Friday at 35 Denton: From folk to rap, audiophiles soaked up new tunes

by Jessica Harp

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An all-out dance party erupted at Hailey's.

DENTON — 35 Denton isn’t about the mainstream; the four-year-old festival prefers to feature acts that your average music listener has never heard of before. Organizers want to share and showcase acts that deserve to be seen and heard, and during our visit to Denton on Friday night, we managed to catch a few acts that both impressed and intrigued.

Madisons at Sweetwater Grill & Tavern

This Austin band, which consisted eight members, was tucked away in the corner of the makeshift music venue that was split to accommodate the festival on the patio while still keeping the restaurant open to the public. As the musicians played their folk-infused Americana, many curious festivalgoers, fans, and passersby were enthralled with the band’s Lumineers-eqsue sound that was a little more rough around the edges.

The old-timey tunes full of heart and spirit featured homespun melodies that made us want to take our sweetheart down to the ice cream social. With instruments like the fiddle, upright bass, lap guitar, and banjo, the big city band carried a small-town feel.

True Widow at Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studio

Although the trance rockers hit the stage 25 minutes late -- even after the band before them ended on time -- their fans were just fine with waiting in the cramped venue full of hazy cigarette smoke.

The line to get into Rubber Gloves was the length of the building, and by the time True Widow finally performed, the venue was full to capacity. With dedicated fans like that, it is no wonder why 35 Denton coordinators chose this Dallas band to perform at the festival. We were only able to catch a few minutes of their set before moving on to the next show.

Antwon at Hailey’s

An all-out dance party was in full effect even before the San Jose rapper Antwon took the mic at Hailey's. Fat Tony, the previous act, had gotten the crowd so pumped that almost half the room had rushed the stage to shake what their mamas gave them. Antwon didn’t seem to mind, in fact after things had calmed down and he officially started his show, the dance floor was pulsing once again.

Antwon’s heavy-hitting lyrics and retro beats got festivalgoers moving, perhaps providing some extra adrenaline for the after-parties.

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