Playlist

Guitar Center has announced the finalists in the Guitar Center Drum-Off. The selected winners will go on to compete for prizes and the title of Guitar Center's Drum-Off Champion.

Local finalists:

- William Freeman - Irving, TX
- Christian McBride - Arlington, TX
- Bobby Friesen - Dallas, TX
- Brandon Burkhalter - Frisco, TX
- Jamal Pedescleaux - Hurst, TX

These drummers will be invited to advance to a district competition on Nov. 4 at a TBA Guitar Center location. Winners of the district finals will go on to a smaller regional competition, with those finalists competing for the grand prize in Los Angeles in January 2011.

We received a press release today that should be of interest to all Dallas-Fort Worth pop, rock and country bands or solo artists. Read on, and please let us know if you decide to enter the contest.

Big D NYE, Dallas-Fort Worth's annual New Year's Eve destination, will count down to 2011 with local music as the soundtrack. This year organizers at WFAA and American Airlines Center are looking for a solo artist or a band to play a live concert set during the evening's celebration at Victory Park near downtown Dallas.

Big D NYE organizers call on area pop, rock and country artists to upload their best original songs to the Big D NYE "Fast Track to Fame" Competition Channel powered by OurStage.com. The winner will earn the chance to perform to more than 25,000 people in downtown Dallas' Victory Park. Portions of the show will be televised on WFAA's New Year's Eve broadcast to more than 450,000 television viewers in north Texas, as well as in Houston and New Orleans. The victor also gets a $1,000 cash prize.

Local hard rock group Revengeance has been picked by Kiss and Guitar Center as the Pizza Hut Park winner of Guitar Center On-Stage, a competition that gives bands the opportunity to open for Gene Simmons and company at a tour stop. The Saturday show in Frisco also features Pat Green and Daughtry.
Revengeance, which was picked from thousands of entrants, has plenty of rocking left to do: Its members are all 18 to 21 years old. The band includes Taylor Dennis, Travis Winsett, Nick Klinger and Vinnie Parma.

Who would imagine that Ciara would even get out of bed for a set shorter than 30 minutes? Well, that's exactly what happened at the K104 Summer Jam on Saturday night at Verizon Theatre at Grand Prairie.

Not that anyone was complaining. One peek at the sexy crunk-n-B goddess, and all was forgiven. Or so I'm told.

But Ludacris (right) played and played to a pretty decent-size crowd at Verizon, which is still suffering from name whiplash it seems. On the way to the venue, I heard a woman call in to K104 to ask where, exactly, Verizon Theatre was. When told, "30 at Beltline," she said, "Oh, Nokia?" Yes.

There were lots of album plugs, so let's get them out of the way here:

Dondria's (she's from Sachse) Dondria vs. Phatfffatt will be out Aug. 17.
Bobby Valentino's Fly on the Wall (I know, I know. Don't tell AC/DC) will be out soon, too.

And so on ...

Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse is, as I've written often here, among my very favorite venues for live music. At 58, I have reached a point where bars are easily my least favorite venues for live music (with Poor David's Pub being the rare exception). But aside from that, I love the surprises, the rare finds I discover at Uncle Calvin's, which tend to surface in unexpected warm-up acts I've never seen or even heard of. Such was the case last Friday night, when I went to hear one of my favorites, Austin singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave and his consistently amazing band (John Inmon on lead guitar, Bryan Peterson on keyboards, Glenn Scheutz on bass and Bobby Kallus on drums). It was a Woody Guthrie Festival Preview, giving listeners an appetizer of what they might hear at this weekend's annual Woody Guthrie Festival in Woody's hometown of Okemah, Okla. Appearing with Jimmy were Okemah resident Susan Herndon and native Tasmanian Audrey Auld, who emerged as the night's biggest surprise.

Photo: Audrey Auld

What have the four Black Tie Dynasty members been doing in the last 17 months? Remember that this Dallas-Fort Worth new wave group called it quits in January 2009. We caught up with them recently and asked them what's kept them busy during the hiatus.

Brian McCorquodale: "I took up pedal steel guitar and also I've been playing with Telegraph Canyon. I've just been keeping myself busy doing artistic things."

Cory Watson: "I've really taken a break. I haven't done a whole lot of music. I've done a little bit, written a couple of ideas here and there, but I was really burned out with everything and I just burrowed for a long time. I left it there and didn't return to it for a while."

Photo: BTD from left to right: Eddie Thomas, Cory Watson, Brian McCorquodale and Blake McWhorter (Jason Janik/Special to DMN).

Calling all young musicians!

"Rock Camp" is back for its second year with Kidd Kraddick in the Morning and the bar has been raised. Last year's band "One Week" was coached by Justin Bieber. In the seven days of Rock Camp, the band recorded a single, a video, and wrapped up the week opening for The Fray.

Kraddick is once again on the hunt for talented teen musicians. The morning show will be reviewing entries until June 25th from all musicians between 8-17 who sing, play guitar, bass, keyboards, or drums.

Video auditions are hosted through You Tube and entrants are required to register on Kiddlive.com. Live auditions will be held in Dallas for the finalists. Those chosen must agree to be in Dallas for two weeks starting July 15th.

A college professor of mine preached the truism that "good writing is wherever it is found." The same could be said for music. It never ceases to amaze me that the best music I hear is almost never in a loud, sweaty arena. Sorry, kids, you can have Lady Gaga (is that short for "Gaga me with a spoon"?). Fewer than 100 people show up most nights at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse on Central Expressway, or at Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. in Winnsboro, but each cozy, well-kept secret of a venue keeps the customer satisfied -- and does so consistently. One recent find at Uncle Calvin's was singer-songwriter John Fullbright. He hails from Okemah, Okla., the same town as Woody Guthrie, and I'll be darned if he doesn't sound like Woody Guthrie incarnate. I had a similar experience Saturday night, when I wandered into 55 Degrees, a "wine bar & bistro" in West Plano. Owner Laura Lucia has put together quite a welcoming getaway with 55 Degrees, but it was aided in no small part by the velvety voice of Liz Feldman, whose covers of songs by Carole King and Burt Bacharach and Hal David were pure pleasure. Listening to Liz, I kept thinking of one of my favorite soundtracks, from the Helen Hunt-Jack Nicholson movie As Good As It Gets. I wanted to hear what Liz might do with the Danielle Brisebois song, "Everything My Heart Desires." (Please read on!)

Photo: Liz Feldman in concert

Dallas' cool new wave quartet Black Tie Dynasty has reunited, confirms Erv Karwelis of Dallas' Idol Records, the label that launched the group. Here's what Erv writes in a media release:

We are happy to announce that Black Tie Dynasty will reunite for a special July 3rd concert with Joan Jett and the Blackhearts at Elgin B. Robertson Park in Rowlett, TX (I-30 and Dalrock Rd.) The event is part of a three-day music festival "Que Fest." General admission tickets are $8.00. For more info and to buy tickets, go to http://www.rowlettexchangeclub.org/

Black Tie Dynasty, consisting of Cory Watson (vocals and guitar), Eddie Thomas (drums), Blake McWhorter (bass) and Brian McCorquodale (keyboards, synthesizers and vocals), abruptly called it quits January 27, 2009 after releasing two full-length CDs, 2005's Movements and 2008's Down Like Anyone. Perhaps this reunion will convince the guys to complete that planned third disc, which had been at least in the thinking stages once Down Like Anyone was released.

Photo: BTD in a 2008 publicity shot -- Left to right: Thomas, McWhorter, McCorquodale and Watson (Jill Johnson).

Those of us who came of age listening to Jackson Browne feel lucky any time he ventures into Texas -- which he will Aug. 13 when he appears at the Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie. The Nokia show promises to be deliciously different, however, since Browne will have with him not only his full band but also 1970s musical sidekick David Lindley. Those who don't know of Lindley and his mastery with almost any instrument you can stick in front of him don't know what they've missed. He remains one of the world's most accomplished session musicians and a force in international music, along with his musical soul brother Ry Cooder. Lindley's haunting fiddle added so much depth and beauty to Browne's classic elegy "For a Dancer." His slide guitar powered the original live recording of "Running On Empty," so much so that no recording or playing of it since has ever sounded quite as good.

Photo: Jackson Browne and David Lindley on the cover of Love Is Strange

The Cherokee Creek Music Festival is the brainchild of Dallas energy executive Kelcy Warren, the CEO of Energy Transfer Partners. Formed in 2007, Cherokee Crossroads Inc. is designed to "raise money for children's charities and local public service organizations by hosting an annual music festival in the Texas Hill Country." This year's beneficiaries include Children's Medical Center of Dallas, the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas, Shriner's Hospital for Children, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. The performers ain't half-bad either. A "sponsors only" concert debuts Thursday night, May 13, with music by the Eagles-like band Stonehoney, followed by country music star Pat Green. The open-to-the-general-public part swings into full gear Friday night, May 14, with performances by Jimmy LaFave and Delbert McClinton. Saturday, May 15, is chock full of acts, starting at noon, when terrific young songwriter John Fullbright shows the crowd why it's fitting that he hails from the same hometown as Woody Guthrie (Okemah, Okla.), followed by a full agenda featuring Sam Baker, Kevin Welch and headliner Robert Earl Keen, among others. For information, visit www.cherokeecreekmusicfestival.com.

Photo: Robert Earl Keen

Local blues-rockers Jonathan Tyler & the Northern Lights will tear it up at Good Records Monday during a CD release performance and signing. The band, fronted by the passionate and wiry Tyler, celebrates the arrival of its major-label debut, Pardon Me, with a show at 9 p.m. followed by a CD signing session at 10 p.m. If you buy Pardon Me at Good Records you'll get a limited edition poster that the band will autograph as well.

Pardon Me is a scorching, stunning blues-rock opus that sounds like the Black Crowes' seminal Shake Your Money Maker updated for 2010. It's a must-have disc for anybody that appreciates hearty, bluesy rock 'n' roll played with utmost fire and integrity. And if you haven't seen JT&NL live, well, mere words cannot do them justice. This band explodes onstage. It needs to be witnessed, not recounted.

Photo: Jonathan Tyler blazing the Maggie Mae's stage at SXSW last month (Nathan Hunsinger/DMN).

Hometown boy Terry Fator wowed a near-capacity crowd at the Meyerson Symphony Center on Tuesday night, where the cause he was benefiting was the Vogel Alcove, which offers a helping hand to homeless kids. The most moving aspect to Tuesday's performance was, however, provided by the Children's Chorus of Greater Dallas, a 240-child ensemble whose angelic voices served as a warmup to Fator's hilarious, easy-on-the-ears lounge singer-ventriloquist act. The children singing Tuesday night were selected from a combination of four Children's Chorus choirs (Prelude-4th graders, Apprentice-5th graders; Concert I-7th and 8th graders and Concert II-5th through 8th graders). Fator, who grew up in various hamlets in the Dallas area, is the son of janitorial workers. Now 44, he made it big (very big) after winning the $1 million grand prize on America's Got Talent in 2007, then signing a five-year, $100 million with the Mirage in Las Vegas.

Photo: Terry Fator with Winston the Turtle

Reggie G, the subject of a profile by music critic Mario Tarradell, released a new video today to iTunes and his channel on YouTube.

He assumes several personas during the video, which is interesting enough. The song harkens back to a time where rappers told stories and that's what you'll get with this video. Though the cinematography at times is a bit shaky, the song is catchy and Reggie's well on his way to figuring it all out: "Who the [expletive] buyin'?" He keeps this up, and he'll be able to answer that question.

(Photo of Reggie G by staff photographer Sonya N. Hebert)

Check it:

Local bands can audition for two slots opening for Bon Jovi, which plays at American Airlines Center April 10 and 11. Bon Jovi and local radio station Lone Star KZPS-FM (92.5-FM) have teamed up for the Battle of the Bands opening act contest, which will take entries from March 22-29. Bands will be able to enter a video of their group playing an original song here. A panel of judges will pick the top 10 acts, and then between April 1 and 6, listeners can vote for their faves. Good luck!
(The photo of Jon Bon Jovi is by Judi Bottoni of the Associated Press.)

If you've grown tired of this crazy winter, fret not: spring is almost here. And with that come all the area's various spring festivals.

Guide's Joy Tipping, Bindu Varghese and Ann Pinson put together their own Best in DFW list of Best Spring Festivals, where you can find enormous turkey legs, hear music from different cultures and enjoy great works of art. Plus they often feature local bands, celebrities and personalities, and sometimes even a "big name." One of their picks, the North Texas Irish Festival, just ran over the weekend. Pictured above is a group of dancers with the North Texas Traditional Dance Society performing a dance called Contra with live music playing behind them in the picture above.

You can read over all of their selections here, but don't stop there. Let us know if we missed one you go to every year, regular bands you like to see, share memories or just tell us what you're looking forward to this season. E-mail us at guide@dallasnews.com. And whether or not you go out, follow some of our Guide staffers on Twitter as they grab their lawn chairs and meander through the crowds themselves.

PHOTO: Andy Jacobsohn / staff photographer, DMN

Grapevine-raised Bryce Avary, AKA the Rocket Summer, would never call himself fashion conscious. But he's definitely got an altruistic spirit. So he'll shill clothes in the name of charity. His clothing line, Call It Captivate, aims to give fans an arty style as well as help worthwhile causes. And the best part is folks who buy the clothes can pick which charity 25 percent of the proceeds go to. On the website, you'll find a list of seven charities to choose from, including the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the LA Dream Center and the Miracle League of El Paso.

"Having a clothing line is not a huge passion of mine," Avary told me. "It was purely for the idea of getting people involved and educating people on issues that weren't popular so much. I wanted to make it different and get people into it."

Photo: Avary in downtown Grapevine (Kye R. Lee/DMN).

Call out the dreadheads: Rockwall's Jason Castro, a Top Four finalist on American Idol during the 2007-08 season, has joined record-label mate Matt Hires on Hires' State Lines 2010 tour. They'll make a Dallas stop on Wednesday, performing at 7:30 p.m. at the Loft, 1135 S. Lamar just south of downtown. $10. 1-800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com.

PHOTO of Jason Castro by Amy Conn-Gutierrez

Five local bands - Fatty Lumpkin , Dirty Little Mouth, 2 Dollar Sound, Shuttle and Bronze Whaler - compete for a chance to play the upcoming Wakarusa Music Festival, which will be held in June at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas. The showdown takes place Saturday at Poor David's Pub, 1313 S. Lamar St. The music starts at 8:30 p.m. and each band has 40 minutes onstage time. Cover charge is $5. For more info, call 214-565-1295 or go to www.poordavidspub.com.

The Poor David's Pub event is part of the Waka Winter Classic tour. That tour travels to 21 different cities for similar battle of the band competitions with five local groups in the running. The winner of each city gets an automatic slot in the festival.

Photo: Dirty Little Mouth in action (Mike Brooks Photography).

Texas country music legend Willie Nelson has signed a recording contract with Rounder Records. His debut for the label, simply titled Country Music, will be released April 20. Country Music is produced by Fort Worth-raised T Bone Burnett, the man who helmed last year's big Grammy winner Raising Sand by Alison Krauss and Robert Plant. Country Music will boast 15 tracks, including "Dark As a Dungeon," "Drinking Champagne" and "I Am a Pilgrim." It features banjo picker Riley Baugus, double bassist Dennis Crouch, Burnett, and surely Nelson on his trusty guitar Trigger.

Willie's last solo album was 2009's pop standards collection, American Classic.

Photo: A pensive Willie Nelson, from the American Classic session (Danny Clinch).

Dallas four-man band Disco Curtis just inked a recording contract with Myspace/Interscope Records. The group, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Tanner Howe, drummer AJ Novak, guitarist Garrett Perales and bassist Brendan Barone, has been deemed MTV Buzzworthy. And the video for the super-catchy tune "Ashley" has made quite a splash on the outfit's MySpace page. Check em out! And we'll keep you posted on Disco Curtis' major label debut album. Oh, the band plays Friday at The Door in Fort Worth.

Photo: Disco Curtis, courtesy of the band's MySpace page.

Our music staff has compiled a list of the best music venues in the area. We've got everything you need to know from seating capacity and parking to acoustics.

I've been grilling Guide Live followers on Twitter and Facebook about their favorite music venues this week. The venue with the most votes? Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie. Many folks mentioned Bass Hall, House of Blues, The Door, Prophet Bar and Granada Theatre. One of our Twitter followers said they liked Opening Bell Coffee because they "always support the best independent music in town, or coming through town."

What about you? What are your favorite concert venues? Do you have tips for getting the best concert experience out of each one? Comment below - we'll include some of the feedback in the Jan. 29 issue of Guide. Don't forget to check out our Best in DFW: Music Venues.

Check out Angela Wilson's post over on the Arts Blog to read more on Tony Martin, one of Dallas/Fort Worth's favorite musical theater performers and lead singer of the band, Hazelbean.

If you were hoping to hear "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" live in Allen this weekend, you'll have to make other plans. The Charlie Daniels Band concert, originally scheduled for Saturday, has been cancelled. You can get refunds at points of purchase, and tickets purchased over the phone and on the Web will be automatically credited back to the ticket-holder's account, according to the venue.

The 20th Annual Firefighter Jam will take place at House of Blues Dallas on Dec. 20. The event features bands comprised of firefighters from the Dallas area. This year's lineup includes The Flaming Catfishes, The David Whiteman Band and Hothouse.

This year's beneficiaries are WFAA's Santa's Helpers as well as the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

The event will takes place in the Cambridge Room. Doors open at 6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased online at houseofblues.com/Dallas or at the House of Blues box office. Tickets are $10 in advance.

Poor David's Pub continues to be a venue I love. In just a few short weeks, I've had the pleasure of seeing Jimmy LaFave, David Bromberg and Moon & the Starz give terrific shows there. On Thursday night, Poor David's is bringing in the incomparable John Gorka. For more information about Gorka's show and Poor David's in general, click here. Last Saturday night brought to Poor David's Lamar Street location Moon & the Starz, whose five-band piece is made up of ace keyboardist Mark Vidito (who lives in Dallas) and four characters from Linden, Texas, where Moon's home court, so to speak, is the state's best live music venue, the 420-seat Music City Texas Theater. For the second time in its short history, Music City Texas is hosting Jackson Browne on Thursday night. But regulars of MCT get to hear Moon & the Starz all the time, which is no small privilege. This Piney Woods quintet is headed up by lead guitarist Richard Bowden, who once manned that position for Linda Ronstadt and Dan Fogelberg. He is also hilariously funny. One example: The show started at 8 p.m., but one contingent trooped in around 8:25. "Oh, some other folks have decided to join us," Bowden said. "So happy to see you. Can we get you anything? Like a friggin' watch!?"

Photo: Richard Bowden of Moon & the Starz

Even if you know that Brobee's the green one and Foofa has a flower growing out of her head, you might be even more excited about who's joining the Yo Gabba Gabba! gang for shows in Frisco on Saturday.

Erykah Badu and Solange Knowles are scheduled to be musical guests for both shows, according to an e-mail from the event publicist. Let's just hope they don't mind being upstaged by a red cyclops. Let the dancey-dance begin!

(The photo of Erykah Badu is by Jason Janik)

I'm not sure if this calls for it, but I'm thinking "what the ... ?"

The Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game has always been a big deal, but musically speaking it's gotten much bigger over the last decade or so. Last year the Jonas Brothers performed at halftime and Demi Lovato sang the national anthem. Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood and Ashanti have also sung before the game in recent years.

Chart-topping rock band Daughtry's the halftime act this year, but imagine my shock when I called the Cowboys P.R. office today and was told B.J. Thomas would sing the Star Spangled Banner beforehand.

Now I realize Thomas has made his mark in music history with "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head," and he's a local artist, but seriously? Arguments for and against after the jump.

Friday night marked yet another terrific concert at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse. The inimitable David Wilcox made his debut at Uncle Calvin's, where, incredibly, he had never played. Wilcox has a loyal cult following, and the place was packed. His adoring troupe of fans included a delightful couple, Mike and Mer Dunbar, who attended a Wilcox concert at McDavid Studio in Fort Worth on their first date in 2006. They were married last May and now share the distinction of having attended additional Wilcox shows during 2007, 2008 and Friday night. Mike is 27, Mer is 22, so they're a bit younger than the regulars who return like homing pigeons each Friday night to Fellowship Hall at Northpark Presbyterian Church, where Uncle Calvin's is based. I, like most of the Ballad Tree types who go there, vastly prefer seeing shows at Uncle Calvin's than having to endure the crazy din of American Airlines Center. Those days are gone, and you can have them. There's nothing better than a quiet corner at Uncle Calvin's, a slice of hot apple pie and several cups of hot, black, steaming, flavorful, delicious coffee. Uncle Calvin's offered the chance to fully appreciate Wilcox's rare blend of pristine vocals, dynamic guitar play and songwriting that merges the best of music and storytelling. At times, you feel like you're hearing Jackson Browne, at others F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Photo: David Wilcox, who has just released his 16th album, Open Hand

David Card, the owner of Poor David's Pub, just sent me an e-mail that brought a tear to my eye. Card let us know that Rusty Wier, a longtime performer at Poor David's Pub, died Friday of cancer at 65. I never got to meet Rusty or hear him in a live show. I didn't know his repertoire all that well, but I immediately felt sad because hearing the news of Rusty's passing rekindled a fond memory of one of his coolest songs. A long time ago (1975 to 1976), I lived in Anchorage, Alaska, where I had just about the coolest bunch of friends anyone could ever hope for. We sat around in our overheated apartments on below-zero nights listening to a handful of performers whose music seemed so appropriate to our age and time. Over and over, we heard Jackson Browne's first three albums, especially Late for the Sky; Bob Dylan's immortal Blood on the Tracks; and two of Willie Nelson's best, Red-Headed Stranger and Phases and Stages. But the one tune we played over and over on our scratchy record players was Rusty Wier's ... OK, I'm not sure I can actually print the title, even in a music blog for a family newspaper. Let's just say it was a song about infidelity, but far more than that, it was a song that made us laugh. It was, in fact, one of the funniest songs I've ever heard. OK, the first words in the title were "I Heard You ... " I suppose I can get away with that. Uproariously funny. (If you're curious, numerous versions of it appear on YouTube.) When you get to be 57, you end up with a few regrets, of course, and one of mine is not looking up Rusty and hearing him in a live show since my return to Texas in 1997. I saw two great shows at Poor David's in recent weeks, Jimmy LaFave and David Bromberg, and each time, I wondered later why I'd forgotten to ask David Card about Rusty Wier and when he might be playing on Lamar Street, as he had so many times in Poor David's earlier location on Greenville Avenue, where he was almost a fixture.

Photo: The late Rusty Wier, on the cover of one of his best albums

Oh to have been in the planning meeting for the cover of Denton band Bowling for Soup's upcoming album, Sorry for Partyin'. I mean, just look at it. On the one hand, you give it a glance and think, "Guys, put a towel over it!" Then again, you can't help but laugh. Both thoughts are probably the point with this quirky, self-deprecating, good-humored band. Partyin', which follows 2006's The Great Burrito Extortion Case, hits stores Oct. 13. Check out my GuideDaily story on Bowling for Soup sometime next week.

Music City Texas Theater in the Piney Woods of deep East Texas is the Little Theater That Could -- and can. For the second time in its brief history, Music City Texas has gotten Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Jackson Browne to agree to play a concert in a town whose population is barely more than 2,000. Linden does have quite a pedigree, though. It's the hometown of Browne's friend and fellow Hall of Fame inductee Don Henley of Eagles fame and Richard Bowden, a Music City executive who played lead guitar for Linda Ronstadt for years and who belonged to the same band as Henley (The Four Speeds, Felicity, Shiloh) all through high school and college (the University of North Texas) and, well, up until the Eagles were formed. Browne last played Linden in 2004 and will appear there again, in another solo-acoustic concert, on Thursday night, Dec. 3. It's a remarkable setting in which to hear such an esteemed artist as Browne. It's a 420-seat venue that offers you the illusion of hearing musical greats in your own living room. And along with Crossroads Coffeehouse & Music Co. in Winnsboro, Music City Texas has helped bring big-name talent to the Piney Woods hinterlands. Tickets go on sale to Music City Patrons on Oct. 5 and to the public on Nov. 2. Prices range from $100 to $195. Info: Call 903-756-9934 or visit www.musiccitytexas.org.

Photo: Jackson Browne, at his last appearance in Linden in 2004

Kudos to the legendary Poor David's Pub for back-to-back weekends of terrific shows. I had the pleasure of being at the Jimmy LaFave-Zane Williams doubleheader on Sept. 12 and again on Friday night, Sept. 18, to hear folk music giant David Bromberg. (Check out the fascinating feature on Bromberg written by my colleague Mario Tarradell.) Poor David's has been around for years, of course, but its new location on Lamar near downtown Dallas is really cool. As John Inmon, LaFave's ace lead guitarist, told me, it has terrific acoustics. The sound is absolutely perfect. LaFave put on his usual dynamite show, with Inmon laying down his amazing licks on lead guitar and Bryan Peterson playing the lights out of the piano. No one can move from Chuck Berry to Bruce Springsteen to his own heartfelt ballads as well as LaFave. And Zane Williams, LaFave's warm-up that evening, is a real find. The Abilene native moved to Nashville in 1999 after graduating from Abilene Christian University.

Photo: David Bromberg

Live Nation has been all about the promotions lately (no-service-fee days and such), and now they're offering the Live Nation Club Passport for $49.99. In Dallas, House of Blues is the venue the program would apply to. Basically, it means you can go to any participating show that's not sold out for the rest of 2009, with no additional fees. Is it a good deal? That depends on if you like the bands, and how interested you are in seeing a wide variety of acts (choices range from Bowling for Soup to Kinky to Kraig Parker's Elvis tribute).

Of course, Live Nation also says, "Participating shows and venues. Based on availability. Parking not included. Cannot be combined with other offers. The Live Nation Club Passport is good for one person only and does not guarantee entry." See the list of shows here.

Play*N*Skillz signed a deal for a record-label imprint with SRC/Universal Records. G4 Muzik is official. The guys are hosting a party tonight at Joyce (723 Pearl St.) in downtown Dallas, starting at 9 p.m. They're going to celebrate with Slim Thug, who is also celebratig his birthday.

G4 Muzik's first new artist Inertia (Dallas' own) will perform with Slim from 112 during the celebratory event. His first single is "Body." This isn't the last we'll hear of the Grammy-winning brothers. Or the last you'll hear of them.

We're not supposed to divulge too many details of movies before they're released, but anyone who loves the music of Bruce Hornsby (as I do) should rush to a theater Sept. 4 to see World's Greatest Dad, starring Robin Williams. I won't tell you how and why Hornsby plays himself, or why he sings one of his signature songs, "Mandolin Rain." But he does, and writer-director Bobcat Goldthwait uses Hornsby to full comic effect. That's right, comic effect. I also recommend World's Greatest Dad to anyone who's ever been a parent. You may not know this, but Hornsby harbors two fascinating ties to the Dallas area: He's good friends with rocker Don Henley, who was born in Linden in the Piney Woods of East Texas and now lives in Dallas. He and Henley co-wrote "The End of the Innocence." And he's good friends with Dallas Mavericks Coach Rick Carlisle, with whom he shares in common a basketball background and the fact that both play piano. Check out this Eddie Sefko story about that relationship and click the arrow in the video box below to hear Hornsby sing "The End of the Innocence." Lest I forget, World's Greatest Dad has another local connection: It's distributed by Magnolia Pictures, which is co-owned by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and business partner Todd Wagner.

Photo: The great Bruce Hornsby

If you've heard of only one Deep Ellum club, it's Trees. And it's making a comeback with a grand-opening weekend sure to get some attention. The live-music venue first opened in 1991 but then closed in 2005 after financial issues. The Dallas Observer has a nice 2006 write-up of the events leading up to the closure and an overall history of Deep Ellum.

But Trees is alive again, with the help of Clint Barlow, the touring drummer for Vanilla Ice, and his wife Whitney. Clint told DMN reporter Nancy Visser in this June 8 article that he's focused on catering to both the bands and the audience. "I've been a musician here since '91 and I know what bands want. They want awesome sound and awesome lights, and they should get paid properly."

The catering begins with performances by Slow Roosevelt, Element Eighty, System Overload and Hardway Down tomorrow night (Friday Aug. 14). Then catch Fair to Midland, Moving Atlas, Peacemaker and Black Tie Vendetta on Saturday, and Saliva, Taking Dawn and The Cast on Sunday. Doors open at 7pm and it's 21 and up only.

Sounds like a good time is ready to be had, and is this a sign that Deep Ellum is gearing up to take back the Dallas music scene? I suppose there are concerns out there that that may not happen, or at least not as prominently as in the 1990s. We're now seeing acts that Trees was known for having go to the Granada Theater and House of Blues, which have gotten more notoriety as the big stages for local music since its absence. But it's probably too early to say. Either way it's worth a shot. Anyone plan on checking out Trees' revival this weekend?

Here's info on what the new owners had to go through to get the club up and running along with what the neighbors think.

As promised last year, the 2009 Tejano Music Convention will take place in Dallas Aug. 21-22 at the Hyatt Regency Reunion Hotel. The event features performances by Tejano and conjunto veterans Gary Hobbs, Ram Herrera, Jay Perez, Hometown Boys, Elida Reyna and many others. It will also mark the reunion of '90s group Fandango USA. Comedians Willie Barcena and Gilbert Esquivel are set to serve as hosts. The convention, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, is shorter and cheaper this year due to the struggling economy. Registration is $15-$80; organizers expect 5,000 people to attend. For more information, go to tejanoticket.com. To register, call 913-397-8850 or email info@tejanoticket.com.

Photo: Logo courtesy of tejanoticket.com.

Another piece of news from Idol Records: Label founder Erv Karwelis has launched Exploding Plastic, a boutique imprint of Idol that will cater to "art pop." According to Karwelis, "the bands will have an indie pop/art pop style which would include psychedelic and symphonic type bands." Dylan Silvers, frontman for The Crash That Took Me, will decide on most of the signings for the imprint. Already released on Exploding Plastic: Snow In June, the trippy, soundscape-ish debut disc by Little Black Dress, which is Toby Pipes (formerly of Deep Blue Something) and Nolan Thies. A second Exploding Plastic release, the forthcoming CD by The Crash That Took Me, should arrive in October. Also on tap is a compilation of bands from Iceland, Japan, Italy, England and the US (including Dallas artists). That could emerge later this summer.

See my story on Erv Karwelis and Idol Records here.

Photo: CD cover of Little Black Dress' Snow In June (Exploding Plastic/Idol Records).

After being in a glum mood with all this humidity lately, I decided to try to find some good music with hopes of finding something cheerful. I visited the myspace of local musician Summer Ames, and after about 30 seconds of listening to "Breaking up the Love Scene" the bouncy piano and melodic tune found a way to lift my spirits.

Summer Ames is the epitome of the "coffee shop" musician as she is a frequent performer at The Opening Bell Coffee - South Side and many other places in the Dallas Metroplex.

"Coffee shops are definitely my favorite. I like the style setting because it is so intimate, light and acoustic."

Ames's passion for music started early as she listened intently to her grandmother's old vinyl records of musicians like Ella Fitzgerald. She then went to school and became a "choir nerd" performing in musicals like My Fair Lady and Carousel. Her determination led her to Louisiana State University for vocal performance and then later MediaTech Institute in Irving where she was discovered by a scout.

Ames was fortunate enough to be chosen to record a vocal track for an upcoming animated film which is to be released either late this year or early next year; unfortunately she was unable to comment further on the specifics of the deal. However her main focus right now is promoting her EP entitled Complicated Daydream which is to be released on July 31st at the Prophet Bar and will be available on itunes on August 1st.

Photo: Summer Ames EP cover via Amazon.com

Among the thrills of going to a concert is leaving with one song whose words and melody won't get out of your head. It's usually a new song, and being among the first to hear it is one of the thrills of live performance. I got to hear two on Friday night, July 17, and can't stop thinking about either. The incomparable Gretchen Peters, who headlined that night at Uncle Calvin's Coffeehouse, played a new song titled "Mother," which she wrote for a CD tribute to the activist, Mary Harris "Mother" Jones. Despite enormous personal tragedy (she lost her husband and their four children in a yellow fever epidemic and later lost her shop, her home and all her possessions in the Great Chicago Fire), Mother Jones rallied American miners and championed workers' rights like no one ever had. "You were the Madonna of the mines/our Lady of the Picket Lines," Peters sang, to terrific accompaniment by Barry Walsh, her keyboardist, accordion player and fiancé. I'm often skeptical of warm-up acts, so I was pleasantly surprised to hear John Fullbright, whose hometown is Okemah, Okla., the same as Woody Guthrie. The parallels don't stop there. Fullbright looks a lot like Woody, sounds a lot like Woody, and from early indications, writes a lot like Woody. His song "The High Road" is a tale of an extraordinary love. Jack and Suzy are young lovers but share a bond so strong and enduring that it underscores the power of Fullbright's lyrics, which state, "Living comes natural to many/love comes naturally to few ... you take the high road to freedom/And I'll take the low road to you." It was a gift getting to hear such a magical young talent perform. I hope we have many more such chances in the future. Woody would be proud: He could not have a better clone.

Photo: Gretchen Peters

The Riverboat Gamblers have just finished their tour with Rise Against and Rancid and are now gearing up for their upcoming September tour with the Dillinger Four and The Arrivals.

They just released a new music video for the song "Victory Lap" which is featured on their album, Underneath the Owl, which was released earlier this year. Watch as the boys take a victory lap home in a van and reminisce with them with mixtures of clips from live shows and of the band joking around.

After the big Vans Warped Tour show on Sunday, some of the bands are scheduled to greet fans and maybe even have an impromptu jam session at Denny's. Yes, really.

Participating groups include A Skylit Drive, Dance Gavin Dance, Therefore I Am, Hit the Lights and InnerPartySystem. They're scheduled to be at the Denny's at 4400 N. Central Expressway on Sunday from 9 to midnight. (Denny's is a tour sponsor.)

Adorable gymnast-turned-singer Carly Patterson (who's from Allen) was just added to the musical lineup at Fair Park Fourth. The program will also feature the Dallas Wind Symphony, the Hellcats bugle and drum ensemble from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and baritone Alvy Powell. It's July 4 at 8 p.m. at the Cotton Bowl in Fair Park before the fireworks and the whole thing's free.

Because of the stormy weather, the Dallas Museum of Art has canceled its Jazz Under the Stars concert for tonight. The museum will still host its regular Jazz in the Atrium program at 6 p.m., though, and, as usual on Thursday nights, general admission is free from 5 to 9.

Today (that'd be Wednesday, June 10), concert behemoth Live Nation is offering tickets through its Web site without service fees for all the shows at the venues it owns and operates. Locally, that'd be Superpages.com Center. Acts coming up at the venue include Rascal Flatts, Marilyn Manson, Aerosmith and Coldplay. So, if you were planning on seeing a show there anyway, today might be the day to make a purchase.

Today we have a story on local hip-hop duo DMG$ (a.k.a. Damaged Goods) possibly leaving the States for Europe, where they see better chances on making it.

It's a little sad to hear that they want to take their brilliance elsewhere. I got a copy of their CD Hello World when it came out in early March, and I recommend picking it up if you haven't yet. It's like listening to your favorite party mix, but this one you can actually rap along to and you'll want to with its fun and real lyrics. The album, produced with the help of England's Xrabit, reminds me of Mike Monday's Songs Without Words (especially DMG$'s track "Are We Friends") and a little bit of Black Eyed Peas.

If you're 21 or older, catch DMG$ live at 8 tonight at The Lounge in Deep Ellum (2810 Elm St.). Dallas booking operation Parade of Flesh presents the guys plus a couple of other acts performing.

North Texas Public Broadcasting, Inc. (KERA) has purchased 91.7 FM and will begin broadcasting a full music schedule in the fall. The station doesn't have a name yet, but it will be "within the public radio 'Triple A' (Adult Album Alternative) music format with diverse, adult-oriented playlists covering a broad spectrum of music such as folk, acoustic, world music, alternative and indie rock and country."

For years, KERA's 90.1FM mixed news and music, but in 1996, it went strictly news. Mary Anne Alhadeff, KERA's president and CEO says in the press release that listeners missed the music component.

"I arrived at the station in late 2005, and right away I heard from long-time listeners who said that they appreciated the expanded public radio news schedule but missed the music programs," she says.

Programming under consideration includes: World Café (distributed by NPR), Echoes (from Public Radio International), Undercurrents (from Native Voice One) and American Routes (from American Public Media).

I spent the morning hanging out with The Jonas Brothers at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. OK, it's not like the JoBros and myself are buds or anything, but I did interview them in person at the venue shortly after a press conference to announce the kickoff of the group's upcoming tour. That show is, of course, June 20 at Cowboys Stadium. Anyway, expect a cool triple-octagon, in-the-round stage, lasers, lights, a 360-degree crane that takes the brothers out over the crowd, and opening acts Jordin Sparks and Honor Society.

"We want this show to feel really interactive with the fans," Kevin Jonas told a small crowd of reporters, photographers and cameramen. "We hope they go home happy," added Joe Jonas.

Oh, one more piece of news: The sibling trio's fourth studio album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times, will be released June 16. Kevin Jonas says it will feature a horn section, a "funk feel" and rapper Common on one track.

Look for my full story on The Jonas Brothers in GuideDaily soon.

Photo: From left to right -- Joe, Nick and Kevin Jonas (Disney Channel).

Cowboys Stadium in Arlington makes its debut as a Dallas-Fort Worth music venue Saturday with a concert from George Strait, Reba McEntire, Blake Shelton and Julianne Hough. Our music critic Mario Tarradell did a nice write-up on the importance of these country singers and their futures in the business.

For Dallas ticket-holders, traffic shouldn't be much of a problem. The Tom Landry Highway (I-30 Westbound) HOV lane will be open between 2:30 and 7pm just for this concert, which begins at 5:30 pm. The lane will be open eastbound from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sunday.

Remember, these lanes are only for vehicles with two or more persons or motorcycles. Pickups are welcome, but leave the trailers at home, requests DART officials.

When it comes to music, we all have our favorites. And Jimmy LaFave has rapidly become one of mine. I first heard his name a few years back from Abby Goldstein, whom I've never had the pleasure of meeting. Abby once hosted a dynamite show on KERA-FM (90.1) called Lone Star Saturday Night. She played LaFave, Robert Earl Keen, Billy Joe Shaver, Lisa Loeb, Rhett Miller, The Derailers, Slaid Cleaves, Guy Clark and many other Texas heavyweights. I was driving around on a rainy night when I first heard her play LaFave's terrific cover of "Walk Away Renée," a hit single in 1966 by The Left Banke. Judging by the way he handles it, only LaFave was meant to record that song. Sadly, Abby moved to New England in 2006, spelling the end of Lone Star Saturday Night. I have since learned, however, that LaFave makes frequent trips to North Texas for live shows, one of which he performed Thursday night at a gorgeous little venue next to the pool at the Belmont Hotel in Oak Cliff. (Please click below to read on!)

Photo: Jimmy LaFave and John Inmon during a past show at Bend Studio in Dallas

I hadn't heard of Dallas native Becky Middleton until her debut CD was sent my way a couple of weeks ago. But she's not new to the scene. She has been singing and playing piano for such bands as the Jeff Berry Band, and Tim Ward Band over the last five years.

So much of her first solo venture, No Trouble, reminds me of Jewel's 1998 Spirit, but it's not fair to peg Ms. Middleton to just that. Becky is a true talent who can take on almost any genre, be it folk ("You Never Speak"), country ("There's No You (Austin)" and "You're a Stone"), rock, soul or blues ("Lost My Heart"). And she proves all that on this album. She's a singer-songwriter who understands the power of soft, clean, innocent and emotional melodies and lyrics. And her range is worthy of applause. Seriously, you should hear me try to sing along in the car - there's no reaching those high notes for me, but oh how I try because that's just how much her music overpowers me.

I'd have to say my favorite track on the 11-song disc is the catchy "Abilene, Tx," especially when the full band kicks in. I could easily see that song extended past its 3 minutes, 20 seconds and not mind one bit. I just wander around, with my feet on the ground ...

Dallas musician Carter Albrecht was accidentally shot and killed by his neighbor, who thought he was a burglar, on Sept. 3, 2007. The 34-year-old guitarist and keyboardist was best known for his work with Dallas rock band Sorta, as well as Edie Brickell & New Bohemians.

Seventy-five percent of Jesus Is Alive ... And Living In London was complete when Albrecht was killed. But according to CBS 11's story, the musician's father, Ken Albrecht, couldn't let it remain unfinished. With the help of New Bohemians' Edie Brickell and "some of the best producers and musicians in Los Angeles," the CD's background music was completed and released today. All proceeds from sales will go to the Carter Albrecht Music Foundation.

Tonight at 6pm there will be a CD listening party at Bryan Street Tavern (4315 Bryan St., Dallas), and check out the official CD release concert at the Granada Theater at 8 pm tomorrow, May 27.

We've taken a lot of your feedback and have made several changes to the new GuideLive.com, including adding "GUIDELIVE IT!" sections at the top of each tab (Events, Movies, Restaurants and Performers) to help you search for things that matter most to you.

GUIDELIVE IT! PERFORMERS is where you'll able to find listings for that night's live music options, and DJs spinning, plus a list of popular places to hear that live music in case you're looking for somewhere new to check out.

We encourage all of you musicians out there to create your own Performer's page where you can tell people about yourself and your music, as well as link to your own sites. Another benefit of creating a Performer's page is that you can add it to concert listings and other events where you are featured, so people interested in going to the show can quickly find out more information about you beforehand.

Just remember to search the Performers section first, because you might already be in there, in which case you can click "Report an error with this listing" and claim it to gain control over it. Also, if you're a local and want to be included in our list of Dallas-Fort Worth musicians and artists, tag you page "dfwlocal" and enjoy the exposure.

Give us a shout or leave comments below if you run across any other concerns regarding the new GuideLive.com. Searching for music news and reviews? You can find all that right here.

Here's a bit of music news from our golf writer, Bill Nichols:

Country singer Jack Ingram will kick off Memorial Day weekend at the HP Byron Nelson Championship with a May 22 performance. The concert is scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. in the Pavilion at the Four Seasons Resort and Club at Las Colinas. Jockersdeck will open at 7 p.m.

The show will be free to all ticket and badge holders at the May 21-24 tournament. Tickets will be sold at the tournament's main entrance and on Ticketmaster.com. Ingram, who attended SMU, won the Academy of Country Music's Top New Male Vocalist award last year.

The Nelson's "Pavilion After Dark" post-play entertainment series features concerts after the first three rounds. Emerald City will play on May 21 (7:30) and Professor D will perform on May 23, starting at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.hpbnc.org.

Photo: Jack Ingram (Courtesy of Big Machine Records).

I'm still all pumped from Saturday's Dave Matthews Band concert, so I know you guys are probably shaking in your seats waiting to use your hot concert tickets this summer. Guide has issued their top picks for summer concerts May through August. I asked GuideLiveMusic's Twitter followers: Which summer concert on this list are you most excited to see? This by no means is a complete list of concerts this summer, but it's a good starting place.

See who they chose and let us know who you're most excited about. I'm thinking about No Doubt, Aerosmith, Vans Warped Tour and Coldplay myself.

We're happy to announce Quick's Big Thing, Quick's second-annual concert and awards show to recognize the talented bands in the local music scene. It all happens Friday, June 5 at 8 p.m. at the Granada Theater. Read on for nominee and ticket info, along with the performers lined up for the event. Click here to vote online; pick up a print copy of Quick for more details. And come join us on the big night.


THE PERFORMERS: Grammy Award winners Play-N-Skillz are planning a headlining hip-hop set with a little help from their friends. Also on the bill are leading award nominee Dove Hunter, Damaged Good$, and a "Duo Deathmatch" featuring Smile Smile, RTB2 and The O's. Sober will serve as the house DJ.


THE HOST: Our dear Quick columnist and Ticket radio personality Gordon Keith will return as the host of Quick's Big Thing. Prepare yourself for his witty banter and flowing locks.


TICKETS: Admission to Quick's Big Thing is just $5. Tickets will go on sale May 14 at QuickDFW.com. Proceeds benefit the North Texas Volunteer Challenge.


THE NOMINEES: Click on the jump to find out who's up for the trophies!

Beyoncé is everywhere. She's got her manicured nails touching just about every aspect of mainstream entertainment these days. And come July 5, she'll be on the American Airlines Center stage. The Houston native begins her "I Am..." tour June 21 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Her trek will end with a four-night stand July 30 through Aug. 2 in Las Vegas at the Encore at Wynn. Tickets go on sale April 25 at 10 a.m. at all Ticketmaster outlets. By the way, Beyoncé is making 2,000 seats at each venue available for $20 a pop. Gracious, isn't she?

Photo: The ubiquitous Beyoncé works it at the recent Oscars (Mindy Schauer).

Big D Opry will premiere April 30 at Fellowship Dallas, and local musicians are encouraged to take part.

Three finalists will perform in a talent competition as part of the show; to enter submit a sample of your music (music file or video link) by e-mail by April 28 to info@atexasstyle.com. For more information about Big D Opry, go to www.atexasstyle.com.

Your soon-to-be favorite band, Graham Wilkinson and the Underground Township, will be playing their 23rd show in 25 nights tonight at The Green Elephant (5627 Dyer St.) from 9-11:30. The Austin-based band is ending their tour behind their soon-to-be-released CD, Yearbook, right here in Dallas.

Yearbook includes help from friends such as Alejandro Escovedo, Hayes Carl, and Grammy Award-winning producer and pedal-steel player Lloyd Maines.

If nothing else, you have to salute the band's fortitude. They've been traveling across the country -- Denver, Chicago, New York -- in a van. A van, mind you, that's carrying eight people -- and two dogs!

So, of course, the band will be ready to jam until they're told they can't jam no more since this is the last night of the pre-release tour. The guys also have a group of loyal fans (I'm one of them), who will be there dancing the night away.

From the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s, The Basement was a home away from home for thousands of local and national bands. The Greenville Avenue rock club closed in January of 1995, but now it's back for a one-night reunion.

Recently, the former manager of six years, Jeff Schattle, noticed Facebook users posting photos and comments reminiscing over the music venue. So he created the Facebook group The Basement Rock n Roll, and within days the group had almost 500 members. Now he's taking it a step further and organizing the first annual Basement reunion this Saturday, April 18, at the Lakewood Theater. Doors open at 5 p.m., and tickets are $15-$20. Free hot dogs 5-7 p.m.

Scheduled to perform: LORD TRACY, Sweet Savage (featuring original members, Joey C. Jones, Laine Sheridan, Chris Sheridan and Randy St. John), July Alley, Lowside (featuring Ron Taylor and Darren DeLatte of Lillian Axe), the return of BONE CIRCUS, and Dallas' Red Leather.

Follow the jump to read the Dallas Morning News article about the Basement's final show before closing its doors in 1995, and share your memories from the historic club.

(File photo: Ed Killmer outside The Basement the last night it was open)

The Tickets' Gordon Keith hosted a Bono sound alike contest for fans to win tickets to the upcoming U2 concert. Cliff McClelland of Dallas won the contest which was held at Reverschon Park in Dallas.

Watch the video and listen here.

That's right. It's the second annual "Hot and Fresh Week" on Quick's Nightlife blog. That means that we're streaming new and unreleased tracks from our favorite local acts, and previewing their albums and singles that are coming up in the next several months. If you want to be ahead of the curve and hear music from RTB2, Robert Gomez (above), Smile Smile, Nervous Curtains and many more, join us.

Lindale's fiery country-rocker Miranda Lambert is one of three vocalists (along with Jazmine Sullivan and Zooey Deschanel) reinterpreting the memorable "the touch, the feel of cotton" music that was retired in 2001 and has now been relaunched. The campaign, dubbed "The Fabric of My Life" features television commercials that began airing April 5. Lambert, still promoting her awesome 2007 CD, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, has this to say about cotton: "My style in three words is comfortable, funky, my own. Cotton is a big part of that style so I was very excited to be part of this campaign. My favorite outfit is jeans, T-shirt and a great pair of cowboy boots but on a summer day, there is nothing like throwing on a cotton sundress and boots."

Photo: Miranda loves her cotton (Ben Torres/Special to DMN).

Texas Nite Life Talent Search is looking for talented singers for an upcoming country music competition. Auditions will be held at Rodeo City Music Hall in Mesquite on April 17 a 6 p.m. and are $10 per person. The competition will be at Willie Nelson Place in Hillsboro on May 27 and runs through June 17. Finals are June 19.

Make sure you're prepared, because you'll perform in front of Indie Record companies, booking agents and others. For more info, call 972-658-9688 or 1-866-241-9688 or visit myspace.com/txtalentsearch.

As the data wrangler for our print-edition lists of local and touring concerts, I get exposed to vast varieties of band names. I'm trying out a new feature for the Playlist blog: Silly Band Name of the Week (SBNW). The band names I'll highlight aren't necessarily new -- just ones that catch my attention. Congratulations to the Exploding Chihuahuas for making me laugh out loud this week.
Exploding Chihuahuas will perform Wednesday April 15 at 8:30 p.m. at Tolbert's restaurants in Grapevine; no cover.
-Nancy Moore

Why rewrite great news? Lisa Endicott, who gives me the scoop on happenings at the Granada, sent this to me today "via Blackberry":

"Brit singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 play Granada Theater Apr 4 at 8 pm. What you need to know is that the Venus 3 consist of three members of R.E.M. -- sans Stipe -- namely Peter Buck, Bill Rieflin, and Scott McCaughey -- who have played on tour and the last five albums for R.E.M. If you missed R.E.M. at their last concert this is a chance to get up close and personal for this intimate show.
Tickets are still available at www.granadatheater.com."

I love technology! Don't you?

Ever listen to Lucinda Williams, Pixies frontman Frank Black's solo stuff, or John Prine? Then you've probably heard Duane Jarvis' guitar work. Samples of his songs are available on his myspace page. Jarvis passed away this morning in Marina Del Rey, California, after a battle with colon cancer. Jarvis played in Dallas many times at venues such as the Gypsy Tea Room, most recently with Black. His latest solo album Delicious is available on CD Baby. Read about him on the L.A. Times' music blog here, and also in The Tennessean here.
Jarvis had a reputation for helping fellow musicians, especially those just starting out in the business. One would be hard pressed to find a country-rock music aficionado in Nashville or Los Angeles who didn't know him and speak highly of him. For Americana music fans, there is a "disturbance in the force."

Denton's Eli Young Band, currently enjoying a Top 20 country hit with "Always the Love Songs," makes its Jimmy Kimmel Live debut Thursday at 11:05 p.m. central on ABC-TV (Channel 8). "Always the Love Songs," by the way, is from the group's way cool major label debut CD, Jet Black & Jealous. These are hometown guys making us proud.

Photo: Chris Thompson, Jon Jones, Mike Eli and James Young get all jet black and jealous for a professional portrait by photographer Kristen Barlowe.

Twitter Poll Guidelines: We, that's GuideLiveMusic, ask our followers on Twitter a question every Thursday. We're hoping these polls will not only help us get you know you better, but also help you get to know the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene better. The polls close around 4 pm every Monday, and shortly after we'll post the question and results here on our Playlist blog for everyone outside of Twitter to respond.

I've yet to make it to Austin for the annual South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival, but I do know that those badge prices are a bit high for me. I mean, really? Nearly $700? And so this week we asked: Has SXSW gotten too big to break new acts, or just your wallet? Continue reading to see the results, then comment and tell us your thoughts.

Also, check out all of our SXSW coverage, and tell us about your experience at the festival.

Read about performances from local bands the Paper Chase and Fight Bite, and go inside a top-notch hip-hop affair featuring Asher Roth and the Cool Kids -- all right here.

Yesterday's blog entries are right here for your reading pleasure, including blips on Tori Amos, Micachu and the Shapes, Vivian Girls and more. We've also got performance videos of Wavves and Roy G and the Biv.

Be sure to visit us over at Quick's Nightlife blog to read our up-to-the-minute coverage of South by Southwest's music fest. Right now, you can read all about yesterday's highlights (Janelle Monae, St. Vincent, Department of Eagles, Damaged Good$) and you can also get ready for today with a music playlist. Enjoy!

Spring will soon be sprung, and Poor David's Pub is announcing all sorts of cool shows. Brave Combo will appear there March 28, followed by the Wailers on April 4, Scottish-Gaelic folksinger Juliet Fowlis on April 16, the one-and-only Kinky Friedman on April 17 and Iris DeMent on April 24. DeMent is a real catch. She hasn't toured in years, but on previous tours, she has opened for John Prine and Mary Chapin Carpenter. When fall arrives, the good shows continue, with Jimmy LaFave appearing Sept. 12 and John Gorka on Dec. 3. The complete schedule can be viewed by clicking here. And for anyone who wants to hear Iris sing one of her classics, in this case "Our Town," click below to hear her duet with Emmylou Harris:

Photo: Iris DeMent

Twitter Poll Guidelines: We, that's GuideLiveMusic, ask our followers on Twitter a question every Thursday. We're hoping these polls will not only help us get you know you better, but also help you get to know the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene better. The polls close around 4 pm every Monday, and shortly after we'll post the question and results here on our Playlist blog for everyone outside of Twitter to respond.

This week's question: Would you go to the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium for concerts? Tell us your thoughts on how it will do as a music venue. Continue reading to see the results, then comment and tell us your thoughts.

Staff writer Mario Tarradell recently talked with Dallas' own hip-hop heavyweights for a story in Monday's paper. Of course, there was more to be read from the duo:

On Latinos and mainstream rap music

"Hip-hop seems to speak to all of us in a language that we all understand," says Play. "I think the colors are put to the side. They are stories that all of us can relate to for the most part. And let's just be honest, most of the Latinos that come here, third world countries, second generations, immigrants and what-not, we don't come here with a lot of money and a lot of opportunity. So we're stuck in the 'hoods, the barrios and in poverty. What helps us through that is things like hip-hop music. Most of the time in the barrios and most 'hoods, it's all Latins and blacks. The majority of the people are black and Latin. We grow up intertwining with each other. With Latinos and hip-hop, it's a struggle for us right now. We're almost forced at times to rap in Spanish or do reggaeton. These are the executives behind the desks that don't know what ... they are talking about. They don't understand that Latinos are the biggest buying power in entertainment, period. I don't care what it is. We go to the movies more than anybody else, we buy DVDs more than anybody else, we buy music more than anybody else. I feel like we're being pushed to the side and not being paid attention to. There's no marketing dollars to go attract the Latinos."

On the racial barrier

"It's like the little guy in the basketball court that gets pushed around and pushed around. 'Man, you can play no ball.' He's on the court with a bunch of tall guys. But then he makes one basket, two baskets and he runs the game that week. Next week, he's probably going to be picked first. That's where we are at. We have to prove ourselves. It's not just our music. It's African-American music at the end of the day. You're going to have to earn that right to do that."

Read the second -- admittedly shorter -- night of mobile blog entries at Quick's Nightlife Blog. Included: the rockin' soul of RTB2 and the weird ways of New Science Projects.

We featured Arlington resident Mark Glasmire last year in this story and this video when he won the B.W. Stevenson Memorial Songwriter Competition at Poor David's Pub, and now he's gone and won another.

The Dallas Songwriters Association announced Friday that Glasmire won grand prize in its 2008 Song Contest with his ballad "Missing You."

From the press release:
"Winner Glasmire chose cash over a new Gibson guitar while also getting a dedicated website sponsored and maintained by Broadjam. In addition he can have the song of his choice produced as a premier demo by Beaird Music Group, Nashville, Tenn., adding up to a total value of almost $2,000. ... Roy Elkins, founder and CEO of the music community website Broadjam and the contest grand prize judge, said of Glasmire, "This is a very good songwriter from whom I'd love to hear more. His song "Missing You" is simply a nice song that could be played on any instrument with vocal or even as an instrumental. It's very easy to listen to, and everyone who hears this song can share the writer's experience."

You can hear "Missing You" on Mark's Web site, where he says the song is about the loss of his father.

Here's more information on the winners.

Twitter Poll Guidelines: We, that's GuideLiveMusic, ask our followers on Twitter a question every Thursday. We're hoping these polls will not only help us get you know you better, but also help you get to know the Dallas-Fort Worth music scene better. The polls close around 4 pm every Monday, and shortly after we'll post the question and results here on our Playlist blog for everyone outside of Twitter to respond.

Last Thursday we asked, Which local North Texas musicians/bands would you like to read more about? The results: