MR. FARRIS GOES TO CITY HALL: JULY

The new rooftop patio going up on what will soon be the home of Lone Star Attitude. 

The new rooftop patio going up on what will soon be the home of Lone Star Attitude. 

Denton has had new restaurants either under construction or opening left and right constantly for the past few months. We're loving all of the new concepts and menu ideas people keep coming up with and bringing to town. Whether its a new food truck or a tequila bar, we're just happy to see new businesses opening their doors, adding to the tax base and giving us more options for Friday nights. 

Of course, there is more than just new food happening in Denton County currently, and, thankfully, our very own Glen Farris has been nursing his meeting addiction to make sure you've got the 4-1-1 on what's happening around town. 


The East Hickory Street Parking Plan is about to be underway. From Locust to Bell we'll be dealing with the joys of construction for several months. The good news is that all of the water and sewer has already been buried east of Bell. The bad news, though, is that the construction will still take at least six months to complete. Over that six months, we'll see street closures, detours, blocked off parking, messed up sidewalks, orange cones and plenty of barricades all over the place. Thankfully, it won't be in vain. The renovations will add tons of parking downtown, pedestrian-scale lighting, wider sidewalks, crosswalks across Hickory, park benches and some drought tolerant landscaping with rain collection and water storage to break up the concrete jungle of the parking lots. Start practicing your parking in reverse now folks (think South Congress in Austin). Once the construction clears, you'll have plenty of places to park on E. Hickory, but it will all be back-in-angled parking, so make sure your rearview mirror is in good, working condition. 

Speaking of things happening around the square, the giant bluebonnet clad trash compactors are getting a little makeover. Instead of generic scenes of the Texas prairie, we'll have a few more localized, artsy images for you to admire when you throw away your orange and brown Jupiter House cups. 

Remember when we talked about Lone Star Attitude adding a roof top patio, the old building next to Travelstead getting a new roof, and the forthcoming East Side Social Club getting an awesome patio? Well, it's all happening right now, folks. So, be careful to watch where you walk when you're strolling downtown, there are cranes overhead and they're carrying heavy stuff. 

After all of the hullabaloo in June, the Subway sign went through much of July unchanged.  Subway however, has in fact opened their doors to little fanfare or petitioning (at least from what we saw). We hear the new sign will be going up shortly. So if you're craving a $5 foot long, or just feel like you'd like to 'eat fresh' - you'll now have the chance to do so on the square. You also have the choice not to, and to instead choose to grab lunch from one of the many other restaurants on the square that serve up super fresh sammies. Have you tried Smiling Moose yet? 

 We've been awaiting it's opening for months, and after much trial and trepidation, Mulberry St. Cantina is finally open. While they had a few scheduling mishaps during their first week open, it's looking like a surefire place to hit up, post-work. Make sure to stop by (if you haven't already) and try one of their muy excelente tequilas on their cobra tap or one of the Mezcal Mules as you work on your horrible Spanish this weekend.  

Goldmine BBQ opened their doors at the beginning of the month. We stopped by and tried a few things. We'll do so again and hope to have a review in the future. Have you stopped by yet? What did you think?  

Coming soon is Last Drop Tavern and Irish Boozer. Guys, get ready. It's the year of the themed restaurant. Last Drop, we heard you were announcing a soft launch in early August. We'll be keeping up with your Facebook page for confirmation, but expect to see us there. We're ready to try out your wood-fired pizzas and old English style pub fare. 

All of that pizza and booze making you feel a little bloated? Don't worry. Twisted Bodies Pilates has joined the downtown family. So pack on the pounds now, and burn it all off by employing the newest fitness studio in Denton. Denton, does our blog look fat? 


 

WHAT WE DID: JULY 22ND

New businesses, near-by beaches and punk rock music were all part of What We Did this weekend. What did you do? Remember to throw #WDDI on your 'grams to be included in our weekly post-weekend photo round-up!

Mulberry St. Cantina finally opened their doors. A few of us stopped in for some margaritas after some confusion regarding their hours. We hope to stop by again this week. 

Mulberry St. Cantina finally opened their doors. A few of us stopped in for some margaritas after some confusion regarding their hours. We hope to stop by again this week. 

Mulberry St. Cantina's House Margarita (pictured) cooled us off after work on Friday. We also tried their Organic Margarita.

Mulberry St. Cantina's House Margarita (pictured) cooled us off after work on Friday. We also tried their Organic Margarita.

Besides Happy Campers, another great way to cool down at the Community Market is with one of Pawletta's delicious Mango Pops.

Besides Happy Campers, another great way to cool down at the Community Market is with one of Pawletta's delicious Mango Pops.

Some friends on the square happen to have a '63  Jaguar... you may have seen our own Glen Farris zipping around the square when they gave him the keys last Thursday night... 

Some friends on the square happen to have a '63  Jaguar... you may have seen our own Glen Farris zipping around the square when they gave him the keys last Thursday night... 

We've been spending Sunday's by the lake, with our toes in the sand and a picnic basket full of Community Market goodies. 

We've been spending Sunday's by the lake, with our toes in the sand and a picnic basket full of Community Market goodies. 

Mike Wiebe of the High Tension Wires plays to the crowd at Rubber Gloves

Mike Wiebe of the High Tension Wires plays to the crowd at Rubber Gloves

Birthday Suits, thankfully not in their birthday suits, doing their thing at Rubber Gloves.

Birthday Suits, thankfully not in their birthday suits, doing their thing at Rubber Gloves.

Two legends, Sonny Vincent and Daniel Fried, share the stage at Rubber Gloves

Two legends, Sonny Vincent and Daniel Fried, share the stage at Rubber Gloves

YES YOU CAN

 Dentonites, time to stop feeling jealous of our neighbors in Dallas and Ft. Worth and all their fancy beer and music parties they’ve been having as of late.


The folks behind the popular national music and beer festival, Untapped, are bringing their craftiness to Denton in the form of Canned. Canned is a spinoff of Untapped, and the first edition will be held on the square in Denton, TX on Saturday, October 5th. There will still be plenty of beer to swill around and fine music to enjoy, however, this time around the beer will be in canned format, so get those tab-popping fingers ready.

Canning is a recent trend in the world of high quality craft beers. Heck, the Boston Globe just did a story on it yesterday. Not only does it allow for easier transport for the booze (aluminum is lighter than glass, y’all), but it keeps your suds in tip-top shape by protecting them from the likes of light. You can expect to see a little over 25 breweries featuring over 50 unique canned beers for all to enjoy.

Oh yeah, there’s music, too. Dynamic weirdo rockers from Portland, Menomena, will make their first stop in Denton, in support of their 2012 album, Moms. In addition, Helio Sequence will bring their indie rockin’ bleeps and bloops and singer-songwriter Joe Pug will be there with his rootsy brand of Dylan-like folk rock. Local bands Chambers, Pageantry, Hares on the Mountain and AM Ramblers round out the line-up. Appropriate beer drinking music, all.

Early bird tickets go on sale today and are available to the public on August 1st. We recommend grabbing a VIP ticket to enjoy benefits such as a tasting card, priority seating for shows and the free lunch (there is such a thing). Ticketing info and more can be found at untapped-fest.com.

 

WHAT WE DID: JULY 15TH

While we're currently enjoying the respite from the heat, the weekend wasn't quite as kind. That didn't keep us from enjoying all that was going on in the peaceful Denton summer months. Below, you'll find photos from our adventures at the Denton Community Market, Gentleman Jackson's Benefit and the Campus Theater's production of Square Roots. We even caught a glimpse of Denton art culture at the Dallas Museum of Art. As always, make sure you throw #wddi in your tweets or 'grams and we'll include our favorites in next week's "What We Did."  

We spent our Saturday morning checking out Spiderweb Salon's show at the Denton Community Market. We got to see several of our Denton faves including Jordan Batson and Matthew Long (pictured above). 

We spent our Saturday morning checking out Spiderweb Salon's show at the Denton Community Market. We got to see several of our Denton faves including Jordan Batson and Matthew Long (pictured above). 

1075632_10153063213850002_996162527_n.jpg
We spotted this representation of the Denton art scene - with a piece from the Good/Bad Art Collective at the DMA. 

We spotted this representation of the Denton art scene - with a piece from the Good/Bad Art Collective at the DMA. 

The Swedish Teens rocked it at the Gentleman Jackson benefit. 

The Swedish Teens rocked it at the Gentleman Jackson benefit. 

A musical about Denton? Sounds a lot like Hair. Someone better call Popo y Lupe!

A musical about Denton? Sounds a lot like Hair. Someone better call Popo y Lupe!

We're at the point now that we have to have Happy Campers Snow Cones in our sweaty hands when the thermometer reads above 100. It's not even a choice at this point. 

We're at the point now that we have to have Happy Campers Snow Cones in our sweaty hands when the thermometer reads above 100. It's not even a choice at this point. 

BACK IN THE DAY: THE FRENCH CONNECTION

Back In The Day is an ongoing contribution from Shaun Treat. Treat is an assistant professor in Communication Studies at the University of North Texas and founder of the Denton Haunts  historical ghost tour. He has written about numerous local places of note and various large personalities on the Denton Haunts blog. In addition, Treat says he is forever indebted to the work of the fine folks of the Denton County Historical Commission and local keepers of history such as Mike Cochran and Laura Douglas at the Emily Fowler Library for their tireless work in helping preserve Denton’s intriguing past.


photo (38).jpg

Facebook Francophiles may have mentioned that Bastille Day is upon us, but most of us are more likely to regard the Spanish and German influences as more distinctly Texas than the French. However, that wasn’t always the case and, if things had worked out a little differently in 1848, today’s Denton might’ve ended up eating a lot more escargot than barbeque if the French colony of New Icaria had lived up to its utopian promise.


Before we jump into the French Icarians, first a bit of trivia to pull outta your hat for pals. Didja know that the territory comprising Denton County has been under six different national flags?! Yep, our favorite stomping grounds have at different times been part of Spain, France, Mexico, The Republic of Texas, the Confederate States, and of course the United States (twice). How’s that for political diversity? The French connection goes even deeper, since France was the first country to recognize the independent Republic of Texas between 1836-45 with an 1839 international Franco-Texan treaty and an official diplomatic attaché, Mounsieur Alphonse Dubois de Saligny, stationed in Austin. Not only that, but Texas had an embassy in Paris from 1842-1845 (as well as London), which you can still visit today at the Hôtel de Vendôme. Yeah, this lil’ tidbit blew our minds on our recent walkabout of Paris.

 

Yes, you can still visit the Texas Embassy in London. It's real. Look it up. 

Yes, you can still visit the Texas Embassy in London. It's real. Look it up. 

Word has it, however, that the French ambassador to Texas didn’t hang around that much after a particularly close encounter with a Comanche arrow during one of the regular conflicts with disgruntled indigenous locals, but not every Frenchman was deterred. As teased by beloved Denton historian Mike Cochran, an 1848 settlement of French utopians briefly colonized an area near present-day Justin in Denton County until things badly broke sideways for our croissant-eating cousins. The French journalist, author, and visionary Communist rabble-rouser Etienne Cabet had amassed a huge following after publishing an 1839 novel, Voyage en Icarie, which set forth his concepts of utopian communalism in the years following the bloody French Revolution. With a fan base in the tens of thousands, Cabet aimed to make an actual go of such a utopian society of political and economic equality in the wild Texas frontier - at a decidedly non-Socialist pricetag of 600 francs per settler.

 

The
French Icarians excitedly depart to create utopia…







 
  0
  0
  1
  8
  47
  Worsham-Group
  1
  1
  54
  14.0
 
 
  
 



 
  Normal
  0
  
  
  
  
  false
  false
  false
  
  EN-US
  JA
  X-NONE
  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 …

The French Icarians excitedly depart to create utopia…

Negotiating a contract with the Peter Land Company for 10,240 acres near Denton and Oliver creeks, a group of around 69 colonists traveled to establish their utopia christened New Icaria, a far cry from the 20,000 solicited and million predicted by beloved leader Cabet from the comfort of his French chalet. These grumbling Icarians who arrived in February of 1848 must’ve smelled the snake oil once they showed up to find a checkerboard of unconnected smaller lots, difficult water access, and an unrealistic five-month timetable through summer to actually build the required living cabins to maintain the land agreement. Still, these plucky idealists rolled up their sleeves to bravely make a go of it as Cabet repeatedly promised 1,500 reinforcements to be imminent, and while Murphy’s Law then kicked-in like a vengeful ex-girlfriend. Not only was the rocky terrain completely unsuitable for cultivation, and they lacked the necessary equipment and livestock to harvest enough food, but within only a few months 12 colonists were dead and the rest incapacitated by malaria. Five then left the New Icaria colony before mid-summer reinforcements arrived, ten sick and immediately disillusioned Icarians, far short of the promised 1,500 so by the winter of 1848 the ragtag group of sickly utopians straggled out of Texas to rethink things in New Orleans over mint julips. When their fearless leader Cabet rolled into the Big Easy with 450 fresh recruits in January 1849, having high-tailed it from France after being thoroughly discredited and with more than a few folks maybe wanting to burn his house down in the second revolution, there was a rowdy squabble undoubtably laced with French profanity before 200 dystopians threw up their hands and returned to home soil. We hear tell some of Cabet’s remaining Icarian faithful ended up in Illinois or Iowa, which let’s be honest is its own punishment.

…and the Icarian ragamuffins limp out of Texas muttering a
few choice words.







 
  0
  0
  1
  11
  67
  Worsham-Group
  1
  1
  77
  14.0
 
 
  
 



 
  Normal
  0
  
  
  
  
  false
  false
  false
  
  EN-US
  JA
  X-NONE
  
   
   
   
  …

…and the Icarian ragamuffins limp out of Texas muttering a few choice words.

So what does this little tale tell us about those frontier pioneers and settlers of Denton who stuck it out to forge enduring communities in the Texas wilderness, despite constant challenges of crop-withering drought or fire, constant warfare with angry Native American raiding parties, and sparse resources that required more’n a little generous hospitality from neighbors? Well, aside from Texans being tougher’n bootleather and harder to kill than a bee-stung rattlesnake, maybe the lesson is that Denton’s cooperative “creative class” is no new development but instead a characteristic built into our community DNA. Still, a nice French restaurant wouldn’t be a bad idea.

GENTLEMAN JACKSON

Words by Dave Koen photos courtesy of Gentleman Jackson 

While the future of 35 Denton is in question, there are some of us who are still recovering from the last one. None more so than Jackson Kyle McPeek, also known as the amateur wrestler Gentleman Jackson. At this year’s festival, local wrestling promoters, XWC Wrestling, set up a ring next to the main stage and allowed festival goers to watch all of the wrestling they could handle. During Friday night’s festivities, Gentlemans Jackson and Jameson were set to face off against Lumberjack Bobby Lambert and a returning Scott McKenzie. Jackson started off his day with, “a strong cup of coffee, plenty of bacon and vigorous calisthenics” to prepare for his fight that night. But no amount of bacon or calisthenics could have prepared him for what was about to happen.

Photo taken by Pete Freedman of Central Track during 35 Denton

Photo taken by Pete Freedman of Central Track during 35 Denton

During the fight, Jackson was thrown to the mat and landed squarely on his neck. Despite numbness in his hands and feet, he was able to finish but would have to cancel two other fights scheduled for that weekend. Days later, still in severe pain, Jackson decided to seek medical attention. It was then that he learned that he had dislocated a vertebrae and tore a ligament but his doctors said it was easier to call it a broken neck. He would need emergency surgery to prevent any further damage that could leave him paralyzed.   

gentlemanjackson.jpg

As you can imagine, a broken neck isn’t easy to recover from and it sure isn’t cheap (especially when you consider that amateur wrestling doesn’t provide insurance coverage). That’s why, on Friday, July 12th, there will be a benefit show at Rubber Gloves featuring music by Fly Gallery, Sweedish Teens, Bad Machine, the Spectacle, and Brent Best. It will cost $10 to get in but all proceeds are going to help pay for the Gentleman’s hefty medical bills. If you would like to help out but are unable to attend the event, consider contributing on giveforward.com.

We were able to pin Gentleman Jackson down and got him to answer some questions for us but it wasn’t easy. It took like, three guys. Seriously.


Wrestling is all about personas. So, who is Gentleman Jackson?

Gentleman Jackson is first and foremost a gentleman, as well as a bare knuckle boxer who decided to try his hand at wrestling since the Marquess of Queensbury had to ruin the manly practice by requiring gloves.

You have a killer mustache. What do you use to keep it looking good?

I keep my mustache in top form through regular washing and conditioning, daily combing, and the application of Firehouse Mustache Wax.

Those who know you, know you as a bit of a root beer aficionado. What would you say is the best root beer at Atomic Candy?

I would rank Judge Wapner's brew at the top with Sprecher's at a close second.

Excluding yourself, who is your favorite wrestler of all time?

There is a British wrestler by the name of Les Kellett who's matches I love to watch and are entertaining no matter the numbers of times I view them.

At this years 35 Denton, you had your neck broken during a match. How's your recovery coming along?

Fortunately my recovery is going quite well; I have been able return to work at all my various jobs, and don't have much pain aside from some stiffness in the morning.

Do you think you’ll ever get back into the ring?

As far as returning to the squared circle; I can't answer that. I honestly have no idea if I will ever wrestle again. I can tell you that I miss it and its an amazing business to be part of.

 

WHAT WE DID - JULY 1ST

We're soaking up as much of summer as possible. We're trying our darndest not to spend our days inside binge-watching BBC shows on Netflix. So far, there's been more than enough going on to keep us entertained. We haven't looked back and regretted a second so far. 

Between a Sarah Jaffe concert, a trip to the Denton Community Market and a day at the closest 'beach' to town the past few days have been pretty alright. We indulged in some tasty cocktails crafted to keep us cool and checked out a new food truck on the Denton scene. In addition, we spent some time working hard to introduce you to some talented Denton artists and tastemakers. Keep an eye out. The fruits of our labor will be up soon enough.

How about you? Did you have a great weekend, too? Don't forget to tag your 'grams with #wddi and we'll pick from our faves to add to our future posts. 

 

Saturday we headed over to the market and grabbed a bag of beans from the new Coffeewright roasters in town. We'll keep you updated with our thoughts on 'em!

Saturday we headed over to the market and grabbed a bag of beans from the new Coffeewright roasters in town. We'll keep you updated with our thoughts on 'em!

The special "adult" snow cones at The Green House this month didn't live up to our expectations. This is the Texas Picnic with watermelon, sour apple and Waterloo gin. It wasn't as good as it looks. 

The special "adult" snow cones at The Green House this month didn't live up to our expectations. This is the Texas Picnic with watermelon, sour apple and Waterloo gin. It wasn't as good as it looks. 

Thursday evening found a large crowd of Dentonites ignoring the heat on the square while dancing at Twilight Tunes. 

Thursday evening found a large crowd of Dentonites ignoring the heat on the square while dancing at Twilight Tunes. 

Denton is slowly but surely getting our fair share of food trucks. One of the newer ones, Kendrick's BBQ, was out at the Denton Community Market this past Saturday.  Have you had a chance to check them out yet? 

Denton is slowly but surely getting our fair share of food trucks. One of the newer ones, Kendrick's BBQ, was out at the Denton Community Market this past Saturday.  Have you had a chance to check them out yet? 

We did a little recipe testing and photo shooting with Thomas Paessler for a new cocktail recipe. 

We did a little recipe testing and photo shooting with Thomas Paessler for a new cocktail recipe. 

Getting that close up of our new favorite summer drink...

Getting that close up of our new favorite summer drink...

We headed into Kevin Roden's perfectly historic house for a living room show. 

We headed into Kevin Roden's perfectly historic house for a living room show. 

Picking up a summer ale from Midway Mart. 

Picking up a summer ale from Midway Mart. 

Sarah and Taylor having a drink with Kevin Roden pre-show. 

Sarah and Taylor having a drink with Kevin Roden pre-show. 

Sarah Jaffe told some really funny and touching stories and sang to a crowd of about 75 people in Kevin Roden's living room. 

Sarah Jaffe told some really funny and touching stories and sang to a crowd of about 75 people in Kevin Roden's living room. 

We spent a little bit of time poking around Mandy Hampton's workshop while she showed off her wood-working skills. 

We spent a little bit of time poking around Mandy Hampton's workshop while she showed off her wood-working skills. 

Be on the lookout for this talented artist's interview with us later this month. 

Be on the lookout for this talented artist's interview with us later this month. 

We spent a little time at the oh-so-close beach of lake Ray Roberts. 

We spent a little time at the oh-so-close beach of lake Ray Roberts. 

Kids and families were out building sandcastles and enjoying the perfect weather all day. 

Kids and families were out building sandcastles and enjoying the perfect weather all day. 

We still can't believe this place is just ten minutes out of town and $7. Totally worth it. 

We still can't believe this place is just ten minutes out of town and $7. Totally worth it. 

MONTH IN REVIEW - JUNE

The new pedestrian bridge over Loop 288 opened up in June. 

The new pedestrian bridge over Loop 288 opened up in June. 

We spent a lot of the beginning of the month talking about our friends over at DIME, and with good reason. Not only did they have another of their bi-annual Etsy Denton bazaars at the Greater Denton Arts Council building, but we also got a few words in with co-owner and operator, Shelley Vaughn. While there, we also managed to snag one of Mandy Cave's wonderful watercolor paintings of Denton. You can grab one at the DIME store Monday through Saturday.

Around the beginning of June, we got a visual harbinger that Subway was coming to the square in the way of a neon green and yellow sign on the Texas Building. We showed it to you guys and not only did we find out that our little blog has its fair share of trolls, but also that y’all had a lot to say about corporations and sandwiches. So much so, in fact, that the owners of the building decided to replace the sign. Most of y’all were still pissed by Subway’s mere existence on the square. We’re less than a month away from their planned opening date, so we’ll wait to see everything goes down. 

While y’all were busy yelling about that, we also found out that there’s apparently a class 3 firearms (read: machine guns and silencers) dealer that resides on Hickory St. across from Rusty Taco. While you may see a sign that says, “Storrie Parachute Works,” know that that is only a portion of the business that goes on in that building. So let’s try to keep the people who happen to be really upset about Subway opening on the square off of Hickory St.

That said, Rusty Taco opened in June and was almost immediately packed. Sadly, Rusty Fenton, the creator of Rusty Taco passed away from kidney cancer last week.  

With the help of local economic advisor and avid cranberry juice drinker, Mike Seman, and always-awesome Julie Glover, we also uncovered the mystery behind the “Bear’s Den” sign over by Siam Off the Square. The spot was owned by songwriter Clint Ballard Jr. who died back in 2008. He apparently hung out there and drank beer with his buddies. That’s probably what we would do, too, if we had written hit songs for The Zombies and The Hollies and owned a building.

We heard conflicting rumors about Tim Love’s new Queenie’s steakhouse doing “wonderfully” and that business has been going "very poorly.” While it’s probably still too early to tell, we sure noticed the gigantic red and white “NOW OPEN” sign on the front of the building. We’re also still waiting on Mr. Love to invite us over for that interview we set up with his managers back in March. While we’re on the subject, Love did just close down the TCU location of his Love Shack burger restaurant, leaving one last shack standing.

The pedestrian bridge over Loop 288 finally opened, and we ran 6 miles (3 there and 3 back) to check it out. Have y'all taken the newly extended trail for a spin yet?  

In addition, we checked out a bike safety course for kids, got the inside scoop on the forthcoming Goldmine BBQ, recommended some kid-friendly summer plans, shared some new songs from local bands, got pumped for another new DIY space (this time for musicians), talked to the folks behind Spiderweb Salon, and learned oh-so-much from Shaun Treat about the history of Quakertown Park

July should be an interesting month. The 4th of July celebration will be at Apogee Stadium this year, we'll see a couple of new businesses opening up and plenty of good shows abound. What are you looking forward to in July? 

 

GEAR'D: LAST SUNDAYS

Words by Aaron White, Photos by Will Milne

Tex Bosley

Tex Bosley


Samuel Clemens, infamous Foghorn Leghorn impersonator, once quipped, “Son, I say, a career in music has about the life span of a quail egg in the presence of Tim Love, boy.”

Odds are that most who attempt to make a living in music will fail to do so, for myriad reasons, yet tens if not millions of hopefuls move to Denton each year with designs on just that; their vision narrowed by the enthusiasm and delusion of youth, mental illness and/or THC. It stands to reason that with the large population of musicians, both independent and those attending the UNT Jazz program, there are several established instrument sales and service businesses in town. While the mainstays are readily apparent in a google search, there are some custom, more nimble shops and tradespeople we think are worth noting.

In a remarkable development for a music community with deep, old roots, Tex Bosley and Tom Miller, brother-proprietors of Tex’s Tubs Drum Co. and Miller Guitar Works, respectively, are providing DIY-minded musicians something new and innovative. While both offer a host of services for repair and custom builds of drum kits and guitars, they are opening their shop to the public. A potential godsend for those without the work area and tools required to properly maintain what most neglect - the instruments of their trade.


Starting on Sunday June 30th, from 11am to 2pm, pros and amateurs alike can benefit from a new program/hang-out/workshop aimed at educating and providing the necessary (and expensive) materials to the music community, while highlighting the more professional technical services they provide. For those willing to sacrifice a beater guitar in order to learn how to shape a compound fretboard radius, or simply glean from the experts how to evenly round a bearing edge on a floor tom, there is now a guided DIY space available.

9049148157_95b346e5b7_b.jpg

Tex described Last Sundays as such, “We open the shop, you bring your instruments and have at it. We will help you, to a point, and the regular menu of professional services are open to everyone. We are there to help people make their instruments sound and play how they want them to. Come out for hot dogs, beer and shop access, then we’ll all go to Dan’s to see Hares On The Mountain afterward.”

There's free shop access, professional guidance, and a hang with someone you most likely know. Throw in some refreshments and free knowledge and you have a recipe for some amazing results. If you hit a snag or realize you’re in over your head, Tex or Tom is there to take it off your hands and provide their services. If we sound a bit wide-eyed and reverent, it may be  because we’ve had a growing list of things to resolder, align, repair, replace, sand down, etc... and without dropping serious wads of cash, we're looking at tedious, disjointed sessions here and there. This especially appeals to the person who feels like they’d rather learn the work for future reference, rather than just take it in and pay the money, and we know a lot of folk in Denton like that.

We will be covering the specifics of both Tex’s Tubs and Miller Guitar Works in an upcoming Gear'd column, but for now, go to Last Sundays and rest assured that you’re in good hands (after signing the necessary waivers). With sufficient interest and attendance, Last Sundays will be a monthly event and could even lead to an ongoing appointment based maker-space type of thing.