Cory Graves
Oaktopia Gets Counter-Programmed, Ridglea Room Gets Renovated and Another Local Band Gets a Beer.
A couple weeks ago, Oaktopia organizers announced the local acts that would be performing in the city’s venues the evenings of its September 22, 23 and 24 affair, raising the total number of acts playing the fest to 90 or so.
Just before doing so, though, they also sent out rejection emails to several other acts around town, telling them their services wouldn’t be needed this year. Jesus Chris + The Beetles, for instance, was noticeably absent from the bill. So, as one does in Denton, the band’s frontman Robinson Marlin began to counterprogram.
Going down the same weekend of the fest, his Broketopia will host a number of fest rejects and other Denton acts too cool for the bill in four house venues.
In other fest news, Lights All Night just beefed up its 2016 lineup as well. Joining headliners deadmau5, Above & Beyond, ZEDD, A$AP Ferg, RL Grime and Tchami, the fest just announced the additions of 12th Planet, A-Trak, Cazzette, Crizzly, Feed Me (DJ set), Felix Cartal, G Buck, Kayzo, Kill The Noize, REZZ, San Holo and Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ Set). And organizers say they’re still looking to add more names for when the fest returns to Dallas Market Hall this New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Eve Eve for the second straight year. Tickets are available here.
Before 2016 closes out, though, Hand Drawn Records says its new, state-of-the-art vinyl press will be up and running. Recently, they posted some photos of their forthcoming space in Addison, as well as their new press being built up in Toronto. You can also see video of the fully-automated press in action below.
Also set to take place later this year is the trial of Gas Pipe owner Jerry Shults stemming from the 2014 raids on his stores due to an alleged K2 manufacturing operation. Nevertheless, Shults remains in good spirits, taking time to sit down with the Star-Telegram‘s Preston Jones to discuss the six-years-in-the-making renovations of the Ridglea Theater. Video of the two touring the buildout of the 350-capacity venue portion, now called the Ridglea Room, can be streamed below.
Speaking of venue revamps, Dada has been working on making some improvements to its back patio, making shows out there more comfortable for both the performers and audience members. Photos of the construction show new picnic tables and a covering over the stage have been slowly teased out on social media. Of course, you can just check it out for yourself this Thursday, when they use it for the first time. Thursdays show will also mark the first in the patio’s new LOKAL series, where three local acts and one local DJ will share the new-look stage. This week’s kickoff edition features Dezi 5, Rat Rios, 88 Killa and Christy Ray.
Moving on, Sad Cops main man Grayson Harris won a “Live Mas” scholarship from Taco Bell. As part of his prize, he got to shadow the sound designers at last weekend’s MTV VMAs, where he also got to interview Phantogram.
Likewise, Vinnie Paul was interviewed by an entity called KilPop. Fight through the clips of him playing air hockey and you’ll some pretty neat behind-the-scenes stuff — from the time he and his brother wrote and recorded their Dallas Stars song the night before it debuted in the team’s first playoff game of the 1999 cup run, to the time Lord Stanley’s Cup ended up in his pool.
His ex-Pantera bandmate, bassist Rex Brown also recently announced he’s starting a new solo project, a Nashville-based band that’ll fall somewhere between Foghat and early Tom Waits.
Another couple of new releases of various sorts will come from Buffalo Ruckus. In the coming weeks, the band’s sophomore record will first earn its release. The band will celebrate that with a September 17 show at Shannon Brewing, which is also whipping up a special Buffalo Ruckus Rye for the occasion. Add them to the growing contingent of local bands with their own beers.
Already with four local beers of their own, meanwhile, the Toadies have further diversified their branding opportunities now that their long-awaited X-Men crossover comic has finally earned its release. Check out a sneak peek of the book here.
Moving on, Sudie premiered the new video for her track “Schitzo” earlier today. It was shot by Jeremy Biggers at Confetti Eddie’s Magic Parlor, and co-stars Confetti Eddie himself.
Also out today is a new one from Snow tha Product, who specifically addresses her Latin fans with her new “Despierta” clip. She captions the video with the following message: “TO ALL MY ENGLISH ONLY FANS, PLEASE DONT BE OFFENDED THAT THIS IS ONLY IN SPANISH THIS MESSAGE IS A POLITICAL MESSAGE TO MY LATINOS, TO LOVE OURSELVES AND UNITE AND NOT PUT EACH OTHER DOWN.”
Elsewhere: FXXXXY was named one of the best new artists of the month by popular blog Pigeons and Planes; Erykah Badu scored her 10th Billboard Top 10; and, once again, the Texas Gentlemen took a better Instagram photo this week than you did.
Cover photo of Oaktopia 2015 by Shane McCormick. Got a tip for White Noise? Email us!