Wednesday, April 19, 2006 , Updated
Dallas Observer Music Awards - Part 2 1/2 - The Venues
Here's the 2 1/2 installment of the "Preview the Dallas Observer Music Awards Nominees" series. Click here to cast your vote!
Part 2 1/2 - "Best Live Music Venue"
I'm not entirely sure what folks were thinking when they cast their votes for "Best Live Music Venue." Don't get me wrong, the nominees are darn fine choices, but what makes one choose one venue over the other? Sound? Quality of bands? Parking? Bathrooms? Price of a cocktail? Below I'll give you my personal thoughts on the nominated joints.
The nominees are:
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"The Gypsy Tea Room was opened by The Entertainment Collaborative in March of 1998. Built and operated by the owners of The Green Room and Trees, The Gypsy Tea Room is a well-appointed, sophisticated entertainment facility. It features two rooms in one building, a full kitchen and backstage with full bath facilities."
The Tea Room
"The Tea Room is a cozy space of 2500 square feet and is equipped with a vintage bar, upholstered booths and couches, a showcase stage, and a professional sound and light system."
The Ballroom
"The Ballroom is a 10,000 square foot area with a stage, a hardwood dance floor, a professional sound and light system, full bar, and two private parlors with intimate seating and parlor games. Both facilities have a private entrance, The Tea Room entrance is on Elm Street and The Ballroom entrance is on Main Street. There is plenty of parking available and valet parking can be arranged."
Obviously the Gypsy Tea Room has had a significant affect on the Dallas music scene. For as long as I can remember, it has always been the place artists and bands have wanted to play because of its prestige among fans and musicians alike. As long as I can get a spot to lean-on the bar in the Ballroom or the (one and only) booth in the Tea Room, I'm good to go. But I'm old and feeble and need a place to rest my weary bones whilst tossing back Tequila. The staff has always been great and attentive, so no complaints there either. When Bea still booked there, I always got a return call when trying to book bands. After she left for NYC, not so much. I suppose that's my biggest complaint...yo..E.C., answer the damn phone!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Mike Schoder, an entrepreneur who started CD World out of the trunk of his car, now owns the Granada Theater. While bad sound has always plagued the place, Schoder has installed a new six-figure sound system. They serve food again, playing all types of music, especially local acts. Schoder (who looks like a cross between Owen Wilson and Queer Eye's Carson Kressley, although he doesn't know who either is) is the kind of good-hearted, music-loving idealist who wants nothing short of changing the local music scene."
"My mission statement is for everyone to have fun," he concludes. "It's what music is all about anyways. Any of us that can do this for a living have to realize we're the most blessed people on the face of the earth. It's going to be nice to have a place where fans can come and get a taste of that." - from the Granada MySpace
Some of the best times of my life were spent when I lived on the corner of Lower Greenville and McCommas with my bestest friend in the whole world. Many, many, many nights we walked over to The Granada to catch a movie and a bite to eat. Back then I didn't give a flip about the music scene in Dallas - so it's kinda cool for me (personally) that when the Granada changed hands and re-opened as a live music venue, it did so when I was about as immersed as one can get in the local music scene. I love going to shows at the Granada. I love that there's no smoking - for one so's I don't wake up in the morning smelling like a Marlboro Red - and 2 so I don't start bummin' smokes when I get to that tipsy point that I sometimes reach. The pizza is delicious and the staff has always been good to me. The bathroom is seriously to die for...it's huge and clean and fixed-up rather pleasingly. Mike starts the shows early which is a HUGE A+ in my book. The sound has been good at every show I've attended. I guess my only complaint is having to pay for parking. I'm sick to death of paying to park. Otherwise, I love the place.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"The Cavern isn’t a new bar on Lower Greenville, but it was slipping a little. Bands hated to play there because the stage was dinky, the sound system unreliable, and the floor miniscule. Listeners had to either find a booth and get blocked in there for the set or jam up against the bar in the long, narrow club."
"All that changed in August 2005. Revamped by Spune Productions, The Cavern is back as one of the “Best of Dallas.” A robust sound system was put in, the booths were ripped out, and the stage expanded. The Cavern Upstairs still has its cushy couches, perfect for relaxing between sets and for intimate conversation, when the DJs’ speakers aren’t working overtime."
When Lance took over booking and improvements for The Cavern, things definitely did change for the much much much better. The quality of the bands (he books in there) is unquestionably superb. Before you Indie-haters start commenting - I'll admit that The Cavern is very very Indie/alternative, shoe-gazey, experimental heavy - but the bands are all so dang solid. And frankly, I lean towards those genres of music. However, he's willing to book shows in other genres (see Bosque Brown / The Theater Fire / Spitfire Tumbleweeds / Thrift Store Cowboys who have all graced the Cavern's stage), and he's willing to mix it up too (see the May 5th show with Jayson Bales, Travis Hopper and Pikahsso!) Since I rarely attend a show at The Cavern that I'm not recording, I usually always arrive around 6:30 to set up and before 7 PM, parking is only 3-bucks in the back. If you don't like what's going on downstairs, then head upstairs for the best lounge area in the city, a great jukebox and killer DJ sets (like DeeJay CeePee and UP! and Lollipop Shoppe & Mwanza and more). Glen and Josh are great with the sound, at least at all the shows I've attended, so no probs there for me either. I do, however, have some complaints. 1) put in a better lightbulb in the downstairs bathroom. I keep thinking my liver has finally given-out it's so dim and yellow in there. 2) re-paint those treacherous black stairs on both ends of the upstairs. I'm a prime candidate to go rollin' down one of 'em sooner or later. 3) there are a couple of bartenders who deserve awards and a couple who deserve pink slips. Otherwise, The Cavern deserves a place on this list of nominees.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Do something interesting with your day and go here and read the history of Sons of Hermann Hall.
Besides one other Deep Ellum venue (not nominated), Sons is my personal fave. Musicians and bands ranging from pop to rock to country to blues to western swing to alternative have performed there and said bands and musicians have ranged from local up-and-comers to international legends. Everyone who works at Sons are members who do it for free - volunteers - and they've always been friendly and attentive to yours truly. The upstairs is large enough to accomodate a stage, a sound booth, about 20-or-so 25-foot tables and there's still plenty of room to dance if the mood strikes. Downstairs you'll find the regulars hanging out in the bar shootin' the sh*t, playing cards or just enjoying a cold beer. I love Sons...only one complaint - turn on the freakin' air conditioner!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"Hailey's is one of the leading live music venues in the Dallas/Ft. Worth area. In 2004, Hailey's received the "Best of Dallas" award by the Dallas Observer for the best live music venue. Its atmosphere and selection of 52 beers only add to the performances hosted on stage."
I love going to Hailey's. Once again, this is a venue I've never gone to without recording equipment, so I'm usually the first one there, and the last one to leave. Glen Squibb on sound is always magnifique and he's nice enough to let me plug directly into his board if'n I wanna. The bands (both local and nationally touring bands) are always top-notch. Parking is freeeeeeeeeee! My only complaint is more of a request...why not open the other bar when the joint gets really crowded? The main bar is set up sort of in a loungey type area and by the time you fight your way through the listening crowd and fight your way to the front of the bar and fight your way back - you've missed at least 2 songs. Otherwise, Hailey's is always a pleasure - again, another fine Spune production.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Click here for Part 1 - "Best Act in Town"
Click here for Part 2 - "Musician of the Year"
So as you can see kids; this votin' thing is harder than it looks. Next-up - Part 3 - "Album of the Year"...stay tuned...
