Lights All Night – Dec 30th – Fair Park – Dallas, TX
So last year I attended both nights of what has become a NYE tradition in Dallas – Lights All Night – while attending the first night and then actually performing as a DJ on New Year’s Eve. This year the Juggernaut has expanded to a third day and once again I had the option of DJ’n on New Year’ Eve at one of the biggest parties in the entire country. I was very grateful for the opportunity but unlike last year where I didn’t leave the Dallas Convention Center to almost 4am.
This year they were staging the event in Fair Park as I previously mentioned and though the event had been announced for months they dropped a bombshell literally the day before the first night that the city was imposing a curfew that the Sat-Sun events had to be over by 11pm and shortly after midnight on NYE. If I was a patron instead of a performer and had planned on this for my NYE by spending all that money on these incredibly over-priced tickets to find out the day before the shit was ending at midnight I would have been pissed.
Diplo
…and of course – the fans…..
The Gorehounds/Rich Girls – Dec 31st – The Doublewide – Dallas, TX
Maybe the problem was that all of the Holidays landed on a Monday this year? – I don’t believe in that kind of superstition and I hate it when people say “a case of the Mondays” – (a la Office Space) – but if anyone was having one, it was me on this day. I failed at every turn, at everything I tried. While each incident may seem small in scale, collectively it was a freaking drag, nothing was going right.
The main problem was likely my fault as I was trying to do things on a day when most businesses are closed or have closed early. Including the restaurant I had planned to take Jess to for dinner before our big night out.
We were really looking forward to tonight – we had already seen The Gorehounds a few months back, who are a tribute band to the Cramps (which you do not see too much of) that my buddy Clint plays drums for and it was one of the most fun nights of the year.
We couldn’t wait to see them again and now we were, on New Year’s Eve no less and as an added bonus, the unlikely opening act was going to be a tribute to Hall & Oates called The Rich Girls – We love Hall & Oates!!
Not to mention that this was to be our first New Year’s Eve together so needless to say, tonight was very special and our anticipation was manic.
But we still hadn’t eaten – So once we entered Deep Ellum it was just a bit after 9pm and I feared that if we stopped we would miss the show, but something had to be done. So I text Clint and found out that they were going on 11:45pm which meant Rich Girls were probably going on at 10:30 and now we had plenty of time to eat.
In keeping with the theme of the day when we pulled up their were literally a team of homeless people just waiting for us to get out of the car to the point that I had to drive off. A small break came when I found a parking spot in front of the place I wanted us to eat at, only to find the sidewalk so high that I had to crawl out on the passenger side into oncoming traffic.
Finally inside, I realize that this restaurant is now under a new name, and new everything so essentially we are now eating here for the first time.
Now before I offend anyone, because I’m sure that this place might be in the hearts & minds of Deep Ellum regulars, but let me tell you something, this was the worst eating experience I think I have ever had and it would be a miscarriage of justice if I didn’t publicly denounce it.
The place is called Buzzbrew’s and its total shit – Promised stuffed mushrooms in a wine sauce and got raw ones covered in Velveeta that had been microwaved.
Her $9 turkey burger was actually turkey deli meat on Wonder Bread with about a half a can of cold black beans poured on top – Just disgusting and par for the course of the day.
Now its gonna sound like I’m just complaining here but the hits are about to just keep on coming. Parking, expectedly was a nightmare and I finally had to resolve to dropping her off at the door so she wouldn’t have to walk so far in the cold in a short, thin dress & heels.
However, it actually took me longer to park than it did to eat and now we were missing the show. I had to park close to a mile away and hoof it back and finally we get inside. I use the bathroom, get a drink while Rich Girls are about half-way into Sarah Smile –
Two songs later as we are adjusting to the place I reach for my smokes and realize that they are gone – I roll my own so its a slick foil pack in my back pocket as compared to the norm. The brand I had was not cheap nor easy to come by, so I raced back to the bathroom assured that someone had already found and kept them. As I turn to go, I hear the band firing up the opening notes of You Make My Dreams – the ONE song we wanted to hear and dance to together. Fuck.
Naturally the smokes were not there, but oh well, I’m not gonna let our NYE go down in flames over a stupid pack of cigarettes, and now it was time to get ready for the Gorehounds.
They hit stage about a quarter before midnight.
I was going crazy and being one of the rowdiest there.
Soon midnight came, and it was nothing that the band did to undersell it or anything it was just for me the vibe was just dead – we did the usual countdown and blew noisemakers but 3 mins later it was as if it was just a regular old Friday night.
However just a mere half-hour after ringing in the New Year, the show was over – I couldn’t believe it. I had mentioned above about how the people at Lights All Night must be pissed, well we chose this as an alternative and it too was over by 12:30am.
We had run into some old friends and found ourselves in dueling bathroom lines. A friendly wager is made on who will the first of the two of us to get to use the bathroom next, the winner would be treated to a shot.
This is where shit gets real dark – I am declared the winner and they graciously buy me a shot & We have a nice toast and go outside where we meet Howard the singer for The Gorehounds who is by nature, the spitting image of original Cramps singer Lux Interior, like he was born to do this.
We are talking with Howard for just a few mins when suddenly everything went black and I couldn’t see and very soon nor stand. What the fuck was happening?!?
Ok so I had two shots and two beers on a partially empty stomach and I’m not a big drinker at all (they don’t call it amateur night for nothing)
But I shouldn’t be feeling what I was feeling and I have a real acute sense of self – I stumbled to the bathroom and I am now in serious trouble.
I didn’t feel drunk, I felt drugged – and this club being a cesspool of lowlifes and hipster wannabees my mind started to wander if indeed someone had slipped me something – but when? –
I stumble over and find a seat in a chair in the corner making an absolute fool of myself and my mind is racing coming up with all of these insane scenarios of what is responsible – I started to think of that shot they gave me since this started right after and worried that whatever someone slipped me maybe it was intended for them, like someone was trying to Roofie them etc.
An incredibly weird and disappointing end to an incredibly weird and disappointing year – Here’s to 2013 and maybe 13 will be lucky number for once (for us all)
Happy New Year!
Photos –
Roy Turner
Gray Muncy
Julian Bajsel
Brenna Rushing
Calder Wilson
iWally
