Every month we like to share a few Denton-centric videos that have been on our screens lately. Since this month saw the end of J and J's Ol' Dirty Basement (You can read our thoughts on the subject here), we would take a look back at a bit of a history of the space through video. Below you will find a few recent videos from J and J's final month (including Kim Nall and Matt Farmer) in addition to a bunch of videos dating all the way back to 1997 when that same space was actually a Mr. Gatti's Pizza. There's a video we produced a while back featuring Julian Lynch, a video of a Wee Beasties "Christmas Show" from 2003 (featuring a very young Richard Haskins), and even a low-quality recording of classic Denton band Jet Screamer in the same space that probably 70% of those of you that are reading these words have at one point stood and played music in at one point or another.
Read MoreMOVIES ON THE COURTHOUSE LAWN: POKÉMON
On Saturday, Aug 27th, Denton's cheekiest charity is hosting a movie night on the courthouse lawn. This season's selection is Pokemon: The First Movie because Glen thinks he'll get a high CP Snorlax out of it somehow. That, and we see it as a great way to utilize all of the Pokemon Go players who are already hanging at the 'gym' on the corner of Hickory and Locust for a great cause.
Read MorePETTY FEST ADDS BASICALLY EVERYONE BUT PETTY, HIMSELF
Oaktopia returns to Denton in a little over a month. A few weeks ago, they dropped the news that Norah Jones had been added as a headliner in addition to a slightly mysterious kick-off party dubbed "Petty Fest." We knew that Petty Fest would feature musicians playing the music of famed Americana artist, Tom Petty, but we didn't have any specifics as to who would be playing. Sometimes waiting pays off. Read on to find out who will be playing Petty Fest in Downtown Denton, TX this September.
Read MoreLOCAL RESTAURANTS IN DFW RESTAURANT WEEK
Restaurant Week may have an uninspired name, but it sure has become a force in the DFW food scene. Every August, certain restaurants across the metroplex offer specially planned three-course prix fixe dinners for either for either $35 or $45. Of that discounted price, 20% goes to charity. This year, the proceeds go to benefit the local hunger relief foundatoin, the North Texas Food Bank. While the vast majority of participating restaurants are located in Dallas and Fort Worth, a couple of local restaurants are involved this year. Read on to find out which ones!
Read MoreWHAT WE DID: AUGUST 15TH 2016
What We Did is our weekly roundup of a few of our photos that have been tagged with #WDDI recently on Instagram. Together, they give you a great idea of what all has been going on in town over the past week.
Below are 18 photos from the past seven days of life in Denton, TX including food, live music, and reflections of the courthouse on a motorcycle, and some scenes from the Ol' Dirty Basement.
If you'd like to be included in What We Did, tag your images with #WDDI on Instagram, and check back here next Monday. Search the hashtag #WDDI and check out all of the other photos that we were unable to include this week. Click the images below to be led back to the photographer's Instagram page where you can follow them and inevitably slide into their DM's.
Got a question about What We Did? Send it to will@wedentondoit.com.
Read MoreFREE MUSIC NIGHTS IN DENTON
You can catch live music for free on any given night of the week in Denton. Did y'all know that? We always knew that in the back of our heads, but we didn't realize just how much of it there was. That is until we put together this (fairly) comprehensive list detailing tons of the various venues that you can catch some tunes for free in Denton or sign up to play at an open mic night. Believe us when we say there's something for everyone in here. Live music not your thing? Don't worry, we've got a few non-music cultural events of which you can partake in the list, too.
Aside from the sure-bets for live Denton music like Harvest House or LSA, we’ve picked some spots that tend to get overlooked. Here, then, is our handy dandy go-to WEEKLY WHAT-TA-DENTON-DO LIST when someone dares to wonder aloud, "What is there to do in town tonight?" Here's their answer...
Read MoreTHE DEN10: AUGUST 10
We’ve got a heat index of 107 today. The air is almost too hot to breath at this point. Simple tasks like getting the mail and watering the struggling plants become reasons to take another shower. Yet somehow, the Community Market is packed, the patios are full in the evenings and new Rotary clubs are still getting formed. We suppose it’s true what they say, if you can’t stand the heat, get your ass out of Denton. We’ve heard Colorado is nice right now. If you can stand the heat, be relieved, there is a cool front coming our way over the weekend and maybe we’ll hit a high of only 89 on Saturday and see some rain. Summer may be over, but the future creators of our city are just getting started. Hashtag your photo’s #WDDI and show us what you’re up to.
Questions comments and DIY venue ideas may be directed at glen@wedentondoit
Read MoreDENTON IN THE STARSHIP ENTERPRISE
This Wednesday at 3pm, Denton’s Emily Fowler Central Library celebrates this year’s 50th Anniversary of STAR TREK with Trekkie-themed activities and costumes, and no doubt lots of discussion about the recently released STAR TREK BEYOND. But this got us remembering the Denton student who appeared in several episodes of the original 1960s TV series.
Read MoreON NOSTALGIA AND MUSIC VENUES
I remember being 18 years old, a freshman at UNT and my friends and I thinking that we totally had Denton figured out. We spent our evenings eating J&J’s pizza off of paper plates on the courthouse lawn and drinking mocha and mint milkshakes from Jupiter House before heading off to a show at Hailey’s to catch Mouse Parade or Explosions in the Sky or Flickerstick. I would make sure my cash and ID were ready, knowing that my hand was about to be stamped with ink that would take days to get off, which would alert the bartender that I was not old enough to enjoy the beer that everyone around me was drinking. We would hunt down house shows in ramshackle rent houses on Bernard Street, or in some kid’s apartment on Avenue G, hoping that the cops wouldn’t bust it because of too many cars on the street or the music being too raucous. We would roll into our dorm rooms sometime before dawn, peeling off our clothes that reeked of smoke and sweat and spilled beer - and close our eyes, too tired to wash the smell off of our bodies.
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