JIVE FIVE: JAZZ FEST

Editor's Note: This is a post from Denton Arts and Jazz Festival 2013. 
This year, we've got a different headliners including Asleep at the Wheel and Denton greats, Brave Combo. Now is also a good time to realize just how close East Side Social Club is to the Civic Center and to keep in mind that they're having a little shindig complete with food trucks on Saturday. Have a good fest weekend, y'all! We'll keep our fingers crossed as far as the weather goes! 

The Denton Arts and Jazz Festival is already in progress as of this moment, but we thought we'd take a second and share some advice with y'all as to how to best enjoy the 33rd annual Denton festival. Below you will find five Do's and five Don'ts that may help you in your outing to Quakertown Park sometime this weekend. Don't say we didn't warn ya.

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​It's impossible to leave jazz fest without sampling the wares of our friends at Hillbilly Kettle Korn. 

Do’s:

Wait for the sound of freshly popping kettle corn and then wait in the long line for it. It’s worth it. You can go home and forget about the jazz after that.

Bring a cooler full of your own beverages (alcohol), they can get quite pricey from the beverage stands.

Bring chairs and blankets and umbrellas for the various shows. It’s Arts and Jazz Fest, so it will definitely rain.

Stop by the Ceramic Guild’s booth - they make some of the best mugs around.

Bring plenty of cash. Many vendors aren’t up with the Square game yet, so if you don’t have a couple Abe Lincolns on ya, you’re gonna be turkey leg-less and sad.

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Don'ts: 

Don’t complain that the Original Blues Brothers Band isn’t jazz. It’s Steve Croper for crying out loud, y’all.

Don’t fall down on the bridge between the library and the civic center during potential human stampedes.

Do your best to avoid the plethora of high school students who think this is the Denton version of the Texas State Fair. They tend to congregate in the drainage ditch and if you’re over the age of 20, attempting to walk into the drainage ditch will most likely end in a fatality by way of falling. Also, the kids will probably plant drugs on you after your fall and that’s no good.

Don't even try to look for close parking after noon. Be prepared to walk from The Greenhouse at a minimum. Better yet, bike there.

Don’t wear flip flops. Wait, do you still own flip flops that you wear out in public? Maybe forget about Jazz Fest this year and work up revamping your wardrobe.

THE DEN10

Since we all basically witnessed the season finale of America play out last week I think it's time for everyone to please, pretty please, I beg of you for everything that is holy on this planet, TONE IT DOWN A NOTCH. I mean really, folks. Let's show Steve Cropper, Japanese drone lords Boris, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Swedish Freakout artists GOAT and all the other folks from around the world visiting our tiny hamlet this weekend that Denton, Texas is full of kind, decent, polite, talented, level-headed folks. Please be safe and vigilant, and if we could please just simmer down a little - that would be great. Lets have a nice and relaxing weekend full of music, friends and fried foods and a chicken dance. It's the way John B. Denton would have wanted it.

Wednesday April 24                CAMEL RIDES | Tractor Supply Store | 8AM - 8PM I $5
Was that a camel I just saw hanging out on 288 in front of a red and white striped tent by the Tractor Supply Store? Yes it was. In fact it looks like there will be camel rides for anyone brave enough to mount this strange and notoriously "spitty" animal. After riding the camel, stop into the petting zoo and check out the ostriches and the zebra. 

Thursday April 25
Woodsman / Giant Dog / Midnight Society | Gloves | 9PM | $6
Ray Wylie Hubbard | Dan's | 8PM | $15

Friday April 26
Clinic / No Joy / HI JR | Dan's | 9PM | $15

Boris / Thrones / Pinkish Black / Bludded Head | Gloves | 8PM | $20
Have you heard the one about the time Gloves owner, Josh Baish got his ear bit off at a Boris concert? True story.

Denton Art's & Jazz | Quakertown Park | 5PM - 11PM | FREE
Twenty acres of arts and Jazz invade Quakertown park this weekend. David Sanborn, known for his session work for David Bowie's Young Americans (1975) headlines the opening night.

Saturday April 27​
Kraken Presents: Karyna McGly, John Poch, Curtis Bauer | Paschall Bar | 6PM | FREE

Art Show For The People | Panhandle House Warehouse | 8PM | $2
Go for the art, stay for the complimentary wine. It's good to see some fine artists take over this underutilized and beautiful space.

Denton Art's & Jazz | Quakertown Park | 10AM - 11PM | FREE
Denton's seminal festival continues with The "Original" Blue's Brothers Band headlining Saturday. These are the musicians hand picked by Dan Aykroyd and John Belushi for their film The Blues Brothers. That's right, Steve Cropper (co-writer of Sitting on The Dock of The Bay), Lou Marini (UNT, Blood Sweat & Tears) and the rest of the band will be in town. Dear Mr. Cropper, we should record shop at Recycled and maybe grab a bourbon at Dan's before your gig. Bring Lou. Call me.

Sunday April 28​
Denton Art's & Jazz | Quakertown Park | 11AM - 9PM | FREE
Brave Combo wraps up the fest in the same manner they have for the past 200 years: with the chicken dance. Also be sure to catch Denton's own Mario Cruz, best known for touring with Bruce Springsteen in the 80's.

Monday April 29​
GOAT / Holy Wave / Strange Towers | Dan's | 9PM | $10 / $13
Here's our sleeper pick of the week. How can you watch this video and not want to make sure your at Dan's for this one? Gonna get weird, y'all.​

REVIEW: SHIITAKE SWERVE

​Shiitake Swerve serves up super 'shrooms. 
Photo by Bryan Samuels. 

When the city of Denton initially opened the floodgates for food trucks to operate in town, we initially had high hopes for lots of trucks to crawl out of the rafters. Sadly, this was not the case. While there are still a few trucks that operate in Denton city limits, only three of them call Denton their home as of this review. Shiitake Swerve, the recently opened mushroom-concept truck is one of them.

Admittedly, we had all but written Shiitake Swerve off at this point. They had been talking big game since last summer with little to show for it. We found our expectations continuously rising only to be dashed by them not following through. Initially the crew said the long wait was due to their custom paint job. If so, it was worth the wait. They have one of the best-looking truck designs we’ve seen out of north Texas. That said, it does appear that the paint job might not have been the only thing keeping Shiitake Swerve from opening.

​The paint job Shiitake Swerve is sportin' seems to feature a bear with an elevated consciousness holding a sign encouraging healthy eating. 
Photo by Bryan Samuels. 

Last October’s Friday Night Bites was to be their grand unveiling, but technical difficulties kept them from selling. While we’ve seen SS operating at a couple different events at this point (namely 35 Denton), they still haven’t quite shaken all of the difficulties they had experienced during their first days open. Their first day at 35 was spent with their doors shut for the majority of the time, and when we first tried to get some grub at Redbud Fest this weekend, we were met with a sign that they had run out of fuel and would be back in ten or fifteen minutes. Opening a local business can be a difficult thing, especially when that business is on wheels and is this delicious.

​The chocolate chili at Shiitake Swerve. 

​The original taco plate at Shiitake Swerve. 

Problems aside, we tried a couple things at Shiitake Swerve. First, we got the taco plate with both the original and the jerk tacos. The original came with grilled garlic shiitake mushrooms, shredded cabbage, garlic sauce, green onion and what appeared to be some cotija cheese on top. It was creamy and cool at first, but the mushrooms themselves really packed a big flavor punch - being almost smoky in their aftertaste. The jerk taco was vibrant and fresh, topped with mango pico. It was perfectly light and flavorful. This taco was bright, colorful and holy shiitake did it ever have a surprising amount of spice that stuck around afterwards. The heat came as a bit of a surprise, but ended up being a delightful addition to this taco. The sweet potato salad came as a side and has quickly become something we're trying to recreate in our own kitchens for summer picnics. Shiitake Swerve pushes their freshly squeezed orange juice as their go-to beverage, but we stuck with waters. They managed to kill the heat adequately.

In addition to the taco plate, it was also recommended that we try the chocolate chili. This was also crazy delicious. The chili had a mole like flavor due to the chocolate and came atop some delightfully salty chips with sour cream and green onions strewn atop. The heat was absent from this particular dish, but it wasn’t missed. This was satisfying and fun to try and eat with a fork.

Both items took a little while to retrieve (about ten minutes), but were well worth the wait. Maybe Shiitake Swerve should take a page out of The Pickled Carrot’s book and take orders via text when they’re operating in town.

This isn’t truck-quality food, guys. This is the stuff of gourmet restaurants. Heck, when we peeked inside the window, we even saw someone in full chef-regalia, hat and all. Everything we tried at SS was amazing. Sadly, we have fears that a mushroom-centric truck might not have exactly what it takes to survive. We are by no means vegetarians, and meat was definitely not missed during our meal. We hope the rest of Denton won’t be scared off by the fungus these chefs are a-cookin’ and give them a try. While we do have a high vegan/vegetarian population, they don’t get out that much and when they do, they might not be able to afford the $9/plate options that Shiitake Swerve offers. The one thing SS does have going for them is that they are one of the three trucks currently calling Denton their home base (the other two being The Pickled Carrot and Happy Camper's Sno-cones). So if you do support Denton and want to see more food trucks pop up in the future, you owe it to them to at least give the ‘shrooms Shiitake Swerve is slinging a shot.

SEAN STARR AND STARR STUDIOS

One of our favorite local artists and entrepreneurs is the ever so industrious Sean Starr of Starr Studios. A few reasons you already know who this guy is: The Bookish Coffee sign on the square, the Jupiter House remodel, the fresh face of Bullseye Bikes and the interior branding of Royal's Bagels... not to mention our very own We Denton Do It logo. Sean has been hard at work making Denton a more beautiful place by bringing back the old school technique of hand sign painting. We applaud his work not only because it's insanely cool, but because he has a heart for our very own community - taking on the commitment of improving Denton by helping out small businesses locally and focusing on their needs with the same dedication he shows to the national brands he works with. 

​Sean Starr and Mathew Foster draw out spec plans for a new logo for the City of Denton. 

What brought you to Denton - where did you live before - how long have you been here? 

STARR: Initially family brought us here. I grew up in South Texas and over time my family all settled in the Metroplex. I have two sisters that live here in Denton as well as my nephew and his wife. In addition I have two brothers that live in the DFW area, so everyone pretty much settled in this area and that's what first got us considering moving here.

I started Starr Studios in San Francisco, in the Mission District, in 2005. Then Kayleigh and I got married in 2008 and worked together to really get it going. In 2010 we moved the studio down to the mountains outside of Los Angeles to try and simplify things, but we ended up busier there than we were in San Francisco and were doing most of our work in Beverly Hills which required a lot of commuting in L.A. Traffic, which wasn't any fun.

We came to visit family in Denton in November of 2011 with the mindset that we might move our studio here someday and decided to just go for it when Joey Hawkins, who owns Jupiter House Coffee, offered us some workspace. I had met Joey in 2007 while doing a cross country motorcycle trip after I stopped a while in Denton to visit my sisters and we have worked on projects with he and his wife Amy ever since.


How did you get your start in sign painting? 

STARR: Initially working with my dad. My dad started a company called Starr Custom Paint in San Antonio back in the 1980s. I came to work for him when I was in my late teens and we did custom design and paint work on everything from brand new pick up trucks to airplanes to Willie Nelson's tour bus. That was all pre-computer and we did every stage of the process by hand.

My dad was Ukrainian and an ex Golden Gloves boxer from Cleveland, so I learned his work ethic which was pretty amazing. I still have not met anyone who worked as hard as he did. He passed away about 15 years ago, and by that point we co-owned and operated the business. 

I accepted a job offer at a sign shop in Seattle after he passed away and spent several years working with vinyl and digital signage, which I really hated but it taught me some really great computer as well as organization skills, so I am glad I spent that time. The shops in Seattle I worked at wanted nothing to do with paint, so I spent time painting at home. When I moved to San Francisco from Seattle I decided to start Starr Studios and was determined that we would focus on hand painted work and design.

Sean Starr trying to wave like humans. ​

Sign painting has now turned into full on branding for you. Tell us about that transition. 

STARR: This is kind of a peculiar question to me. I have never really seen there being a difference between sign painting and what everyone now is referring to as branding. Throughout history, the sign painter was the guy doing what is now referred to as branding. Business owners relied on the sign artist to create a memorable visual image that created an atmosphere that represented the business' values as well as drew clientele in from the streets. We created the vibe. We are still doing that same thing, we just create in a way that allows for the use of our designs in digital media as well as physical.

We have been branching out in offering more comprehensive design for our clients over the last three years which has led to a working relationship with some of the best in the business and that has been exciting. In 2010 we started working on a variety of projects for the Gap and that's when I first met Mathew Foster, who was one of the co-founders of the Official Manufacturing Co.  in Portland. Mathew and I really hit it off and have worked collaboratively ever since. His studio is now based out of Los Angeles and serves clients out there and we have teamed up on several branding launches. 

Mathew and I are currently in the process of launching a collaborative agency we have named Shop Class. Mathew started at industry giant Wieden+Kennedy back in 2006 so he brings a really unique perspective and skill set to the mix. Shop Class will allow Mathew and I to work together on a regular basis with clients while maintaining our individual studios. We will be working on full branding campaigns that have an emphasis on hand craft and authentic design. We are also going to be very selective with who we will work for with Shop Class. We are both pretty focused on doing work that amazes far more than trying to build some mega-agency. Starr Studios will continue business as usual right here in Denton, we are just spreading our wings a little with Shop Class.


FOSTER: Branding as it is talked about these days has a lot of unnecessary mystique and jargon attached to it. Sean already explained the essence. It's creating the vibe that attracts you to some thing or some company. This is all in the efforts of being able to tell a story, and to tell it well. Some of the most inspiring devices that tell great stories to me are ones that have long been in the trade of sign painters throughout history. It all has to come from a place that is true: you look at a project and step back far enough, and use the tools that work best for you - that's what I think we're hoping to do with Shop Class.

What fuels your interest in the creative culture of Denton? 

STARR: Denton has got the “it” factor. It has wonderful energy, creatively. I think as it grows from its adolescence it is going to really develop its own micro culture that will be centered on the Creative Class and we are excited to be in the ground floor of that with a bunch of strong creatives that are organizing and are poised for growth. I am starting to see Denton attracting the attention of some of the creatives from other parts of the Metroplex. Combine the creative energy with the lifestyle here in Denton and its really shaping up to be an awesome city for anyone making things.


Sign painting got its start far before the introduction of modern technology. When you first started working with a computer alongside painting, did you struggle with having to do graphic design or website design, or did it seem like a natural transition to go from a paint brush to a computer mouse?

STARR: I had, and have, mixed feelings about it. It has been a great tool to help with productivity and to keep things current for our clients, but I have mixed feelings. I still insist on starting every design with a sketch on paper with a pencil. I really don't think you can have real soul in your artwork if it doesn't at some point pass from your heart to your hand. I know there a lot of people doing amazing work that is all digital, but the soul comes through the hand to the paper.

​A tray of used brushes at Starr Studio. 

You've done jobs for everyone from Bookish Coffee to the Gap. How do you maintain a good balance between local jobs and national clients?  

STARR: We love working locally for a wide variety of reasons, most of which is being able to see on a weekly basis how our projects are working on our clients behalf. Its very rewarding. Our larger clients like Gap and Sony typically have insane deadlines we are working with and when that happens we just burn the midnight oil and make it happen. Most of our clients understand that we are a small, boutique studio and they give us flexibility with scheduling which we really appreciate. When we get hit with a high profile project and have to hustle to get that done, our local clients have been very understanding and patient and we really do appreciate that.

FOSTER: I've been working on an essay that will probably never see the light of day calledThe Robin Hood Business Method. To make a decent living, it's difficult to avoid the large corporate client jobs - even though they usually have a crazy infrastructure to deal with, the deadlines are insane, and there's often corporate brand guidelines to stick to... There's a balance to find between these guys and the smaller, local folks whose budgets are much smaller - but who trust you so much more and allow you to truly guide their design and brand in a positive, holistic way. I see it as two bank accounts: one is street cred and the other is money. You want healthy balances in both.


A lot of people have compared you to Ron Swanson from the television show Parks & Recreation. Have you ever gone to a restaurant and asked for all of the bacon and eggs they have?

STARR: If more people had Ron Swanson's awesomeness the world would be a better place, so I am fine with the comparisons which have been non-stop since Season 1. As regards the bacon and eggs, although I have spent most of my life eating meat with an extra side of meat, Kayleigh and I went full on Vegan a few months back and have no intention of ever going back to my carnivorous ways. Take that stereo-typers...


When you first set up studio space in town you were officing out of the bottom of Jupiter House. For more space, you recently moved into a new studio over by Mr. Frosty's on 377. Tell us about the new space. 

STARR: Our new space is the studio we always wanted to build. I am an avid collector of anything old school sign painter, and have been collecting for years. We had hoped to someday put together a studio that resembled an old 1940s sign shop and I think we have gotten there finally. Its a wonderful space to paint as well as design and conceptualize. It very much invokes the feelings of working with my dad years ago.

We have tons of natural light, plenty of space to work and I absolutely love it. We loved being under Jupiter House, lots of good energy going on but it was just too small for us and I need to have natural light. Our neighbor has roosters, which is just another bonus. 

What's your favorite way to spend an evening in Denton? 

STARR: Walk a couple blocks from our house on North Austin to have a beer at Oak Street with some friends and play some dominoes, then walk to Green House for some dinner and drinks on the patio before walking a half block back home.

REDWOOD SESSIONS: ASTRONAUTALIS

REDWOOD RECORDING I AMANDUS STUDIOS I 35 DENTON

​During 35 Denton this year the talented recording team at Redwood Studios and our friends at Amandus Studios teamed up with the 35D Audio-Video team to create a series of live recording sessions with several bands traveling through town for the festival.  One of those sessions was with alternative hip-hop artist, Astronautalis. Watch his recording of "This is Our Science" down below to get a good idea of what it's like inside of Redwood Studios, and stay tuned for more videos being released from this series of one-time recording sessions. 

HEY WISEGUY: TOO MUCH SECULAR MUSIC

This month our resident fountain of useless semi-knowledge, Wiseguy, helps out a local mom who accidentally keeps purchasing her son music she doesn't think he should be listening to. While she wants to keep it local, she isn't sure how. Can Wiseguy solve this problem? Let's find out!

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Hey Wiseguy,

I recently purchased a Baptist Generals album for my 11 year old son who has recently been turned on to rock music. I purchased this album thinking it would be music akin to our family’s values. The name gave me that impression. Boy was I wrong! The secular songs on this album were nothing but tributes to alcohol and possibly-undiagnosed anger issues. Wiseguy, can you help me find some music that is suitable for my son?

Pearl E. Gates

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A lady writes in detailing her issue with secular music for her son. 

Pearl,

While Wiseguy is pro music of any sort (seriously, did you get a chance to peruse our recent 3 Songs list for the month of April?), we understand that not everyone else is and we applaud you for trying to keep it local. So we’re more than happy to help!

While some may argue that they've had religious experiences at acoustic Baptist Generals shows a la early Sigur Ros shows, it’s probably fair to say that they shouldn't be classified as “religious” music, nor would Flemmons and co. want it to be.

Instead, you may want to turn your son onto such musical talents as Seryn or Least of These. Both bands have definitive youth appeal. While Seryn will touch the inner bearded hippie in your son with their multi-layered harmonies and vast array of acoustic instruments, Least of These is better for budding young rockers with bad haircuts and basically sounds one click away from your everyday alternative rock you hear on the radio. You’ve got most of the gamut covered from those two for most male tweens. If he’s an old soul, though, turn him on to some Doug Burr. His Whiskeytown-esque brand of country-fed Americana is something we’re sure you, yourself, wouldn't mind hearing coming through your car speakers after picking him up from middle school. It would at least be much better than that song where the dude just yells, “Sail!” over and over again, right?

Good for you for taking an interest in your son’s listening habits, but bear in mind that he’s probably gonna be hearing whatever he wants to listen to in other places (our friend Nick is the only person outside of India who still buys CDs) where you may have less control than you'd like. There’s plenty of good-hearted secular music in town that you’d probably be able to get behind. There’s about an 80% chance you’ll dig Brave Combo (90% if you drink). Have at it. 

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MR. FARRIS GOES TO CITY HALL

Industrious as he may be, the little city of Denton is something that our very own Glen Farris refuses to ignore. He keeps up with what's going on and reports back to us - so that we can all stay in the loop. 

Rusty Taco, the soon-to-open taco transplant by way of Dallas, is putting in a giant patio in the space that used to house Ramen Republic. As you already know, we’re definite fans of both tacos and patios. They just got a right of way agreement from the city in addition to a grant that allows them to lease the grass next to the building and put in a patio for us to enjoy our tacos and cervezas. They’re putting up a lot of cash to re-do the space where the late Ramen Republic once sold us noodles, and bringing in a whole new feel. We’re pretty pumped for this, mostly because we think it will greatly improve the block and not just because we really love their picadillo tacos.

Subway is about halfway through their construction and will be opening at the bottom of the Texas Building before you know it. Gear up and get ready to hear that $5 footlong jingle every time you pass the corner. We know that a chain restaurant on the square is not anyone's idea of a great square-worthy restaurant - but we appreciate the words and logic of our fearless leader - city councilman Kevin Roden's post on the matter. 

East Side Social Club is also taking part in the downtown restoration grant program. We’re looking forward to what will be the new sister bar of Oak Street Draft House. We hear that they’ll have the best bourbon selection in town and a ton of patio space, too. The patio wars are about to being, Denton. 

While we’re on the top of booze and bars, we’re getting seriously excited about the vast tequila selection that is about to be at our finger tips over at Mulberry Street Cantina. If you’ve been keeping up with their progress on their facebook page, you can see that they’ve installed energy efficient windows and doors, put in new plumbing and electrical equipment, and already built in a giant and seemingly beautiful bar top. Get here fast guys, we’re ready for chips and salsa and that organic margarita we keep hearing about.

Sup Queenie’s, glad you’re open. Welcome back to the downtown area, Tim Love. We look forward to valeting our hybrid vehicles and scooters and trying out your chicken fried lobster. We’ll make sure to call for reservations sooner rather than later.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, y'all. Redbud Fest, the city's official Arbor Day event, is happening next Saturday, April 20th in our very own Quakertown Park.  Get out there with a few friends, enjoy the nice weather, the "trashion" fashion show, and get your nose in the center of all of the plants a’bloomin’. Oh, and don’t forget to get there early and claim your very own tiny tree!

Jazz Fest is right around the corner, too. Get ready for fried food, cheap beer, and people running around in midriff-baring hippy shirts that smell of nag champa.

And last but not least, city elections are coming up as you already know. The last day to register was last week, so you can’t chase down Volunteer Deputy Farris anymore. Make sure you get informed and get out there and vote. We’re counting on you to make sure our elected city officials are keeping it classy Denton style. If you need to get caught up, we did a little bit of the work for you and have interviews posted from Districts 1, 2, 3 and 4. 

THE DEN10: APRIL 17

It's going to be a beautiful weekend, y'all.  Hang on tight to the folks you love and get out there and make it count. 

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Wednesday April 17
Hayes Carll / Warren Hood And The Goods | Dan's Silverleafd | 8PM | $25
The relatively youngish Hayes is quickly making a name for himself as one of the top Texas songwriters. Although his popularity has probably outgrown the space, his love of Dan's and the meticulously curated haphazard atmosphere (thanks to Dan himself) keeps him coming back.

Tartufi / Midnite Society / Curvette | Andy's | 9PM | Free
A wonderfully rounded out touring show (Tartufi hails from San Fransisco) at Andy's on a Wednesday. Plus it's free so no there's not much of an excuse not to go but we'll understand if you sneak up to Paschall Bar to use the bathroom.​

Saturday April 20
Record Store Day 2013 | Mad World Records | 10am | Free
Savage & The Big Beat, Pinebox Serenade, Spooky Folk and Kurt Baker bring in this celebrated holiday with an early (10am!) bang at Mad World Records.

Spiderweb Salon's April House Show | 1200 Ridgcrest Circle | 8pm | $5
Spiderweb Salon continues their monthly series with music, comedy, music and prose by local artists.

TRASHion Fashion Show | Denton Civic Center | 12PM | Free
Oh, how we love clever names and clever uses of trash.

Lagunitas Tap Takeover and Keep The Pint | Oak Street Draft House | 4:20PM | Free
Get it? It's at 4:20 on 4/20? I'm hungry and you're just not hearing me when I say "rural" is a really weird word. Rural. Say it.

6th Annual Redbud Festival | Denton Civic Center | 10AM | Free

6th Annual Beanstock | Cool Beans | 12PM | $10
​The naming of this event is right up our alley. Somehow it works and is so good and so bad at the same time. There's a great list of bands playing this mostly all day event so don't let the cover scare you off.

Monday April 22
Burnt Sienna Trio / Paperhaus / Glen Farris / The Great Depressions | Macaroni Island | 8PM | Free
I cannot stress this enough: No jerks!

Tuesday April 23
The See / Daniel Markham / RTB2 | Dan's Silverleaf | 8PM | $7

ARTIST INTERVIEW: MICK BURSON

If you've been on the square or Fry Street in the last few years, you've seen Mick Burson's art. His large-scale work adorns the walls of several areas in town, some noticeable, some hidden. With the recent success of the Banksy movie, Exit Through the Gift Shop, public art has gone up a notch in the public eye. Denton, in general, sees it's fair share of street art. The majority of it has a pretty short half-life, though, being washed away before most people are able to even notice. Burson's work, however, is normally met with a warm welcome.

Many local business/land owners have commissioned Burson to beautify their walls with some of his local artwork. Maybe you've noticed his mural full of tiny, colorful houses on the west side wall of A Creative Art Studio at Oak and Bolivar? If not, then you've definitely seen one of his murals closer to the UNT campus. Either way, Burson's art has touched Denton in a way that most artists only dream about. With the forthcoming removal of the 35 Denton mural from the wall of Rusty Tacos, we thought it pertinent to speak to Denton's resident mural expert. 

Tell us about yourself - what brought you to Denton - how long have you been here - what do you do - etc.

I moved to Denton about 3 years ago to go to UNT and I did that for about two years - and then I’ve been in Waco about the last year. I'm moving back to Denton next week and starting back in the fall to finish school. The job i'm leaving in Waco was super supportive of what I did so they were really flexible on my scheduling so I was able to take the big jobs out of town and still have something to come back to.  

You have a long standing history with 35 Denton - how did that start? What all have you done with 35D? How do you think partnering with 35D has affected you?

I had known Ahuni Perez for a little while, and this year before the festival she contacted me needing someone to paint for the event. The inside of The Hive was what I did for them this year. The atmosphere the space provided was perfect, the building hadn’t been in use for some time so the smells and overall feel reflected that and thats what I’m drawn to. I ran short on time so I was only able to finish The Hive and not any other spaces this year so I owe them a wall in the future. Partnering with 35 Denton was an absolute pleasure, they know how to take care of the people they hire on for projects and I think that reflects in the organization. Special thank you to Kyle, Ashuni, and everyone who makes 35 Denton possible.

Why do you make public art?

I have always explored abandoned areas, and I think thats why I am so drawn to where I’m from because it provides an abundance of those spaces. Growing up I would explore the places and see graffiti left by others and there was something magical about the energy spent without expecting any return with just a hope that someone could appreciate it in the future. So I began writing graffiti at about 16. A couple years later I met up with some guys who helped me take it in a serious direction - and I began painting freight trains. With trains and graffiti and monikers on trains it provided an endless supply of inspiration. I no longer had to explore different areas everyday I could just go to the trainyard and the trains would constantly bring new stuff. I attended a community college at this time and one of my professors would let me skip class to paint trains as long as I showed him the work I had done. I appreciate him seeing a future in my work that I may not have seen at the time, I just wanted to paint. Eventually it all caught up to me and I got arrested for painting trains a week before my 20th birthday, and I guess thats where public art came in to save me. I still had to paint I just had to find a different way to go about it so I began painting legally for companies and different people. I think it was all just a natural transition into what it has become today. These days I make public art because its where I find my self-worth, it helps me to figure out myself and work through life issues.

What are your feelings on the permanence, or lack thereof, of public art? Do you have hopes for the staying power of your own?

I think the lack of permanence in public art is one of the beautiful things about it. It is just like a big challenge that I take upon myself to create things that last longer than my body or mind will.

Recently in Waco I was painting a wall and there was a discrepancy with the shop owner with whom the wall faced. Long story short, she talked to the guy I was painting for and he wanted to keep peace with her so he came out and said that it was no longer ok for me to paint and that they were going to cover it up. It then was no longer about the permanence of my work because i knew the future for it, it was more about being able to finish the expression I was in the middle of. I talked them into at least letting me finish, and as I was painting in the fur on the animals with a brush I realized that none of my work should ever be about permanence because it does not exist.

What inspires most of your wall art? What do you find appealing about large scale public art?

All my work is extremely narrative and usually focuses on interactions between people or animals. The interactions narrate trials and tribulation in my own life that I am facing. So what I paint is a direct reflection of how I would like myself to react in the situation. I feel by making work about whatever i'm facing and my work reflecting a positive reaction so that I will be more apt to following the suggestion I paint. I feel like it helps hold me accountable to the public on whom I want to be.

How much does the environment in which you place a piece (or even Denton in general) inspire the murals that you create?

I think the environment surrounding my work may inspire a certain color pallet for formality reasons but I try not to let it affect the content of my work. I do take into consideration other shapes and textures that will be working into the bigger view, meaning other buildings and areas that are in view when looking at one of my works and try to interact with shapes accordingly.

Do you think its important for you to have a creative community?

I love a creative community - but sometimes its not realistic for where you are at - so I make sure I do not build a dependance on a set creative community. I feel like a creative community is different from one to another so you can build your own wherever you are at. My favorite thing about school is the creative community it creates.

You’ve collaborated with other artists on some murals.  Do you find that to be more exciting than working on your own?

I think the collaboration process is an important one. One of my favorites to collaborate with is Taylor Mcclure, I think naturally anyone who creates large scale work has to have a certain drive within himself so having that in common with someone else is a great rare thing thats should be exercised. I also feel like that is one of the difficulties, I try to never let my drive become my ego and that stand between me and a new idea. I also feel like one of the collaborations that happens in a very natural way is the one between Mike Carpenter and I. Mike films and edits montages of my work, we work great together not much needs to be said he does what he does, and does it very well and I do what I do. So collaborations can come in many different forms.

What kind of preparation goes into something like a large wall mural? Is there a lot of planning before you start?

It depends alot on who its for and what it will be containing. For businesses they always want to see a sketch and quite a bit of prior planning. Then there's the other side of it were I just go find a wall and talk to the business owners about me just doing my own thing on it. When there's no real guidelines as far as content there is very minimal planning. I try not to have any sketches and just react to the shape of the wall, I give myself this freedom since a lot of my work contains straight lines and requires a lot of accurate work. For me a sketchbook is one of the most important things, I fill them up constantly and then I have set shapes in my head that I lay down and then just react to those when doing a wall. As far as my color palette goes there is never any planning going into it - I just pick a few basic colors and mix them on site.

You started out as a printmaker and still do that along with your public murals.  Printmaking allows you to easily create multiple pieces of work.  Has a desire to get your work in front of a lot of people influenced your choice in medium?

I think printmaking has greatly influenced my work, any one of my walls could very easily be broken down and turned into a print. I work with layers - just like in printmaking - and figure out what is going to work best next, and make sure I am not cutting background shapes after doing foreground objects. I think the medium I use for walls whether it be spray paint or latex paint is influenced by what I grew up knowing and what I am use to. I try to broaden the materials I use so that in any situation work can still be made, but I also let myself figure out the new material at my own pace. I don't ever want this part of my work to turn into being about money, that would ruin the pureness and simplicity of it all.

Your style is pretty recognizable. Can you tell us about your aesthetic?

One of my mom's favorite artist is a guy named Pena and all his work is based around native americans and the southwest, so I grew up drawing the paintings she had hanging at the house. Now that I am older I can recognize the elements in my work that I have kept from his work. A lot of inspiration I take from others' work happens at a subconscious level, so I never really know whose work is really affecting my own style until later down the road. One of my favorite things about art and the cohesiveness of someone's work is that it cannot be bought, or learned over night. I have to take what I know and make work day and night about it and take care of it and figure out what direction I want it all to go. Art takes an extreme amount of work that you have to put in to reach any real level of cohesiveness that you could call your own, and thats why its a never ending process for me.