Milton Brown, Bob Wills, and the Fort Worth Origins of One of Texas’ Most Beloved Musical Styles
Western swing was born about 4 miles southwest of downtown Fort Worth at the Crystal Springs Dance Pavilion, although you wouldn’t know it when driving past the now-empty lot near the West Fork of the Trinity River. In the early 1930s, the cavernous pavilion drew hundreds for the “hillbilly jazz” of Milton Brown and His Musical Brownies. While the venue burned down in 1966, Western swing is still going strong—a style that’s among the most recognizable roots of Texas music. Read More »
An Iconic Dance Hall in Big Spring Hosts an Eclectic Crowd
The fog is so thick that when I drive directly over the roadkill—the wheels of my Honda Civic eliciting a terrible ... Read More »
Sedrick Huckaby Makes Art for the People: From the Streets of Poly to a U.S. President
Sedrick Huckaby is a Big Momma’s boy. The Fort Worth contemporary artist is devoted to the spirit of his late grandmother, Hallie Beatrice Carpenter, or “Big Momma,” and finds inspiration in her century-old home. Located in Fort Worth’s Polytechnic Heights neighborhood, or Poly to locals, the house’s raw shiplap walls are adorned with Huckaby’s paintings of family and neighbors. Huckaby creates works here, but next year the space will take on new life when Huckaby opens it as a project space for artists, tentatively called Big Momma’s House. Read More »
Summer For Procrastinators: Honky-Tonks in Dallas
Where to indulge your Urban Cowboy fantasy in the heart of the big city Read More »
8 Summer Art Exhibits to See Now
Giant LEGO dinosaurs, superhero-themed paintings, and photographs of famous musicians are currently on exhibit at museums in Texas—but they won't be for much longer. Read More »
50 Years After JFK’s Moonshot, Historian Douglas Brinkley Recounts Its Lasting Influence on Texas
Rice University professor of history, CNN presidential historian, and perennial bestselling author Douglas Brinkley takes us to the moon this summer with his newest book, American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race. Released in time for the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing in July 1969, Brinkley’s historical page-turner brings to life the personalities and interplaying forces that made this American triumph possible. Read More »
Hopscotch, An Immersive Art Exhibit, Announces Permanent San Antonio Space
Taking over 18,000-square-feet and two stories of Travis Park Plaza in the downtown area, Hopscotch features rooms that will house anything from light installations and adult playscapes to experimental architecture and gamified environments. It’s set to open late 2019/early 2020. Read More »
Hitch a Ride on the Texas State Railroad from Rusk To Palestine
Join Amberly, Rich, and Luke as they head to the Piney Woods of East Texas in the June edition of "A Piece of Texas". Read More »
How Sweden-born Artist Kent Ullberg Found His Muse Along the Texas Gulf Coast
Kent Ullberg’s bronze sculptures dot the landscape across Texas—a giant bison in Corpus Christi, a cougar on the hunt in San Antonio, and eagles with outspread wings in Houston and College Station. Read More »
This June’s Texas Dance Hall Tour Showcases DFW Halls
Chances are you’ve spotted an old dance hall while cruising the backroads of Texas. At first glance, the large weathered structures of corrugated metal and sun-bleached wood may appear abandoned. Even their names—Tin Hall Wallis, Martinez Lodge, Farmer’s Daughter—are reminders of another era. But for music lovers who spend their weekends swinging in pearl snaps and ruffled dresses, historic Texas dance halls are cathedrals of culture, enchanted refuges from weekday demands. Read More »
Alamo Drafthouse’s Live Comedy Show Roasts the Stars of the Silver Screen
Created nearly two decades ago with inspiration from the popular TV comedy series Mystery Science Theater 3000—the original name was Mister Sinus Theater 300—Master Pancake offers an interactive experience at Alamo Drafthouse theaters in Dallas, Katy, San Antonio, and Lubbock, but primarily in Austin. Read More »
Death of Singer Leon Rausch Marks the End of an Era in Western Swing
Hired by Bob Wills in 1958, Leon Rausch was the voice of the Texas Playboys for six decades, so his death Tuesday in ... Read More »
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