If we’re being honest, Independence Day falling on a Monday this year means that most of us are blowing off work this week and/or next as we head into a much-needed four-day weekend. (And by “we,” I mean me.) Are you daydreaming about July 4th plans, too? I can help. Here are a few select options.
817.617.2347 WWW.VATOLOCOTATTOOSTUDIO.COM
FORT WORTH The Fort Worth Botanic Garden (3220 Botanic Garden Blvd, 817-463-4160) is celebrating Independence Day over two nights this year. The Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will perform patriotic songs and marches, and there’ll be fireworks. Bring the whole family, and pack a picnic. The lot opens at 5pm, and the show starts at 8:30pm Sun-Mon. Tickets start at $25 at FWSymphony.org/CITG.
2
ARLINGTON Levitt Pavilion (100 W Abram St, 817-5434301) is the home base for Light Up Arlington 2022 with live music by Donovan Keith with opening band Ryan Berg & The Velvet Ears. The festivities are 6pm-10pm, featuring kid-friendly activities and food trucks, plus fireworks starting at 9:50pm. For more info, visit ArlingtonTX.gov. See the free Light Up Arlington event in style at Arlington Music Hall (224 N Center St, 817-226-4400) 4pm-10:30pm Sun. With the Chicken and a Chair promotion, receive a VIP table, a chicken dinner from Babe’s Chicken Dinner House (230 N Center St, 817-801-0300), drink tickets, free soda/water, and a great view of the fireworks. Dinner is 6:30pm-8:30pm, and the fireworks start at 9:50pm. Tickets are $20-$70 on Eventbrite.com. The Tarrant County Central Labor Council (@TarrantCountyCLC) hosts its annual July 4th Parade & Labor Walk (600 S Center St, 817-284-1461), the oldest event in Arlington, at 9am Mon. For details about the parade route or participating in the walk, visit ActionNetwork.org/Events/July-4thLabor-Walk. This event is free to attend.
FLOWER MOUND C o u r t e s y Fa c e b o o k
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
I N D E P E N D E N C E D AY 2 0 2 2
fwweekly.com
Enjoy Fort Worth’s Fourth along the Trinity River at Panther Island Pavilion (395 Purcey St, 817-698-0700) on Monday, featuring one of the largest July 4th fireworks shows in North Texas. General Admission is free. Doors are at 5pm, and the fireworks start at 9:30pm. Food vendors will be on-site selling corndogs, crawfish, hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza, roasted corn, and turkey legs. Plus, sweet treats like funnel cakes and snow cones will be available for sale throughout the festival grounds. Beer, wine, and soft drinks will be served on-site at multiple bars. No outside food, drinks, or coolers are allowed. For more information, visit FortWorthFourth.com.
The rooftop of the building at 1311 Lipscomb St was a great place to watch fireworks long before Free Play Arcade (@ FreePlayFtWorth, 817-242-8487) moved in. “We cannot even keep track of how many different fireworks shows you can watch from our rooftop, but it’s one of the coolest experiences we’ve ever been a part of!” Free Play has embraced the awesomeness of its rooftop by recently opening Slushy’s Secret Rooftop Tiki Bar up there. Along with drinks and tons of arcade games, Free Play has award-winning food available for purchase. You are invited to join the fireworks watch party 5pm-10pm Mon. The entry fee is $12, including tax.
Enjoy a Patriotic Picnic at Nash Farms Friday.
The City of Flower Mound is bringing in some Texas Country for Independence Fest 2022 5pm-10:30pm Mon. See the Randy Rogers Band at Bakersfield Park (1201 Duncan Ln, 972-955-7328) with disco cover outfit Le Freak. Food vendors continued on page 4
FEATURING
The Double Cheese Burger
BEST RAMEN WINNER - Fort Worth Weekly Best Of 2021
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
I N D E P E N D E N C E D AY 2 0 2 2
fwweekly.com
5181 River Oaks Blvd, River Oaks, TX 76114 | 817-404-3244
3
HearSay The Flickerstick Test
RIDGLE A THE ATER
SAT 7/16 EVOLVE THE REVOLUTION: AN EVENING WITH CADILLAC MUZIK, EREC SMITH; JASON LITTLEFIELD A LECTURE DISCUSSION FOLLOWED BY A CONCERT
BFF MUSIC AND LAUGHTER: SAT 7/30 K BROSAS & POKWANG
P O LY P H I A FRI 9/2 WITH UNPROCESSED & DEATH TOUR
RIDGLE A ROOM
THUR PICTURESQUE, 6/30 OUTLINE IN COLOR, DEAD AMERICAN FRI SOUNDS LIKE SUMMER 7/1 FT. TRINITITE, JAYBIRDS & MORE SAT SAXOPHONIST 7/2 VANDELL ANDREW LIVE SAT NOISEROT PRESENTS: 7/16 REIGN + DISPOSITIONS
RIDGLE A LOUNGE
SUN 7/3 FRI 7/8 THU 7/14
PAINTED LIGHT • CHANCLA FIGHT CLUB CATERPILLARS • ISLANDS OF PEAR
ACTION WEDNESDAY X FOXCATCHER
NOISEROT PRESENTS: MANGATA ROCK NIGHT FT. FLASH MOB,
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
I N D E P E N D E N C E D AY 2 0 2 2
fwweekly.com
SAT 8/13 BEYOND DESTINY, MATT AND THE DIRTY SOULS & MORE!
4
Welp, I did it. I managed to stay awake past midnight. Then again, catching some winks would have been impossible. I was at the second of Flickerstick’s two reunion shows. God damn, they loud. They also good. Except for some shouty, much-needed conversations with dear old friends I hadn’t seen in years, I caught pretty much the entire set. It was an old-fashioned rock show, with lots of multicolored lights bouncing around to the bombastic riffage and melodies, the big screen behind the stage playing random trippy imagery to accentuate the psychedelic sonic flourishes. Flickerstick is one of only a few rock bands I know that does pure pop as well as psychedelia. Tension, community, and passion permeate every note regardless. Frontman Brandin Lea and company were as good as I remembered them from their days tearing up Berry Street and the Ridglea here in the Fort. And even more people than back then had made their way to the House of Blues in Dallas for the band’s two epic, nearly three-hour-long sets — my buddy and his wife came all the way from Pittsburgh, where they had seen Flick a couple times during tours. The last time I’d seen this many people in one place indoors was at a Stars game a few months ago. The last time I’d seen this many people in one place indoors at a “local” rock show was easily the last time Flickerstick played, which had to have been, oh, nearly 20 years ago. Which brings me to something that bothered me all night at HOB: Are there any unsigned local bands drawing good crowds here? Like in the 500 range? (Is there even a local venue that size?) And if there aren’t any artists who fit that description, then do we know why? I’m not asking rhetorically. I’m 51 years old with a family, and for the past six and a half years, I’ve been the editor of a 26-year-old magazine publishing investigations into easily unethical, possibly illegal behavior by public officials every week if not every other day. I have neither the time nor the bandwidth to make it to any more than a couple local rock shows a year. Tell me which unsigned local artists put on a good show and, if not packing in 2,500 souls at one time, could be said to be worthy of drawing that many — if only the music gods would turn down the bro country and party rap and listen. I can name only a few. Quaker City Night Hawks, BULLS, Uncle Toasty, Arenda Light, Mean Motor Scooter — anyone else? I figure if I can sit in the backseat of an economy rental car for nearly two hours to and from Dallas to see a band whose last studio record was in 2004, I can cruise into the Fort for a kickass show by an active local group more than just a couple times a year. Staying awake through it is another question entirely. — Anthony Mariani Contact HearSay at Anthony@FWWeekly.com.
Big Ticket
continued from page 2
include Corn Dog with No Name, Dippin’ Dots, Hook & Ladder Pizza Co., Mi Cocina, Once Upon a Cone, Steak on a Stake, and more. Get there early as there are activities all day long, including a children’s parade, a vintage car show, and a shopping area with local vendors. Plus, there will be fireworks at the end, of course. This event is free to attend. For more info, visit Flower-Mound.com/Festival.
GRAPEVINE Historic Nash Farm (626 Ball St, 817-4103185) hosts a Patriotic Picnic 10am-noon Fri, featuring lawn games and refreshments for $5 per person. (Bring your own picnic.) Head back to Nash Farm 7pm-dark Sat, Jul 9, for the 1920s Ice Cream Social. Tickets are $10 and include hand-cranked, homemade ice cream and Victorian lawn games. Lawn chairs, picnics, and quilts are welcome. For tickets or more info, visit Tickets.GrapevineTicketline.com/Events. Historic Grapevine hosts its 40th Annual Fourth-of-July Celebration at 9:30pm Mon with 800-foot-high fireworks set to patriotic music over Lake Grapevine at Sand Bass Point (inside Oak Grove Park, 399 Sand Bass Dr). The free show lasts about 20 minutes. Along with the traditional fireworks, there will be “close-proximity pyrotechnics to create a multi-position diverse mix of effects such as scrambling comets, falling leaves, color-changing peonies, and much more.”
LITTLE ELM Two free simultaneous fireworks shows are happening at July Jubilee in Little Elm at 9:30pm Mon, one at the beach at Little Elm Park (701 W Eldorado Pkwy, 972-731-3296), and the other at Little Elm High School (1900 Walker Ln, 972947-9443). During the fireworks, KHYI/95.3-FM The Range will be live, broadcasting patriotic tunes. The park will be open all day with live music, vendors, and more.
WEATHERFORD The annual Spark in the Park free concert and fireworks show is back for 2022 at Heritage Park (317 Santa Fe Dr, 817-5984124), featuring native Texan country star Mike Ryan with Austin Red Dirt band Micky & The Motorcars 6pm-10pm Mon. Fireworks begin around 9:30pm. For patriotic music choreographed to the fireworks, tune into the Chuck 102.5-FM app.
By Jennifer Bovee
5
FO R T WO R T H W E E K LY
I N D E P E N D E N C E D AY 2 0 2 2
fwweekly.com