The talented David Koen held it down with some great shots from this past 35D weekend. Here is his weekend in photos.
DIME POP UP SHOP
Words and photos by Dave Koen
Big things are happening for Etsy Denton. First and foremost, they are no longer called “Etsy Denton”. They have changed their name to “DIME”, or the Denton Independent Maker Exchange. Second, they are opening a brick-and-mortar store only a short walk from the Square at 501 S. Locust Street. While the store doesn’t officially open until April 5, they are hosting a pre-party and pop-up show during 35 Denton.
Featuring fifteen local artists and craftsmen selling their goods, the pop-up shop had its opening from 6-9pm on Friday night. It was a great opportunity for people to come in and browse DIME’s new space where they will not only run a store but also put on workshops, art classes, and gallery shows.
If you weren’t able to make it, fear not. The event continues Saturday from 11am until 7pm with live music and fun. Come check it out and get a peek of what Denton’s creative class has to offer.
Follow DIME on Facebook for updates and future events.
INSTAGRAM CONTEST
Spune is giving away two free tickets to any of their upcoming shows at Dans Silverleaf. They have lined up some great shows coming through Dan's from the likes of; Clinic, Goat, Caveman, Pure Bathing Culture, and Telekinesis. If you want to see any of these bands or any other show on the Spune/Dan's list you are just a gram away from free tickets.
Lame pictures of the Courthouse need not apply.
The contest ends Sunday at midnight so get to gram'n. Winner announced on Monday.
35DENTON/SPUNE/DAN'S SILVERLEAF
LOW ART NO MATCH FOR HIGH WINDS
Article by Will Milne, Wind by Texas Weather
Denton, art hates you. Or, more specifically, Matthew Hoffman’s large-scale art installation on top of Dan’s Silverleaf hates David Howard’s car.
Maybe you’ve noticed that at some point in the past few weeks, Denton’s skyline has been temporarily updated with some additional typographical work that isn’t a reference to corn kits. As a part of this year’s 35 Denton, Hoffman’s 100’ x 8’ traveling signage that spells out “YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL” in all-caps was placed rather daintily on top of Dan’s Silverleaf in downtown Denton.
The part that you didn’t know was that Kevin McAlister, the designer of the board-game Mousetrap and Mother Nature, herself, were the construction workers who set up the “sculpture.” In what was to be the beginning of a calculated, long-winded scheme, the letters were placed on top of Dan’s and secured with 40lb sandbags. No screwdrivers or welding were involved.
In case you didn’t notice, last night was a particularly windy one. Not only did it bring in some colder weather, but it was also windy enough to blow the word “YOU” from the sculpture all the way down, sending both itself and two bags of sand that had been holding it in place into the cold air and right on top of Howard’s car, crushing the roof of his Toyota Carrola and causing him to question his own beauty.
Hoffman is on record saying, "I believe each and every one of us is compelled to make an impact on our world,” about his project and we bet that he’s currently wishing he would have used some different terminology because he definitely did make an impact, right guys?
The sign is now being secured with hammers, nails, screws and other fasteners by Chris Hawley and Marcus Watson. The "YOU," however, remains in pieces at the old Little Guys Movers office. At this point, it’s unsure what will become of the art installation. Will it continue to just say “ARE BEAUTIFUL,” will they replace it with the old school Santa Claus that had been on top of Dan’s around Christmastime or will they replace the entire thing with the shattered remains of David Howard’s car as a new form of performance art?
This happened later in the same evening that DCTA announced that they would in fact NOT be offering any additional service for 35 Denton this weekend. Are these events red herrings that 35 will be a mess this year? What else is gonna happen? Will Roky Erickson change his name to Roxy Erickson? Will Solange Knowles be replaced by her less talented older sister? Will Mike Seman of Shiny Around the Edges infamous orange pants be destroyed in a horrible marinara accident? Only time will tell. We suggest doing rain dances or something once an hour every hour until Thursday.
We reached out to both Dan Mojica, owner of Dan's Silverleaf, and David Howard, owner of a wrecked Toyota Corola, about the incident. Howard wanted to stress that he was definitely not upset at either Dan's or 35 Denton and Mojica was just happy no one was killed by art.
SEVEN MILE BARISTA BATTLES
Photos and words by Jordan Smith
Is latte art important? Do I really need a leaf, a heart, or a humpback whale on top of my latte? Well, of course I do!
Denton is now home to quite a few independent coffee shops that are striving to give you a quality espresso experience. We now have the option to enjoy our coffee without the need for a few pumps of syrup in every cup. The question still stands, though, "Why do I need some squiggly design on top of my espresso and foamed milk?"
Those squiggly lines mark the level of craftsmanship inside your cup. To achieve good latte art, a barista has to understand the science of your drink. This science includes things like the freshness of the beans, how they've been ground, the temperature of the milk and the amount of foam. None of these things can be handled by an automated machine. Your Starbucks Verismo espresso machine will never dispense a latte with a rosette on top. This is why we were excited to hear that Seven Mile Coffee decided to start throwing monthly Barista competitions to find out who has the best latte art in town.
We had the opportunity of serving as one of three judges at the first Seven Mile competition. A handful of competitors showed up from around the metroplex. Contestants went head to head until everyone was eliminated but two final baristas. The final heat was a best of three showdown. The last two baristas had to create three different styles of latte art. In the end, victory went to Noe Lopez, a barista at Cultivar Coffee in Dallas. He walked away with a pocket full of cash and a room full of respect.
Pictured is Contest winner Noe Lopez
Runner up and good sport Aaron Aguilar handing over the cash prize to Noe
We are happy to see Seven Mile facilitating this competition that celebrates the advancement of quality product in Denton. We hope the quality and consistency being poured (yes, literally) into these cups begins to reflect the efforts of other businesses striving to make Denton a city of substance.
The deciding pour that won the night.
Seven Mile Coffee hosts latte art competitions the third Thursday of every month. Follow them on Facebook for more info. And be sure to tip your baristas!
MR. FARRIS GOES TO CITY HALL
Our very own Glen Farris has been darting in and out of meetings all month long. Apparently he’s taken up keeping tabs on city task forces and various associations as his newest hobby. After many excited conversations and meetings that shocked and surprised him – he sat down with me and we went over a few of the things that are blowing his mind about Denton these days.
1. A handful of folks are terrified of the recent progress that's been made in Denton. The phrase “We are just a handful of funerals away from being a really amazing city,” should be our new motto. Our motto for the past 20 years was, “That was grandfathered in."
2. The fund matching grant program is fascinating. Not only is it a really cool resource for making neat things happens in our city – but also in the process of grant proposals, we are seeing where our city needs to go, including improvements outside of the grant program like pedestrian-scaled lighting around the square. That’s a capital improvement and is already part of the Master Plan, but isn’t getting done yet.
3. A few new businesses opened – we welcome Authentic Life Yoga, Viet Bites, 7 Mile Coffee and Barefoot Apparel. A few more businesses will be here soon. See you soon Denton County Hamburger (new concept), Subway (yes, that Subway), Herrera’s, Rusty’s Tacos, Queenie’s, Smiling Moose Deli, DIME and Mulberry St. Cantina. Thankfully 7-11 is not opening any where near the square (that almost happened, y'all).
4. Dan’s is expanding! This is especially great news since we feel like some of our favorite shows sell out way too quickly and we can never get a table when we want one. Apparently word on the street is that Little Guy’s Movers is moving off of Industrial Street and over to McKinney. After they move, Dan’s is going to bust down a wall and expand into a good part of that space. Sounds like more room to get our groove on – which is always a good thing.
5. Some people claim that parking on the square has always been a problem. But no more! Or… hopefully not as much -– the city has done their homework and has proposed some awesome angled-back-in parking a la South Congress St. in Austin, TX up and down East Hickory Street which will make the bicyclists safer when coming down that hill. Plus, the new parking plan will provide for several more parking spaces.
6. Jim Engelbrecht, our city councilman for District 3 now has a challenger in the upcoming city council elections. Hello there, Brendan Carroll – how nice of you to run. This will make city elections super exciting – and will make every vote super important. Last year, Jim won by 19 votes. That’s it. Not even 20. So if you’re reading this and you live in District 3 – start researching your stuff and figure out whom you want to vote for – your voice really matters especially if over 19 of you are reading this.
7. Sometimes the red tape that is the City of Denton is crazy. Did you know that if you want to hang a sign on your building you have to either take a special class for it, or find a sign maker who has?
8. We’re actually really impressed with how the city is all ears for new ideas. We love living in a place that listens to its citizens, and listens well. We look forward to taking advantage of that and taking part in local activism.
Have you attended one of the Denton 2030 meetings or something else recently? What did you think? Let us know in the comments!
AUTHENTIC YOGA LIFE INTERVIEW
Interview with Authentic Yoga Life by Naomi Wood
Photo by Stephanie Smith
Authentic Yoga Life is the brand spanking new yoga studio on Austin Street. This Baptiste-inspired power yoga facility is currently the only hot yoga studio in town and is likely to attract all limber and limber-hopeful Dentonites. Owner Valerie Warren has been in the yoga biz many years now, and decided to bring her studio to Denton. When I dropped in for a preview of one of her morning classes, before her grand opening on the 23rd of February, here’s what she said:
Photo by Stephanie Smith
There are a lot of yoga studios in Denton, what are you bringing to the table that is different from what is already here?
It’s a Baptiste-inspired power vinyasa, which incorporates all levels, and pretty much allows for modifications in each class. Anyone can do this style. And we have green energy heat lamps that have been retrofitted for this building, which allows for the raised temperature to achieve better results.
“Recently [a friend] told me that Denton was the new hot spot for creatives.”
Why did you choose Denton as the startup site for this particular studio?
Well, Denton has a lot of creative energy, more so than the other cities that I’ve done yoga in for years. I think Denton is receptive to wellness, and I wanted to help light up the community with my studio. You know, I used to think Denton was a boring place back when I went to school here many years ago, but recently talking to a girlfriend of mine, she told me that Denton was the new hot spot for creatives, and I had to come check it out for myself. So I decided that this was the best place to expand my studio venture.
You said you’re really interested in wellness, do you have anything else in mind to bring to the community besides yoga?
I’m interested in bringing more education and research to this practice, and I think Denton has a culture of people who are interested in that sort of thing, so on the 23rd at our grand opening for the studio, I’m having a community class and a couple of guests yogi’s come out from Dallas. We will offer talks and resources for those interested in little things like that. I also have a friend driving out a bus called the “yoga boutique” on wheels and they’ll be selling all kinds of goodies that day outside the studio.
Photo by Stephanie Smith
We have a lot of students in this city. What do you plan on doing to entice them?
Right now we have a special going on for $30 for 30 days of yoga. That’s unlimited sessions for 30 days, so you can get a feel for the studio and see if it works for you.
What kind of things are you planning on doing to contribute to the small-town feel of Denton and the culture within?
On our grand opening, any and all donations made that day will benefit the Denton Community Food Center, and we are also featuring other local business that day like NV cupcakes right next door.
THE JIVE FIVE - TAKE A SEAT
THE BEST AND WORST TOILETS IN DENTON
In our constant quest to present you with the best of Denton, we thought we'd take a peek into the oft-overlooked, but ever-so-important restroom. Below you will find what we have designated the five best restrooms in Denton. In the midst of our search, we also found many water closets that weren't exactly up to par (and that's putting it lightly). Needless to say, we decided to do you a favor and include them in a "worst of" list at the bottom! Comment and let us know if we missed one!
The pleasantly scented men's room of Paschall Bar.
The Best Rooms
Rose Costumes - The restroom at this square ex-pat is decorated like 221B Baker St., AKA Sherlock Holmes’ apt. Distressed chairs, fabric-covered walls and other things that sound like they’d make a restroom gross are all over this baño, but somehow it works. Just don't touch anything. Plus, you get to pretend to be Benedict Cumberbatch while you pee. Can’t beat that.
Paschall Bar - Cleanliness is absolutely vital to the quality of a restroom. Many bars apparently missed that meeting. Paschall Bar didn't. In addition to providing a respite from the cigar and cigarette smoke, the restrooms at Paschall are always clean and well-stocked with interesting artwork. In addition, the patrons here are such gentlemen that nobody yells at the ladies for sneaking into the mens’ room when the ladies’ has a line. Another interesting aspect is that the men's room at Paschall is routinely cleaner and nicer-smelling than the ladies. Well done, men. Well done.
Loco Cafe - This is an executive/level restroom in an unexpected location. These facilities are not only spacious, private and quiet but also clean enough to eat your biscuit sandwich off of the floor (please don't actually do this). As an added bonus, you get to smile or grimace at a photo of Glen Farris as you make your way to the throne.
Chestnut Tree - Where else can you read recipes that include jello molds while peeing at the same time?
The Possibly Mythical Secret Restroom In the Gateway Center - Some We Denton Do It-ers swear by this restroom as the number one place in town to take care of business, but we went investigating and couldn't find it. Our friends wouldn't share as to keep this unicorn of a restroom a secret. We think they might just be big fat liars.
The men's room at Recycled.
The Rest (of the) Rooms
Recycled Books - Recycled employees even avoid this hellhole of a lavatory, instead finding safe-haven in any other restroom on the square. Due to the fact that these rooms are open to the public, it is nearly impossible to keep them clean or even passable. There is almost always a line to get in them. Also, if you enjoy hot water, you're out of luck, it's only freezing cold or lukewarm at best. However, if you're an exhibitionist and enjoy people listening to the sound of you pee, this is 100% the place for you. It's made even better due to the fact that it's right next to the children's section so you can hear small children critiquing Seuss as you try to hover above the seat.
Andy’s upstairs bathrooms (behind the stage) - These rooms are usually missing toilet seats and smell like dead things. There are no mirrors. They probably haven’t been cleaned in years, and you can’t count on toilet paper being readily available.
J and J's - The constant fear of falling into the basement below with your pants at your ankles makes for a stressful restroom experience. In addition, the long walk down the hall to get to them has a very The Shining feel to it for some reason. We wouldn't be surprised to see a guy dressed in a dog costume walk out of the men's room at some point.
Rubber Gloves - These restrooms smell of stale urine and a flavor of Doritos that hasn't been invented yet. They're always extremely dark, giving off a very dungeon of doom feeling. We wouldn't want it any other way, though, Rubber Gloves.