MONTH IN REVIEW: SEPTEMBER

Midlake played a show at Dan's to give Denton a listen to their newest album, Antiphon. 

September had a few heavy hitters. Notably the Blues Festival loomed large over the month. The annual event has seemingly grown year-over-year to the point that it’s now Jazz Fest’s little brother as opposed to it’s former distant cousin status. We’re already excited for next year. We had a history lesson on Pops Carter in anticipation that had us ready for some blues. We were not let down.

The Arts, Antiques and Autos Show had another banner year, as well. We always love it when the square gets shut down and we’re free to walk around those streets as much as we want - heck, a lot of people do that even when the streets aren’t shut down. In fact, we’d bet that Denton is one of the top jay-walking cities in the nation. On the same subject,  we heard about some possible future changes to the way traffic - both bicycle and automobile - works on the square, that will hopefully result in fewer accidents.

Canned - an already exciting festival - got more interesting when we learned that it will be the first 100% wind-powered festival in North Texas and that over 170 different taps and 100 different Texas-born drafts will be available for us to choose between.

In addition, we made sure that the one year anniversary of that time we, as a town, forgot to come together and make plans to excavate a time capsule didn’t go by unnoticed.

We dug on some new tunes, ate at Viet Bites again, got some inside scoopage on goings-on in town, learned about DIME-seller Sheena Croft, had some yoga lessons, went behind the curtains of SpoOky Folk’s “Notion,” and talked to the dudes over at Redwood Recording Studio.  Oh, and we finally figured out where the ESSC was hiding after a bit of confusion. Whew! Was all of that really in September?

October should be an interesting month. Canned is this weekend, we'll see Lone Star Attitude open their doors (and roof top patio) to the public and plenty of Halloween celebrations will be had - what are y’all gonna be this year? October is sure to be jam-packed with things to do. What are you looking forward to in October? Make sure to check out our weekly Den10 column for a list of the ten best events happening in town and to tag your photos with #WDDI for inclusion on Monday’s What We Did. See ya next month!

3 SONGS: SEPTEMBER

We're chiming in before the month ends with 3 Songs, our monthly column featuring three tunes from local artists that we've been digging lately. Read on to get a quick glimpse into the current Denton music scene. We dig 'em. Hope y'all do, too. 

Dome Dweller's song "My Halo" caught us by surprise this month. 

The Days - "Loose Knots"

(Editor’s Note: We Denton Do It shares a few members/contributors with The Days, but none of them are writing this, none of them asked for this, and we're diggin' it quite a bit. Conflict of interest be damned. While we’re at it, you wanna buy a couch from us on Craigslist?) If you’ve yet to catch The Days live or hear them in any capacity before, you’ve been missing out. These dudes sound as if The Band was fronted by a younger, less smokey Mark Lanegan. "Loose Knots" is particularly driven single - possibly the first we’ll hear of their upcoming full length. Throughout the track, lead singer, Robby Day, laments in his baritone all that he’d do for a girl which just so happens to be quite a bit - so much so that by the end of the song, we believe him and we want to hear more.

Dome Dwellers - "My Halo"

To be honest, y’all, we had a hard time writing this column this month. Things didn’t come together too easily and we spent easily an hour last night crawling through SoundCloud and Bandcamp, listening to various recent tracks from Denton bands and nothing was sounding good to us (let's leave it at that). We were getting pretty bummed and then we just so happened to stumble across "My Halo" from Dome Dwellers. Everything was immediately right with the world. Seriously, this is great stuff and hopefully a precursor of more that we’ll be seeing from this trio of dudes who have a full length coming in late October. "My Halo," itself, reminds us a bit of the Canadian band, Women, before they imploded a few years back - mathy and disjointed in the best of ways. The guitars are full of 90’s-era chimey-ness and tremolo and the math rock aspect of this tune acts as more of a hook than it does a headache - let’s just say that it’s more Algebra 1 than it is Pre-calculus. Whether they’re aware or not, this slightly epic track harkens back to the days of Denton space rock and we couldn’t be happier to be reminded of that era. Do yourself a favor and give this a listen. Heck, you can even download their entire EP for free from their bandcamp. 

Ella Minnow - "We Got Moves"

Longtime Denton rockers, Ella Minnow released a slow-burner of a track this week. This duet, dubbed We Got Moves" (we’re hypothesizing that it’s the “We” part of their new single, “We and Them”), starts off slow with a slight western twang and some reverb-laden guitar before making way into the dueling male/female vocals. Eventually, they lead the way into the rest of the tune that kinda sounds as if an old surf rock record got played at the wrong speed, but in a good way. As the song goes on, it starts to give off a later era Jesse Sykes-vibe and that ain’t a bad thing either.  

MR. FARRIS GOES TO CITY HALL: SEPTEMBER

As we settle into fall, we think more about our community. Maybe its because we start spending more time outside, maybe it's because we get more Facebook invites that we aren't able to delete quickly enough. Whatever the reason, the fall makes us all the more likely to take a walk, ride a bike, or pack a picnic lunch during these times that the weather is cool enough to enjoy the outdoors without sweating through our picnic blanket. In doing so, we have the chance to notice the abundance of historic landmarks, small hidden businesses we never see from the main roads, spots where the sidewalks need repair and even small side streets that have become ideal places for photo ops. When we get away from the car we finally have a chance to really get to know Denton for who it (she?) really is, even in spite of her flaws - sometimes actually because of them. 

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If you were under the impression that the forthcoming Hickory St. improvements were a big deal - guess what! The floodplains are an even bigger deal. We know what you're thinking, "What?! Floodplains?  What are these people talking about now? Who cares about something like a floodplain? Certainly not I, Johnny B. Dentonite. I only care about beard growth and quality tacquerias." Trust us though, its a big deal. Our city is reviewing the problem of the floodplains - areas adjacent to bodies of water that are subject to flash flooding during storms - and they're making sure that they are FEMA compliant, not only to ensure the safety of its citizens, but to protect the property of the city. The reason we are currently concerned is because there are areas that studies show will be in big trouble when flooding occurs. Not only do we care that Pecan Creek will be under completely submerged under water, but we also care that the way the floodplains in the downtown areas are currently functioning is preventing new development around the square and the A-Train. Yeah, you read that correctly, until these problems are addressed (and we're talking big expensive problems here), we'll have a lack of new businesses and stunted growth in one of the city's most thriving areas. 

The downtown traffic safety report has been presented at the request of district 1 councilman Kevin Roden and the Denton Downtowners association. The biggest concerns that were asked to be addressed were pedestrian safety, red light violations, unsafe lane changes, and backing out without safety. The residents of downtown felt like more and more accidents were happening, and there were more near misses than they would have liked to see. The report started to address some of those concerns. Apparently 62% of the red light-related crashes involved the flashing red lights that come on at night. Therefore, there is a possibility that the city will be changing the times in which the flashing red lights turn on. They will also be cracking down on bicycle violations around the square. So if you're cycling on the square, make sure to use those hand signals, stop at the red lights, and walk your bike around the square sidewalks. The report is also causing concerns about the intersections where pedestrians are walking. Hopefully, this will result in making the crosswalks safer and more visible by painted stop blocks and maybe in the future outlawing cars turning left on red. 

There is also a group of citizens who are trying to imagine the possibility of Walnut St becoming a pedestrian plaza. The street as it stands right now is a sort of service alley. It houses the dumpsters, services the grease traps, service entrances for wait staff/deliveries, and is lined with utility boxes. It's also a little bit of an eyesore. As for parking, there is parking allowed, but the lines aren't clear and neither are the signs that show where parking is and isn't allowed. So, it's become kind of the wild west for people who park back there. There is always trash on the ground from people littering, there is an untamed forest of grass and weeds growing through the cracks of the side walk and there are numerous potholes in the road. Apparently a few people think this alley way would be better used as a pedestrian plaza - with tables and umbrellas. They want to turn those  aforementioned service entrances into a back entrance to serve patrons from or through. While this is a noble vision, there are several obstacles to overcome if there is any future permanent closing of the street to cars. In addition, there are several areas in other parts of town (away from the square) that could definitely benefit from a little TLC, too. Where would you guys like to see something like this go down? In the meantime, we would love to see that little street have a general make over, maybe some murals on the backs of buildings, taming of the weeds and a little more landscaping, and repainting the lines for parking in the back would improve the look of the side street exponentially.

Hypnotic Donuts and Cultivar Coffee are teaming up to bring us hand-crafted coffee, tasty donuts, and chicken biscuits. Even better, they're rumored to have hours that keep them open until 2am. Since we love the DFW native roast, we are pretty pumped that they are making a little home in downtown Denton. They'll be setting up shop on Hickory Street, right across from Gerhard's and next to Natalie's. A few citizens have commented that it seems woefully far from their favorite bar, and almost on the wrong side of the square, but we're pretty pumped that someone great will be re-energizing an oft-forgot block. Plus, we'll have one more place to grab caffeine and a tasty treat on our way to all of those meetings. 

Canned Fest announced that its going to be 100% wind energy thanks to the help of Denton Municipal Electric being way awesome and donating the wind energy. Alongside DME coming in and helping out, the Keep Denton Beautiful team will be there making sure that your recyclables get to where they need to be. We're excited about Canned being Denton's first super green music and beer fest. Oh yeah! We're pretty excited about the beer selection too. Make sure to grab your tickets now. You won't want to miss a moment of one of our new favorite festivals. 

That's it for us this month, y'all. We'll keep hitting up those meetings for ya, though. Let us know your thoughts in the comments. 

BACK IN THE DAY: THE LEGEND OF POPS CARTER

by Shaun Treat   

Denton Blues icon ‘Pops’ Carter, photo by Marcus Junius Laws for the Denton Record Chronicle 

This September marks the crystal anniversary of the Denton Blues Festival, one of our community’s many music events. In celebration of this landmark fête, here’s a look back at a Denton legend who for four decades was a major force of bringin’ the Blues to Denton.

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Tom “Pops” Carter (1919-2012) was a well-known and much beloved mainstay of the Denton music scene for decades, but his beginnings read like a page outta Delta Blues mythology. Born June 6th along the Louisiana banks of the Red River in a long-vanished Bossier Parish cotton town, a precocious 10-year-old Carter began sneaking out to hear the tent pole blues shows that would drift through Shreveport. When he and his friends were about to be tossed from one show by gruff tour roustabouts, a bluesman, whose name has been lost to time, intervened. “You let them kids stay,” Pops remembered the old musician growl that hot night, “They’s gonna sit here by the stage and get schooled in th’ blues.” Young Tom Carter was lucky enough to be exposed to the sounds of traveling legends like Blind Lemon Jefferson, Lead Belly and T-Bone Walker.

He despised picking cotton in the family fields and received frequent beatings from his daddy for sneaking off, so the wily teen packed a pillowcase and hitch-hiked to Houston. Living with an aunt and uncle while working menial daytime jobs, Carter quickly became a fixture in the vibrant blues scene of Houston’s Third and Fifth Wards within a few years. His first band, The House Rockers, began by playing in the streets outside the hot clubs but Carter was soon jamming onstage with the most prominent bluesmen of the era. Lightnin’ Hopkins became a huge musical and personal influence. Hopkins even introduced Carter to his first-cousin, Minnie Lee. It was no surprise that the two hit if off right away.  “She was telling me about all these men who done her wrong,” Pops later recalled, “and I said, ‘Mama, I can treat you better’n that.” By the time Carter died a widower at age 92 after being married three times, it was Minnie Lee, who he always called ‘Mama’, that he considered the greatest love of his life. Carter would perform in Houston’s blues clubs during the 1940s and 50s alongside luminaries such as B.B. King, Clarence ‘Gatemouth’ Brown, Freddy King, and Little Milton.

Despite his musical notoriety in Houston’s blues circles, Carter still had to cover the bills. When a good-paying construction job drew him to Denton in 1969 he was smitten by the energy and creativity of the music scene, and preferring the small-town intimacy of Denton, Carter decided he didn’t want to live anywhere else. By now, almost fifty with a lifetime of musical experience playing with blues legends, Carter came to be known as “Pops” by the campus musicians who frequented his circuit of local pub gigs during the 70s and 80s. Over the next four decades, ‘Pops’ Carter became a one-man institution of Fry Street’s music scene as a friendly mentor and jam companion to two generations of Denton musicians. Among the many future talents that ‘Pops’ influenced were Robin “Texas Slim” Sullivan, The Baptist Generals, and a young Stevie Ray Vaughn, who used to travel from Austin to the dive bars of North Texas State University when making a name for himself. Always dressed to the nines, flirty with the foxes, and singing into the rafters, the smokey-voiced ‘Pops’ electrified audiences with his smiling disposition, high-energy onstage dancing, and trademark “Hey Hey Now!” callback that made him a mainstay for years. ‘Pops’ passion was the blues, but he never hesitated to sing with rock, jazz, or punk bands when asked. “He was a local icon,” recalled one festival organizer, and while acts “were whittling about, he wanted to be on stage.” Forming his own band Pops Carter and the Funkmonsters in 1990 when he was 70 years old. The group offered a uniquely Denton fusion of blues, roots, soul, and funk with a festive campus music vibe. “The music was in him,” Funkmonsters From Outer Space member Clarence Pitts grins; “He brought the energy every time he performed. He never did stop.”

It was 1997 when accountant John Baines became chairman of the Denton Black Chamber of Commerce and co-founder of the Denton Blues Festival. After having tried to establish their own banner community event with African-American Jazz and Gospel, the newly formed group rented a sound system and solicited volunteers to put on a Blues program “held together by prayer, chewing gum, and a shoestring.” That, and a favorite Denton Blues icon. “We had Pops Carter the very first year,” Baines recalled in 2005; “Then one year we didn’t have him, and the community got on our case. So we always make it a point, as long as Pops is alive and able, for him to play the festival. He’s a local legend.” True to their word, ‘Pops’ played alongside revered Blues headliners such as Tyrone Davis, Sam Myers, Denise LaSalle, Smokin’ Joe Kubek, Johnnie Taylor, Bobbie ‘Blue’ Bland, and Jimmy Ray Vaughn well into his 80s. “I open up for them guys every year,” Pops proudly noted of his endowed Blues Festival spot; “Its been good to me and good for everybody.” Indeed, the Denton Blues Festival is still today one of our community’s biggest and most anticipated events of the year, one of the best in Texas.

Yet aside from his unquestionable musical influence on Denton, ‘Pops’ Carter was by all accounts notoriously charitable to acquaintances and strangers alike. “He treated everybody like they were family or close friends,” insists ‘Texas Slim’ Sullivan; “He was certainly someone that didn’t have an awful lot, but he would share anything that he had.” In a 2008 short documentary titled Pops Carter: Keeping The Blues Alive, Carter spoke of giving meals and supplies to people in need. “I believe in helping people if I can. If I can help them, I’ll help them,” Carter told the filmmakers; “I was taught that you can’t live in this world by yourself.”

In 2011, Denton mayor Mark Burroughs recognized Pops' many decades of contributing to local culture and community by declaring June 5 “Pops Carter Day.” Although formally “retired” for years before his oft-rumored passing, ‘Pops’ Carter made irregular appearances into his 90s as the spirit moved him, ambling in on a cane, which became impromptu “happenings” by text message or social media invitation only when he was sighted onstage. It was just such a spontaneous appearance that we last saw ‘Pops’ at Riprocks on Fry Street the September 2011 evening before moving to Houston to live with his son Tommy. The farewell song of his set was the James Brown tune “I feel good,” fittingly enough, which he crooned in his own unique style swaying in a chair, beaming with glee. He passed away the following April but that’s how we remember him, physically feeble yet as vocally powerful as ever, inspiring a parade of booty-shaking from a cheering standing-room only crowd. Sadly, not unlike the blues travelers of old who inspired him, ‘Pops’ didn’t leave much recorded music behind when he was buried alongside his sweetheart Minnie Lee. The Denton Blues Festival is a grand continuation of ‘Pops’ Carter’s legacy, a yearly celebration of the Blues ambassador of Denton who for 40 years was as essential to our local music scene as a B flat.

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Back in The Day is an ongoing WDDI contribution from Shaun Treat, an assistant professor in Communication Studies at the University of North Texas and founder of the Denton Haunts historical ghost tour. Doc Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his Denton Haunts blog, and is forever indebted to the great work of the fine folks with the Denton County Historical Commission and local keepers of history like Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Denton’s intriguing past.

DIME FEATURED ARTIST: SHEENA CROFT

Interview by The DIME Store, Photos by Sheena Croft 

1930s beaded silk chiffon dress with trompe de l'oeil bow bolero

For this month’s feature, DIME caught up with the amazing Sheena Croft of No Carnations Vintage. This lady is made of magic. There has to be at least 27 hours in her day. Not only is she the nationally-praised executive chef of Hannah’s Off the Square, but she also runs one of the best-curated vintage shops on Etsy. Read on to find out why this southern gal could give “the most interesting man in the world” a run for his money.

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Sheena, what originally drew you to vintage?

It was quality clothing that was affordable. I would find great labels to mix into my modern clothing. But more to the point it was about the trends at the time. I remember watching 'Desperately Seeking Susan' and seeing Madonna find that second hand jacket with the eye on the back. Suddenly the thrift store find was way cooler than before. We won't talk about the brightly colored crinoline I think I once wore to the seventh grade as a skirt.

1950s Lanz Swimdress

Did you come a vintage collector and by default a vintage seller, or visa versa?

I started collecting before I started selling. I sold jewelry on the side that I made and someone told me about Etsy for my jewelry. Not long after I realized I could sell vintage on Etsy. The first few items in the shop were from my own collection. Not really even clothes or items that would suite/fit me but items that I could not leave behind at an estate sale or thrift store. I just had to have them without never really knowing what I would do with them.

You're also the executive chef at Hannah's Off the Square. How do you balance having two very creative, very different jobs?

Both my love for vintage and my love for cooking fuel my creative side. Every day I think about how lucky I feel to do these things. Finding that perfect balance is everything but perfect. I try to use my down time away from the kitchen in a positive way. Vintage takes up a lot of that time, but selling has allowed me to set more financial goals for myself and that is a great freedom in and of itself. It helps that the vintage is considered a self-employment, so when my professional life needs attention and takes over I can adjust and set the Etsy job at a slower pace.

No Carnations logo

Your vintage clothing Etsy shop is highly successful. What makes your shop stand out from other vintage shops?

I tried to create a brand from day one. I also did lots of research about good cameras, taking quality photos, using photoshop for lighting issues. When it comes to vintage fashion, learning about labels and quality craftsmanship of textiles is equally as important. You need to know that a dress with a Ceil Chapman label can be sold for four times as much as another dress of the same style. 

Do you have any advice for aspiring Etsy sellers or vintage collectors?

My suggestion to other sellers is to research your medium to the fullest, and create a 3 year plan for yourself with attainable goals. I also want to say that social media is a huge part of what you can do to brand and get your product seen. Even when I neglect my shop for a week, I try to re-list five items each day, mention something about my shop on twitter and send out a few Instagram shots. I've had quite a few direct sales from social platforms.

1950s Silk Estevez evening dress with yellow rose print

Where can folks shop your collection?

There is a limited collection of items that rotate in and out at the DIME Store. You can find me on Etsy, and I am happy to take appointments to view and purchase from my personal collection, most of which is not available online.

Sheena Croft, Chef Extraordinaire and Vintage Collector Queen

Do you aspire to someday have a brick and mortar vintage boutique? Or would you rather stay creative in the kitchen full time?

I look forward to my older years, a retirement I suppose, when I can have an encore career. I dream of a nice little flower shop with a wall of vintage wedding & party dresses from the 20s-50s. Kind of a one-stop-shop for the vintage bride. I imagine friends hanging out as well, so I'll keep the kettle on and always have cakes, scones, soups and sandwiches waiting with a smile.

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The DIME Store is a shop and artist collective in downtown Denton, featuring art, craft, and vintage from 40+ local makers. Rachel Aughtry and Shelley Christner act as the "curators and purveyors" of the shop. When they're not at DIME, you'll find them behind their sewing machines or enjoying a margarita at Greenhouse.

LYRIC LEAK: KALEO KAUALOKU OF SPOOKY FOLK

by Harlin Anderson

photo by Christopher Hughes 

While bellied up to the bar at local haunt Dan’s Silverleaf the other day, talk turned to the first single, “Notion," from the forthcoming Spooky Folk album, Youth is a Notion. As if on cue, the Miss Petra Kelly entered the building. It didn’t take long for her phone – containing said single – to get hooked up to the bar’s PA system. It took even less time for most of the crowd to stop what they were doing and start listening. We fell hard for the new track, so we fired up the interwebs for a remote chat with recently relocated Spooky front man, Kaleo Kaualoku, on music, getting old, and life in the mountains.

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The new album – especially this first single – deals heavily with the concept of youth. Is this something coming from your own life - or a response to a trend you see in the world today?

Kaleo Kaualoku: It's definitely something that comes from me.  I always carry a bit of self-doubt when it comes to my accomplishments, and the older I get, the less I feel I've done.  Even though this is an irrational paranoia, I think the concept that time is running out is something that drives a lot of people to do more, be more, try more, etc...  I'm basically trying to be a hopeful cynic, stressing that if you've squandered your time so far, there's nothing to be done but get up and do something about it.  Time will not pity you.

The song also lets me approach youth from another perspective - it kind of sucks.  Let's face it, we all did/said/thought stupid, inane things in our late teens/early twenties.  I still do, but a bit of age and experience have severely reduced the frequency that said vapidity exits my mouth.  A big part of me is glad that I won't ever be twenty one again.

The first line of "Notion" is fantastic kick in the teeth. How did you arrive such a crushing starting point?

KK: I like the idea of starting the song off with the bummer of a statement that your youth is not going to last forever, and you are going to get old and die.  I know it's not revelatory by a long shot, but sometimes being blunt is pretty heavy and effective.

There is an unmistakable 90's vibe radiating from this single. Is that a conscious decision? How does that mesh with the prevailing theme of youth?

KK: It wasn't on purpose.  It's really just the natural result of Spooky Folk becoming more of a rock band.  I remember that while writing the music I thought that it kind of sounded like a Weezer song.  Maybe that's a connection to youth, replicating my 9th grade playlist?

"It's true we're fighting to lose" is a fascinating line. It's got the potential to be bleak as hell, but it doesn't quite play out with the sense of resignation we'd expect. What's going on there?

KK: It's acknowledgement of the futility of our desire – while also affirming that we're still alive, fighting for something.

"I'm looking forward to the things that come to pass/ Even though they never really seem to last" is probably the most bizarrely upbeat/hopeful part of "Notion." Moments may be fleeting, but is it possible to carry over or hold on to the joy we get from them?

KK: It most definitely is!  I'd say that the memory of the moment is better than the original event itself.  It's all that we'll ever really have of that moment in time.  But that's just half of the meaning.  The flip-side is meant to be taken with a bit more pessimism.  We have things to look forward to, but they'll just happen and be over, so why really care?  I like to imagine that this song is being sung by a sarcastic Debbie Downer.

“Youth is a notion that is crooked as crime
Death lies in waiting in these shadows of mine ”

— Spooky Folk

You recently moved to Colorado. How does that complicate the process of completing an album - or even simple things like practicing?

KK: Luckily we finished tracking the majority of the album before I left.  This summer has been spent with the rest of the band wrapping up a few loose recording ends, a few still remaining.  Me being out here has slowed us down a little bit in that I'm not able to give instant feedback on a take or what have you.  But we're still on track to release this album by the end of the year.

What do you miss most about Denton?

KK: I miss my friends.  I miss the feeling of community.  I miss being able to walk into a club and find a friendly face.  But most of all, I miss the tacos, particularly La Estrella.  Please go give those wonderful people your patronage as often as you can!

Any plans to come back and visit - maybe even play a show - anytime soon?

KK: I'll definitely be back to visit soon!  No Spooky Folk in Denton for the immediate future, but there are some exciting things happening and upcoming announcements.  In the meantime, people should go check out the other bands that SF members are a part of!  Jesse has Tiger, Tooth, and Paw; Scarlett is in New Science Projects and Fishboy; Petra is in all of the bands.

photo by Dave Koen

If you haven’t yet had the chance to give “Notion” a listen, we suggest you rectify that oversight with a quickness. It’s one of our favorite jams of the summer, and it’s sure to remind certain age demographics of that oh so sweet spot in life known as the 90’s. We think it’s the perfect soundtrack for a cold beer and a ramble down memory lane – however old or young you happen to be.

Spooky Folk Is: Kaleo Kaualoku, Jesse Clay Perry, Petra Kelly, Scarlett Wright, and Chris Brown

Get the lowdown on all things Spooky here.

“Notion”

Youth is a notion that is crooked as crime
Death lies in waiting in these shadows of mine
Don't try to argue with aging or fate
The end is then hurried rather sooner than late

We're all just drowning in this passing time
The reasons burn but will not be defined
I'm looking forward to the things that come to pass
Even though they never really seem to last

It's true we're fighting to lose
It's hard to swallow the truth

The sun will stop burning when the day comes to end
Fires extinguish but then ignite again
Our time is stolen it was not meant to last so
Enjoy what we've taken 'cause the end's coming fast

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Harlin Anderson is the underground BBQ champion of Denton, Texas. When he's not digging through crates of vinyl at Recycled Books or Mad World Records, he can be found manning the smoker on the back patio at Dan's Silver Leaf - or wherever there are hungry musicians. His lives with his wife, Ashley, and their three furry children: Earl, Jake, and Nanette the Pocket Beagle. He prefers to stay comfortably within the Denton city limits at all times.

MONTH IN REVIEW: AUGUST

Our favorite little house on the square, all empty and ready for a new business. 

I’m not sure how you guys accomplished anything in August. It was just too hot. We tried to go outside the other day, but just couldn’t handle it. When does fall start in Denton? January? Somehow, though, a lot of stuff got done in the month of August.

First and foremost, August saw the launch of a project we had been working on for a while. Mentor Denton, an educational partnership with lots of various organizations in Denton, was started with the lofty goal of getting 10,000 mentors in Denton ISD for the 2015 - 2016 school year. In the meantime, they want a paltry 1,000 mentors for this current school year. They aren’t there yet, but hope to be soon. Have you signed up yet? We did - heck, we even went to training. It was awesome.

Aside from new beginnings, August also saw Denton saying goodbye to a couple of things. Boyd Girls, the late, great vintage clothing and furniture store on Oak St. closed it’s doors a few weeks ago. Sadly, it housed one of our favorite vintage sellers in town, Vintedge, as well. Thankfully, they’re still operating through their Etsy store and we hear that a new location may be found soon - so all is not quite lost. It’s sad they couldn’t hold on just a month or two more until East Side Social Club opened it’s doors next door. We’re hopeful that we’ll see much more foot traffic down that portion of Oak in the very near future. So let’s not let that big beautiful house stay empty for very long, Denton! Something cool better open up in there and fast. Our vote is for a pie shop.  

While we’re on the subject of Oak St. More Fun Comics and Games has recently opened an extension of their comic book store down by Oak St. Drafthouse. The imaginatively titled, “More Fun Game Center” should be open now for you to stop by and pick out one of the many excellent card or board game selections to play at the bar of your choice. We grabbed a set of Fluxx cards and have been enjoying them ever since. If you’re lucky, they sometimes have Cards Against Humanity in stock.

On the restaurant side, August saw the opening of both Last Drop Tavern and Irish Boozer. Both reside in the newly renovated shopping center anchored by Cafe Galaviz. We’ve checked out both places and we’re fairly pleased. Much to our surprise, we found out that the Irish Boozer is owned by the same person who owns Delaney's Irish Pub in McKinney. He saw lots of potential in opening a Denton space and went ahead and did it. While the name had us very worried about what we’d find inside, the drinks were plentiful and the food was as greasy as it was tasty. We’re excited to check out their brunch menu soon. Last Drop Tavern didn’t disappoint, either. Their brick oven lives up to our expectations. Feel free to get your pizza extra crispy. We can’t wait until the weather drops ten degrees and we can enjoy some carbs and dairy out on their patio.

August also saw us welcoming new faces to town. We tried to help them out by discussing our thoughts on pizza in Denton, sharing a few secrets with ‘em and even giving them a little history lesson on education in Denton. Aside from school-related stuff, we also listened to a few new(ish) Denton songs that had been gaining some national buzz lately, checked out the photography of Thorpe Griner, got super excited that From Tha Heart BBQ is back, busted into secret pools, learned about several crowdfunding projects (including a super cool one about getting a splash pad in Denton), actually found a local comedian funny and checked out what was hot at the DIME store. Oh, and there was that little incident with all the guns, too, that we’d really rather just forget about, if it’s all the same to y’all.

As you can imagine, it’s been a busy month for us. September doesn’t look much better. First on our minds is the upcoming 1st anniversary of The Day We Forgot to Open the Time Capsule. We hope that you’ll meet us on September 12th to celebrate our newest Denton holiday in perfect Denton fashion at midnight outside the Wells Fargo building. More info here.

JIVE FIVE: PIZZA IN DENTON

As part of our "Back to School Week," we thought it pertinent to take some time and talk about the fuel of many college students: the circle-shaped combination of delicious dough, mozzarella cheese and tomato sauce otherwise known as "the pizza." In traditional Jive Five form, we've weeded through what the pizza scene in Denton has to offer and come up with five "do's" and five "do not's" that ought to help out Dentonites hungry for some high-caloric intake. Read through to find out the best and worst of pizza that Denton has to offer. 

The classic cheese pizza at Last Drop Tavern. 

Pepperoyay:

• When you order a “slice” of pizza at J&J’s, you actually get two! Also, there's a fun basement there that often has free shows and the roof hasn't caved in yet even though it's squeaky. 
   
• The new Pie Five at Hickory and Fry is basically the Quizno's of pizza. You get to determine your toppings and watch your little pie roll through a hot oven very quickly. A measley $6.00 will net you a good sized pie (about 4 slices). For the vegetarians, The Mediterranean is delicious. 
   
• Mellow Mushroom will deliver pizza to you at the Oak St. Drafthouse. 
   
• Roman’s Pizza is tucked away on Windsor in North Denton by North Lakes park. While they’re actually the “oldest independent” pizza option in town, they don’t get much attention. That said, they’ve been serving up delicious, cheap pizza for the entire time they’ve been open. For the price, it’s hard to find better pizza in that neck of the woods. We’re partial to the canadian bacon and pineapple there.
   
• UPDATE: Si'z has since closed down since last year when we originally wrote this piece. So, instead we'll change this fifth rec to be "go to Luigi's." The “Red Dwarf” pizza at Si’z on Teasley in S. Denton is arguably better than the TV show from which it gains its namesake (and the skutter inside of us loves that show). While we love the pizza at Mellow Mushroom, this might be the single best “alternative toppings” pizza in you can get in town. It’s definitely worth a stop when you’re on your way back from a walk at Eureka Park.

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Pepperonay

• If you're a wimp, then sometimes two slices of J&J’s pizza can just be a little too much cheese for one stomach to handle.
   
• Crooked Crust has some really delicious options. We happen to be obsessed with their Mean Green, which consists of chicken, artichokes, pesto and mozzarella! It's light on the wallet, too, with $6 getting you two slices and a beverage. However, if you order your pizza at the wrong time of the day, you may find yourself with a pretty stale slice of crunch bread and cheese. If you're the type who gets hungry for pizza at three in the afternoon, you're going to suffer this fate. However, if you're out late at night on Fry and get hungry for a slice, you're more than likely to get a fresh piece of one of the best pizzas in town.  

The white pizza at Luigi's. 

• As a general rule, don’t order pizza from anywhere on University Dr. Yes, you can very easily order a vegan, no-cheese pizza online from Pizza Hut and Papa John's and Luigi's next to Albertson's has a surprisingly delicious white pizza, but there are just so many better options in town all worth exploring. 

• Getting a “take and bake” pizza from Papa Murphy’s  on University and rearranging the pepperoni to spell out curse words or crude drawings may sound like a good idea when you're stuck at the light, but the pizza, itself, isn’t good enough to warrant the misadventures. If you're hungry and craving Italian flavors at that stoplight, just eat at Bagheri's. 

• If you are going to Mellow Mushroom, bring a big wallet and have plenty of time. There's wonderful pie to be had, but it is neither cheap, nor fast. Call ahead and maybe get it to go

Bonus IMAVOLCANO pizza-related video from Fishboy. 

BACK IN THE DAY: SCHOOL SPIRIT

by Shaun Treat

Early turn-of-the-century graduates of Denton College, who had to walk for miles uphill both ways in the sweltering Texas sun.

As students yet again return to UNT and TWU for the golden beginnings of another academic year, we Dentonians often roll our eyes at the throngs of fresh faces wandering the Square crosswalks with noses glued to their smartphones and the inevitable wrong-way cars drifting cluelessly down traffic-packed one-way streets. Its a familiar fall ritual here, since Denton has long been a university town – nay, a proud two-college town – that locals cherish for the thriving arts and music scene which accompany the noise and bustle of rowdy students. Denton’s 1959 Centennial Committee report proudly observed that “the citizens of Denton have always been ‘Schoolminded’,” so we figured we’d take a brief look back at why this has indeed been the case since way back in the day.

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Soon after the town lots were sold in January of 1857, Denton sought to make good on an 1836 provision in the Constitution of the Republic of Texas to dutifully “provide by law a general system of education.” Easier resolved than done, since the upheaval of the Civil War and its aftermath insured that the Texas legislature would be about as helpful in supporting a quality public education system back then as it’s bumbling Austin antics are today. Regardless, populated by plucky immigrants who knew the importance of education, Denton’s citizens had established numerous privately-funded schools with at least 47 teachers who variously “taught a Literary school in Denton” between 1858 and 1884, when the first public school opened.

The first schools in 1858 were taught by James B. Ford in Denton’s courthouse, and James W. Bryson taught another on South Elm Street. These subscription school “cessions” were usually short and covered the most basic fundamentals of reading, writing, and arithmetic during the summer months between harvest seasons for families who could pay tuition. After the 1860s Civil War, with little help from the carpetbag government, two fraternal orders dedicated to educating virtuous democratic citizens would step in to provide building space and needed funds for school teachers. The Stanfield Lodge No.217 and the IOOF Lodge No.82 provided their facilities to rotating Sabbath services of various denominations and “free public school purposes” under their own board of trustees or education superintendents.

Sponsoring war orphans and poor Masonic kin, these charitable groups provided an invaluable contribution to the future of Denton during economic hardship. Denton finally received funding and taxes for a free public school in 1884 when the Odd Fellows’ schoolhouse on South Locust was sold to the city for $300, after more than a few years of haggling, and it then became the Denton City School before it was the Robert E. Lee public school of Denton. Take THAT, Yankees!

The first building at Texas Normal College, 1891.

Yet Denton wasn’t content with these little schoolhouses on the prairie, especially when there is money to be made from taxpayer dollars. Seeking innovative ideas to stimulate our economy in the 1890s depression, the City of Denton contracted with Professor Joshua C. Chilton to establish a private college with aspirations to become a state university. The deal had been prodded by an influential group of ten men belonging to the Denton Board of Trade and fraternal orders, collectively known as “The Syndicate,” the backroom wheeling-and-dealing soon yielding more than a little insider trading on real estate ventures and construction contracts for Masonic bretheren. An enrollment of 70 students attended their first classes in 1890 on the upper floor of a hardware store on the northwest Denton Square (now Ethan Allen’s Furniture), but the next year moved into a newly constructed building on The Syndicate’s 240 acres of land that would become profitably annexed by the city to eventually grow into today’s University of North Texas campus.

Lower-than-expected enrollments and financial problems were compounded by Mr. Chilton’s resignation due to health problems (he died within a year) but, after several unsuccessful attempts, the private college finally became a state school in 1899 called the North Texas Normal College & Teacher Training Insitute. As a condition of such lucrative accreditation, the City of Denton agreed to donate all the Normal School property to the State of Texas, including all land, buildings, and “an abundant supply of artesian water.” I’m betting “The Syndicate” was smiling through their cigars and bags of cash, laughing all the way to the bank. When it opened for registration as North Texas Normal College in September of 1901, the university had 14 faculty and about 200 students and thus a college town was born. By 1917, the NTNC Yucca yearbook dubbed themselves “The Athens of North Texas” (though not one of UNT’s official six name changes over the years).

We don’t know for sure if these 10 men are “The Syndicate,” but we also don’t know they ain’t.

Denton City School, est. 1884

If you think the history of Texas Womans University is any less saturated with behind-the-scenes political intrigue, think again. It was established by Gov. Joseph Sayers signing into law a 1901 bill creating the “Texas Industrial Institute and College for the Education of the White Girls of the State of Texas in Arts and Sciences.” A past column has already explained the sketchy circumstances of how Denton’s African-American township-within-a-town neighborhood of Quakertown was forcibly evicted in 1921, after a slow-burning showdown when the “Girls Industrial College of Texas” was established as a state university in 1903. But there are indeed many proud moments in Denton’s history of racial integration, especially with North Texas State University’s 1950s athletic program.

Few may realize that these teaching colleges began above the Denton Square in 1901, like a few subscription schools in Denton during the late 1800s, they quite progressively taught women as well as the children of freed slaves and some indigenous natives. The first “free colored school” was established in Denton’s Quakertown as The Fred Douglas School in 1878, one of the few opportunities for the education of freed slaves in North Texas. From its beginnings, Denton has always valued education and this commitment seems written into our community DNA.

Old Main Building of TWU, est. 1903

Denton actually had a third college at one time, but it didn’t take. The private John B. Denton College was also established here in 1901 but soon became “Southwestern Christian College” when the Church of Christ assumed its administration in 1904, moving it to Cleburne in 1909 before finally settling as the Abilene Christian College. That site on Congress Street is where Calhoun Middle School was until 1957. The private Selwyn School of Denton was also established in ‘57, one of many that would replace other schools now long since gone. As you can see, compared to other frontier towns and Texas outposts, Denton has pretty much been an educational hub since the get-go, a proud tradition of neighbors-helping-neighbors that continues in our community today!

Recently, the local United Way, Denton ISD groups and our civic leaders have teamed up for a program called MENTOR DENTON, a grassroots project for volunteers to donate one hour a week for one year helping an at-risk student in our public schools. One more way we can continue the tradition of community involvement helping to aide eduction for all in Denton.

1913 Educational rally on the Denton Square, ‘cuz we love a parade.

1888 officers of Denton’s Stanfield Lodge, early education boosters.

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Back in The Day is an ongoing WDDI contribution from Shaun Treat, an assistant professor in Communication Studies at the University of North Texas and founder of the Denton Haunts historical ghost tour. Doc Treat has written about numerous local places and personalities at his Denton Haunts blog, and is forever indebted to the great work of the fine folks with the Denton County Historical Commission and local keepers of history like Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Denton’s intriguing past.