LYRIC LEAK: AV THE GREAT

Alyssa Stevenson January 7, 2014

Article by Harlin Anderson, Photos by Will Milne

We recently ventured out on a school night to catch the hardest working entertainer in Denton, Chris “AV the Great” Avant, doing his thing. It had been too long since we checked out the thriving, local hip hop scene, and the raucous energy radiating throughout the venue made us feel like fools for staying away so long. Avant’s undeniable talents, and the passion he brings to his trade, are sure to keep us coming back again and again and again to see what AV the Great has in store for Denton – not to mention the world.

AV, how would you describe your flow?

AV: I wrote this the other day, and I think it best describes my style: "Is he Gangsta rap, street rap, trap rap, or concious?? Why I gotta choose one? I like having options!"

What's the current state of hip hop in Denton?

It's as strong as it's ever been. Gold mine if you're looking into investing in entertainment. The artists are together. We just have to get the public to stop feeling like if I listen to this DFW artist, then I can't listen to this DFW Artist. That’s the dumbest shit ever. Like, you listen to all of these other musicians from New York, Miami, Cali, ATL, Louisiana, but you act as though you can't listen to more than one rapper from your own city. That is dumb as hell.

How have you honed your craft over the years?

The premise is the same, but the confidence has grown and made my delivery better. At some point in time, I just said IDGAF what nobody says or thinks about my music. I’m talking about my life and the things that affect me – not what is politically correct or the trend in pop culture.

What comes first - the rhymes or the music?

Both. There is no preferred method. With “9th Grade”, I found the beat first, then I wrote the 1st verse, free-styled the hook, the 2nd verse then came out, and then I wrote the third verse.

You mention “Brenda’s baby” at the end of “9th Grade.” Is that a Tupac reference?

Yep.

“...putting this city on the map permanently in the Hip Hop world, and becoming The Greatest artist to ever come out of this area”

— AV on his plans for the future

Who are your musical influences?

Erykah Badu, Tupac, Jay Z, Nas, Temptations, Nirvana, Led Zeppelin, Scarface, Jimi Hendrix, Bill Withers, Billy Joel, Al Green, Luther Vandross, Jodeci, UGK...a lot, I guess.

“9th Grade” is a cautionary tale spiked with anger and passion. Why is it so important for a song like this to be heard?

“9th Grade” is all facts. People relate to facts, and everybody relates to High School. It puts the older listener in a reminiscent state, a deep emotional drift to the past, and it puts the current student in either a trance of "I feel what he is saying, this is happening now at my school" – or "I know what to look out for.” A song like this allows me to connect with the audience because when you hear it, you know I'm not lying. It's not really angry it's just emotion.

Would you call yourself an entertainer or an educator?

I’d call myself a hip hop ARTIST.

Tell us some artists that we might not have heard of - but should definitely check out?

My whole Trunk Pop Team is coming, and Shaheed Flow is a kid at Denton High School who has a lot of drive and ambition.

What's next for AV?

New album in 2014, bringing bigger and better shows to Denton, more videos, more money, and a nationwide presence. Helping as many people as I can, putting this city on the map permanently in the Hip Hop world, and becoming The Greatest artist to ever come out of this area – that’s that's the overall goal.

AV the Great is a man with a plan. His recent track record of success – he was one of the highlights of this year’s Rock Lottery, and his video for “9th Grade” racked up over 20,000 views in the first week – suggests his master plan has a damn good shot at becoming reality. Don’t sleep on this one, Dentonites. Get out to the club, and watch AV the Great blow the doors off the joint. You’re next chance isn't far off. AV is playing all the time - keep an eye on the Den10 for his next local show. Be there or regret it for the next 365 days.

9th Grade by AV the Great

Who woulda thought.

Back in 9th grade.

Zerry be back in jail

He caught a double fault

Niggas that I grew up with is smoking wet

Kinda sad they used to be college prospects

Yeah, my Cousin Zerry almost got killed

In the pen this is real saying how it is

Over skrill and some bullshit

Niggas really dying and this game is bullshit

Yeah, they treat us like projects

Throw em in the hole and see if they make it out

That’s why they call it projects

That’s why niggas scream when he make it out

Bitch I come from a good family

We did dirty deeds but still we a good family

Granny raised me right

I know what’s wrong

But still I had to make mistakes to become my own

Man, no hating in this mufucker

I pray for everybody in this mufucker

No telling when he gonna judge us in the mufucker

Who woulda thought I’d have a family in this mufucker

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who would a thought

Back in 9th grade

People getting money

People getting locked

Homies smoking rocks

Hoes on the clock

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 7th grade

Uncle Kev when to the pen

Back again

I was nineteen when he seat me

Going in the wrong direction so he tried to reach me

I told him, hey I got kicked out of college

Cops wilding on me cuz I was speaking knowledge

Much later

I got them pills

I got that dro

I got skills

Then the nigga got on probation

And he was standing there with that look just waiting

The look said enough

Ever since I been eating instrumentals

Good stuff

Good luck

It’s a war zone

DFW, yeah it’s a warzone

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

I’d lose my Aunt Jean and my Uncle James

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who would a thought

Back in 9th grade

People getting money

People getting locked

Homies smoking rocks

Hoes on the clock

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Back in 9th grade

Who woulda thought

Black president

2011 and the rich still getting rich

Politician is a politician

Real niggas stand up and stay out of prison

Give my dawg a gang/game

When he come home

Stay away from him

This block more than lukewarm

Hug your girl

Kiss your kids

Look at a map

And lets plan how we gonna take this bitch

Smoke in the chest

Screaming fuck stress

Look around the club

We all want success

9th grade

This shit’s crazy

Who would thought we still ain't found Brenda’s baby

AV The Great on Facebook

2013 YEAR IN REVIEW: PHOTOS

will milne January 2, 2014

As we continue to take a glance back at all that happened in 2013, one thing we can't ignore is the fact that we have a bunch of talented photographers running around to capturing some incredible moments. That, plus we eat too much. As we were scanning back through posts from the past year, we couldn't help but be caught by some of the great photos that were taken and shared with us. If you ask us, a post full of big pretty photos is one of our favorite kind. We figured you'd dig it too.

MUSIC

From our 35 Denton coverage. Photo by Dave Koen.

Sarah Jaffe playing city councilman Kevin Roden's living room.

Thurston Moore of Chelsea Light Moving at 35 Denton

Jenny Seman of Shiny Around the Edges playing a Spiderweb Salon showcase at J and J's Pizza.

fishboy playing recycled by dave koen.jpg

FOOD

We baked some French toast during an ice storm once in 2013.

A sliced sandwich from From Tha Heart BBQ.

From our coverage of Lucky Star Pies back in February of last year.

PEOPLE

Bartender and mustache-haver Thomas Paessler enjoying a "pink pearl."

Artist Anna Conner. Photo by Courtney Marie.

Shelley Cristner and Rachel Aughtry, co-owners of The Dime Store. Photo by Dave Koen.

Conner Wallace and Courtney Marie of Spiderweb Salon.

From that time we threw an Election Party. Photo by Amelia McBride.

MISCELLANEOUS

East Side Social Club's 89 (and counting) beers on tap made us happy in 2013.

From our Coffee Wars post back in November. Photo by Becky Gates.

The original Subway sign that made people mad and isn't all that different from the new Subway sign.

The men's room at Paschall's from our Jive Five on local public restrooms.

A photo from Lauren Apel from our interview with her back in February.

A portrait from Shaina Sheaff from our interview with her in December.

From this year's coffin races at the Day of the Dead festival. Photo by Kimberly Flanagan.

UNT Football had us actually attending games this year.

Demolition for a future food truck park.

Mulberry Street Cantina was a welcome addition to the downtown bar scene.

The new pedestrian bridge.

The new Redwood Recording Studio.

A quiddich match!

The giant tree in the middle of Rose Costumes...

Fun at this year's Holiday Lighting and Wassail Fest

Photographer Thorpe Griner's travels to Pompeii Italy.

Jade Winter watches the storm roll in during the Ice Storm of 2013. Photo from Jade Winter Chessman.

DIME FEATURED SELLER: ANNA TOVAR

Alyssa Stevenson December 19, 2013

Interview by DIME, Photography by Matt McElligot and Anna Tovar

This month, DIME sat down with Anna Tovar to chat about her playful, whimsical, and
oh-so-sweet line of prints. Not only are her calligraphy prints totally adorable, she is too! Read on to to learn more about this talented gal.

First of all, we love that you work under the moniker “Anna Tovar | Fine Artist”. It gives you the option to continually learn and work with new mediums. What is your all time favorite medium?

Oh, man! That’s really hard for me to pin point. My gut instinct is to say that oil paint is my all-time favorite, even though I don’t use it very often anymore. It’s my first love, and the real reason I gathered the courage to pursue art as a career. I went to UNT to study art, but wasn’t sure what I wanted to major in. It wasn’t until I took my first Drawing and Painting class that I fell in love with oils. I later took a couple of watercolor classes that also had my heart skipping beats, which makes it very hard for me to declare a favorite.

Your Etsy shop was originally heavy on the watercolor illustrations, but is now
largely filled with sweet and quirky calligraphy prints. How did you go about
making this change in your line?

I really enjoy change! I like to challenge myself by learning new mediums/crafts on a pretty regular basis. Some I just dabble in for a bit and some stick. Calligraphy stuck. I think it’s because I am still naturally coming up with new ideas, and inspiration is readily available and applicable. It’s not something that I have to force, so as long as I am coming up with fresh and new ideas, I will be creating new calligraphy pieces!

How do you decide what phrases you want to use on new calligraphy prints?
I keep a sketchbook that I write down all of the ideas and inspirations that float into my brain. The list gets pretty long, so every 2-3 months I’ll look over my design ideas as well as all of the quotes that I’ve collected, and see which ones match up the best.

Anyone who’s seen your work or your Etsy shop can immediately tell you have a great eye for design. In fact, we heard from a little birdy that a room in your house was recently featured on Apartment Therapy. What was that like?

Great! I am really into interior design, so having my son’s room featured was pretty fantastic (and validating)!

As you have a lot of your own art in your home, several pieces were highlighted in
Apartment Therapy’s feature. What has that done for your brand?
From what I can tell, not only did it give me greater exposure to a wider range of audience, but it also gave me more credibility. I think my brand instantly became more trustworthy in terms of quality, which has been a tremendous blessing. I wasn’t really anticipating any effects on my business, so that was just an added bonus!

What kind of work are you hoping to add to your line in the new year?

I have more ideas than I can realistically produce! I’m going to start experimenting with
combining calligraphy and watercolor. I love both mediums, so it only seems natural to combine the two. I also just came out with a new style of calligraphy with my “grow where you’re planted” piece. I don’t feel like I’m done with that yet, so I will be working on some more variations of that, as well!

How did you become involved with DIME?

I’ve been participating in the DIME shows for several years now. I started out selling oil
paintings and hand-made journals, and with each show I would introduce a new product. I benefited greatly from being in those first few shows since I was able to get immediate feedback from customers in that face-to-face environment. That is a big part of what helped shape where I am today. Rachel and Shelley were able to witness first-hand the evolution of my brand, so when it came time to open the shop, I was one of the vendors that they contacted. I am so incredibly grateful for their encouragement and support!

Do you have any advice for aspiring Etsy sellers or other local makers?

Done is better than perfect. If you are waiting for the perfect time, the perfect photos, the perfect anything, you will never get started. I believe that it’s better to just get started and get your name out there, and tweak things as you go. There is a lot to learn, and it can become overwhelming if you feel like you have to learn all of it before you open your shop. You can learn as you go!

You can shop Anna's beautiful work here, here and here.

The DIME Store is a shop and artist collective in downtown Denton that features 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 The Greenhouse.

3 SONGS: DECEMBER

will milne December 10, 2013

3 Songs is a monthly column in which we highlight three of our favorite local songs. We skipped this column last month because nothing was really vibing with us. Today, though, we’re having a difficult time whittling things down to three songs. Oh well. Maybe we’re just in a better mood now. Read on to hear music from the likes of Ashley Gatta, Doug Burr and Dome Dwellers.

CODETALKERS - "War Games"

Do y’all know that we still have a reputation as being mostly a folk music town? What happened to the space rock stereotype? Heck, Midlake’s latest wasn’t even very folky and we’re the home of what is probably DFW’s heaviest band, Terminator 2. Y’all are doing more than your part to shake that folk stereotype. CODETALKERS are helping, too. This punk five piece featuring members of The Distressors and Von Ehrics has duel vocals and duel drums. There’s a lot going on in the five songs from their self-titled EP. “War Games,” the song embedded above, is a discordant post-punk heavy hitter full of palm muting and aggressiveness. This behemoth continuously feels as if it’s about to fall apart, but CODETALKERS manage to keep the song under the reins. CODETALKERS next show is January 24th at J and J's and we can't wait to check it out.

Ashley Gatta and The Free People - "Fainthearted"

Ashley Gatta and The Free People’s sophomore album, In Dependence, came out back in September, but we just heard it a few week’s ago. While the new stuff is still plenty soulful, this album has lost the majority of the Norah Jones vibe Gatta had going for her previously, not that that’s a bad thing. Gatta has found a new sound that we’re diggin’. On “Fainthearted” above, AG&TFP (nice acronym, huh?) have a nice poppy alt-country sound with a bit of a sneer.

Dome Dwellers - "Bellied Up"

We highlighted Dome Dwellers with the song “My Halo” off of their last EP back in our September 3 Songs column. Back then, we said the following about Dome Dwellers, “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.” This holds true for their debut album, Maybe I Should Have Some Pride. It’s chock-full of lite math-rock goodness that doesn’t fall far from the initial statement on their EP, and that isn’t a bad thing at all. The entire album is available to purchase on bandcamp for whatever price you would like to pay. We’ve listened to the entirety of the album and dig it quite a bit. This track, “Bellied Up,” is immediately one of our favorites. Lots of super 90’s bass and reverb-laden guitar noodling throughout. The hooks don’t come in until late in the game, but when they do, they hit hard. Lead singer, Michael Slack’s falsetto has become pretty darn impressive at this point, too. Catch these guys live on December 14th at Rubber Gloves for their CD release party.

INTERVIEW: SHAINA SHEAFF OF HELP-PORTRAIT: DENTON

will milne December 5, 2013

*Wedding and portrait photographer Shaina Sheaff*

Y'all know those 'grams of jazz and tacos we include on our Monday mornin' What We Did posts? Most of those belong to photographer Shaina Sheaff. Sheaff actually has a whole bunch of awesomeness on her plate at the moment. In addition to her wedding photography and portraiture, Sheaff is working on bringing Denton its first ever Help-Portrait event (which you can read more about in the interview). Read on to find out why she thinks Denton is a black hole and why she has a barbie shoe and tiny plastic lizard in her camera bag!

WDDI: Hey Shaina! Tell us a little about yourself and your history with Denton.

Shaina Sheaff: I'm a bit of a townie. My parents moved back to Denton when I was six months old, and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to say that I was raised here. I spent the majority of my childhood doing things like playing hide-and-seek all over UNT's campus, being afraid of the people who wore all black and hung out in Kharma Cafe, and watching my dad play chess with some of the Brave Combo guys at The Flying Tomato late at night. My mom and I moved to Muenster, TX for my high school years, but I came right back to Denton after a couple of years of college. This city is a black hole. You can leave, but you always end up coming back for more if you really love it.

Like most of us who have been here a while, I've had a love/hate relationship with Denton for years. Right now, I'm in the middle of being head-over-heels for this town. The creative community is thriving, people are collaborating together...it reminds me a lot of the Denton of my childhood because the art seems to have become more organic over the last few years. I keep saying that it's a great time to be a Dentonite, and it truly is - I'm excited about where our city is headed and I can't imagine ever wanting to move and raise my daughter anywhere else.

What is Help-Portrait?

Help-Portrait is a non-profit organization started by Jeremy Cowart five years ago this December. The idea is that groups of photographers, hairstylists, makeup artists, and volunteers all over the world join together to take and deliver professional portraits to people in their communities who might not otherwise have the opportunity to have that experience. As of last year, 20,371 photographers and 32,299 volunteers have given more than 282,295 portraits in 62 different countries. Pretty inspiring, to say the least.

Just over a month ago, a group of Denton photographers started talking about trying to organize a Help-Portrait event here in Denton. We didn't have much time, but we've been really overwhelmed by the positive response and the number of people who signed up to volunteer their time and are thrilled to see it coming to life!

What can Help-Portrait do for the Denton community?

This is our first year, and we're really excited to be working with the United Way (along with several other local organizations and groups) to find the families and individuals we'll be photographing. Denton Christian Preschool graciously offered their space to us to use on December 7th. An amazing group of hairstylists and makeup artists have signed up to volunteer their services and Sally Beauty Supply has donated all of our hair and makeup supplies. I think it's more than just providing hair and makeup, photographing them, and delivering prints, though. We want to really get to know these people and who they are. We want to invest in their lives and share a really great day with them.

“Both Denton and photography mean a lot to me...So, to be able to give back to my community with something that I’ve been blessed with and by is a really humbling and beautiful thing.”

Why are you excited about it?

I first heard about Help-Portrait a few years ago when I met Jeremy Cowart. I was really blown away by his work, but what really stood out was the heart he has for people. He's used his gifts to serve so many different people all over the world, and it was really inspiring to see such powerful images and stories. Both Denton and photography mean a lot to me, for reasons I can't even begin to describe. So, to be able to give back to my community with something that I've been blessed with and by is a really humbling and beautiful thing for me. And to see a group of people work so hard to make this happen in such a short amount of time is really inspiring. It's good to be reminded that the heart of Denton is truly built around our community and loving our neighbors.

A couple of us have already started making plans next year's Help-Portrait: Denton event. While we're keeping our numbers small this year, we hope to be able to rent a larger space in Denton and open the event up to the community. We'll be able to better plan for next year after this initial event, but we hope to be able to do things like provide clothing and food. Definitely some big dreams, but I have no doubt that we can make it happen.

What can we do to help?
We have around 30 people who have signed up to volunteer, but we still need sponsors to donate things like coffee, bottled water, and lunch for the people being photographed. We also desperately need photo paper, ink, and a sponsor to donate printing services for all of the forms we'll need to have beforehand. If you'd like to help sponsor the event, you can send a message to Sara Button. Outside of that, the best thing you can do is stay tuned to the Help-Portrait: Denton Facebook page for updates regarding our event next year.

How would you describe your own, personal, style of photography?

I could answer this in several different ways. My work has really changed over the years and leans towards being more artistic, emotional, and non-traditional - with a bit of editorial, fashion photography, and photojournalism mixed in. I feel like my style, at it's core, has more to do with the way that I interact with and get to know the people I work with and less to do with things like post-processing and composition, although that plays an important part as well. I want the people I photograph to feel like I've given them a true and honest image that accurately communicates who they are in a creative and flattering way. Being able to capture emotion and romance is a big part of the job description when you're a wedding photographer, and it took me a few years to recognize how important it was to really learn how to direct and communicate when you're shooting. I'm definitely still learning, so I hope that my style will continue to evolve and that my work will continue to improve as a result.

What’s your favorite non-human subject to shoot in Denton?

As strange as it sounds, I'm really in love with the buildings, particularly the older ones. (Well, it's a toss-up between that and my cat, Zelda. Or the tacos that I'm constantly craving.) In all seriousness, the architecture and character of the city stayed the same here for a long time, and I'm sad that I wasn't camera-happy back when the Fry Street and downtown areas were still intact. There's an old stone house that was built in the early 1940s in my neighborhood. I grew up going over there after school when I was a kid, so it's a bit of a landmark for me. If you follow me on Instagram, it shows up in my feed on a regular basis because I love the way the light reflects off it when the sun is setting throughout the year. The city is getting ready to tear it down soon and I've gone into a mild depression over it. I love all of the change that has come to Denton over the past few years, but I'm a sentimental person and I hate that a lot of the places that have made Denton "home" for me are slowly disappearing. That's why I'm trying to photograph as many of them as I possibly can before they're all gone.

Tell us one of your top-secret Denton shooting locations!

Never! Just kidding... We all know that places like the square have been photographed 20 million times. That part of Denton holds a special place in my heart and a large number of my clients request that we shoot there, so I just look for the spots that I don't see used in the work of other local photographers. I grew up visiting the old post office just off the square on an almost-daily basis. About a year ago, I was shooting an anniversary session for a couple who were in town from NYC and decided, on a whim, to pose them standing in the big windows there. I've had several couples request it since, and it's kind of become one of my favorite little spots to shoot.

A new favorite is Rasoi, the Indian food restaurant on Avenue C. I just shot an awesome portrait session with Horace Bray, a member of the One O'Clock Lab Band, there a couple of weeks ago! Such a random location - it's not a place you'd normally think of as an ideal spot to shoot portraits after dark, but we met up there around 9:00 PM one night and it was perfect! Bonus: we got to eat delicious samosas after shooting. Again, I try to find places that are unique to Denton, but that aren't over-used. My locations are typically right in front of all of us, so there's not really a "secret" one - I just try to push myself to view and capture Denton with a voice that is unique to the area in order to keep my job interesting, fun, and fresh. It's kind of like a scavenger hunt.

What’s the weirdest thing in your camera bag right now?

I just cleaned it out two days ago, but I pulled out a handful of small rocks and a fishing lure from a recent camping trip, a Barbie shoe and a plastic lizard, a tiny jade owl that a friend brought me from Alaska, and some Halloween candy. My camera bag goes pretty much everywhere with me (and I'm a mom), so I'm always finding random things in the side pocket.

What’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to you while shooting a wedding?

I recently shot this awesome circus-themed wedding in Boyd, Texas. The couple actually paid for a live monkey to hang out and pose for photographs with guests during the reception and I got to hold him towards the end of the night! He definitely took a second to paw through my hair, found something, and turned it into a snack. So, I've been groomed by a monkey while working and I have a photo to prove it! Not many people get to experience something like that in their workplace. Best job ever.

To whom do you look for inspiration as far as art or photography goes?

As far as wedding photographers go, Andria Lindquist is my favorite. Hands down. She captures love and emotion in such a beautifully artistic and creative way and I'm really looking forward to the day when I get to meet her and hopefully hire her. Annie Leibovitz, Noa Azoulay, Tara Whitney, Jeremy Cowart, and Sue Bryce are all favorite photographers of mine and they all create really unique and interesting art - you'll rarely see anything boring or "safe" in their portfolios.

There are a lot of local artists and photographers whose work I really admire, as well. I have quite a few large paintings by Rachael Steinberg hanging in my home, and I am blown away every time I see something new that she's created. Her use of color has been a huge inspiration to me in the way I shoot for several years now.

I really love the way both Thorpe Griner and Stephen Masker approach shooting landscape and travel photography - it's not really my niche, so my jaw drops regularly when either of them posts something new from a recent trip. I go to both of them regularly for advice or opinions on my photos before anyone else sees them because I have so much respect for the way they both shoot. Jessica Hume shoots portraits in the studio and does some really awesome live music stuff, but she does it in a really fresh way - I often notice new things when I go back and look at her photographs more than once. I also recently met a new media major from UNT who is doing some really interesting things with video and sound - Olivia Brown. I'd love to have the chance to collaborate with her on a project of some sort in the future. I'm looking forward to meeting more artists like Olivia because I'm constantly inspired by what the people around me in this town are doing - whether it's an artist or a jazz musician or a photographer.

P.S. I really love seeing the photography on WDDI every week! I get hungry every time you guys review a restaurant.

What’s your dream photo-shoot?

Two things tie for the number one spot on my photography bucket list. One: I would love to shoot a destination wedding in Ireland. I want to see the world. Someone make it happen and I'll hook you up! Two: I would like to take Jay-Z's portrait in front of the place where he lived as a child in Brooklyn. It's a little random, I know... but I'm fascinated by the fact that our environments shape us as people early on - which becomes evident in every artist's work, and I think that would make for a really powerful portrait. Also, I'm kind of a superfan.

Thanks, Shaina!

Help-Portrait: Denton will be held on December 7, 2013 at Denton Christian Preschool at Erwin Hall, which is attached to First Presbyterian Church of Denton located at 1114 W. University Drive in Denton, Texas from 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. If you can help or need more info, please contact Sara Button.

You can check out more of Shaina Sheaff's photography on her website or Facebook page.

SELECTED TWEETS: LIVE TO LIVE ANOTHER LIFE

Alyssa Stevenson November 20, 2013

Written by Christopher Hughes

Steam rose from a crumpled, metal hood. Yellow fire turned in the bulbs. Sirens echoed in a soft, suburban block. I could feel the heat in my face and the blood underneath it, blooming. Then I was alive. They blotted my wounds with gauze that scratched at the raw, open flesh. It hurt, but I was glad the blood was no longer leaking into my eye. Ten months later I wrote about it and failed. All I could do was click and click, twirl a pen across the knuckles of my hand, observe the curious resistence to memory. I was called to the stage and reached into my bag and there was nothing there. Those bright lights shone and I conjured something violent in my mind. Sorry y’all, but I forgot it, I said. A few people laughed like it was some kind of joke, and it probably was.

The medics asked for my name, address, phone number, and permission to inject some kind of something into my body. I agreed and supplied them with information and requested the removal of a bandage from my face. I imagined my mother on the other end of a line, voice cracking, full of questions, suspicious and on the verge of accusation. Then I lay in a gurney in a hallway, staring at a pock-marked ceiling, trying to remember everything and trying not to nod. A doctor approached, clipboard in hand, and said, You’re lucky to be alive. Living is easy, I said, but she didn’t get my sarcasm. They gave me a Morphine shot. I thought I was dreaming. I rolled over and peed in a plastic bottle with the curtains drawn, wondered how many Facebook notifications I had, wiped some leftover blood onto the bed sheets, tried to curl my hand into a fist, claimed I was still in pain and got another Morphine shot, considered the damage to my face, felt the bridge of my nose with my good hand, and thought about feeding my cat. It took me ten months to write about it. It was the worst I’ve ever written.

I left the stage with my head down low, exited the bar, drove home and saw the pages scattered across the carpet, my cat resting on them in a meditative state. I pulled them out from underneath and he shot me a bothered glance and I apologized. When I returned I read what I wrote and the crowd figured it for comedy and laughed, thinking they were being polite. I folded the pages and made a shopping list that included two apples and a spaghetti squash. It’s been ten months, I thought, and I still recoil in the presence of headlights. Then I entered a stall and peed with the door cracked and washed my hands and splashed water on my face. Between band stickers I could see, in the mirror, the reflection of a scar on the bridge of my nose. It wasn’t very noticeable, but I noticed.

Christopher Hughes is the author of Selected Tweets, a spoken word project and ongoing collection of prose poems based around the idea of giving context to his otherwise vague Twitter feed. He is the singer, guitarist and songwriter for The Calmative, and he produces other artists as well, out of his studio, Miscellaneous Sound. He holds an MFA in creative writing from The New School, has been published in Pax Americana, Omnia Vanitas Review and the Augury Books blog, and lives within spitting distance of Midway Mart.

MIDLAKE ON THEIR 'HOMETOWN'

Alyssa Stevenson November 14, 2013

Hometown heroes, Midlake are up to their old shenanigans again. This time giving Off Main St. a tour of our beloved downtown square, the studio where all the Midlake magic happens and their not-so-secret / secret bar, Paschall Bar. If you were one of the lucky folks who braved the haze machine at one of their sold out Dan’s Silverleaf shows last month you’ll recognize the stage they’re on as they take you on an epic musical journey on search of the one flute to rule them all.

DIME FEATURED MAKER: SAVANNAH TEEL

Alyssa Stevenson November 14, 2013

Interview by The DIME Store, Photos by Savannah Teel

Savvie Designs may be new to the DIME Store, but the amazing lady behind the brand, Savannah Teel, has been on the Denton creative scene for quite a while. She runs two Etsy shops, works part time at SCRAP, and serves on the DIME leadership board, all while hammering out the last few classes of her UNT visual arts degree. This busy gal took some time out of her busy schedule to sit down with us and talk about her love of making, lasers, and most importantly, tacos. Unfortunately, we didn't get to discuss laser tacos, the taco of the future.

Have you always been involved in creative things and making?

Yes! I often joke that I was born with glitter in one hand and a glue gun in the other. I grew up in a very creative family. Both my dad and brother were engineers and builders, my mom was the craftiest lady in town, and my grandmother was a DIY queen. It was impossible to just sit around when I was constantly surrounded by creativity.

What first inspired you to get into laser cutting and material fabrication?

I needed an extra studio credit and UNT was offering an online Digital Fabrication course over the summer. I enrolled because it sounded like an easy elective but after the first day, I realized that it was so much more. I was amazed by the possibilities that laser cutting provides and it was something that just clicked for me. Out of pure curiosity, I started searching for actual Digital Fabrication jobs and found a part-time summer gig working with laser cutters and 3D printers. I landed the job and had an incredible opportunity to pick up the trade. It fell together so quickly that I just knew it was what I needed to be doing right then.

What’s it like to finally have your own laser cutter?

So amazing! I’m not going to lie, it was the most terrifying purchase that I’ve ever made. Not only because it was a huge investment but because I had so much to learn. But now I feel so empowered by the potential!

What struggles have you faced in growing your business while still in school and still in a student apartment?

For one, there is no “I was late to class because I stayed up all night filling a rush order of 150 custom boxes” option on the syllabus. It’s not the easiest thing in the world to balance but it can be done. I’ve learned that time management and self-discipline are my best friends.

Now, trying to create a digital fabrication studio environment inside a tiny college apartment is an art within itself. The other day, one of my neighbors approached me and said, “You must be the girl who plays with power tools at 3am and has smoke billowing out of the window from time to time. Can you tell me what you’re doing?” Besides looking like I’m cooking meth in my apartment, I’ve also learned that space is crucial. Thankfully I have a roommate who doesn’t mind me storing piles of salvaged lumber in the living room and a little sawdust in the carpet from time to time.

In addition to Savvie Designs, you also have a partner Etsy shop with your mom called Regeneration. Is it easy to design and create for both, or is it a difficult balance?

You know, I feel like they sort of balance each other out. Although I love the creative freedom that the digital process provides, I think it is important as a maker to hang onto the skills that come with a more physical, hands on process. If I were doing it alone, I don’t think I could make it happen but my mom is a total rock star and it gives us something really fun to do together.

What are your plans for Savvie Designs once you finish your degree at UNT?

My thoughts are constantly evolving. One thing is that I really want to bring a more tactile sense to my work. I want to incorporate my love of sewing, drawing, and other hands on assets even more. I also have a vision of creating a resource for other makers. I’ve had so much fun finding ways to promote my own brand via laser cutting and I would love to explore the needs of today’s creatives. At the end of the day, there are so many possibilities.

How did you become involved with DIME?

I went to the DIME Spring Bash during my first year at UNT and was overwhelmed with excitement about what was happening. Later, I met the lovely Shelley Christner while volunteering at SCRAP and I remember thinking “I’m not sure who this chick is but we need to be friends.” When she told me that they were opening an actual store, I was beyond excited. I wasn’t selling at the time but I couldn’t get over the concept of a DIME Show year round. I was so encouraged by the creative community and realized that I had been ignoring my need to make for far too long.

If you’re not hanging out up at the DIME Store, what are your favorite places to be around town?

I would have to say SCRAP is at the top of my list, which is rather convenient since I also work there. When I’m not being inspired from the goodness of creative reuse, I love to scour through the thrift stores of Denton or hang out on the square. I also frequent every single taco shop in town. All of them. That reminds me, I don’t think any interview is complete without noting that I do trade laser cut goods and services for free tacos. I’m looking at you, El Guapos.

Where can we shop your work?

You can find my work online at Savvie Design Co. I also sell at the lovely DIME Store, Fun and a Lil’ Chic Boutique in Irving, and I've made a custom line for Bella Gardens, a cute little flower shop in my hometown.

Do you have any advice for aspiring Etsy sellers?

Don’t play the comparison game. When I began thinking about starting an Etsy, I would go to the front page, look at the featured listings, and then close my laptop and walk away. I didn’t account for the fact that I was comparing myself to trained artisans who had years of practice under their belt. You should never stop learning or growing as a maker and as a person so don’t expect to start at the top. The best thing I ever did was write down all of my self-doubt on a sheet of notebook paper, then rip it to shreds and throw it away. Make what you love and make for the love of making.

TRADE FEATURED ARTIST: DANIEL ROUTH

Alyssa Stevenson November 7, 2013

Interview by TRADE

Daniel Routh is a self-described "multimedia creative" working predominantly in the realms of video, photography, and music composition. Daniel's visual work tells tales of his personal travels and explorations across the country, while his musical compositions travel across multiple genres showing a depth of emotion and range. Read on to find out how his multiple disciplines collide, as well as his latest project about an attempt at breaking a world record.

What is the focus of your work?

At the core of what I do I'm trying to stir up something inside of people that maybe they haven't been in touch with in a while or ever before. I want to break away from surface level thinking in terms of 'art' and really push the boundaries of our contemporary views concerning what art is or is not. So in my work, whether it be a composition, or a video, or whatever, I want people to feel that there is something deeper, something more meaningful and more real. I have a real distaste for a lot of mainstream music, art, and films. I don't mean that to sound pretentious but whenever I watch one of those movies or hear that music on the radio I find myself completely unmoved – like I'm no different now than I was before I went into that movie. And to me that's a complete waste of time. It's like candy, you kind of can't help but like it but it will never sustain you and isn't good for you in large quantities. I'm constantly trying to go deeper, to get more meaning and more substance in my work, and to do it in a way that I just think is cool.

From where do you draw inspiration?

That's a hard question. It's often times from unpredictable places but generally I find a lot of inspiration from other artists, from the natural world, from strange or peculiar sounds, from books and poetry. Some of my favorite artists are Beethoven, Arvo Pärt, Mark Rothko, René Magritte, and C.S. Lewis.

What kind of work do you make?

I call myself a multi-media artist. For me, that encompasses music, photography, and video.

What drew you to that form of art?

I've always been the kind of person that needs variety. Growing up, my older brother and I would film skateboarding videos using our parents’ VHS video camera. Then we would edit using two VCR's where we'd start and stop one of them and hit record on the other one and add music. So that got me really interested in video, I would film everything I could whenever my family and I went out to do things.

I always wanted to do photography but the kinds of cameras that I had access to were never really able to produce the quality of images I was looking for. Last summer, a friend and I took a long road trip up to the Pacific Northwest with a loaner 10 mega-pixel Nikon DSLR and an iPhone case that allowed us to attach an old Nikon manual lens. We filmed everything and took a ton of pictures. When I came back I put together a video of the trip which was my first video I'd made since was a kid. That experience really re-sparked my interest on a surprising level.

I grew up in very musical home. My dad is a piano tuner, my mom used to be a singer, and my step-dad is a musician and composer as well. Through high school I was really involved in band and jazz band and I spent the summer before my senior year touring with a drum corps. I wanted to study music at UNT but I had switched instruments a whole lot and didn't have exceptional talent on any one instrument. Because of that, I was initially rejected into the music program at UNT. But I knew I wanted to study music composition and I wanted to do it at UNT, so I practiced three hours a day for 8 months and then auditioned two more times until I finally got accepted, probably just out of sympathy.

It was a weird time for me, I knew I had a lot of potential as a composer and a musician – I felt it inside me – but I couldn't play any one instrument exceptionally well. I had all these people telling me that I wasn't good enough but I knew that I was good enough. In the end, all it really took was just a lot of patience, a little bit of spite, and a few people who saw the potential in me to help me through that time. Four years later, I won one of the biggest competitions a composer can win at UNT and I had a piece that I composed performed by the UNT Symphony Orchestra.

Do you find that your different creative disciplines influence or inspire one another?

Definitely. It's cool because especially when I'm editing video I find myself doing the same kinds of things that I do when I'm composing music. For example, a lot of times I'll create formal, structural designs and then I'll try and create these 'moments' that are special and stand out because of the context I've built around the 'moment'. That kind of thing definitely transfers over between composing music and editing video.

But the more challenging one for me has been photography, because I've been so used to working within time and suddenly I'm doing this thing that isn't really time-based. So I'm constantly asking myself "how do I create something deep and meaningful without time?" With photography, people can look at a photo any different number of ways but I think a good photo will almost lead the eye to where the artist wants it to go, and I think that's partly what would make a person subconsciously want to stop and stare at an image for a long time, it's almost like they can't look away. Those are the kinds of images that I try to create – something that almost pulls them in and makes them feel like they're inside the photo.

Tell us about your workspace and what tools you use the most.

I have a small music studio at home with recording gear and lots of miscellaneous instruments and music paper, so when I'm working on music stuff I usually do it at home. When I'm editing photos or videos I'll often times go to a coffee shop because I like the atmosphere and I usually am working around other photographers of videographers who can give me high-quality, honest feedback.

I use DSLR's for most of my video stuff, I think that's becoming a pretty standard thing now. For photography, I'll typically use a DSLR and my Pentax ME-Super film camera. I'm still trying out different films but my favorite so far has been Ektar 100 which is made by Kodak. I really want to learn some alternative photographic processes like wet plate collodion photography, camera obscura photography, as well as using alternative chemicals to process my film negatives (things like vodka and nail polish remover).

Your most recent video project is about your Step Dad's attempt at breaking a world record. Tell me about that project as well as a little about the inspiration behind it.

Well my step-dad, Michael Combs, had some really bad heart problems about 10 years ago that stopped his heart for several minutes. He clinically died twice in three days. But before he was sick he always had this dream to be a pilot, so because of his near-death experience he vowed to himself that when he got well again he would learn how to fly. Five years later, after being laid off from his job, he told us that not only was he going to get his pilot's license but that he was going to fly an airplane into all 50 states to spread the message to people that it's never too late to follow your dreams. Today, more than three years later, he has completed the 50 state goal and we estimate that about 30 million people have heard his message.

Last summer he and I attempted a time-over-distance world record attempt at flying coast-to-coast in his airplane which is a special class of airplane called Light Sport. Unfortunately, we got within 91 miles of the east coast destination but then had to abandon the record attempt because we got completely enveloped in some wild thunderstorms. We planned to try again this summer and have been waiting all summer long for clear weather so we can make our second attempt. It just hasn't happened yet and at this point, we’re not sure it will. We’ll likely need to wait until next year.

My plan has been to make a short documentary chronicling the whole endeavor in order to continue spreading his message about not giving up on your dreams. Honestly, if it doesn't happen until next year I'll be somewhat relieved. There are just so many factors in setting aviation world-records that it really makes attempts stressful and nerve-wracking.

Has living in Denton influenced your work?

Living in Denton has definitely influenced my work. There's this strong community of artists here and there's this way of thinking that Dentonites have that is just magnetic. I'm not from Denton, or even from Texas, I'm from Colorado, so coming here was a big culture shock for me. But as soon as I started getting into making art and doing creative things I found myself totally embraced by Denton and by the people that make up the creative community. There are lots of talented people engaged in so many different disciplines and on some level everyone is helping everybody else; I feel really fortunate to be a part of a group of people like that.

Is it important to you to be a part of a creative community?

It really is important to me. To have a group of people that I really trust and who I really feel respect me and what I do is totally invaluable. I feel like the quality of my work would really suffer if I didn't have people to be honest with me and tell me "that sucks" or "this part here is weak" or whatever. This was especially true when I was really first starting out.

Are there any local artists that you take inspiration from?

There are a whole lot of them. I can’t remember his name but I met this painter at the Denton Arts & Jazz fest several years ago. We talked for close to four hours and he told me something that that really opened my eyes to the way that I approach art. He said something along the lines of "Art is not the painting, nor is it the painter. Art is the exchange that happens between the painting and the viewer." That just really blew my mind and totally made sense to me. I mean a piece of music or a painting is not art. How could it be? It's just air molecules being knocked into each other or just colors arranged together on some paper. The thing that is art is that magical thing that happens when someone hears the music or sees that painting. And I think this is why people have different ideas of what makes good art and bad art, or even art and non-art.

So I took what that guy at the Denton Arts & Jazz fest said and I ran with it and now, four years, later my work is very focused on creating something that can be very personal to the viewer almost on a spiritual level, and doing so by creating something that might challenge them to look a little bit deeper. I love things that appear simple but actually have this subtle, nuanced depth to them that you kind of have to hunt for.

Then there are also the really talented people that I'm fortunate enough to be friends with or are at least be familiar with. People like Jordan Smith, Ryan Polly, Justin Lowe, Mark & Lauren Apel, Patrick Peringer, Carlo Canlas, Jeremy Ottens, Mandy Hampton, and a whole host of other highly skilled people.

What was the last film, video, and/or composition that blew your mind?

A short film called "Union Man" by Bobby Lewis. It's real short, like 9 minutes, but it's this really honest, gut-wrenching look at this janitor who works in the university union at UNT. It's all in black & white and there's this somber, melodramatic, bluesy piano thing that's going on underneath these visuals of him cleaning windows and mopping floors after everyone else is gone. The janitor, the "Union Man", is narrating the whole time and as it progresses he starts to really open up about his fears and his emotions. And then, when he has become most vulnerable with his words, it cuts to a shot of him playing that piano tune on this baby-grand piano that sits in the union. So Bobby used that tune as the score for the film and the music really sums up all the feelings that the guy described and it's so pure because it's coming straight from the source. It's really powerful stuff; a really simply made, vulnerable look at this guy who everybody else just writes off as a loser or whatever. I thought that was really cool.

What future project are you most excited about?

Well, I have several things in the works that I'm excited about. I'm really looking forward to making the documentary about my step-dad's upcoming coast-to-coast world record attempt. I'm also scoring a short film called Hero for writer and director Brian Anthone here within the next month or so. I'll also be composing music for a feature film called REM but that probably won't be until next summer. Lately, I've been working with the people at TRADE to produce a video that will hopefully generate a lot of interest in the future of the project.

Additionally, I've been working closely with Denton's new clothing line, Threadwell, doing mainly photography stuff. I’ve been designing their website kind of in my spare time the past couple months and we launched the site recently. As a photographer, it's really a great opportunity for me to work with Threadwell because we'll organize these shoots, I'll show up, and I'll have three or four different models who are really talented and make the shoots go really smoothly.

I stay pretty busy, which I'm really thankful for, but the thing I'm most looking forward to is simply to continue to deepen my skills as an artist, whether it be in photography, video, or music. As a multi-media artist, I thrive on creating things in all three of those mediums and I am very fortunate to be able to support myself by doing so. I pretty much have three criteria for my life's work: I want to benefit others in a long-lasting, meaningful way, I want to create really cool things, and I want to travel all over the world. So I'm excited to see what the future holds!

TRADE is a forthcoming collaborative creative space started by Heather Gregory and Tristan Bynum in the heart of Denton. TRADE works to bring together artists and creatives from different backgrounds and mediums by providing access to the space, tools, resources and creative community they need in order to thrive in Denton.