​The jaunt to The Texas Theatre is among my favorite through the city. I take a roundabout way down Main Street, through Dealey Plaza to 35. Nothing beats Jefferson Street in this town: All faded jewel tones, party supply stores and beautiful Quinceañera boutiques. It looks frozen in time in the best possible way.

There was a meager crowd in The Texas Theatre's handsome bar prior to the showing of Ministry doc The Fix. Predictable, I suppose; once the weather hits 70 degrees, Dallas is patio-bound. I had just darted over from a round on the Terilli's rooftop with what seemed the entirety of the city. Still, I noted the small crowd with disappointment. The Texas Theatre is frequently planning some of those most thoughtful little nights in town, and we are all missing out .

The Fix, shown at the historic theater in 35mm, follows industrial metal godfather Al Jourgensen's band Ministry and their evolution of style, influence and addiction over the course of 27 years. Told through interviews and flashbacks from extensive behind-the-scenes tour footage, it doesn't skip the dark stuff: Early stories of Jesus Lizard and Jourgensen performing fellatio for cash, Jourgensen's father figures Timothy Leary and William S. Burroughs, and Trent Reznor outlining how Ministry raised the bar again and again.

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Catherine Downes

Kiwi Sisters

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Blackstone Rangers, Kiwi Sisters, Jakkk-E-Chan
2826 Arnetic
Saturday, January 7

Better than: Playing Christian Death albums alone in the dark.

Dallas Distortion Music, a fairly new catchall site for DFW's weirder sounds, hosted this triple-header at 2826 Arnetic Saturday night. I'd just missed opener Jakkk-E-Chan, who was playing a wind chime when I walked in, but later mentioned he'd done some Nirvana covers. I did get there in time to see electronic duo Kiwi Sisters, who are actually not sisters and part of that new wave of cold, dark Dallas sounds.

They had their good moments within each minimal electronic missive, but it was basically the same moment in every song: That climactic wash of bass and synth, but no real momentum beyond that. Singer Caleb Flores-Gutierrez danced from the floor, on to the stage, and back to the floor during the length of the set, pulling at his shirt, amplifying his romantic baritone. The sampler/backup singer was more stoic, eyes rolling back in his head as a sign of aural ecstasy. He's the formal to Flores-Gutierrez's casual, and perhaps that's why it felt a bit disjointed. Last summer's full-length debut, ...For the Young and Fertile Bearers of Fruit..., felt a bit more sinister.

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Courtesy of Danny Raybon

Even Cameras Lie

​Even Cameras Lie CD Release
The Door
Saturday, January 7

Better than: Hanging out with my own dysfunctional brood over the holidays.

It was easy to spot who belonged and who didn't belong at Saturday night's Even Cameras Lie CD release show. Stashed in a back corner of The Door were the weary old folks, parents of some of the youngsters in the crowd or relatives of members of one of the seven bands that performed.

It was quite the family affair as more than 300 young people and about 20 parents gathered to witness a nice, all-local bill of metal-related noise. Since Even Cameras Lie just released its debut EP, the five-piece from Rowlett was a nice choice to headline the event.
But there were six other bands to hit one of two stages before Even Cameras Lie played a note.

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Eric Grubbs

76

​No Rest for the Wicked, 76, Here Holy Spain
Double Wide
Saturday, January 7

Better than: Listening to "live" records that were never recorded in front of live audiences.

Saturday night at the Double Wide was a mixed bag that ran pretty late, even for a weekend show. A few minutes before 10:30, No Rest for the Wicked took the stage with two large red and black banners reminding you who was onstage. Fronted by Nikki McKibbin (yes, from Popstars, American Idol and Celebrity Rehab) and joined by a backing vocalist and the members of Wicked Attraction, the band debuted new material along with songs from McKibbin's Unleashed solo album. There were a few covers thrown in as well, including Hole's "Celebrity Skin" and the Cranberries' "Zombie."

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Mike Brooks

​Lights All Night
Dallas Convention Center
Friday, December 30 & Saturday, December 31

Getting ready for Lights All Night, I couldn't help but get nostalgic for my teenage days. Lights All Night was reportedly not a rave, but how about this poorly-kept secret? It was a rave.

Those mid-'90s warehouse parties were pretty janky. I had to do a lot of lying about my age and was dependent on older, cooler kids for car rides and alcohol. You'd call some promoter hotline for the address. It was an after-school special nightmare but, my god, we danced. In that way, I still had something in common with the two bubbly19-year-olds behind me Friday night, waiting to get into the Dallas Convention Center.

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Jamie Laughlin

Q&P on NYE

​Quintron & Miss Pussycat
Zubar
Saturday, December 31

Better than: Puking behind a Walgreen's dumpster at 2pm the day after Lights All Night.

Sound issues and a general weird vibe prevented Quintron & Miss Pussycat from reaching their full potential Saturday night. Sure, it was New Year's Eve -- strange currents overlap, people end up in places they wouldn't usually go, liquor stores sell out of Ciroc. Zubar is certainly not the place you would go to see the New Orleans duo dish out their '60s swamp-scuzz dance party.

That was illustrated several ways, from the shouts that we couldn't hear Miss Pussycat's vocals being ignored to the fact that you had to push through the crowd to even get into the bar. Also, the absence of Miss Pussycat's puppet show, attributed to the layout of the narrow Greenville club not allowing for it, was felt.

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​Bob Seger, Rosehill
American Airlines Center
Saturday, December 17, 2011

Better than: Watching the 50-year-old woman a few rows in front of me show off her boobs.

In front of a packed audience at the AAC Saturday night, legendary rocker Bob Seger, looking fit and trim, put on a fiery two-hour show that should dispel any notion the 66-year-old is thinking about retirement. Playing songs that spanned his entire half-century career, Seger led a top-notch 14-piece band through an inspired performance that clearly thrilled the large, middle-aged crowd.

And speaking of the crowd, what happened in the stands was almost as exciting as what was happening on stage.

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Daniel Rodrigue

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Man or Astro-man?
Sons of Hermann Hall
Saturday, December 17, 2011

Better than: Having amoebas eat through your brain.

A snippet of conversation overheard before the Man or Astro-man? show:

"I'm really freaked out about Neti pots right now."

"Why?"

"Well, I read this story about people dying from using tap water in them, instead of distilled water. And tap water has amoebas in it."

"So..."

"So the amoebas will eat through your brain and kill you."

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Mystery Skulls

​Saturday marked another crazy night at El Sibil: This time the crowd was armed with flashlights and the performers -- Analog Rebellion, Murder Skulls and Ocelot -- had to bend the light to their wills. Check out more proof after the jump, and thanks to Jason Whitbeck for the photos.

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Missile tests the new road on their sweet bikes

​Since moving to East Dallas two weeks ago, I'd heard many a tale of what Lower Greenville used to be, what it should be, what it is now, what it could be. The facelift it received -- mainly in the form of a newly paved road -- apparently took a while and, therefore, took its toll on local businesses. It's all part of the community-building jigsaw, I suppose. Still, I couldn't help but feel the streets were a little empty for Saturday's block party, as were many of the storefronts.

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