Pete Freedman
Scenes From Sober's Final Big Bang at Beauty Bar. Plus: A New Mix, A New Gig and A Replacement.
It felt like the end of an era was impending last Wednesday evening when Will Rhoten, better known around these parts as the beloved DJ Sober, took to his social media accounts to announce that the July 4 edition of his two-and-a-half-years-running Big Bang! residency at Henderson Avenue hotspot Beauty Bar would be his last.
And, though true, well, it's also not.
Things are just changing up a bit, is all.
Yes, Thursday was Sober's final Big Bang! at Beauty Bar. But it's not the end of his Big Bang! events altogether. Starting this week, he'll be bringing his talents — along with those of his close pal and Booty Fade collaborator Picnictyme — across the Knox/Henderson divide to The Travis, where he'll kick off a new weekly called Big Bang Basement. As with the old Big J-hosted parties that went down in the basement of the spot formerly known as Suite in the days of yore, this new event (as its name suggests) will go down in the basement of the Travis Street spot, which has gone under renovations in the wake of that venue's reopening.
Nonetheless, this past Thursday's affair did feel like the crest of a moment as a who's who of Dallas hip-hop and art scene types meshed together in Beauty Bar to let their dancefloor freak flags fly from the moment Sober took the decks and dropped Daft Punk's “One More Time” for the masses. It was tough, in that very moment at least, to not get a little nostalgic.
No time for that, though, as all parties are ripe and ready to move on — and immediately at that.
Beauty Bar, much to its credit, will remain in capable hands. Starting this Thursday, Ynfynyt Scroll and Lil Texas will take over the weekly reins at that spot.
So, basically, your Thursday night decision-making process just got all the more difficult.
For now, try remember the good times while also keeping a keen eye on the future.
The below photos from this past Thursday should help with the former. A brand-spankin' new mix from Sober, posted for your pleasure at the end of this stretch of photos, should help with the latter.
Onward, y'all. Always.
Steam and download Back to the Middle, Vol. 2:
Tracklisting: All photos by Brian Knowles.
Sweater Beats – Like That (Make You Feel It)
Joakim – Nothing Gold (Todd Terje Remix)
Bag Raiders – So Demanding
Moon Boots – Got Somebody
Justin Timberlake – Suit & Tie (Ta-Ku Remix)
New Edition – A Little Bit Of Love (Brenmar Remix)
Koreless – MTI (TWRK Remix)
Toddla T – Body Good
Old Money – Buena Mah Muvu (Starks & Nacey Remix)
EDM – The Jungle
Sharam Jay & Kolombo – Big Deal! (Original Mix)
Blondie – Heart Of Glass (Oliver & Thee Mike B Remix)
Flight Facilities – Foreign Language (Drop Out Orchestra Remix) [feat. Jess]
Classixx – Holding On
C.Z. – Mary J Nu Birth – Anytime (Original Mix)
Disclosure – When A Fire Starts To Burn (Original)
Durkin – Shorts In The Club (Feat. MXRCYPXRCY)
Deejay Theory – I Don’t Wanna Know
FS Green – Lemme Love Ya
Ready For The World – Love You Down
