Fort Worth Weekly // January 25-31, 2023

EATS & DRINKS

On the Near Southside, newcomer Down ’n Out serves fine cocktails, cold beer, and no pretense.

BY CODY NEATHERY

STUFF

Accepting the Cowboys’ mediocrity actually allows you to enjoy the games.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

Sure Shots

Photographers dutifully capture Fort Worth’s vibrant music scene almost every night, and it’s time we celebrate them.

BY EDWARD BROWN

SCREEN

There’s a good reason

The White Lotus ate up all the awards.

BY JESSICA WALLER

MUSIC

Not Stock on Saturday stars True Widow, Pearl Earl, and several other prestigious North Texas bands.

BY STEVE STEWARD

Anthony Mariani, Editor

Lee Newquist, Publisher

Bob Niehoff, General Manager

Ryan Burger, Art Director

Jim Erickson, Circulation Director

Edward Brown, Staff Writer

Emmy Smith, Proofreader

Michael Newquist, Regional Sales Director

Jennifer Bovee, Marketing Director

Stacey Hammons, Senior Account Executive

Julie Strehl, Account Executive

Tony Diaz, Account Executive Wyatt Newquist,

Clintastic, Brand Ambassador

Christina Berger, E.R. Bills, Jason Brimmer, Buck

D. Elliott, Juan R. Govea, Patrick Higgins, Laurie

James, Kristian Lin, Vishal Malhotra, Cody

Neathery, Wyatt Newquist, Linda Blackwell

Simmons, Madison Simmons, Teri Webster, Ken

Wheatcroft-Pardue, Cole Williams

EDITORIAL

Anthony Mariani, Edward Brown, Emmy Smith

Sure Shots

BY EDWARD BROWN

Whether it’s the effortlessly cool swagger Zach Burns brings to the Unlikely Candidates’ concert images or the cinematic renderings of Charley Crockett’s shows from Brooks Burris, music and photography enjoy a synergistic relationship in Fort Worth.

During packed, raucous shows at Lola’s Fort Worth, Tulips FTW, and elsewhere, these photogs position themselves out of sight and slink around without disturbing concertgoers.

The work doesn’t end with the final ringing note. Often as quickly as possible, the visual artists parse hundreds of images,

editing them as needed so musicophiles can relive the previous night’s glory via Instagram or Facebook.

Fort Worth’s music scene, after two years of inaction, has returned with packed shows, and this resurgence has been made possible, in part, by camera-wielding artists who give the scene vibrant images and pro-

motional footage that last long after the curtains come down.

While not comprehensive, our list includes eight of the most active photogs in town to honor their work and that of the broader community of concert photographers.

For Zach Burns, the next best thing to being onstage was photographing it. “Originally, the plan was to be a bass player in a metal band, but I sucked,” he said, “like really bad.” Since then, Burns has established himself as Fort Worth’s go-to photographer/ videographer, covering alt-rock, metal, and hip-hop acts and events like Firefly Music

Festival, Fortress Fest, Lights All Night, The Emo Night Tour, and the occasional dive bar show. “Live music has always felt like a place of love, acceptance, and selfexpression,” he said. It offers “the freedom of being authentically you or who you want to be. The stage feels like a home to me. For the next 30 minutes to an hour, the world

shuts down, and it’s just everyone sharing a moment with one another. Getting to capture it has been the most rewarding feeling that I can never get enough of.” Burns, who studied photography in college, said his favorite venues to photograph with his Sony A7III are the Chat Room and Southside Ballroom and his favorite bands

include Ryker Hal, UnityTX, and the Unlikely Candidates. Burns feels like this image of rapper Loudiene at the So What?! Music Festival captures his “undying love of why I love our music scene. This photo is how I feel every time I think about it.” Visit @ ZachXBurns or ZachBurnsPhoto.com.

Photographers dutifully capture Fort Worth’s vibrant music scene almost every night, and it’s time we celebrate them.

Feature

continued from page 4

Los Angeles native Jessica Waffles began taking pics at 17, primarily at underground raves. When she moved to North Texas nine years ago, she found a passion for documenting concerts. “I was inspired to uplift underdog artists through photography and videography,” she said. Under her photog brand Waffles Weekly, she works for the Dallas Observer and record labels covering North Texas’ colorful music scene. “The fastpaced environment of live music photography is everchanging,” she said, “and it fuels my desire to keep chasing the moment.” Waffles recently took this dynamic shot of Bailey Chapman from Egg Drop Soup at Sahara Lounge in Austin. Visit @EatMoreWaffles or JessicaWaffles.com.

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Greg Gutbezahl credits his early love of live music shows with his time studying at NYU in the early 1980s. “I was in the right place at the right time,” he recalled. “I was five years late to the punk explosion, but there were still enough musicians to see each night, and eventually I started photographing those shows.” Shooting film was a cumbersome ordeal, he said, but he eagerly snagged photos of popular bands at the time like The Fuzztones, The Tryfles, and The Vipers. Then in 1987, someone stole Gutbezahl’s camera gear. In the early 2000s, Gutbezahl purchased a digital camera — a Canon EOS 6D Mark II — and picked up the hobby again, photographing shows in London, New York, and San Francisco. When he moved to Fort Worth a

few years ago to accommodate his wife’s new job, he quickly connected with Mean Motor Scooter and other bands across North Texas. The self-taught photog’s favorite local music acts include The WeeBeasties, Levi Ray, Big Heaven, and 88 Killa. Now a professional photographer for hire, Gutbezahl shoots fashion shows and portraits. He was voted critic’s choice for best photographer in the Weekly’s 2022 Best Of awards. He loves taking images near the stage, and the up-close energy from those intimate encounters shows with this photograph of Phantomelo bassist Panda Cuenca, snagged at MASS mid-2019. Visit @Greg.Gutbezahl.Glam.Gigs or GregGutbezahlGlamGigs.com.

As a teen and early twentysomething, Brooks Burris took disposable or point-andshoot cameras to concerts. “When my daughter was born, I decided it was time to invest in a nice camera and follow my passion,” he said. Burris began shooting professionally in early 2018 when he invested in a Canon R6. “Since then, I’ve been able to work with many music venues and international musicians,” he said, adding that his favorite venues to photograph are Dickies Arena, The Post at

River East, and Tulips FTW. “The core motivator for me with live music photography is all of the unpredictable elements coming together to create a powerful image.” Burris, whose favorite memory is photographing performances at Willie Nelson’s Luck Ranch, admits he is a superfan of Charley Crockett and snagged this image while the Americana singersongwriter was on tour in Grand Junction, Colorado, last April. Visit @ BrooksBurrisPhotography.

If Juan R. Govea were a name-dropper, he’d have major credentials to boast about, namely past gigs photographing big festivals like Fortress, Index, Punk in Drublic, and South by Southwest. The photog and Weekly writer has captured shows by national acts, and that work inspires him to cover local bands as a writer, he said. “I feel I’m lucky to be able to capture and talk with these artists and musicians in support of their talents,” he said. He took this photo of local country artist and Asleep at the Wheel pianist Ginny Mac at MASS in 2020. Visit @NTX_ Subculture_Nerd.

Walt Burns snags images of events, landscapes, and real estate, and he also takes portraits. “Taking pictures had been my side hustle until the pandemic eliminated my day job of 15 years,” he said. “One of my favorite avenues of working with a camera is shooting live shows. I have always enjoyed live music. Over the years, I’ve tried to attend every gig, concert, song swap, and house show that I could find.” One of the photog’s proudest moments was landing his portrait of Siberian Traps on the cover of the Weekly. “I taught myself photography by watching YouTube tutorials. I was able to combine my love for photography and for music with my love for the camaraderie found in the local music scene.” The house photographer for Wild Acre Live — his favorite venue to work along with Tulips FTW — and Fortress Presents said he approaches every show with the same mindset. “When given the chance to capture the energy of a show, I respond by framing each shot to tell the story of the night,” he said, adding that his camera of choice is a Nikon D850. “It has never felt like a job to me.” The multitalented photographer recently aimed his lens at Fort Worth singer-songwriter Jake Paleschic at Tulips FTW. Visit @WaltBurnsPhotography or WaltBurns.com.

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For Dylan Cox, his goal is to collaborate with local musicians to create stunning, meaningful pictorial works. “As a fellow musician, I know firsthand the significance of capturing the raw energy and passion of live performances,” he said, adding that his favorite venue to film at was the recently closed MASS. “That’s why I am dedicated to showcasing local bands through my photography and videography. For me, there’s nothing more rewarding than capturing a moment that speaks to the heart of the music and the people who create it. My goal is to bring a unique perspective to every project I work on.” The selftaught photographer’s talent shines in this shot of Driving Slow Motion that he took with his Sony A7 III at Harvest House in Denton two years ago. Visit @ LifeNSnapShots or LifeinSnapShots.com.

Up next in our series spotlighting local photography are two photo essays, one highlighting the works of area photojournalists and the other celebrating fine art photographers. l

Jose Serrato regularly bought copies of Circus, Rolling Stone, and Spin as a teen. “It made me feel like I was there,” he recalled. “I could hear the music through those photos. If any of my photos give off that feeling for someone, then I know I did my job.” Serrato dabbled in live show photography in the early 2000s when he wasn’t playing gigs. Around 10 years into his photography hobby, he invested in a professional camera and started pushing himself to learn to work in difficult lighting situations. “Lola’s [Saloon] was the place I spent most of my time learning how to shoot under various lighting situations,” he said. He learned to film in “smoke, thanks

to the Me-Thinks,” local hard rockers who love using their fog machine onstage. After learning how to navigate local shows, Serrato now slings his Nikon mirrorless Z 6 — his camera of choice because he said all the pros use it — to film touring acts and large performance venues. “Shooting local bands here in the Fort will always be my favorite thing to do,” he said. “Working with local bands like Celestial L’amour, Good Latimer, and Lockjaw has been a great experience.” Celestial L’amour, shown here at Tulips FTW in mid-2021, has an “easy stage presence” that makes them fun to photograph, he said. Visit @DigitalInk817 or DigitalInk817.com.

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ALLEY”

STUFF

Stop Expecting Greatness from Merely Good

The Cowboys’ season ends in the most Cowboys fashion imaginable, failing to make the NFC Championship for the 27th consecutive year.

BY PATRICK HIGGINS

And just like that, it’s all over. The better part of a year’s worth of emotional investment built to a single critical moment has abruptly vanished. Despite our heroes’ best efforts, Football Thanos has successfully collected the Pigskin-finity stones and snapped his lethal fingers. A potential sixth Cowboys Lombardi trophy has suddenly withered to dust, carried away by the breeze.

The space once filled with our season-long dreams and aspirations sits suddenly empty. Hopelessness and frustration are rushing in to fill the vacuum left behind. It’s another year. Another playoff loss. And another failed Cowboys season. Let us weep, rend our garments, scream great primal howls of anguish, and refuse food or water in protests as we wallow in our collective despair.

The bad guys win again, kids. For the second straight year, Dallas’ postseason ambitions were felled by the playoff supervillain San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. The ’Boys, decidedly on brand, were once again their own worst enemy, succumbing to their classic conference rival by a score of 12-19 in typical, hair-pulling, chest-aching, “What the hell are they doing?!” Cowboys fashion. Penalty-filled, turnover-plagued, ineffectively schemed, and potential unachieved — it checked all the usual boxes. The genes that have

defined Cowboy football DNA for a quarter-century now were on full display and look ripe for cloning the next quarter-century of mediocre seasons to come.

Thanks to the solid defense that has been the identity of this team throughout the year, and despite a return to the ineptitude that has often plagued the offense over the course of the year, the game was there for the taking into the final minutes. Then, as if to outdo the embarrassing QB draw play that ran the game clock to zero to seal their loss to the Niners a year ago, this year’s Cowboys’ attempt at a last-minute comeback ended in an infinitely more bizarre and confounding way. It’s now a core memory, the perplexing image of running back Ezekiel Elliott snapping the ball in place of the center only to then be completely trucked by a Niners rusher chasing Dak Prescott out of a nonexistent pocket, forcing the QB to settle for an impotent four-yard pass to an immediately tackled Kavonte Turpin as time expired. Thanks.

In the immediate aftermath of a postseason loss, it’s easy to get mired in the emotion. We call for coaches to be fired and players to be cut and burn our jerseys in effigy, desperate for some place to lay the blame. A target to focus our pent-up rage. Or grief. I’m not immune. I’ve been

prone to these sorts of tantrums from time to time. Yet after 27 years of wheel-spinning Groundhog Day seasons of Cowboy football, I’ve actually managed to develop something that has helped me keep things in perspective, keep a handle on the feels, and has therefore exponentially increased my enjoyment as a fan: I simply expect it to be this way.

I don’t mean that to sound as defeatist as it probably does, but, honestly, why would it be any other way? In a former life (one I’ve tried desperately to Eternal-Sunshine-of-the-Spotless-Mind out of my memory), I worked in sales. I recall a phrase often repeated by my manager at the time: “Good is the enemy of great.” It’s the sort of nauseating sales-jargony platitude that makes the world despise salespeople nearly as much as members of Congress, but there is some grain of wisdom beneath the scummy, too-white-smiled, schlocky veneer.

As it applies to football, the maxim is all too literal.

Regardless of another disappointing devoid-of-championship season, the Cowboys are a good football team. They, with few random exceptions, typically are. And that is exactly their problem. They’re good. Not great. They’re never good enough to

win it all (or even get close), but they’re also never bad enough that fans don’t buy into the fact that they just maybe could, so we as fans are caught in an endless loop of hope and frustration.

Making the playoffs just about every other year tends to give the expectation you belong there. It also ensures you’re never picking high enough to acquire premier talent in the draft, the sort of talent necessary to actually do something in the playoffs once you get there. There’s never a rebuild because they never have to tear it down.

There’s a point of view that what happens in the regular season, even a pretty dang good 12-win season, doesn’t matter. How the season ends is what’s important, and if when it does you’re not hoisting a hunk of metal over your head in a snowfall of confetti, it’s all been a failure. But when a good regular season is all you can reasonably expect, the sting of not having that hunk of metal doesn’t hurt as much.

So take heart Cowboy fans. Another likely semi-successful Wild Card-berth season ending before the NFC Championship game begins in just six months. Don’t expect anything more, and you might actually enjoy the games. l

When you think about it, Dak Prescott is the perfect quarterback for the Cowboys. He’s really good — but far from great.

Courtesy DallasCowboys.com

SCREEN

Checking In

Creator, writer, and director Mike White won the Golden Globe for Best Writing and Directing in a Limited Series, and Jennifer Coolidge won the Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe and Emmy. During his Golden Globe acceptance speech, White roasted all the elites in the seats (and watching at home), saying, “I know you all passed on this show, so this moment really is gratifying.”

White came from a background of repression as a gay man raised by a closeted gay man who was highly instrumental in the right-wing church movement of the 1980s as a speechwriter for Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, and Billy Graham. However, White’s father came out in the early ’90s, breaking the cycle of repression embedded in the social structures of the conservative elite and becoming a powerful influence on the filmmaker.

The

.

BY JESSICA WALLER

After discerning audiences survived the tidal wave of pollution that was reality TV in the last couple of decades (an oil spill from Jersey Shore to ultra-wealthy sex-tape celebs and housewives), a void grew in the zeitgeist for less trashy shows, ones that satirized the “elite” instead of glamorizing their talentless schtick. Fortunately, American culture runs in cyclical waves of moderation, a balancing act not too terribly unlike politics, keeping the toxic waste at bay.

Enter: the success of, well, Succession, which exploded two years ago on HBO, as well as films like Knives Out/The Glass Onion and The Menu. HBO continues ushering in this new wave of schadenfreude whose practitioners examine the fear, confusion, and loneliness of the wealthy through the truth of art as opposed to the façade of “reality.”

The network’s most recent dark comedy just wrapped its second season after a first that addicted audiences mercilessly last year, and, much like Succession earlier, The White Lotus swept the Golden Globes and Emmys.

White’s ability to lacerate these structures is on full display from the experience of a man who grew up wealthy and saw the hypocrisy of those around him firsthand. In everything White has written, a deep respect for homosexuals, women, and oppressed populations gleams brilliantly — especially off the razor-sharp blade of his satires, with The White Lotus as arguably his best work to date.

The series revolves around a chain of White Lotus hotels, and, like the first season, this one sends up the patrons’ tacky sense of entitlement and their lust for power, juxtaposed with the scrappy plight and tenacity of the native servants. Season 2 finds the traveling elite in Sicily, and while the theme remains, it’s slightly altered. Instead of chasing money, they are consumed with the oldest currency known to humankind: sex.

From the first episode, we see all the main characters struggling with how to handle or control sexuality. The cast includes: two Sicilian sex workers/best friends/lovers who always seem to be having the most fun, using their charms to exploit the attractive one-percenters; three generations of men in a Sicilian family making the trip to reconnect with their roots only to discover the family tree is poisoned by infidelity and misogyny; a left-wing couple undergoing a power struggle with gender roles but who have an honest marriage; two right-wingers

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who pose as perfection but have a dishonest marriage; and then there’s Tanya.

Aside from a brief encounter with her husband (Jon Gries) in Episode 1, Jennifer Coolidge is the only returning character from last year, and her winning all the awards for this role surprised no one. She is unequivocally the best anti-hero of the year. Ripping off one-liners from her completely entitled POV and delivering them impeccably with zero self-awareness, Coolidge (whom everyone self included — needs to stop calling “Stiffler’s mom”) is the perfect vessel for White’s comic relief, and she single-handedly keeps the show from crossing over to the dark side. Her nuanced performance somehow humanizes the obscenely rich, but it’s not so much empathy we feel as a desire to protect this endearingly authentic, albeit mind-numbingly daft, diva from herself.

You can’t help but root for super-wealthy Tanya, who, try as she might, never finds love, friendship, or any semblance of a command of her sexuality. Living in a bubble of inherited billions has robbed her of any sense of self-re-

spect. Though her character arc does linger in and out of pathos, by the season finale, she has killed all the men trying to kill her, and yet after all of the bloodshed, her most pressing concern is whether or not her husband is cheating on her. And we love her undying, innocent hope. Tanya is the most palatable epitome of the never-ending childhood of the privileged and ultimately the pulse of the show.

The exactitude with which White inverts the hierarchical social structure of these characters through exhaustive detail and poetic mystery is addicting. The one message that comes through clearly in an otherwise cryptic story is: Attaining a joyful life is possible through art and love as opposed to power and control. In the last moments of the season finale, the residents of The White Lotus return to their dysfunctional home lives while the two sex workers — who have found a way out of the profession through art and love — bounce along joyfully arm-in-arm through the gorgeous streets of Sicily as the credits roll to “The Best Things in Life Are Free.” l

Satirizing the wealthy instead of gawking at them has never been tastier than it is at

White Lotus

As the heart of a pretty show about terrible people, Jennifer Coolidge deserves all the awards.

September 18, 2022–January 29, 2023

Promotional support provided by

Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, Two Women at a Window, c. 1655–60, oil on canvas. National Gallery of Art, Washington, Widener Collection, 1942.9.46

This exhibition is organized by the Kimbell Art Museum.

The Kimbell Art Museum is supported in part by Arts Fort Worth, the Texas Commission on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

NIGHT&DAY

I-20, 972-602-8383). Shows are at 7:30pm Thu-Sat, plus 1:30pm and 4:30pm SatSun. Tickets start at $10 at Silver.CirqueItalia.com.

How is your vinyl record collection looking? If you’re like me, you can always use more. The Friends of the Keller Library are hosting a Vinyl Record Swap at the Keller Public Library (640 Johnson Rd, 817-743-4800) at 6pm. Along with the opportunity to trade with other attendees ages 16 and up, used albums will be available for trading or purchasing.

Local visual artists have reimagined legendary Texas music makers of the past and present and have submitted their works to Mark Joeckel, owner of Create Arlington Studios (304 W Main St, 682-248-8424). You can see the chosen pieces at Create’s curated exhibit The Lone Star Sings: Portraits of Texas Musicians. The 15 artists who participated include Taylor Banks, Susan Brents Shelton, Stacy Camp -

bell, Andrea Chudoba, Wes Coke, April Hopkins, RaSun Kazadi, Serge Machial, Sergio Santos, Dawn Siler, Justin Simmons, Kennedeigh Smith, and Sam Watson. Lone Star Sings is up 11am-6pm Mon-Fri thru Fri, Feb 3. There is no cost to enter, but a $5 donation is suggested.

Hosted by The Movie Mutant (@MovieMutant), this monthly secret screening of an obscure genre film is once again at Southside Preservation Hall (1519 Lipscomb St, 817-926-2800). At 5pm, enjoy the Night Market with local artists, collectors, and other small-business vendors in the ballroom. Then at 7pm, head to the chapel for the Retro Preshow festivities, followed by the movie at 8pm. This month’s film will be an ’80s slasher comedy. Parking will be available in the lot behind the hall on Maddox Street. A pay-what-you-can donation is requested at the door. This event is BYOB, and food trucks will be on-site for snack attacks.

By Jennifer Bovee

Having just traveled the world with Grammy-winning trumpeter Chris Botti as the featured touring vocalist for Botti’s solo album Sometimes a Rose Will Grow in Concrete, actor/singer/writer Sy Smith is the featured musical artist for the Denton Black Film Festival 2023. She performs at 8pm at the Margo Jones Performance Hall on the campus of Texas Woman’s University (1100 Oakland St, 940-898-3644). Tickets are $40-70 at DBFF23.eventive.org.

Speaking of the Denton Black Film Festival, in-person art, film, music, and spoken word can be seen at many locations in Denton Wed, Jan 25, thru Sunday, with extended virtual programming thru Sun, Feb 5. Passes range from $45 to $250 for the different experience levels available. For more information, visit DentonBFF.com/Film-Festival.

Ridglea Metalfest, celebrating its 15th anniversary this weekend, will feature 30 bands and utilize all three stages of the Ridglea Theater (6025 Camp Bowie Blvd, 817-738-9500). Doors are at 3pm, with the first acts going on at 3:30pm. There’s a lot to see! Negative 263 and Semper Acerbus will wrap up the evening on the Local Menace Stage and My Merch Guy Stage, respectively, at 11pm. The finale on the Main Stage will feature headliners Lowgear at 10:30pm and Lockjaw at 11:30pm. Tickets start at $20 at RidgleaMetalFest.com.

Cirque Italia Water Circus is back with a new pirate-themed show for 2023 called Fire in the Hole , featuring acrobatics by its Silver Unit touring troupe in a 35,000-gallon water stage under a big top tent in the parking lot of Grand Prairie Premium Outlets (2950 W

Wes Coke and more have contributed portraits of great Texas musicians to an exhibit at Create Arlington Studios hanging thru Feb 3.

Cirque Italia Water Circus performs in Grand Prairie Thu-Sun.

EATS & drinks

Down, Out, and In

This pretty, cozy, new Near Southside spot is all things to all people.

STORY AND PHOTOS

BY CODY NEATHERY

While bars attract many labels, here at this new Near Southside haunt, you will not find a lounge or a dive or anything else that begs to be labeled. Although visually, both can be interchangeable when attempting to describe Down ’n Out, it’s just a regular bar, a local spot where anyone can come and feel at home. Catering to the neighborhood is so important that upcoming plans include opening early one morning a month to accommodate hospital workers after overnight shifts.

Walking into the Down ’n Out for the first time during their Sippin’ Santa Tiki Pop-Up, I caught owner Eric Vickers and told him that his new place reminds me of a 1960s Holiday Inn bar.

“Yes!” he said. “That’s a huge compliment, exactly what I was going for, a place for people from all backgrounds.”

Vickers, a commercial real estate broker by trade who helped helm deals for nearby Nickel City Saloon and Love Local Coffee Shop, always had a dream of nabbing a place to call his own. Nickel City owner Travis Tober believed in his vision and opted to partner with him, taking over a former sports bar on the corner of South Main Street and Rosedale Avenue.

Although there is visual evidence of Tober’s influence, the bar design is all Vickers. Dual pool tables hovering over check-

ered floors greet you along with a spacious seating area with scalloped, turquoise-hued vinyl booths and high tops near the bar, all of which can be rearranged to accommodate tail shaking. Neon lights and wood paneling outline the premises. And the stone accent wall with globe light fixtures?

“That’s a reminder of my youth, all of it,” Vickers said. “The wood paneling, the vinyl seating, the stone wall — those are all memories I pulled from visiting my grandparents’ house.”

Ironically enough, they’re all trendy, a full nostalgia circle along with the excellent timing.

To operate what can be a complicated business, he knew he needed an industry veteran to take control of the bar. Longtime Fairmount maven and former Heim Barbecue bartender Nick Snow fit perfectly. Vickers will be the first to admit he is learning the industry as he goes but gives all credit to Snow.

“Nick will be — and hopefully already is — the face of the bar,” Vickers said. “I’m not a bartender by any means and don’t claim to know anything about bartending. That’s why we brought Nick in. He’s our guy, and he runs the bar. … Also, the music runs the bar.”

continued on page 16

A sturdy lineup of tasty libations is ready to meet your thirst.

continued from page 14

Happy hour is 3-6pm Mon-Fri with $3 Bud drafts, $4 frozen boot shots, and $7 specialty cocktails. The ones calling your name are spins on classics, like the Mountain Dew Margarita, a spicy gimlet, and an Oolong Island Iced Tea (a boozy blend topped with cola). Frozen beverages stay tropical, like the Pandan Pina Colada, the strawberry ginger daquiri, and a playful blend of both known as the Miami Vice.

Down ’n Out will soon release a monthly calendar that includes karaoke, DJ dance parties, pool tournaments, and local sports when in season (and they’re always in season). Food so far has consisted of in-house taco pop-ups and a frequent food truck named Oye Chico churning out impressive Cubano sanguiches

If being a regular bar translates to somewhere that isn’t stuffy or gimmicky, or an attempt to mimic a dive bar or an Irish pub, then the Down ’n Out capitalizes on just that. l

Not a dive bar, not a nightclub — Down ’n Out is just a homey tavern.

Pull up a comfy seat. An Oolong Island Iced Tea awaits.

Set your expectations.

LIVING LOCAL

Cafe Enduro is Coming Soon: The Promise of Fresh Ground Coffee Endures in Riverside

Promotional Feature

What you get with Enduro Coffee Roasters (2416 Ludelle St, 817-3499337) is the local service and attention to detail you won’t find at the big box suppliers. All coffee is roasted to order, with new shipments being received each month. It also leases equipment.

Open since March of 2018, Enduro has been solely focused on its wholesale business and online sales. Until now.

Located across the street from the Trinity River Trail System, the new Cafe Enduro building at 400 Oakhurst Scenic Dr in Fort Worth isn’t a completely new build. (By “breaking ground(s),” we simply mean that we love a good pun.) Until last year, the space had been the construction office

of a residential community. Now, the space will soon serve as the home base for some of the best coffee in town.

Cafe Enduro will feature a full espresso bar, local breakfast tacos, pastries, various iced teas, and other refreshments for the hikers and bikers off the trail. “We aim to be a stopping point for a quick recharge,” says owner Anthony Parrotta. “There will be both indoor and outdoor seating, with bike racks, a filtered water bottle fill station, and water bowls outside for the pups.”

All coffee will be roasted onsite at a roastery located back-of-the-house and processed in the next room. The facilities at Cafe Enduro will include a coffee lab to host cuppings and give coffee courses on everything from farm to cup.

As Enduro is certified by the SCA (Specialty Coffee Association) in both roasting and barista skills, training will be offered to local businesses on how best to teach employees about specialty coffee preparation.

While a fall 2022 opening was originally in the works, every day Cafe Enduro is closer to being a reality. Keep an eye on Enduro’s social media pages for event dates and details on the grand opening festivities.

MUSIC

Not Stock Saturday

True Widow, Pearl Earl, Sealion, and more will rock Tulips as part of a second annual alternative to the rodeo.

BY STEVE STEWARD

It’s not that Jason Suder dislikes the annual stock show and rodeo. The Tulips FTW owner just wants those of us who aren’t interested in three weeks of saluting animal husbandry and ungulate riding to have

continued on page 22

Heavy, brooding Dallas rockers True Widow headlines a night of non-stock show stuff at Tulips FTW Saturday.

Music

continued from page 20

something else to do. That’s really why Not Stock exists.

“It’s not like we’re competing with the rodeo,” Suder said, “but it’s to provide an alternative to what everyone else has always done.”

Saturday night at Tulips will mark the festival’s second edition. Dark Dallas rockers True Widow will headline, Dallas’ Pearl Earl will travel from L.A. and Hey Cowboy from Austin, and Dallas’ Sealion will reunite. Grunge rockers Smothered, psychedelia specialists Sunbuzzed, and metalists Doomfall, all from Denton, plus Austin-based prog-punks Big Bill and angular, punchy power-pop locals Cool Jacket round out the bill. Local printmakers Andrew Hammond Kendall and Jackdaw Russell will have artwork for sale.

“For now,” Suder said, “it’s just one day, but I would love for it to grow into a week’s worth of rock activities, especially during the stock show, because everywhere you go, it’s country music and cowboys, and if that’s not your thing, well, here’s something else to do.”

Unironically, Suder was wearing a stock show jacket when we talked about it, so it’s not as if he harbors ill will or distaste toward Fort Worth’s annual celebration of ranch life and cowboy culture, and he is quick to drop his bona fides. “I grew up with the rodeo. I was born and raised in Fort Worth. My buddies’ families would have boxes at the rodeo, so it would be us, a bunch of 16-year-olds hopped up on Keystone and Levi Garrett, making idiots of ourselves. It’s a Fort Worth institution, and I have a lot of fond memories. I absolutely love the rodeo. When I lived in Wyoming, I used to cover the [Jackson Hole Rodeo] for the newspaper, and when I’d lived in Idaho before that, I ended up covering the rodeo there. In Idaho, they were like, ‘Listen, we know you don’t know anything about this rodeo, but you’re from Fort Worth, so come on in.’ But in Fort Worth, the rodeo is not all what [Fort Worthians] do. What if you love this city and you also love art and live music that aren’t necessarily country and Western? With Not Stock, we’re trying to say that Fort Worth is so much more than just the rodeo.”

I think that “so much more” part, the art and music cultural component Suder is talking about, harks back to the Fort

Worth creative scene of a decade ago, when it seemed like every third person you talked to was in a band or appearing in an art pop-up. Suder mentioned long-shuttered multi-use spaces like the Where House, the Blackhouse, and even The Door as places where — I lack a better word for this, unfortunately — alternative culture flourished. Mentally, I added to his list both 1919 Hemphill and Shipping & Receiving and its companion space, the Tilt Room.

All of these venues operated more or less on a DIY model, offering entertainment and events ranging from all-day music fests, weekly dance and movie nights, and wild-ass art shows to above-ground pool parties, lowrider meet-ups, and pro wrestling bouts. None of those spaces exist anymore, and while Tulips is indeed a regular type of club — it has a liquor license, the sound is great, a major agency (Spune) books the shows, and the bathrooms are nice — Not Stock is certainly the kind of event that might have happened at one of those long-gone spaces if they were still around. In fact, Sealion and Pearl Earl on a bill with True Widow is a show I would have been very stoked to see in 2014, a time when North Texas music was arguably at its peak.

I think about that time a lot, and in my head, Not Stock has a twinge of nostalgia for that era, the mental equivalent of a minor 7th chord or the Nashville filter on an Instagram photo. But it’s not just the lineup that makes me feel this way. The event itself feels like a throwback to a pre-Trump, pre-COVID time — Not Stock, as well as Southside Spillover, the two-day post-SXSW fest that Tulips is hosting March 1819 — are both younger cousins to Spune’s Deep Ellum-based Spillover fests of the 2010s, when live music was pretty much everywhere and SXSW was still a thing people got excited about. Suder and Spune are not so much trying to recreate that before-time as restart it. Suder drew attention to the fact that like last year’s Not Stock, this year’s version is composed entirely of bands from Texas, and they’re mostly from Dallas and Denton, and he’s already thinking about the show’s future.

“I would absolutely love to expand Not Stock into a two-day or all-weekend-long event,” Suder said, “like, let it spill onto St. Louis Avenue and do a big-ass festival out there, where we have, like, 40 venues and five food trucks and let it be something to do that’s kind of in tandem with the stock show.”

While it is probably impossible to draw attention away from such a historic and economic juggernaut like the Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo — that thing, as they say, is indeed “legendary” — Not Stock could at least be mentioned in the same conversation about things to do in Fort Worth every January. But even without tying its existence to the context of the rodeo, Not Stock is a pretty great event on its own, the kind of thing Fort Worth music lovers ought to have on their list of annual don’t-sleep-on-these concerts. l

Not Stock

3pm Sat w/True Widow, Pearl Earl, Hey Cowboy, Sealion, Doomfall, Big Bill, Smothered, Sunbuzzed, and Cool Jacket at Tulips FTW, 112 St. Louis Av, FW. $20-25. 817-367-9798.

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PET ADOPTIONS

Texas Commission on environmenTal QualiTy

EXAMPLE A

AMENDED

NOTICE OF RECEIPT OF APPLICATION AND INTENT TO OBTAIN AIR PERMIT (NORI) RENEWAL

PERMIT NUMBER 21045

APPLICATION. POLYMER ADDITIVES, INC., has applied to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) for renewal of Air Quality Permit Number 21045, which would authorize continued operation of the Polymer Additives Fort Worth facility located at 510 East Central Avenue, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas 76164. AVISO DE IDIOMA ALTERNATIVO. El aviso de idioma alternativo en espanol está disponible en https://www.tceq.texas.gov/permitting/air/newsourcereview/ airpermits-pendingpermit-apps. This link to an electronic map of the site or facility’s general location is provided as a public courtesy and not part of the application or notice. For exact location, refer to application. http://www.tceq.texas. gov/assets/public/hb610/index.html?lat=32.781666&lng=-97.344166&zoom=13&type=r. The facility will emit the following air contaminants: carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, particulate matter including particulate matter with diameters of 10 microns or less and 2.5 microns or less, volatile organic compounds, ammonia gas, and sulfur dioxide.

This application was submitted to the TCEQ on September 21, 2022. The application will be available for viewing and copying at the TCEQ central office, TCEQ Dallas/Fort Worth regional office, and the Fort Worth Public Library Central Library, 500 West 3rd Street, Fort Worth, Tarrant County, Texas beginning the first day of publication of this notice. The facility’s compliance file, if any exists, is available for public review in the Dallas/Fort Worth regional office of the TCEQ.

The executive director has determined the application is administratively complete and will conduct a technical review of the application. Information in the application indicates that this permit renewal would not result in an increase in allowable emissions and would not result in the emission of an air contaminant not previously emitted. The TCEQ may act on this application without seeking further public comment or providing an opportunity for a contested case hearing if certain criteria are met.

PUBLIC COMMENT. You may submit public comments to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. The TCEQ will consider all public comments in developing a final decision on the application and the executive director will prepare a response those comments. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the TCEQ’s jurisdiction to address in the permit process.

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OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONTESTED CASE HEARING. You may request a contested case hearing if you are a person who may be affected by emissions of air contaminants from the facility. If requesting a contested case hearing, you must submit the following: (1) your name (or for a group or association, an official representative), mailing address, daytime phone number; (2) applicant’s name and permit number; (3) the statement “[I/we] request a contested case hearing;” (4) a specific description of how you would be adversely affected by the application and air emissions from the facility in a way not common to the general public; (5) the location and distance of your property relative to the facility; (6) a description of how you use the property which may be impacted by the facility; and (7) a list of all disputed issues of fact that you submit during the comment period. If the request is made by a group or association, one or more members who have standing to request a hearing must be identified by name and physical address. The interests the group or association seeks to protect must also be identified. You may also submit your proposed adjustments to the application/permit which would satisfy your concerns.

The deadline to submit a request for a contested case hearing is 15 days after newspaper notice is published. If a request is timely filed, the deadline for requesting a contested case hearing will be extended to 30 days after mailing of the response to comments.

If any requests for a contested case hearing are timely filed, the Executive Director will forward the application and any requests for a contested case hearing to the Commissioners for their consideration at a scheduled Commission meeting. Unless the application is directly referred to a contested case hearing, the executive director will mail the response to comments along with notification of Commission meeting to everyone who submitted comments or is on the mailing list for this application. The Commission may only grant a request for a contested case hearing on issues the requestor submitted in their timely comments that were not subsequently withdrawn. If a hearing is granted, the subject of a hearing will be limited to disputed issues of fact or mixed questions of fact and law relating to relevant and material air quality concerns submitted during the comment period. Issues such as property values, noise, traffic safety, and zoning are outside of the Commission’s jurisdiction to address in this proceeding.

MAILING LIST. In addition to submitting public comments, you may ask to be placed on a mailing list for this application by sending a request to the Office of the Chief Clerk at the address below. Those on the mailing list will receive copies of future public notices (if any) mailed by the Office of the Chief Clerk for this application.

AGENCY CONTACTS AND INFORMATION. Public comments and requests must be submitted either electronically at www14.tceq.texas.gov/epic/eComment/, or in writing to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, Office of the Chief Clerk, MC-105, P.O. Box 13087, Austin, Texas 78711-3087. Please be aware that any contact information you provide, including your name, phone number, email address and physical address will become part of the agency’s public record. For more information about this permit application or the permitting process, please call the Public Education Program toll free at 18006874040. Si desea información en Español, puede llamar al 1-800-687-4040.

Further information may also be obtained from Polymer Additives, Inc., 510 East Central Avenue, Fort Worth, Texas 761649218 or by calling Mr. John Glassmyer, Polymer AdditivesFort Worth, at (216) 875-7252.

Amended Notice Issuance Date: January 3, 2023.

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