the sound. I've never been to a show at the Cavern that had good sound. Maybe that is something they can fix over there. We'll see...

Wow... I never saw a show at the Doublewide... shoot, guess I won't for a while either.

Am I the only person who likes The Cavern? I mean, we really enjoy playing there. The sound is good, the room is cool. I just don't understand the hatred for that place. Of course, I've only been there when playing, and we really like small rooms.

Hmmm...

M-.

Denton cant keep a record shop open and Dallas cant keep a decent venue.

and dont talk about the cavern cause it is lame.

Denton and Dallas both have issues.

I just seriously considered murdering myself.
Or moving to Austin.

I'm glad I got to see a number of great shows there.

this really sux. Bigtime.

I go away for the weekend, and you let the Double Wide close down. Thanks a lot guys.

this makes xpo closing that much more sad..

we'll close the coolest bar in dallas because we want to start a 'theme' based bar... it'll last forever.. or 2.5 years..

that is bad news and unexpected. Was my favorite place too.

This is not good.

hmmm... I think you might be right for the time being. DoubleWide was the only small venue in Dallas that I liked seeing shows at, and the only one with decent sound. And what is going to take its place, Darkside Lounge?

Well look at that. The only good place to see music in Dallas is gone. That sucks. Guess your all going to have to give in and come to Denton.