There has been a lot of talk around here lately about alternative venues. It seems that while people do enjoy overpaying for beer, and most aren't completely opposed to club owners making money off of concerts, etc., there is still a feeling that there is something great about places like Metrognome Collective, where art is a little more important and central to the focus, and where something interesting and spontaneous seems that it can happen at any time, providing a little more excitement than the canned fun that you often find at more traditional venues (oh yeah, and BYOB makes it cheaper to get more drunk, ya idiots).

We really need a good D.I.Y. venue like that down here in Dallas since Sanctuary Studios is no more (come on, like one?), but for now we'll have to add yet another reason to go to Denton all the goddamn time to the Reasons to go to Denton All the Goddamn Time List.

This reason would be Secret HQ, the new multipurpose, um, place that will be opening up in the old Art Prostitute space (210 E. Hickory St.) on June 3rd. The space will be open and mostly run by Scott Porter (Record Hop), Cody Robinson (Medicine Window) and Rob Black (Birth to Burial), and will feature an art gallery, a store, and every Saturday night, a venue for early shows.

Each Saturday show will feature two bands for three dollars from 8-10 pm, and from what we gather will be BYOB. Their first show on June 3rd will actually feature three bands and start off at 7pm: Fra Pandolf, the Angelus and Shiny Around the Edges will all be playing. With a solid kick off line up like that, we're kind of excited to see what these guys can do with this place.

They have a lot of other plans for the space as well, but those are like secret and shit. I guess you've just gotta show up to see what else they've got up their sleeves.

Bub, you have really advanced the field of critical Lionel Ritchie studies.

Anon., I know what you're saying-- Sasquatch. Or, as I've always thought, Calibos from Clash of the Titans. But my friends accuse me of comparing everything to Clash of the Titans, so I'll stop there.

get that vampire shit outta here... we're talking lionel up in here!

...now if you wanna talk about the possibility of lionel staring in a movie where he plays a vampire... i'm in!

Chupacabra, a Spanish word meaning “goat bloodsucker” is a phenomenon which first appeared in mid 1995 in the hills of Puerto Rico. Something strange was killing all the cattle in and around the town of Canovanasa, drinking all their blood. When the corpses were discovered, it turned out that the blood had been sucked out of two small entry wounds (like pin-pricks). The wounds were usually the same diameter as a straw and three-four inches long,” said the local vet who examined several of the bodies.

Nevermind Lionel Richie's head, the Chupacabra has made it to Russia.

http://mosnews.com/news/2006/04/27/chupacabra.shtml

i have quoted bub on my page and have added some new video's..and some interesting lionel facts......such as he co-wrote we are the world

have u seen the sculpture, it looks more like sasquatch than lionel. maybe she never felt his face.

I was wondering about this the other day:

Okay, the blind chick is a student of our hero Lionel. He's obviously in love with her, but it's taboo because he's her teacher plus she's always hanging out w/ some guy. obviously hopeless. All of a sudden, the blind chicks friend tells lionel to come quickly, and then he sees the horrible rendition (made in pure love, no less) of his face. Here's my question... At what point does she touch his face? Maybe I looked away and missed it, and even if I did, why would she touch her teachers face enough to know it so well? My only guess here is that they've been having a secret love affair all along, and they've broken up at the beginning of the video, and what I mistook as his unrequited longing was the pining of a denied love. Yeah.

I'm too tired to answer, but I thought I would do the honors.

So what's the line, really, between DIY and a regular venue?

I probably wouldn't consider SHQ a DIY place, aside from the whole "collective" aesthetic it's forming..
but I guess some people would see it that way.

I'm only asking 'cause if anyone answers, it's 200.
An that gets lionel's attention.

then we'll REALLY complain about the sound.

... but at the same time, that's so DIY... you just use what you got, and you got a lazy susan, a paper cone and a sewing needle.

beards almost gets it over 200.

and the metrognome would be happy to host part of a travelling lionel richie event to be held at 1919, metrognome, eighth continent, the former home of the good/bad and the strange boys' dad's mansion.

and whats more, we wont even have our sound turned on, wanz will dj on a lazy susan using a sewing needle stuck through a paper cone.

Leave it up to Lionel Richie to provide unity amongst a group of jaded music geeks.

....think my girlfriend would be mad if i replaced her on my myspace top 8 w/ that lionel richie bust?

...i think she'd understand
...it's fucking lionel!!

well...sorta

todayiloveeveryone.
yesterdayihatedyou

ok, the party will have pbr, schlitz, lonestar, and high life.

the group will be devided into sections: Dallasites on the south side, dentonites to the north..... if anyone from fort worth actually comes then they can stand somewhere in the middle.

...strangely enough, the amount of facial hair will increase as one moves northward, so it should be easy to spot imposters.

vagina!

http://www.myspace.com/lionelrichiehead

add me now bitches

well, if you're going to lump all that together, Wanz would have to spin some BTD & whatever that other band was that people were complaining about.

And you'll all have to grow beards.

Beards.
(maybe that'll get it past 200)

why the FUCK would we drink pbr when we could drink lonestar?

that would be fun. And you would have broke the rule if the post wasn't funny, but it was. So you didn't.

sorry, did that break a rule? i just thought about that...

Lets have a weshotjr party and we can make and glaze lionel richie busts, talk about how bad everyone else's music taste is, and drink PBR.......... Mwanza will DJ, 1/2 of the group will criticize him, and the other 1/2 will be overly congradulatory

...in other words it's gonna be the shit.

oh, and we can hold it @ whatever DIY spot we deem to be the best in the metroplex.... but we'll bitch about the sound anyway.

http://www.macalester.edu/~fines/lionel/media/lionel_richie_hello.mpg

why did i get dragged into this?

-kelly clarkson

Damn, I wanna go to your dentist too! No wait that explains your fucked up teeth.

~Mrs.Larsen

I want to go to your dentist.

and steal some of the undoing's bass lines.

Oh gosh, yes that is awesome.

hey now... don't shit on richie just b/c your dentist stole him from our indie-rock circle of bands. He can't help where his music is played from.

my dentist plays the undoing of david wright, so i guess i can't relate
...how he works under a strobe light, i'll never know.

Hot Damn Tamale!

That would make a tremendous ice cream cake shape.

good call on the daddy's credit card thingy, anon 3:16..
i think you may 100% correct on that one

http://www.macalester.edu/~fines/lionel/

please go here

btw, Cory is also one of the shq gang.

Unfortunately, we will never get to the bottom of the Lionel Richie debate. See, it's just like politics or religion. You ain't gonna change a believer's mind.

Richie WAS a commodore.

Now, Richie is a whore minstrel to dentisit offices and proms.

No, I was thinking that the new rule would be that any comments after the 150 comment mark MUST be about Lionel Richie, and can be either positive or negative. That way we can get to the bottom of this whole debate that always seems to be going on in indie rock circles: Was Richie misunderestimated?

Walka, the hair had such great detail in the lionel ritchie video. I also think the overdubbed phone conversation in the video is worth noting

can the rule be "DON'T EVER FUCKING TALK SHIT ABOUT LIONEL RICHIE!"????

c'mon... he was a commadore

(i love the fact that none of the bands have really bothered to chime in on the "daddy's credit card" ordeal... maybe some of the bands you listen to get some dad-cash... you just don't consider it because articles in the observer haven't made these other bands' family wealth commonly known...silly bastards)

no deal!

Jesus Christ i would kill to have rubbergloves located in Dallas. i just have bad taste in clubs. I like cheap drinks, great sound, good music inbetween sets.

We will trade Denton the liquid lounge for rubbergloves and dallas will even throw in a record store on the side. We will also give denton all the sound guys in dallas for J.c.

And the bust of Lionel Richie that the blind girl sculptor makes in the video has got to be the ultimate piece of rock memorabilia.

stonedranger - are you gonna tell me there's a rule against hatin' on Lionel Richie? I've been on this for 15 years now, there's no way i can stop!

"Hello" is an epic tune, truly the embodiment of the heart of darkness: "Ive been alone with you inside my mind..."

Did you know Lionel Richie was the voice of the Ninja Turtle called Donatello in the animated series?

One word:

Awesome.

i was waiting for MC Hammer to do a cover of "hello" and instead he gave me "have you seen her?"

....gotta say, i like the origional better.

am I gonna have to make another rule?

awesome. So I'm assuming everybody agrees with me that Lionel Richie is a sellout due to the fact no one jumped on me about it.. Everything since "Hello" has completely sucked. If I ever see that guy on the street I'm a gonna kick his ass. (with instant messages i mean)

What's this thing about anyhoo the SCRT HQ or sellouts, what the hell is going on? (too lazy to read everything)

Sorry, that was harsh. No cancer. Instead, I hope you get the runs.

"It's getting really old"

Wow, man... You're totally right.

Get cancer.

Yep...Still an idiot.

you..can fuck off. rubber gloves has been around forever. it's getting really old. they started in like 1998. we need something new and fresh in dfw. what are they doing thats new? they don't bring in any cool bands, the sound sucks, the staff sucks and the guy that owns it is a complete asshole.
lets get something completely new and awseome going and show "rubber gloves dick suckin studios" how its done.
whose in?

face it, they are good???

That is funny.

I dont care at all about their rich parents, I just know they are doing something I've heard plenty of times and they arent even doing it well.

Lets freak out about someone with talent.

You... are an idiot.

rubber gloves is the worst venue in the entire metroplex. i wish someone would start something to put those fuckers out of business.

yeah and black francis sux
he's a total dick too.
all he ever wrote about was his time spent in mexico..
A TRIP HIS RICH FATHER PAID FOR

http://menwholooklikekennyrogers.com/

Don't y'all forget that Black Francis was a financially loaded boy from the OC.

Hi.

Did you even know that the drummer for ZZ Top is called Frank Beard?
He doesnt even have a beard (lolzzz)! Has he not got the memo for the last 30+ years? He should wear a fake beard. Like, an obviously fake one -- a Santa Claus beard.

Meanwhile look at this site. Next level shit going on there. Next time you think you feel cynical, take a look around you and see if your surroundings and life make sense:
World Beard Championships

I shaved a section of my face today, but not all of it.
Sideburns are the new beard.
I'm posting about my facial hair from my evil corporate dayjob desk.

Selling out feels goood.

But just so you know Scott, I'm drawing the line at Halo 2.
Anything else would just be work.

Touching on a few of the subjects,

DIY venue in Denton: The eighth continent. why? Because we wont overcharge you for drinks (its BYOB) We only showcase good bands with large draws, and its $5.

The Strange boys: Face it they are good and marketable, and the fact that they may or may not have "daddys credit card" is just better for them.

Black Tie : Not a huge fan myself.

"selling out": Thats just a crock of shit because as much as I know the people who play music LOVE doing what they do and its their passion, I also know that being able to do that AND make a decent living is an opportunity that none of them would refuse. Its hard to be in a band and also have to deal with shitty equipment, gas money, working, going to school, juggling a wife and kids, and such. I know this for a fact because my husband Lars does the same thing. I know how stressful it is for him to have an amp fuck up and not only not have the money to fix it, but have a show the next day. Selling out is too cool with me.

Beards: Come on its facial hair!

Thanks,
Heather Larsen

Well, okay; then I think what has made this whole discussion, and many of discussions on this blog, completely degenerate is the overuse/misuse/ineffective use of hyperbole like "rich people can't play punk," and not enough use of actually true, verifiable, and unexagerrated statments like "Black Tie Dynasty blows."

BEARDS!!!

are you guys just trying to up the number of comments now? trying to break 200?

I'm sorry you were so disgusted. I used hyperbole to make a point. These things don't always translate, but I was trying to be extreme. I wasn't out to offend you on a significant day. Geez.

i feel as though i need an emoticon.

Hey MSP, you should offer HALO 2 classes at the SHQ. You could even have uniforms with some sort of belt ranking system. That alone could pay the rent.

no
fucking
way

I have a solution to offer up that both tastes great AND is less filling!!!!

Master Charge.

uh.....Less Filling?

Who cares? Really.

Hey, Anonymous Collective... tastes great. your move

I still can't believe that anonymous 4:02 actually argues that a band that's only in it for the money is more disgusting/offensive than the sight of mass graves. As an added touch, the statement was made on Holocaust Remembrance Day.

So is a perverted sense of priorites a component of the DIY ethic?

Speaking of awesome Colins, that Colin Arnold sure does kick ass!

David Saylor

Speaking of awesome drummers....that Colin Carter. He can drum things.

only one of the SBs spent any time in college. The bass player is over 21, the rest are quite young (and did i already tell everyone that Matt Hammer is one of the best drummers ever?)

but that doesn't mean that everyone else shouldn't

REMEMBER

FRA PANDOLF WITH
PSYCHIC ILLS AND BLOOD ON THE WALL
HAILEY's MAY 13

AND

NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND WITH
THE LYMBYC SYSTEM AND THIS WILL DESTROY YOU
HAILEY's JUNE 4th

dominoes>basketball

and dude, notes is full of shit all the time, period.

so full of shit, infact, that I am henceforth boycotting you guys.

I AM NOT GOING TO SEE NOTES FROM UNDERGROUND WITH

the LYMBYC SYSTYM AND THIS WILL DESTROY YOU AT
HAILEYS ON
JUNE 4th

In full support for DIY's here. Honestly I'm a little surprised to know that The Strange Boys were in college...I thought they were younger.

Notes From Underground is loud and cute and shy and gay and oppressed and funny and in love with diy's and thoughtful and drunk and stoned and full of shit sometimes and quite and retarded and stupid and fucked in the head and a little quezzy and underground and enjoys playing basketball and is aware of Dirk Nowitzki. Despite all these faults we will still support new ventures.

yes, there are a lot of gay people too. That's very observant.

hey bub, anonymous collective says:

the sky is falling.

I'll be playing in my living room this afternoon. If you bring beer, you can watch. I don't have halo 2, but SOCOM 3 is pretty fun. There, and I did it myself!

All the beard talk reminds of that Skittles commercial where he feeds a job interviewer a skittle with his beard and then he strokes her ear with it. Have you guys seen that? I love that commercial. It makes me wish my beard actually had super magical powers.

e

Rich people are evil! Those darned richies, we should run 'em outta' town. Bastards think they're so high and mighty, just 'cause their parents cared enough to concentrate on financial security before they started popping out little baby richies. Everyone knows that people with mony are elitist, just like black people all have rhythm and like fried chicken and asians are good at math. Jeez...

Hey, Anonymous Collective - the sky is blue. Your move.

insecure and shy! gay is more like it....

I'm the only bearded guy involved in a major way, but if it gets you hot, we can talk someone else into growing one.

But for fucks sake, PLEASE bring the grill. I'll bring the bratwurst.

Cody... We ARE doing something.
Playing HALO 2.

I love DIY culture but not all of it. A lot of it is just as fucked as a lot of bar/for profit culture. But the chances of enjoying myself in one as opposed to the other are much greater. I'm one of the people that's defended 1919 and the like and I would like to say that I love people that like mainstream music and go to the typical rock or even sports bars. I'm not being sarcastic. A lot of these people are my friends and family. This is Texas. DIY and other sects of underground culture are not nearly as elitist as you think. Everyone above and underground is just shy and insecure. That is extremely prevalent in most social situations and you all know it.

I dunno if we qualify as DIY scott...
that would imply that we would actually have to DO something.

bearded guys playing halo 2 with their bearded buddies drinking beer.

Halo 2= the new MOnday night football

What time does it start and what should i bring to grill.

Well, we're opening a DIY spot, and you're all invited. And some of you dudes are mean, so we can't be that elitist, haha... We ain't punk, we ain't hip, we ain't looking for anything other than a place play HALO 2 til the wee hours of the night. Oh, and to, you know get shit done and shit.

Mostly the HALO 2.

Until we get a MK3 machine.

amen.

DIY = elitist
I have friends that listen to bad music and are not so indie hip, but they are good people. For being so PC a lot of you guys are really stuck up.

So, yes, be sure to visit SHQ starting June 3! Great bands, cheap as shit, and loddyloddyla!

I know a lot of rich people that live in highland park that sport the doublewides. Your right my perception is clouded. In michigan trailor parks are mansions.

A trailer is a trailer is a trailer
Teachers are all rich, back in the fifties teachers made much scratch but only english teachers.

sheesh

Or for that matter, commenting on that commenting on that commenting on that commenting??

Or commenting on that commenting on that commenting?

Also, what's worse? Commenting on local band and venue situations? Or commenting on that commenting?

a lot of us do write songs and set up house shows. Please have a snappy comeback for that. Does jumbling up two band names in a funny way make you not anonymous?

weshotjr, more like we-hate-every-thing-and-love-to-bitch-about-it-anonymously-all-day-long.

seriously, if everyone dislikes these bands and venues so much get off the internet, start writing songs, and setting up house shows. All we know is, this comment page better not surpass 200 or this site will have reached an all time low.

love,
The Strange Tie Black Boy Dynasty

All I can say is, Wow.

Whatever you think about trailer parks is clouded by your Texas perception of trailer parks. Some are actually very nice. Iggy was middle class as much as you want to say otherwise. His dad taught English and Iggy did in fact go to college but he dropped out for music.
You don't care about the Stones or the Beatles? You are so indie. I bet you don't give musical credit to any composers(i.e. Bach) either, they just weren't poor.

that link. It hurts.

And yes, I realize that there are some very powerful people there. I just meant that most are not.

Frequency Down,

Nobody gives a shit whether or not BTD are good people. I'm sure they are. It just happens that, upon listening to their music, 74% of listeners have an eppileptic seizure b/c its so terrible. That's the topic at hand. Please don't stray from the topic...

http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=viewImage&friendID=4271554&imageID=508898034&MyToken=3559fae9-5297-4f37-85d6-ddd20cf264e9

and, justin, dude, I know, that stage is awesome!! so many outlets!! holy crap.

STNDRNGER:

dude, regional wealth? the hunts live in highland park (HUNT OIL) and a bunch of other oil families live there too, these people have tons of power, not only outside of texas, but on an international scale...

The BTD guys are good people, I know them.
They do the music they do because they like it. Yes, they're capable of making another sound, but they chose the sound for what is BTD.

Some of the members are working on outside projects that will sound completely different under different names.

That's the freedom musician's have.

Anyway, back on topic...
Denton Secret HQ is going to be kickass.
'Nuff Said

Guy Picciotto
(Juicy) Julie Cafritz
J. Mascis

Who gives a fuck?

iggy was raised in a trailer park in michagan and i could care less about the beatles or stones. Your right the best music and art comes from children of the rich.

"Notes From Underground is the loudest band in the world. And it's not even close."

if by loudest you mean best, no doi

Angry rich kids scare you? How odd. The angry thing I am lost with. Wasn't Iggy an angry middle class suburbanite.
This rich/poor crap is crap. Lennon a working class man right? Wrong. Strummer? tough and rough and poor? Wrong again. Mick?
How about puck bands that were well off? Plenty.
Most music bios i have read had parents or someone that helped them out.

Or is the argument that they are taking the place of a more deserving poorer band? If so, get over it.

yes obviously jews have no power in this country!

Notes From Underground is the loudest band in the world. And it's not even close.

i doubt it.

Unless i'm mistaken and a jew actually has a chance at the presidency.

and their daddy doesn't fund their music. they have had finantial help in the past, but not from Bob (i'll guess that's his name). From an older music fan who just happened to hear their music.

and if you think they're getting the daddy hook up go check out their place. it's not awful but if they are just some rich kids living off of daddies money, wouldn't you think they'd have whined enough not to have to sleep together?

All this talk is confusing me. Does Shiny get a caviar and champagne set-up or not at the Secret HQ gig? We promise not to sell it if that is the underlying problem.

Angry rich children scare me, especially ones that use daddy's money to fund their punk rock music.i'm sure in a couple years they will get out of this music phase and maybe get into politics....hell maybe one of them will become president.

the metrognome stage is the nicest i've played on. seriously. its also the loudest we've ever sounded. props.

i don't think stonedranger has any reason to make anonymous posts on this blog... and i'm the "capitilization" guy... and i'm not stonedranger, so... i doubt it.

...maybe the maker of this blog grew up in a nice neighborhood... i'll admit, part of the reason i'm annoyed w/ someone saying "hey, those highland park fuckers are just using daddy's money" is because i graduated from that school... and i hate it that people think that what my parents were able to provide for me when i was young has anything to do w/ what i'm doing now... most of my best friends went to that highschool, and most of them couldn't afford to live back there if they wanted to. not everyone from highland park has a trust fund. Actually, now that i think of it... everyone i know who DOES have a trust fund is from somewhere outside of highland park (plano, richardson, norman (oklahoma).

maybe you touched a nerve w/ our creator b/c he/she is "from good homes" and doesn't understand why anyone would dispise someone because of it.

...and i agree, the connection to wealth makes the story interesting.. it means they CHOSE to live this lifestyle. they COULD have had everything handed to them, but they WANTED to do something interesting.

basicly, i lump classism right in there w/ racism and any other major "ism".... it's bullshit.

i think what we've discovered here on this list is that if you come from nothing and make it to the top you probably "sold out" (whatever that means)... but if you started out @ the high end of the chain and choose to move downward you're full of shit and should be using synthesizers and expensive computers to write music.

basicly, the strangeboys should be the ones who we think is ripping off the Killers and the Black Tie Dynasty shouldn't even exist (i only agree w/ the latter)

"Bands that make a lot of money tend to be bland and boring and unimaginative because most people are that way."

- so true, and so sad

"There is no evidence that they have used their money to do ANYTHING, ... The fact that they are from Highland Park makes them even more interesting in my opinion, in the same way that it was interesting that Andy Warhol divided his time equally between meth addict cross dressers and upper East Side socialites."

- i figured out why your a writer and i'm not.... everything you're saying is what i feel like i was trying to say... but you say it better.

" People will (use the sb's upbringing against them), and I'm sure they know it."

- they do, and i think they wish people would talk more about the music and less about the fact that their dad owns a fucking steak restaurant (i one time overheard a photographer for D Monthly talking about them and their "attitude" at CD world (mockingbird). He was talking about how they immediately said to him that they would refuse to answer any questions about their upbringing, and that they didn't want the article to talk about their dad's business or anything of that nature.... now, obviously, they can't avoid this... but they have a right to ask people to concentrate on something else... anyway, the photographer was pissed off @ them and the shoot was put to a halt... although, according to my eves dropping, this was more because they wanted to wear the clothes they wear and not what D Magazine thought would look hip)

Hey, Scott - I had no idea, congratulations! I can't wait to see SHQ. With your motivation and terrierlike loyalty to music it should do well.
More importantly, when are you gonna' make "Fuckin Zombies" ?

I'm their manager.

another thing stonedranger. why are u so passionate about this subject. A lot of bands have been dogged on here(wanz dover) and you choose the strange boys to get passionate about. Also your capitalizing of words make me think you are the one defending them. Call me Nancy Drew bitch.

wow did the strange boys thing hit a nerve with ya stonedranger. My new theory is we shot Jr has some connections with the strangeboys. Hmm??? Very Interesting??? Ok new rule. No one can talk about the strangeboys or there music. They are the best band in Dallas hehe. They are playing punk rock rooted from the mean streats of highland park.

yeah, it would be fun!

yeah people, lets get together and spend our time putting together a venue so
1.some people will think we're cool
2. most people will rip our sound on this blog
3.no one will attend the shows
4. the bands will be ungrateful
5.the rest won't give a damn

I'm all for putting my time and effort into this!

1. There will be a Weshotjr shirt. I will sell it to all of you for $20 and you will buy it. It will only cost me 25 cents to make because I will make sure that Chinese slave labor is used to produce them. Then I will make a Vice style joke about it on this blog and be admired for it. I will then use the money I make to move to Highland Park and buy a house right next door to the Strange Boys' parents house. I will borrow their rake, and my writing will suffer.

2. "selling out" is a term I can't stand. To me, commercial success doesn't have any reflection on art per se. However, the vast vast vast majority of commerically successful rock/hip hop/dance music in the United States has been absolutely and completely awful for decades. I can understand how this makes people nervous about bands they like making money or getting major label deals or whatever. But these people misunderstand the cause and effect relationship I think. Bands that make a lot of money tend to be bland and boring and unimaginative because most people are that way. I would wager that most of the bands that rake in a lot of money in pop music today have ALWAYS sucked, and that is why they are successful. However, there have been a good number of commerically viable bands that have made a lot of money and remained good or at least decent through it all. I don't think making money devalues art in any way, although I do think that most bands that make a lot of money probably weren't very good to start with. There is a relationship between commercial success and shitty music, but I don't think that the former causes the later most of the time. I think its the other way around a lot more often, and the interaction between art and commerce is too complex to boil it all down to a once sentence rule anyway.

3. I'm all for waging class warfare and everything, but should the Strange Boys and their dad really be your target? I don't know them, but by all accounts they are decent people making decent music. There is no evidence that they have used their money to do ANYTHING, and anyway you should really shut the fuck up about the whole thing. The fact that they are from Highland Park makes them even more interesting in my opinion, in the same way that it was interesting that Andy Warhol divided his time equally between meth addict cross dressers and upper East Side socialites. Class does matter, and everyone knows it. And it does affect peoples interaction with art and music, as these comments illustrate. But to say that someone sucks because they come from wealth, or to say that someone is great because they are poor is just immature and incorrect. I'm not even sure that Karl Marx would have ever said such a thing, because it is just too generalized and simple to make any sense. Sure, take the background of the Strange Boys into account if you want. People will, and I'm sure they know it. But I don't think that you can make a decent argument that their background alone makes their music suffer or makes them bad people. And thats all I'm going to say about that shit. Sure, this is a blog that permits shit talking, but arguing about a bands' parents and where they are from just seems dumb to me.

And thats another thing: If you're going to rant against the rich and the shit that they do, Highland Park is a good example of regional wealth, but the people there really don't have much power outside of Dallas and Texas. If they did, they wouldn't live here. They have a lot more money than me and most people I know, but most of them aren't the people that are making decisions that affect us in very many ways. There are much bigger fish to fry than some doctor from Highland Park.

4. I don't care if its the Strange Boys or whoever, but someone should start a DIY venue in Dallas. Could it be that hard to break even when 10 people split the rent in a shitty part of town and don't have to pay for a liquor license?

of course if the strange boys started doing 80s shit they'd be "sell outs" wouldn't they?

if you can't like punk b/c of where you grew up then i think about 1/2 the people on this site need to get rid of about 1/2 of their record collections

.... no more stooges for me... Pet Shop Boys forever!

oh and i CAPITALIZE because it FEELS good DOING IT.... it REALLY does seem to give EMPHASIS.... and i wouldn't guess that i come off as SMART in many of my POSTS.... BUT i GUESS i don't really CARE

jagoff

Hotel HQ. out of town acts play a set and get drunk on cheap denton alchohol. They Rent a room at hq for twenty bones and get a free back rub from one of the bearded guys.

Fuck rubbergloves and there extra practice rooms, this is the way to go.

" let an artist make a fucking dollar without shitting on their hamburger!"

hahahahahahahaha.... can this be on the front of the first official weshotjr.com t-shirt?

i'll buy that sheott

ok i have to admit the strangeboys are nice kids. I'm just an old fuck stirring shit. I even think they are doing much better shite than i was doing when i was there age. CALM DOWN I LOVE RICH PEOPLE. Rich children should go do 80's romantic music though. Depeche Mode, Erasure, stuff like that. Not dirty gutter punk.

It makes ME sound SMART

LOOK, in every POST I am CAPITALIZING words for emphasis!

my point is that he didn't HAVE to leave business school... he WANTED to... because he WANTED to help his brother w/ his music.... when does that become less than admirable?

fucking classist bullshit

....rich people suck, blah blah blah.... look, get over where they are from... it's got nothing to do w/ it

nobody was saying they have "problems"... i'm saying that they opened up their life to a lot more "trouble" than they would have had had they used daddies money to go to college, get a degree and "get a real job".... they didn't because they believe in something...... man, those rich fuckers.

since when can't people who grew up wealthy have tallent?

jagoff

my point is that he didn't HAVE to leave business school... he WANTED to... because he WANTED to help his brother w/ his music.... when does that become less than admirable?

fucking classist bullshit

....rich people suck, blah blah blah.... look, get over where they are from... it's got nothing to do w/ it

nobody was saying they have "problems"... i'm saying that they opened up their life to a lot more "trouble" than they would have had had they used daddies money to go to college, get a degree and "get a real job".... they didn't because they believe in something...... man, those rich fuckers.

since when can't people who grew up wealthy have tallent?

jagoff

gotta love the internet for letting people post the most inane first thoughts that pop into their pea-brains without so much as a moment of reflection or introspection.

You all sound like a bunch of babies. Musicians gotta eat to. Especially career musicians. The only thing Black Tie Dynasty is guilty of is bad taste. Fortunately there are plenty of people with bad taste that have the right to listen to music too. I think a lot of this DIY shit is every bit as elitist as a Republican national convention. "Think like us or you suck". Do you idiots ever listen to yourself. You are acting no better than the other side. Why don't you try and take the high ground for once.

you shut up, eddddd

or I won't go see

FRA PANDOLF
w/ PSYCHIC ILLS
AND BLOOD ON THE FUCKING WALLS
at Hailey's on May 13.

"For the record, I don't appreciate the sentiment that anyone trying to make money in music is "selling out." There's no shame in trying to make a living, and if you think you can do it by sounding like the Killers, I say go for it. Even if that means you used to sound like Bob Dylan and now you're all about the synth. If people are stupid enough to buy it, and you can sell it to them, then take them for all they're worth."

Shut the fuck up.

"this blog makes me not want to play music for humans anymore, maybe cats would be a better audience"

Whoa there, Sir Laurence Olivier, dont get all dramatic. You ever play for a cat before? I have one and all she wants to do is dance. And make romance. She can't feel the heat. Comin off the street
She wants to party (wooooo!),
She wants to get down (wooooo!)
All she wants to do is, all she wants to do is dance.

to the melow-dramatic anonymous post who was sooo offended at what andrea said:

man, i think you took your level of offense a little too far. i could see asking her for a little clarification of the phrase "make money" or "make a living"..

i don't think she's equating a band going on tour and making enough scratch to come home and pay their light bill to kelly clarkson kind of money.

i understand your disgust with the soulless, mainstream music industry which is clearly void of any true art.

but i promise you, most musicians or artists, once college financial aid has run out, once they've been cut off by mom and dad, become eager to sell their work, music, etc to people who are intereted in buying it.

that's the cycle of life: people create things, other people buy them, and then people can create more things.

i'm so fucking sick of all this dated, punk-rock idealism that makes anyone who gets paid for selling an album or for playing a show, into a sellout.

yeah, black tie sucks and yeah, andrea sucks, but damn, let an artist make a fucking dollar without
shitting on their hamburger!

this blog makes me not want to play music for humans anymore, maybe cats would be a better audience

this blog is brutal but its like looking at a car wreck.

i'm happy for the H.Q. and i think this will be another interesting destination in Denton before it turns into Southlake townsquare.

Andrea, youre missing the point I think. No, there is nothing wrong with making a living off music. The real issue (I think) is the artistic integrity of the musical endeavor. Should that matter? Hmmm depends on who you ask. You ask Kelly Clarkson, she probably could care less. You ask Ian Mackaye or Pat Metheny and you'd probably have an interesting conversation.

The Undoing....."trendy?"

Really?

Actually, rat tails are the new mullets.

"For the record, I don't appreciate the sentiment that anyone trying to make money in music is "selling out." There's no shame in trying to make a living, and if you think you can do it by sounding like the Killers, I say go for it. Even if that means you used to sound like Bob Dylan and now you're all about the synth. If people are stupid enough to buy it, and you can sell it to them, then take them for all they're worth."

Andrea, this is one of the most offensive pieces of information I've viewed on the internet in some time. And through the beauty of technology I've witnessed suicides, pictures of mass graves, executions etc. If this were about anything it would be disgusting, but it's about music. I often wonder where the soulless, demographic obsessed, monsters that work as publicists, marketers, people that choose music for car commercials etc. come from. Now I know. You claim to be a music fan. You're on this blog, you even have your own blog (kind of) about music. And yet, you want to "take people for all their worth". Why do you think radio, television, and popular entertainment in general is so horrible? Probably because they spend all their time trying to fool people into buying insincere shit and you're here saying that's okay with you. Don't we get taken for all we are worth all the damn time? Don't you feel like people insult your intelligence with whatever it is they're trying to sell you on a daily basis? People really do deserve better. We shouldn't be bombarded with phony bands and not call them out on it. I guess you like all your favorite bands simply because they were just trying to sell you something. Is that why you listen to music? I'm so grossed out by this I don't even feel I can properly respond to it. It's saddening more than anything. I feel sorry for you.

andrea, the point is not that they DID sell out, it's that the TRIED to sell out.

back to the subject at hand..

rubbergloves started as a DIY venue, but they had 8 or 9 rehearsal studios which they rented to supplement their income.

even with that supplemental income each mont, the eventually came very close to having to close down forever. at that point josh baish stepped in with his inheritance money and saved the place.. by putting in a bar..

perhaps, if rgrs had more rehearsal spaces available, they could have continued without selling to baish and starting a bar.

anyone in dallas want to open a DIY venue with 12-15 rehearsal spaces to rent out each month.

it's not a bad idea really... bands need a place to practice. with more bands practicing their music, maybe more good bands would emerge around here...

Black Tie Dynasty is some of the most awful music my ears have EVER had to hear. I will for the rest of my life try to avoid it at all times. They make a mockery of music.

The Strangeboys stupid trendy music is not in the same ballpark of suck as BTD, but its still not good. At least the Undoing can pull off trendy with style and talent. Im sorry if I offend, but I just think there are bands in the DFW area that are actually worth our time talking about on the internet.

Lionel Richie is a sell out. "Dancing on the Ceiling" ? What is that about? really?

For the record, I don't appreciate the sentiment that anyone trying to make money in music is "selling out." There's no shame in trying to make a living, and if you think you can do it by sounding like the Killers, I say go for it. Even if that means you used to sound like Bob Dylan and now you're all about the synth. If people are stupid enough to buy it, and you can sell it to them, then take them for all they're worth.

god damm i had to leave business school....so sad so sad. i wish i had real problems like the strangeboys

adapt to the market, yes, that is a more apt term.

actually nevermind. I hate the phrase "selling out." I don't know why I said it. I should say that I think its funny that they tried to adapt to the market by changing their entire sound to one that will please 17 year old girls and record execs... and still couldn't make it. Hows that?

Andrea: I think it makes Black Tie Dynasty all the more funny (and pathetic) that they tried to sell out and failed. Maybe consumers are a tad smarter than we think...

so in that sense I agree with you.

again, I can't stand black tie dynasty, but hypocrits trying to take the moral highground piss me off even more.

haha. heroin.

sounds like you've got REALLY REALLY good sources of information about the strangeboys

....jagoff

i think the alternate point to yours is that selling out doesn't necessarily reflect that you have "cashed in" but that you are ATTEMPTING to do so... which is different.

...what i gather is that they changed their REASON for playing music... according to what i'm reading they have decided to change their sound for reasons that DO NOT include personal growth.... think about it... the killers do well... out of the ashes of "moxie" comes BLACK TIE DYNASTY.... who even sam m. thinks is ripping off the killers.

Selling out, to me, suggests that you started playing for the "right" reasons (lets just guess what those are) and you switched to another sound for reasons that are less than good (girls dig 80s beats, the radio might play you, you could get a record deal if you sound this way... blah blah blah)

...now i might say that BTD can't really "sell out" because they were never anything less than what they are now... which is a shitty shitty band w/ a shitty shitty reason for existing.

...if you've never been anything more than that then you really don't have anything to "sell", do you?

blacktiedynastyhasnosoul
buttheydohavegreathairproducts

I thought mullets were the new mullets?

we all have computers and an internet connection, which means that we all have/are/will be willing to make monetary payments for goods/services. so, with that being said, there is really no such thing as selling out.

stop driving your car, smash your television, stop paying rent, move to mexico, buy a small plot of land, and try to live from and for the earth, then call people sell outs.

ps. I don't like black tie dynasty at all.

about the strange boys, they are rich little punks who still benefit from daddy's credit card. You mite ask how i know this, But trust me i do. quit crying and take that money and open up a DIY.

We need a DIY in dallas and i vote for the highland park boys to open one. We can take one of the bobs steak and chop houses and turn it into a nice DIY.

Stop spending the money on heroin and your recording costs and lets get some shit done around here.

Maybe the Strangeboys' dad sold out or cashed in or something.

No no, i'm not saying there's anything okay with selling out.

I'm saying that there's a point when you're selling out, and that BTD aren't yet at that point. What the hell did they cash in on? Playing gigs at the Cavern? Playing to a mildly interested crowd at WoSF? That's not exactly "cashing in." That's more like getting by. If that.

In order to sell out, you have to be getting something worthwhile in return, be it money, hoez, rimz or a lifetime supply of Lifetime Originals on DVD. You can't have sold out if you didn't get reimbursed for the exchange.

beards are the new mullets

in defense of the strange boys.... they, to my knowledge have been entirely CUT OFF by their "rich highland park" parents because of their decision to play music.

phillip, the bass player LEFT a good business school to help his brother play music... he didn't know what he could do, he didn't concieve of playing bass... but that's how it worked out.

...as far as i know, his decision to play music w/ his brothers had nothing to do w/ having "daddys credit card" laying around.... they get no help from them (i guess phil works at his dads restauraunt, but that's it). Phil left a perfectly comfortable lifestyle@ the University of America to come back to dallas, start from scratch and play music w/ his brother.... someone having rich parents has no effect on how much money they have to spend... all of the money they get is earned by their dayjobs or by playing shows.... NOTHING ELSE... i sense that his father is slightly uneasy w/ his sons' career choices and would rather them go to college... but THEY want to play music. and at this point, it's a move that hasn't exactly been finantially beneficial.

so lets not get on people about where they came from, that's a bunch of shit.

if you were from oak cliff and i said that you were a "ghetto motherfucker" for it, it'd be considered highly off-color
....why is it ok to shit on someone b/c their parents made money? especially if they aren't reaping the benefit of it... at all.

Because
Rock and Roll = Brain Surgery!

Doctors love saving lives, and they also don't mind putting their kids through college.

I plan on "cashing in" mucho sometime in the quasi near future.

but that's just me.

yes, Andrea - There IS a problem with doing that... "cashing in" isn't something to be admired. It's sort of embarrassing actually.

Yeah, totally. Habeas Corpus, or something.

Wrong Andrea, that's called selling out... you should play music because you love it, not because you are going to "cash in". Of course, that's just how I see it...

and now back to our regularly scheduled program...

Way to go on the Secret HQ ye badass bearded men!

Yeah, I didn't say it worked out for them, right? But they tried.

No

Dear Anonymous Black Tie Dynasty Hater Who Quoth:

"They changed EVERYTHING about themselves… Their clothes, their hair, their bands music, their whole “thing”… All to straight cash in. They are false. As dudes? Don’t know ‘em. As a band? Music for stupid young girls to be bought and sold on Daddy’s credit card. Though I’m suuuuuuuuure, really, that they were just torn about what to do. From mediocre alt-puke to mediocre trendoid bullshit. At the drop of a dime."

Look, I don't even know the BTD guys that well. I've seen them live a couple of times and I didn't want to stab myself in the face. But to imply that somehow these guys are now rolling Blink 182 style because they sold out to some perceived 80's trend is just plain retarded. As far as I know, they're regular dudes still trying to make ends meet. I don't think you can hate on a band for doing something to "cash in" when the "cash" hath not yet flowed. Am I right?

james. don't worry about shuddering over a break in. just get insurance for the love of god.

James,

I'd be willing to offer any services i can provide...gear or hands. the gear in my house is a rediculous amount, and cables can be lent out if you need a few. my email is

brandon.alvey@gmail.com

get in touch with me if there's any assistance i can provide to help you guys out.

(for sound nerds only: we have jbl mpro225 for mains, on a qsc rmx2450, 4 yamaha br12 monitors, with two monitor mixes on a crown ce1000. we are mixing on a mackie 1604, but we have a big biamp 2442 that we will start using as our main board, and use the mackie for monitors when we can afford the cables. we have a BIG stage, plenty of mics and stands, I finally got us a couple of DI boxes. we still need more adapters and odball connectors, and some rack units, subwoofers, and another monitor amp so we can have four seperate mixes.)

yeah. having a good day job is essential so far for metrognome, and its still pretty hard right now. the hardest part, harder than the money is the time. i would say that each of the board members on metrognome puts in between 20 and 30 hours per week on average.

It's worth it though.

And so far, thank god, we've had no issues with neighbors, code enforcement, cops, or major maintenance problems.

I DO wish we could afford to get those other toilets working.

I guess we dropped a little more than five thousand on our sound system, and except for baffling the place to cut down on reverb, and tweaking in our DBX, with a decent sound person, i think it sounds pretty good...

of course that was all the money we had to spend. i shudder to think what would happen if we blew out one of our main cabinets, or someone broke-in. I guess we could go on, but we couldnt bring in the national acts we have been, and who knows how long it would take to get the money together to replace it.

The alcohol thing is frustrating. You may be right, there really may not be enough people in any US city but maybe SF, LA, New York, who are interested enough in the art to support a high quality venue that isn't a bar. I just dont want to run a bar. I think the concerns that come with liquor licensing are so many, that the art and music would get lost.

On this topic, according to my inbox, it looks like fort worth is losing a spot that had a potential... artistic blends is closing. too bad, they had a good idea, but bad taste in art and music and coffee.

anybody want to rent their building? it is pretty sweet.

SHQ great idea. You wouldn't ever see Helen Keller bitching about sound, that's why i love her. The Strange Boys? I don't get it. I've seen em once at the yella house(not intentionally) but was appalled by the metro-rock, I'm not into fashion and being overtly hip/cool. I love girls with daddy's credit cards though.

Black Tie, don't know em. Ill check em out and form my opinion.

This headquarters in which is so secretive shall prevail and shit a hail storm of feces all over those to which who fail and blame others for their incompetence and negative perspectives on new ideas, deals, and ideals.

Growth and exploration is encouraged. That's not what happened to Moxie.

awwwwww, it's soooo hard when people change...

welcom to weshotjr...

Here is my problem... Black Tie Dynasty. My band played with them a while ago. They used to play Lewisville Alt-Rock under the name Moxie. Then the 80’s shit starts blowing up. You know the rest. They changed EVERYTHING about themselves… Their clothes, their hair, their bands music, their whole “thing”… All to straight cash in. They are false. As dudes? Don’t know ‘em. As a band? Music for stupid young girls to be bought and sold on Daddy’s credit card. Though I’m suuuuuuuuure, really, that they were just torn about what to do. From mediocre alt-puke to mediocre trendoid bullshit. At the drop of a dime.
Maybe they are nice dudes, don’t know... but I don’t trust them.

Crime scene covered up in ice cream? OOOOOOOOkaaaaay...

why all the hate on black tie?

look,i eat meat..i donot have dreadlocks-i am not interested in radical convo- i play music-i paint-i shower-i live alone...
this secret hq sounds just fine with me.

as far as bitching about sound..
i think people were talking about good quality sound systems not being operated properly.. a dyi show is a totally different thing.
now go eat a cow and be one with elsie-

God bless 'em

Can't wait

I think Black Tie should open one. They could have footage of Gallagher doing stand up on all the tv's and a constant, flowing stream of really hot guys in there.

why don't the strange boys open a DIY. The are rich highland park boys. They could serve caviar and champagne at the bar.

it's just a bar. damn good jukebox. it's where all the hipsters gravitate. it's a nice place, i just hate going because it's always too crowded. seriously, if you go on a fri or sat you'll wait 30 minimum at the bar for a drink. i saw a flyer saying they were going to start having bands play outside during the summer. that'd be good, because there's always a crowd there and i only live a half mile from there.

i dont recall the sound at metrognome being bad. is it? i only saw an acoustic thing though, so i really cant say. i know it's loud as shit, and that's the way i like it.

I've always heard of that Cave's place. What's the skinny?

I'd do it. we get along, you're a good guy. we know music.

sure would suck to lease a building and not bring in enough to pay the rent though. we'd need more people involved to chip in on any left over balances due...like ScottHop mentioned.

SO....if the sound sucks at a place we're supposed to pretend that it's good for purposes of "integrity"?

sorry dude, if the sound of your place sucks then that's that.... that doesn't mean it's bad, it means "hey... it could sound better".

what's so wrong w/ saying that something that MAY be good could be better?

jagoff

Hey Brandon, lets start a DIY venue out here.

Beards are hot. They can do things.

i concur...arlington is a piece of shit. the only thing here is cave's, but unless you want to wait 30 minutes standing at the bar to get a drink with the rest of the hipsters here, than you're shit out of luck.

Yeah, Arlington is such a piece of shit.

making fun of denton is sooooo two weeks ago.

Oh man, you shouldn't bring up beards on here. It's ammunition for the anti-940 militia!

You know, most of the dentonites I know have pretty decent dayjobs. But now that I think of it, the length of one's beard vs. the quality of one's job is inversely proportionate. Hmm...

roger that.

how do I get a hold of you Scott. I wanted to talk to you about the show with us and Undoing. drop me a line at guitar center. I'm here until 4pm.

How has 1919 Hemphill stayed open for so long then? I don't think people are willing to make the sacrifices those people have and who can blame them? But they've survived based on their integrity which a lot of bands/venues/writers around here could use a lesson in. You should hear youselves bitch about sound problems and PBR prices. Man, such important issues you face. You embarass me, Metroplex. People who run D.I.Y. spaces around the world would laugh in your primadonna faces. I have some advice for you on how to spend your weekend. And solve all your problems:

1. Buy several Forty Oz.'s of Steel Reserve (Cheap!)

2. Lock yourself in your room with an Insound/Diesel/American Apparel sponsored compilation cd. This should be available at the above stores for free.

3. Last but not least, go fuck yourself.

i'm seriously glad to hear they have decent day jobs. that's a rarity for dentonites.

I think we have going in our favor at SHQ is that it's only a venue for two hours a week. And the store and gallery are not the main focus. We won't be depending on the public to keep us afloat, since all of us have decent day jobs. There are enough of us involved to keep it going as an office for our web projects, writing projects, label projects, that type of stuff... The venue aspect of it, the little shop, the little art shows, the little movie screenings, those are all for fun and for just, like, community support, you know?

Thanks for writing about us, StonedRanger! We'll keep you posted as things develop!

best of luck to those guys. i don't mean to sound jaded or skeptical, but these DIY places are always such heartbreaking expieriences.

no one likes mixing the subjects of art and money, but it's ALWAYS the lack of alchahol sales which correlates to the lack of revune which inevitabaly causes these places to have to shut down.

someone needs to open one of these places who has an endless supply of trust-fund inheritance money..

that said, i wish both the secret HQ and metrignome collective the best of luck!