THE DEN10: SEPTEMBER 4

Is everyone ready to drink from the firehose? Because that's what's about to happen. With school back in, the town's population seemingly doubled overnight - along with the amount of events that are totally worth your time to attend. This week, it wasn't hard to find ten. So now may be a good time to make the public service announcement that if you've got a hot tip for a show, shoot us an email. While we're at it, make sure and remember to #WDDI your Instagram and Facebook pics if you want to be included in our weekly Monday morning What We Did post. 

 Questions or comments? Email info@wedentondoit.com  

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Wednesday September 3

I Love Math Records Free Week Showcase | Rubbergloves | 9PM | FREE

One of our most prolific musicians, Tony Ferraro, headlines tonight at Rubber Gloves' Free Week with his "Satans of Soft Rock." He's a true force of nature and the package deal as far as musician/human goes. If you don't catch this performance, be sure to check out any of the other dozen projects he's involved in because they are all pretty top notch. Get on some free week action. 

Thursday September 4
Intermediate Painting Review | Cora Stafford Gallery | 5PM | FREE
There's usually snacks and artwork from students at these sorts of things. We dig both. 

Drink For The Kids | Paschall | 7PM | FREE
A portion of proceeds go to the Splash Park this Thursday so go grab a cold one so kids can cool off next summer.

Friday September 5
Pan Ector Industries Presents: RGRS Free Week w/ Brain Gang / New Fumes / Black James Franco / The Days | 9PM | FREE
More free week fun to be had. Have we mentioned that it's free yet? 

Alejandro Escovedo & The Sensitive Boys | Dan's Silverleaf | 9PM | $15
It's not every day a Texas rock legend plays Dan's. Alejandro Escovedo has been around a few times and shouldn't be missed if you can help it. There will be no shortage of boutique amps on stage.

Photographs of Denton | UNT On The Square | 5:30PM

First Friday Gallery Opening w/ Spiderweb Salon | Jupiter House | 7PM | FREE
Been wondering why the artwork up at Jupiter House has been better lately? Well, it's because the busy folks at Spiderweb Salon have been curating the hangings. Stick around and meet folks in the midst of art, music and artsy folk drinking coffee. While you're out - make sure to check out SCRAP and The DIME Store for more First Friday events.


St. David's Music Series Presents: Isaac Hoskins, Ryan Thomas Becker, Chambers | St. David of Wales | 6PM

Here is a uniques chance to see some some artists do what they do in a beautiful Anglican chapel.

Monday September 8
Keep Denton Beautiful Fundraiser | Oak St. Draft House | 12PM - 2AM
Ten percent of sales go to the non-profit Keep Denton Beautiful. You have the hardworking folks here to thank for the dumpsters on Fry St. that magically turned into a planted tree and a ring of bike racks. This was no easy feat, so stop by, pat them on the back and thank them for doing what the can to Keep Denton Beautiful.

DTCTV / Danny Rush & The Designated Drivers / Tony Ferraro | Dan's Silverleaf | 10PM | $13
DCTV features James Greer (ex-Guided By Voices, Roi, Complete Portion Control, etc.).

IMAVOLCANO - MAKING OF VIDEO

Eric Michener, front man of the band FishBoy, has done it again. Not only has he put out a cool new album and been busy playing show after show, but he's also been teaming up with local artists and letterpress company Triple Threat Press to create jackets for his new 7" vinyl. He liked their work so much that he even made a 'Making Of' video to show us all how they created a piece of local music history. 

Make sure to watch the video, get to know some great local artists, and listen to more of Eric's music over here. Oh, and you definitely want to watch all the way to the end! Lest you miss out on hearing our friend/printing guru, Laura Drapac, meowing like her giant cat Milo. 

WHAT WE DID: SEPTEMBER 3RD

This weekend was a strange one. While for many college freshman, they had their first full weekend of hanging out in Denton. They had their choice to hit up the UNT football game (which people were tailgating for hours beforehand) or to hit up one of the many businesses that opened up during the month of August. Those that read the paper, however, were were met with an onslaught of horrible news stories around Denton County that just didn't seem to stop pouring in.

We got around quite a bit, ourselves, hitting up the newly opened Shift Coffee and More Fun Games, in addition to some tried and true activities. Look below to check out photos from us and our readers and to get some in depth commentary on what we got to check out. 

The location and exterior of Shift Coffee leave a little to be desired, but we've tried to have an open attitude in regards to location ever since the Better Block meeting and were very pleasantly surprised by what we found inside. 

Reader Sarah Adams (@SarahAnneAdams) shared her Mean Green Pride with us. Did any of y'all go out there early to enjoy some tailgating? 

Reader, Joshua Piers (@joshpiers), was one of many to hit up East Side Social Club during their opening weekend to enjoy one of the many beers and whiskey options they offer. 

We had heard rumors that the hiring of a new sushi chef at Denton-institution, Mr. Chopsticks, had revitalized the cold fish scene. We checked it out for the first time in a long time and weren't disappointed.  

September 1st marked opening day of dove hunting season in north Texas. 

Doug Burr hard at work on his upcoming record.  

We spent a little time at Redwood Recording Studio, checking out what McKenzie and Joey have going on in there... 

@davekoen caught Radioactivity kicking off Free Week at Rubber Gloves.  

FishBoy also made the Free Week scene at Rubber Gloves last night. Luckily @davekoen was there to catch it all. 

We popped by Geryn Roche's ceramics reception - we're totally in love with her work. 

We're pretty pumped that The DIME store is looking into carrying a few of her pieces. 

BACK IN THE DAY: THE 1969 DENTON COUNTY WOODSTOCK

We’ve all heard stories of the legendary 1969 “Summer of Love” and swarms of groovy hippies who descended upon the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in rural New York, defining images for how recent generations remember the flower-powered 1960s. But today’s young’uns may not know that during the 1969 Labor Day weekend, just two weeks after Woodstock became legend, Denton County played reluctant host to its own Texas International Pop Festival just down the road. According to those who attended (from what they can recall), it was really truly far out, man.

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Lewisville in 1969 was still a small farming community of about 9,000 when the Dallas International Motor Speedway opened in July. With the help of Six Flags amusement park heir Angus Wynne III, partners in the Dallas-based concert promotion company Showco approached Atlanta Pop Festival organizers about co-sponsoring a three-day outdoor music festival to make use of this new venue, which attracted a stunning 150,000 peacenik hippies, bikers, and music-lovers from all over the US. The Texas International Pop Festival showcased 25 musical acts on its main stage, and there was also a free public stage built five miles north at the Lewisville Lake public campground, where most concert-goers and many musicians stayed. The first event ever recognized with a state historical marker in Denton County, the mind-blowing musical line-up is recapped in the submitted historical narrative by sponsor Richard Hayner: 

"The festival opened with an unknown band named Grand Funk Railroad. The line-up included rock and roll and rhythm and blues. B.B. King played all three days. Other blues acts were present such as Johnny Winter, The James Cotton Blues Band, Canned Heat, Delaney & Bonnie & Friends, and Freddie King. Rhythm and blues was represented by Sam & Dave and Sly & The Family Stone. Rock and blues crossover acts Rotary Connection, Ten Years After and Janis Joplin tied the genre together. Jazz was represented by flutist Herbie Mann, and even a bit of Cajun sound was made by Tony Joe White. Mainstream rock music was represented by Chicago Transit Authority, Spirit, Santana, Nazz, Sweetwater and an up-and-coming blockbuster band from England named Led Zeppelin."

These kids were digging your favorite music before hipsters were cool, man.

More flower-power to ya, “Nightingale”

While scantily-clad audiophiles swooned before the ascending Rock Gods in the August heat, and 60s icon Wavy Gravy would acquire his monicker on the campground’s free stage, other concerned locals squawked about this apocalyptic plague of moral deviants. A Dallas Morning News editorial huffily denounced how “the lewd and
 loose in Lewisville will swing and sway… assembling in unspeakable costumes, half-naked, barefooted, defying propriety and scorning morality.” Radio DJs were defiant of such pearl-clutching; "Neither rain nor hail nor public opinion deters the savage attack on ear drums, public morals, private morality or just plain decency." Both predictions never really came to pass, since the event even by accounts of its vocal critics had been a serene assembly for peace, love, and groovy tunes. In a savvy countermeasure, however, the concert promoters had paid outgoing Police Chief Ralph Adams to head security, which became quite the post-concert scandal in Lewisville. Still, unlike the overcrowding difficulties and drug-fueled lapses in public hygene at Woodstock, the TxIPF had no violence and only a dozen or two arrests of kids trying to sneak in. On-site EMT sent just a handful of non-lethal drug overdoses to the hospital and another 40 for heat exhaustion, but mostly treated cuts to relentlessly dancing bare feet. Exactly one person died of heatstroke and, in a bit of karmic irony, one baby was delivered at the Speedway that weekend. Despite blue-haired squares’ fear of riots, the only real confrontations were between skinny-dipping Flower Children chastising the swarms of bawdy rubberneckers gawking from boats on the lake.

Historic Marker by the A Train Station  

photo by LeAnne Taylor

Aside from the epic music, participants also shared numerous heartwarming stories. One barefooted kid lacking the $7 he needed to buy even a one-day ticket appeared at the festival gate to turn in a wallet he'd found, containing $80 and tickets to the event. Impressed by the young man's honesty, the promoters rewarded him with a a free day pass. Other youth, grouping themselves into "families" at the campgrounds, shared with each other whatever they had that someone else needed. The generous sharing of Texas barbeque by the local “Hog Farm” commune contributed to the festival's generally groovy vibes to outsiders. Regardless, the next day’s headline on the front page of The Lewisville Leader declared: "A Nightmare: 'Pot' Festival Ends, Citizens Sigh In Relief." The Dallas papers were no less critical, despite the Lewisville Mayor’s reluctant admission that the 3-day event had been largely free of incidents. Only weeks after the original was held, the Lewisville city council passed an ordinance forbidding any future outdoor music festivals. Such disdain was answered with Flower Power and some Free Love. In a letter to the Lewisville paper to “Chief Adams and the people of Lewisville” on behalf of his “family” collective, a fella named Donald Stokes expressed genuine gratitude: “We came here, not knowing how we would be received” but “were welcomed and made to feel at home… We're saddened that certain factions find it necessary to find fault with the way things were handled. For our part...we feel that...Chief Adams...did a marvelous job of protecting not only the people of your city, but all of us workers, participants, etc. of the festival. Thank you!" The letter was signed, "Peace and Love, The People of the Pop Festival."

The Texas historical marker memorializing the Texas International Pop Festival was placed at the Hebron Station stop on the A-train in 2011, near the very spot where the event blew Denton County’s collective mind nearly 45 years ago. There are some videos and a few books about the event at Denton’s Emily Fowler Library, but the best stories are told by the locals who braved the heat to hear songs of legend. 

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

THE CONVERSATION

Labor Day Weekend is upon us. We're not sure about y'all, but we definitely need the long weekend. As we make our way through Friday, we're filling our headphones at work with local rappers AV The Great and Juicy The Emissary's newest single, "The Conversation." The video for which was filmed right here in Denton. We like that it makes us take a step back and reflect for a moment before we head into September - full speed ahead!

Watch their video and if you like what you see and hear, make sure you keep up with AV through his Facebook or Twitter to keep an eye out for his upcoming shows and new singles. 

MONTH IN REVIEW: AUGUST

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JIVE FIVE: PIZZA IN DENTON

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

The classic cheese pizza at Last Drop Tavern. 

Pepperoyay:

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

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Pepperonay

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

The white pizza at Luigi's. 

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

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

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

Bonus IMAVOLCANO pizza-related video from Fishboy. 

THE DEN10: AUGUST 28

Here we go again. Another semester and another list of the top ten things we think you should be checking out this week. There's something in the air in Denton as the summer closes out. The sleepy, dusty town fills up with new faces and is bursting at the seams with potential and enthusiasm. It really is a great time to be a part of this city, and we encourage you to do just that week after week. Get involved, show up, be present, get off your phone and Facebook and get out there. If not, you'll end up in a very tiny little boring bubble in the ocean of creative activity that is the town you are in. 

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Wednesday August 28
Dromez / Curvette / Violent Squid | Rubbergloves | 9PM | $5
Some noise, some space rock and some of the weirdest pop to come from Denton is a good way to start off the weekend early at Gloves.

Read Aloud Workshop with Walker Smart II | 1425 Bolivar St | 6PM | FREE
Another great event put on by the lovely folks of Spiderweb Salon.

Bukkake Moms And The Problem Dogg Orchestra / INUBO / Madonna. / Race Traitor | Macaroni Island | 9PM | FREE
Seriously, no jerks.

Thursday August 29
Nice Up The Porch | Dan's Silverleaf | 7PM | FREE
Here's a collection of some of our favorite DJ's, plus a very special guest out on our favorite porch at our favorite pub. Craig Welch (Brutal Juice) curates this night. Be sure to check out 1670AM if you're near the square for the best of our underground radio broadcasting.

Homescapes | Cora Stafford Gallery @ Oak St. Hall | 5PM | FREE
Geryn Roche displays three years of ceramics work in one of our favorite galleries. Check out her work.

Unicorn Lake Summer Concert Series | Beth Marie's @ Unicorn Lake | 7PM | FREE
Wise Ruby plays this Thursday. If you're not familiar with the town, Unicorn Lake is off 35E by the AMC theater just south of The Golden Triangle. If you see signs for Sasquatch Canyon, you've gone too far.

Friday August 30
Tricounty Terror / FTW / Jacko Suede | Andy's | 9PM | $6
Come early, stay late.

Saturday August 31
The Gospel of The Mouth Saint featuring H.I. Jr. & Skagg Phillips | Dan's Silverleaf | 9:30PM | $5
Walker Smart is going to have a busy week it turns out. Not sure what to expect out of this night but it's got some promise to be interesting. H.I. Jr. is an experimental psych pop quintet that's got some range. 

Sunday September 1
Friends With Benefits Concert | Fry St. | 11:30AM | $15
All proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity in Hood County to help rebuild homes destroyed in May's tornado. There's a pretty impressive list of locals on this one to check out anchored by the infamous Danny Rush & The Designated Drivers.

Monday September 2
FREE WEEK 2013 @ RGRS | Rubbergloves | 9PM | Sept 2 - Sept 7
This year's free week has been curated by Scott Porter and just might be the biggest FREE WEEK this town has ever seen. Five nights of some of the best bands in town and all of it FREE. Always worth it.

INTERVIEW: EAST SIDE SOCIAL CLUB

John Williams is the main man behind our favorite place to grab a craft beer and talk hops, Oak Street Draft House and Cocktail Parlour. He also used to manage Lou's, so he's been around. Now, Williams is opening his second bar. East Side Social Club is opening right down the street from Williams' first bar, nestled cozy right next to the Opera House. After taking a look at the incredible beers that will be available and the diverse whiskey and bourbon selection, you can officially color us excited.

East Side Social Club opens up this Thursday, August 29th over at 117 E. Oak Street. Expect to see us lined up and waiting for a double bourbon on the rocks.  We'll probably be buying Williams a shot, as well - as a thanks for providing us with one more place we can happily imbibe on the weekends and maybe even munch on a banh mi from The Pickled Carrot. We hear they go great with beer cocktails. 

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What compelled you to open East Side Social Club?

Honestly, I just kept driving by it day after day and saw the "for lease" sign on the building. Another craft beer place from out of town had been looking at the building, so I decided I would rather compete against myself than against someone else. I could also picture the patio on the back side of the building and see the potential of it being a corner building that close to the square. 

What have you learned after being open at OSDH for over a year now?

The greatness of the people in the city of Denton. The people in this town is what makes Denton so awesome. Also, I've really learned how giving back to, and being a part of the community makes Denton a better place to live.

With the opening of East Side Social Club, you’ll be taking over a large part of Oak St. What keeps bringing you back to that part of town? 

The rich history of the area because that is where the City of Denton grew from its beginning in 1866. Plus, I like being close to downtown, and I wanted a large patio for people to sit outside and enjoy the open air. Close proximity to the A-Train station was something else I foresee as being beneficial. 

If you ever had plans for opening up another bar in town, where would it be and why?

It would be in the downtown area for sure, and more than likely on East Oak St.  I’ve got a few ideas in mind. Stay tuned…

What can we expect to be different from OSDH?

Other than the obvious fact of East Side not being in an old house,  East Side Social Club will be very unique - but still have a similar vibe to OSDH&CP. It will have a laid back atmosphere. Of course we'll keep in the tradition of having a friendly and knowledgable staff serving up craft beer and whiskey at a great price. 

We will have a few TV’s inside and out so that the sports lovers can catch the game, but it will feel nothing like a sports bar.  

As for beer; we are still concentrating on craft beer, but we have 89 taps instead of 72. We'll also be focusing on having more regional and Texas Craft beer on tap. Craft beer will still be our passion but we'll be experimenting with beer cocktails as well. Mixing craft beers with liquor and mixers makes a mighty tasty beer-tail. 

Bourbon and whiskey will be a big player in East Side as well.  We plan on carrying over 60 different bourbons, scotches and whiskeys. We'll also have a cocktail menu of highlighting whiskey and bourbon based cocktails from the prohibition area. 

Lets talk details about this whiskey selection - how many and what kind of whiskey and bourbon are we talking about?  And what's your favorite?

35 bourbons, 10 whiskeys, 7 Irish whiskeys, 7 Canadian whiskeys and 8 scotches will line our top shelf. We will be carrying a lot of the local Texas whiskey and bourbon.

Jim Beam will be in our well and we have Knob Creek Single Barrel bourbon as our signature bourbon since we hand picked and bought an entire barrel from them.  That was definitely a highlight in this process. We actually flew up to Louisville and toured the Jim Beam distillery, and tasted 3 different barrels of Knob Creek.  We picked our favorite and now we have 150 bottles of it being shipped to us.

My personal favorite would be Garrison Brothers from Texas or Blanton's Small Batch Bourbon.

You’re adding on pretty large patios to ESSC also. What have been the challenges and benefits with using such large outdoor spaces? 

Trying to keep it warm in the winter and cool in the summer have been the biggest challenges - but even in the cold and the heat people still like to sit outside. Once the sun goes down in the summer its not too bad outside.  

The greatest benefit of the patio is that Texas weather is perfect for patios about 8 months of the year.  It also allows us to keep the inside non-smoking for people that don’t want to smell or breathe in second hand smoke.  With a large open air patio you can get away from the smoke if you don’t like it.

You’ve said before that food trucks will play a big part at ESSC. How will that pan out? Where will they set up? Are you allowing outside food in the bar? Will it be Denton-only food trucks, or are you hoping to get some from outside the city?

Once more food trucks open up in Denton we will hopefully have one there from open to close.  We have spoken with 4 or 5 trucks who will be alternating between day and night. We would like for them to set up on the side or front of the building and serve to the patio. I would like it to be Denton-only food trucks - but for now there aren’t enough to meet the demand. Hopefully there will be soon. 

Aside from that, we'll allow people to bring in or order food from other establishments just like we allow at OSDH&CP.  

What’s your personal favorite bar?

In Denton I would have to say Oak St. Drafthouse - because I put a lot of time and hard work into opening it.  The people that I’ve met there over the past year and a half make it very special to me. Other than that, it would have to be the Lustre Pearl in Austin.  It gave me the idea to open the Oak St. Draft House.

Oak Street Draft House offers a great atmosphere for drinkers and non-drinkers (or designated drivers) alike.  Do you plan on having a similar vibe at ESSC?

Absolutely. Anyone can enjoy a night out here by socializing with friends in the beer garden and enjoy a root beer on tap. We'll be offering 1 or 2 root beers on tap along with a few other non alcoholic cocktails and non alcoholic beers.

East Side Social Club opens this Thursday. Come join us for a drink and some good times in what we hope will become another great new bar in Denton.