Dallas News Blog

​As we mentioned yesterday, Neiman Marcus's downtown flagship will formally unveil this year's Christmas window display Friday night, just before they light the big ol' Christmas sculptree in Main Street Garden. But downtown denizens have already had their sneak preview: Justin Terveen was downtown yesterday as set decorator Ignaz Gorischek and his elves were putting the final touches on the kiddie tube, and he sent Unfair Park a handful of early looks at the extraordinary display. (Justin's covering tomorrow night's shindig as well.) As not to spoil the surprise for those who prefer waiting to open their presents till the very last minute, I'm putting the entire series of photos after the jump.

Photos by Kimberly Thorpe

Dr. Roy Glover, chief medical director and spokesperson for Bodies: The Exhbition. You can check out more photos in our slide show.

​You shouldn't be grossed out by the cadavers and bones on display at the new Bodies: The Exhibition, which has already taken over the first floor of the former West End Marketplace, now known as 603 Munger St. The bodies are years -- and multiple treatments -- removed from natural death. They look like plastic.

We recommend you pick up an audio tour at the entrance -- that way you don't have to read all those educational placards. Plus, the tour comes in two versions: one for children, another for adults. Obviously, we punched in the code for the children's version first. "Did you know that your bones are alive?" says a cheerful female voice. We stared at the three bones inside a glass case. "It's true. Not alive like those skeletons you see walking around in scary movies."

Enough already. How would the adult version compare? "Bone is a complex and dynamic living tissue that is constantly remodeling itself," says an erudite-sounding man. Being an adult can be so boring.

Harry Wilonsky

What my 6-year-old saw beneath Neimans' window tarp last Friday night

​As we were leaving Main Street Garden Friday night, the 6-year-old who lives in my house wondered what the what was under the tarp covering Neiman Marcus's storefront. I told him: They're building a tunnel for kids to crawl in. He didn't believe me. I lifted him up to peek through a small tear in the tarp. What you see at right is what he saw on Friday -- a bit of the tube as it snakes its way through one of the windows.

At which point my son said, "What if somebody gets sick or scared in the tunnel?" A practical lad. I told him, well, if nothing else, parents standing outside the window will have a terrific view of the chaos that will ensue. I look forward to seeing how this plays out beginning Friday night, when Neimans unveils the holiday window as part of the City Lights shindig scheduled in Main Street Garden, during which Turtle Creek Chorale, Dallas Wind Symphony and Dallas Theater Center will perform following the lighting of Thomas Balsley's 60-foot-tall Christmas tree, which we mentioned a few weeks ago.

DowntownDallas's press release follows for those in need of further instructions. Also: Might wanna bring your raincoat and your rubbers.

Update: Here's more info on the tree, including pictures.

Danny notes that "Smokey Robinson's eyes are supernaturally intense... like, seriously." Click to expand; see for yourself.

​Our Danny Fulgencio happened by the Dallas Rocks benefit Saturday night at Union Station, where Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons gathered quite the hodgepodge of celebrities for his African empowerment-through-education fundraiser: Smokey Robinson (who performed), Barbara Bush and Jenna Bush-Hager, Veronica Webb, former Houston Rocket Dikembe Mutombo, ex Duncanville High star-turned-Denver Bronco Ray Crockett and Joseph Simmons -- you know, the man who put the "Run" in Run-D.M.C. Danny brought back this slide show; it's almost like being there.

Photos by Patrick Michels

Check out our slide show for more photos from the parade.

​Jesse Luna, a welder whose father Miguel served in World War II and Korea, has wanted to stand along the parade route and wave for veterans like his dad, but could never get away from work on weekday mornings. Now that he's out of work, he said told Unfair Park it occurred to him that Wednesday morning would finally be his chance. He rounded up his brother, Miguel Jr., and a large American flag, and took a spot along Main Street to cheer on the passing veterans.

Along with veterans in vintage race cars and active duty troops in Humvees, other beneficiaries of the adoring sidewalk crowd included high school marching bands and ROTC formations, cheerleaders and Captain, the Texas Rangers horse-headed mascot.

As in past years, the parade, organized by the Dallas Veterans Day Parade Committee, began at Reunion Arena, wound around to Main Street up to Ervay Street, and back to City Hall for a presentation of colors. Dedicated parade-watchers and cotton candy vendors began filling in a little before 11 a.m. yesterday, half an hour before the first troops marched past, and as the hours rolled on the ranks swelled along the sidewalks with downtown workers ducking out of offices to watch the parade.

Jump for more shots of the parade, from the truck carrying Battle of the Bulge veterans to the high school ROTC corps and -- why not -- a few Dallas Stars cheerleaders on roller blades, who did their service passing out plastic hockey sticks.

Photos by Kimberly Thorpe

A gathering of local religious leaders and Sojourners staffers kicked off last night's Justice Revival at Market Hall.

​It's not an uncommon scene: A Christian pop band plugs in and coos about Jesus's love to the faithful flock, which sways with arms raised to the heavens. Last night, that scene replayed itself in Dallas as Sojourners, the Washington D.C.-based social ministry, kicked off its Justice Revival event. The three-day gathering is the baby of Rev. Jim Wallis, a New York Times bestselling author, who started Sojourners and who, after publishing The Great Awakening: Reviving Faith & Politics in a Post-Religious Right America last year, Wallis started the Justice Revival "movement."

Dallas Justice Revival will be headed up by Randy Skinner, from Strategic Justice Initiative, Inc. The movement brings together more than 200 parishes of different denominations who hope to create 700 new units of permanent housing to help end chronic homelessness; and forge 25 new partnerships between Dallas-area churches and public schools to help increase the college readiness of the students.

The first Justice Revival event was held last year in Columbus, Ohio, and attracted some 10,000 people. The turn-out for Dallas's opening night was much smaller: Only 883 folks sat in the audience at Dallas Market Hall.

Regardless, organizers and attendees kept the faith. Before walking on stage to begin the evening's program, some 50 pastors and Sojourners event staffers held hands in a large prayer circle. "We pray for some of that Kingdom in Heaven right here on Earth, in Dallas," said Aaron Graham, Sojourners's national field organizer. "Help us, God. Whatever happens in these next few days, we trust you."

​A Friend of Unfair Park forwarded along the link to this shindig scheduled for next week at the Fair Park Music Hall: Elevate Dallas, a "leadership event" that, from the looks of this promotional video, is piggybacking on the Sojourners-sponsored Justice Revival also on the calendar next week at Dallas Market Hall. At the Justice Revival, Mayor Tom Leppert will join the likes of Jim Wallis, Rev. Zan Holmes and others in calling for "at least 25 congregations [to] establish solid, lasting partnerships with their neighborhood schools," and the creation of "700 additional units of permanent supportive housing by 2014," per the city of Dallas's homeless-assistance wish list.

Elevate Dallas, on the other hand, looks more like a get-motivated event; its speakers include "leadership gurus" and self-made millionaires. So yesterday I sent Chris Heinbaugh a note asking how the mayor got involved and what, exactly, he's expecting to talk about. To which the mayor's chief of staff just responded: "They asked him to participate. We told them he could do a quick welcome. He is not one of the keynote speakers." Which means, Sam, you're off the hook.

Photos by Kimberly Thorpe

Whatever you do, do not look at the video board behind you.

​On my commute to work this morning, I noticed something peculiar about Victory Park Plaza. Standing over the dull pavers, corralled Longhorns grazed on a bit of straw, while two men on horseback watched over. Turns out, it was a promotional stunt for the Texas Stampede rodeo scheduled for the AAC November 13 and 14. The money raised will go to Children's Medical Center.

"We brought nine Longhorns this year," said Wes Sander, moving out of the way of his horse while it relieved itself on the plaza. The cattle normally wander his ranch in Woodward, Oklahoma. "We were going to bring more, but the rain flooded the park."

Like last year, this year's promotional "cattle drive" was scheduled to take place at Trammell Crow Park at the Trinity River. But that whole area is under a few feet of water, so Texas Stampede organizers had to improvise.

Peter and Tamara Lowe

​Apparently, there was some miscommunication at the offices of A. Larry Ross Communications, the firm that handles publicity for Get Motivated Seminars, Inc. Last week, as you will recall, Ross's office sent out a press release announcing that Tamara Lowe, co-founder of Get Motivated, wasn't at all happy with some of the coverage George W. Bush received after making his speaking debut at last Monday's motivational hoedown in Fort Worth. In the note, Lowe was quoted as saying Bush "delivered an inspirational, articulate and engaging speech" that received thunderous applause, yet the "media coverage continues to caricature his performance."

We didn't talk to Lowe Friday, as we'd hoped, because she didn't OK the press release after all, or so she tells Unfair Park today: "My publicity team sent that out without my approval," she says. "I was disappointed it went out. I don't have any frustration. Everybody's entitled to their opinion." Well, all right then.

"Part of it's entertainment," she says. "I consider it a badge of honor to be spoofed by The Daily Show or Jay Leno." Fair enough.

But what about the line in her missive about Bush's speech being "the best ever" given by a former president?

​Seems Tamara Lowe, one half of the couple behind Monday's Get Motivated! sell-or-be-sold hoedown at the Fort Worth Convention Center, isn't too keen on the coverage of the event. Her peoples have sent word that Lowe wants to right the media's wrongs: Per the press release freshly landed in the Unfair Park in-box: "President George W. Bush delivered an inspirational, articulate and engaging speech at a Get Motivated seminar in Fort Worth, Texas on Monday afternoon. The crowd of 15,000 gave him a standing ovation, yet media coverage continues to caricature his performance."

She's lookin' at you, Jon Stewart. You too, Stephen Colbert. You too, Washington Post. You too, Star-Telegram, for reporting that Tamara and Peter Lowe "launched Tampa, Fla.-based Get Motivated Seminars Inc., after Success Events International shut down in 2001, owing millions in unpaid bills and facing complaints from attendees of false advertising." And ... well, you get the idea. Hence, Lowe has made herself available for interviews tomorrow; we've cleared our schedule accordingly.

The missus and I are going to Steve Martin's bluegrass hoedown tonight at the Meyerson -- good cause, sure, but also a good time from the sound of recent reviews. And, say what, Onion A.V. Club: "The band nonchalantly launched into a bluegrass take on the novelty tune 'King Tut.'" Sure 'nuff; here's a version from Toronto earlier this month. The folks at the AT&TPAC say there are still tickets available in the way-back up-top. Bonus: Gary Cogill's emceeing.

Eli Luna

Without a doubt, this woman was by far the most popular person at the Plano Centre on Saturday. By. Far.

​Sci-fi cons held days before Halloween are always highly recommended, for reasons made clear in this slide show from Eli Luna, who trekked out to the Plano Centre for Star Wars Fan Days. I was out there for, oh, a solid hour Saturday -- waded through the sea of stocky Boba Fetts and Stormtroopers to get the kid an action figure, as always. But instead we walked out with something far better: a handful of made-on-the-spot mini-paintings, including a portrait of the boy, by the great Katie Cook. All for $20. In other words: I think we're over Star Wars, at last. On to Green Lantern, basketball and Junie B. Jones. Win.

Sir Anthony Daniels: The Unfair Park Interview from Dallas Observer on Vimeo.

The 6-year-old who lives in my house has spoken: We will be attending Star Wars: In Concert tomorrow night at the Cowboys Stadium, where, one prays, The Force will be with the sound system for a change. So, then, what to expect: two hours' worth of the six Star Wars movies sliced and diced into Cliff's Notes narrated by Anthony Daniels, who'll be joined by an orchestra performing a John Williams best-of. Daniels, of course, links the '77 original through the Cartoon Network's Clone Wars series and beyond -- he's more or less the franchise's official ambassador, a role with which he's become comfortable only recently.

Long story short, in the video above -- an interview I conducted with Daniels at Hotel ZaZa a few weeks ago, shot by Patrick Michels -- he talks about assuming the role of mouthpiece; about how difficult it is being 3PO, even without the costume; and about how he was initially against this In Concert concept. And we discuss what it will be like inside Jerry Jones's Death Star, as sprawling and cold a place as the Emperor's. Daniels, incidentally, will also be in Plano on Saturday for the weekend-long Star Wars Fan Days shindig, where he'll be joined by Darth Vader, Boba Fett, Chewbacca, Darth Maul and other guys who wore some costumes for George Lucas a long time ago in a ... well, you know.

One day, of course, you will be able to fish the Trinity River from the comforts of a solar-powered water taxi.

​When Jim's not designing Dallas Area Rapid Transit light-rail routes through downtown or lunching with John Wiley Price, he can be found most days fishing from the banks of the Trinity River; he's easy to spot, as his tin-foil cap is quite reflective on a sunny day. Hence, his enthusiasm for this event on November 6: the Trinity Commons Foundation's 2009 Carpe Diem Classic Fishing Tournament and Fun River Paddle. Entry fees ain't cheap: It'll run you $200 to fish alone, and $350 with a boat full of teammates. Per the press release from City Hall, a few tips:

• The most successful teams were those that went after catfish with "home made - secret recipe" bait.
• Channel Cats and Blue Cats are abundant in the Trinity. Bass, Crappie, and Spotted Gar have been caught as well!
• So "Ferris Bueller" it and take a day off to enjoy our great waterway thru the Trinity River Forest and the future Calatrava Bridge!

Caps and shirts are included with the entry fee, but Jim's got the cap covered. He also doesn't need the T-shirt -- he'll be wearing this one.

Justin Terveen

​Figuring that the glorious weather (at last!) would indeed inspire record turnouts and copious photo ops during the final weekend of the State Fair of Texas, we dispatched the great Justin Terveen to Fair Park. Here's but a taste of what he came back with; he's said he's sending more for a Round Two later today. And, later, a Very Special Caption Contest from the fairgrounds.

Moments ago, U2 posted to its Official Web Site a behind-the-scenes look at getting The Claw inside Cowboys Stadium. It's not so much a deconstruction of the reconstruction, but a brief chat with U2 360 Tour production manager Jake Berry, who explains how the band ended up in Arlington (the joint has great "amenities," which doesn't necessarily mean "sound").

Danny Fulgencio

Nate Lightfoot placed third in the art competition and offered up his Sharpie so others could tag his ice cream bike's cooler.

​In a dark alleyway beside the Oak Cliff Bicycle Company the crowd counts down in unison: "Three ... two ... one ... GO!" And they're off: two cyclists pedal with such fury their legs melt into a blur reminiscent of old Warner Bros. cartoons. The bikes shake; the crowd cheers. The projection screen clocks the bicycles in excess of 50 mph -- even though they remain stationary. Twelve seconds later the race is over. Amidst applause, one man climbs off his bike breathing heavily. "I think I'm going to throw up," he says.

GoldSprint bike races drew a thick crowd when several hundred cyclists turned out for the
Tyler Street Block Party in Oak Cliff on Saturday. The brouhaha, slightly damp from a light drizzle and a visit from Dallas's finest, marked another milestone toward the finish line for Bike Friendly Oak Cliff's 10-day bicycle extravaganza, Cyclesomatic. And we've got the slide show to prove it.

Danny Fulgencio

​Under improvised lighting and despite thunderheads rolling in from the north, polo players on bicycles commenced to crashing into one another while smacking balls with badly beaten homemade mallets. One of the riders sported a football helmet, wise move.

Such was the scene on Tuesday night at Good Space in Oak Cliff, where cyclists took part in one of the myriad Cyclesomatic events organized by Bike Friendly Oak Cliff. Construction of the bike polo teams was loose at best, as were boundaries and a few rules. While not without a couple nasty spills, a polo mallet proved the only casualty of the evening. Check out the slide show from Tuesday's bike polo extravaganza.

By the way, at 6 p.m. tomorrow the Cube Creative and the Oak Cliff Bicycle Company will host the Tyler St. Block Party. Go check out the Tallbike Freakshow, bike art competition, communal bike rides and music by The Happy Bullets and The Boom Boom Box. Don't forget your bikes and Band-Aids.

​Specifically, you'll want to stay away from the Chevrolet Main Stage at 10 a.m., when Oprah Winfrey will begin taping her State Fair of Texas special that'll also include a performance by Martina McBride. Winfrey's production company just sent the details for her appearance, if you have further questions:

Join Oprah Winfrey as she tapes segments for an upcoming Oprah show at the State Fair of Texas' Chevrolet Main Stage on Monday, October 12, 2009. A crowd of approximately 4,000 is expected for a Texas-style celebration, which will include a special performance by country music superstar Martina McBride.

Admission is open to all ages. Minors should be accompanied by an adult. Chevrolet Main Stage audience area opens at 7:00 a.m. CDT on Monday, October 12. Audience gate entrances are on the east and west sides of Nimitz Drive. Space is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. Overnight parking at the Fairgrounds is prohibited.

The taping will begin promptly at 10:00am, rain or shine. Space is standing-room only for the approximately one-and-a-half-hour taping. No professional recording equipment is permitted. More information is available at www.oprah.com/statefair.

William Kamkwamba will be at SMU tomorrow.

​Perhaps you saw William Kamkwamba on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Wednesday night and thought the co-author and subject of The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope just might be The Most Interesting 23-Year-Old in the World. And maybe you said to yourself, "I'd sure like to meet him some day." In which case, your some day is tomorrow: Kamkwamba is among those scheduled to speak on the SMU campus during the TEDxSMU event -- "TED" meaning, of course, "Technology, Entertainment, Design." Of course. Registration's closed for the shindig, but he'll be around campus most of the day speaking and signing his book, and he'll be joined by a roster of deep-thinkers that'll include the several musicians, among them Jill Sobule, Sara Hickman and the Polyphonic Spree. Not that I am advocating crashing the party. Not at all.

Danny Hurley

​Danny Hurley, who's never met a grown-up playing dress-up he didn't like to photograph, found himself amongst the living dead last night at the Zombieland sneak, held at the Studio Movie Grill on Royal Lane and N. Central Expressway. It's Halloween already? Apparently -- hence, the bloody slide show. And speaking of costumes and movies, don't forget: Tonight's that Big Lebowski doc screening and shindig at the Lakewood, so dress accordingly. And, yes, White Russians will be served.

​First off, Brad Sham wanted me to wish you all a "G'mar Chatima Tova"; sorry I forgot this morning in my haste to make it to temple on time. But if you couldn't make it to services this morning, there's always the new Coen Brothers movie coming soon to a theater near you: A Serious Man, which makes Yentl look like A Christmas Carol. If nothing else, it's a Coen Brothers movie that comes with its own built-in cult followng: At a recent preview at the Angelika in Mockingbird Station, three women sitting behind me started singing along with the movie's cantor as he chanted the prayer recited before the Torah reading. It's a very Jewish Rocky Horror Picture Show.

Ah, but speaking of the Coens and cults, here's a reminder to clear your schedule for Friday's Very Special Screening of director Eddie Chung's documentary The Achievers: The Story of the Lebowski Fans, which takes place at 8 p.m. at the Lakewood Theater. Dallas, of course, is one of the few major cities in the U.S. without a Lebowski Fest, where Chung spent several years bowling, drinking white Russians and hanging out with fans of The Big Lebowski. "Dallas was picked because, for some reason, there are a bunch of Lebowski lovers there, and, for whatever reason, the Lebowski Fest has not made it to Dallas yet," says Jean Sievers, who's doing PR for the movie -- and who's also Jeff Bridges's publicist. (The Dude's actually in the movie, as you can see in the trailer after the jump.) Austin's as close as the fest gets -- October 9 and 10, matter of fact -- but Sievers says, yes, there will be the chance to play dress-up. And, yes, Chung will be there to help judge the costume contest. And white Russians will be served. All they need is you to really help tie the event together.

Since the popular mind has been consumed by rising unemployment and the health-care debate, comprehensive immigration reform -- and any potential momentum to broker a bipartisan compromise on the explosive issue -- has been shoved to the wayside. Yet a network of faith-based groups that have advocated for immigrants is organizing to bring the issue back to the forefront as Washington prepares to address it early next year. 

Among the churches featured in a just-released Center for American Progress report, "Loving Thy Neighbor: Immigration Reform and Communities of Faith," is the First United Methodist Church in Stephenville. Six months ago, the Reverend Dean Reed joined forces with Dallas engineer and immigration-reform advocate Lori Stafford to start the Welcoming Immigrants Network, or WIN. With more than 100 members, the group -- like most of those featured in the report -- stresses Leviticus's exhortation to love the stranger "as thyself" and seeks to educate people about problems with the current immigration system. WIN has held prayer vigils and educational events that aim to prepare people to weigh in on reform options.

"We seek to educate people about the problem, tell them how they can take action, and give them opportunities to connect with others of like heart and faith," Reed was quoted as saying in the report. We have a call into him -- if and when we have an update, we'll post it.

Reed and WIN host "An Evening of Compassion" at the Polytechnic United Methodist Church in Fort Worth on Sunday at 7 p.m. The event will include a prayer vigil calling for reform, a screening of the documentary, Made in LA, about garment industry workers who endure sub-standard conditions, as well as comments from state Senator Lon Burnam and area pastors.

​Here's a nice end-of-the-week send-off:

I just came across this bootleg of a Bad Livers show in Oregon from July -- and, well, I had no idea Mark Rubin and Danny Barnes were back together, especially since Danny's playing with Dave Matthews these days. Rubin, who'll be at the Allgood on October 9 and who I've known since he was puttin' the kosher in Killbilly, says the gigs have been few and far between and will remain so, which is why he encourages you to download this sumbitch to your iPod's content.

"There was no rehearsal," Mark says. "It was total fuckin' sense memory. It was wild. It was just like falling off a bike." And it features more than a few of my favorite Livers songs, among 'em "Dallas, Texas," "Corn Liquor Made a Fool Out of Me" and the way-oldie-but-goodie "Shit Creek."

Shit Creek? Speaking of. Have a kick-ass weekend.

​So, I was on SMU's Web site looking for something entirely unrelated this morning when I came across this event:

Jim Schutze, columnist for the Dallas Observer, will speak on "Inside Dallas: A Muckraker's Paradise" on Tuesday, Oct. 13, at an event sponsored by SMU's Retired Faculty Association.

His talk will be the second in a series of the RFA's "Distinguished Lecture" series, inaugurated last year with assistance from the provost's office as an effort to strengthen ties between retirees and active faculty and staff.

SMU retired faculty, as well as active faculty and staff, are invited to this event. A reception will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Jones Great Hall of Meadows Museum. Schutze's talk will follow at 4 p.m. in the adjacent Smith Auditorium.

Hunh. First I've heard of it.

Oh, and speaking of, Sam just returned from the Trinity Trust announcement: $10 million to turn the Continental Avenue Bridge into a pedestrian walkway. He's up shortly with pics, renderings and other goodies. Oh, goody.

Update: Speaking of the Continental Ave. Bridge ... Right after I posted this, City Hall sent word that the bridge is shutting down tomorrow morning at 9 for the $150-a-ticket Bridging the Trinity party. Says the advisory, "During the 19-hour closure, the bridge will be closed to east and west bound pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Travelers should use alternate routes such as I-30 or Commerce Street for access to I-35, Downtown, and West Dallas. The bridge will reopen to the public on Saturday, September 26 at 4:00 a.m."

Patrick Michels

Anthony Daniels and his little friend during our interview yesterday at Hotel ZaZa

​Anthony Daniels was in Dallas yesterday to promote the Star Wars: In Concert megavent scheduled for October 23 at Cowboys Stadium, where two hours' worth of Star Wars clips will get a screening on Jerry Jones's high-def wall of voodoo. Patrick Michels recorded my lengthy chitchat with C-3PO's alter ego at Hotel ZaZa, which we'll run closer to the show (Daniels will narrate in person, accompanied by an 85-piece orchestra). But I will share this anecdote: Toward the end of our talk Tuesday morning, I casually mentioned that some folks 'round these parts refer to Cowboys Stadium as "the Death Star."

"They do?" he asked. Daniels seemed rather amused by this. "Of course, I've been in the Death Star many times before. I'm sure I'll escape alive like I did the last time." The man's adorable.

Kimberly Thorpe

"James ClouD," left, with Major League Gaming competitors Michael Green and Brenna Pierson, both 24

​The Major League Gaming Pro Circuit has rolled into Dallas: Yesterday, scores of gamers (and their parents) checked into the Hilton Anatole, where the competition is being held this weekend for the third year in a row. I know this only because I ran into a group of gamers last night at Victory Park Liquor on Ross Ave. -- I was picking up wine; they, beer. One of their lot, a fellow with a Cockney accent, insisted the pre-tourmey warm-up party was a must-see. And so I tagged along.

When I got to the hotel lobby, the guy with the accent turned out to be a dude from Boston who was with MLG. "I can imitate any accent," he said. "You want to hear Italian?" He's not competing this weekend, but is getting paid by MLG to be a commentator for the live video streams set up on the Web site. He was drunk, and for the purpose of this article we'll say he was older than 21.

The hotel's big effin' blow-out party turned out to be a bunch of kids and a few parents in the lobby having soda, except for the commentator, who nursed a Corona. "I don't want to sound cocky, but you're lucky you found me," said "James ClouD," his gaming forum name. "I've been around a long time." A whopping eight years, in fact.

So what's this event all about? Money, he said, and others in the lobby agreed. "Gaming has been moved to the mainstream," he said. "There are people right now who are making a lot of money. There's a lot of them that live on this -- those are the Halo kids. You'd be surprised how many people are doing that."

Local painter Christine Smith's Leia's Tea Party, on display at The Soda Gallery (and quite the bargain)

​Just as I was getting ready to post photos from last night's Star Wars art shindig at The Soda Gallery, a Friend of Unfair Park sent word this morning: The Star Wars: In Concert tour is scheduled to land at the Death Star itself -- Jerry Jones's EnormoDome -- on October 23. (Tickets, matter of fact, went on sale yesterday.) Seems like quite the geekout: two hours' worth of John Williams's music from all six films performed by a live orchestra accompanying newly edited clips and C-3PO narration broadcast on a massive, specially constructed LCD screen -- and, one certainly would hope, on punters' latest favorite target, the HD screens hanging from the Cowboys Stadium ceiling. Also accompanying the tour: a ginormous collection of storyboards, models, props and what-nots culled from the Skywalker Ranch archives. The 6-year-old who lives in my house is tickled -- methinks he'll enjoy this more than he did Bob Dylan at a minor-league ballpark.

Which brings us back to last night's jam-packed gathering in Oak Cliff, the most crowded-with-kids art opening I'd ever been to -- which, just maybe, had something to do with the legion of Stormtroopers on hand (led by the shortest, stockiest Darth Vader in history). After the jump, a few photos from the quite-the-scene and some highlights of what's up on the pop shoppe's wall.

Patrick Michels

Sooner than later, more photos from the Hard Rock Cafe official grand opening. Till then, cutline contest!

​Last night the Old 97's officially welcomed Dallas's second attempt at a Hard Rock Cafe  to what I believe is called Victory Park. So too did a host of other dignitaries, among them Dancing With the Stars star Michael Irvin, a former football player of some renown who kindly offered to assist the older gentleman seen here with his "talking box."

Eli Luna

Dean Stockwell, who was signing and speaking at the Richardson Civic Center over the weekend

​Our man Eli Luna was out at the Dallas Comic Con yesterday, where he espied Doctor Wellington Yueh, Brad Majors and other familiar faces amongst the grown-ups playing mid-August dress-up. Here's his slide show, where you'll find that oddest of sights -- a certain Blue Velvet co-star quantum leaping into a Q&A in the Richardson City Council chambers.