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LOL Hear that giggling in the basement? Denton’s getting its first comedy festival weekend By Lucinda Breeding
enton resident Russell Lytle stirred up some ire at the Democratic National Convention on Tuesday morning in Philadelphia. Standing on a stage with Texas Democrats supporting Bernie Sanders, Lytle said: “We want to be clear. We are currently condemning our current presumptive nominee.” The Texas Tribune reported that a Hillary Clinton supporter rose and pointed his finger at the stage to deliver this order: “Stop this nonsense!” he said. “You need to grow up!” Here at home, Lytle has resuscitated the Stonewall Democrats, a local chapter of a national Democratic LGBT group. ■ Mike Wiebe, frontman of Denton-turned-Austin punk rock band the Riverboat Gamblers, had a good idea for the Democratic National Convention: Invite a certain round little droid from Star Wars to the proceedings. “If the DNC was smart they would have BB-8 come out and speak. People love him.” ■ Bartonville wants your books. The town has a little free library — a kiosk containing free books for anyone who happens to stroll by. Donors can drop off books between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at Bartonville Town Hall, 1941 E. Jeter Road. Readers are asked to return books to the library when they are finished. ■ Lifelong pals and Denton residents Garrett Dennington and Jesse Apple are the men behind Great American Brewery Tour. The duo is trying to raise $7,000 to give a bus a makeover. The men then plan to take the bus across the country and shoot what sounds like a reality television show pilot-pitch about American craft beer and the people who love it. Learn more here: http://kck.st/2abeeqM. ■ A reader has a question for you: “Did you know that there are actually nine tiers (floors) in the Courthouse on the Square?” If you don’t count the basement level from the north entrance, the reader says, there are actually nine from the ground floor up. From the third floor, there are actually six more floors that lead all the way up to the actual clock. The reader reports: “The view is wonderful and [I] would love to have lunch up there, but would not care to share with the pigeons already occupying the upper tiers.” ■ Leaders of the soon-to-be low-power radio station KUZU-FM (92.9) had planned to be on air right about now. Anxious crowdfunding supporters recently got an email to update them on the station’s progress. An air date wasn’t announced, but officials said to check in for updates about their studio space and programming progress at the station’s website, www.kuzu.fm. ■
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Maybe you’d like to see BB-8 and Rey (Daisy Ridley) on the world’s largest TV? Texas Motor Speedway will screen “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on its giant HD TV on Friday night. Lucasfilm
Features Editor cbreeding@dentonrc.com
his weekend will tell if Denton’s already-bustling festival calendar will make room for comedy. The Denton Comedy Festival starts with a warm-up showcase today at Killer’s Tacos, then moves to the Old Dirty Basement at J&J’s Pizza on the Square. “I mean, to me it’s kind of already a success,” said R.J. Avery, the festival director behind the event. Avery, a Garland resident who spends a lot of spare time in Denton watching music and comedy, pulled the fest together in three months with a small crew of volunteers. The inaugural event has an impressive list of headliners: Shane Mauss, an awardwinning alumnus of HBO’s Comedy Arts Festival; Bob Biggerstaff, whose career got a bump on ABC’s Last Comic Standing; Paul Varghese, a Dallas comedian who also took his act to Last Comic Standing; and Carey Denise, an Arlington comedian who has lent her wit to an edition of the popular game Cards Against Humanity. Avery and his team also recruited regional and local up-and-comers. “Basically, we’re at a good place,” Avery said. “What will make the festival a success to me — other than just making it happen — is to make sure the comics are happy.” Laughter also matters to Avery. Coordinators have stacked the fest with emerging comedians who will perform five-minute sets. Others will perform seven to 10 minutes, he said. “Doing something unique and in three months, to have 43 comedians on the bill and Shane Mauss, someone at that caliber — that’s a nice festival for comics and, I hope, for people who come,” Avery said. Denton is primed for a comedy festival in part because of the stand-up showcases and open mics around town, organizer and comedian Joe Coffee said. The comedy scene in Denton mimics the
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Courtesy photos/iStock
From top, Clint Werth, Josh Johnson and Bob Biggerstaff are on the lineup for this weekend’s Denton Comedy Festival.
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Big Hoss awakens See ‘Star Wars’ on huge screen at TMS, and donate to charity Texas Motor Speedway is hosting a “Big Hoss” Ultimate Drive-In movie series. Movie fans can see Star Wars: The Force Awakens at 8 p.m. Friday at Texas Motor Speedway, 3545 Lone Star
Circle in Fort Worth. The series screening raises money for the Speedway Children’s Charities, and takes place on the speedway’s giant high-definition TV, “Big Hoss.” The screen stretches across 20,633.64 square feet of HD display high above Texas Motor Speedway’s backstretch. Star Wars: The Force Awakens is the blockbuster seventh episode of See FORCE on 5