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For the Love of Kettle show at Kettle Art

Posted: Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:36:17 +0000

Gotta love it

This annual fundraiser has become a hot ticket for snagging some great art for cheap. All 9 x 12 pieces are by local artists and each cost $50. Original art at that price, heck, buy a few. The event helps to keep the gallery running and celebrates art on the more edgy and quirky side. Or give the chocolates and roses a break and consider a piece as a unique Valentine’s gift. See? We got your back. Just get there early.

DEETS: Kettle Art, 2714 Elm St. 7 p.m. KettleArt.org.
Owner sets date for Hideaway reopening

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:29:23 +0000

The view of the Hideaway from Dallas Voice offices.

I spoke with Hideaway owner Lonzie Hershner earlier this week to get the latest update on the club’s status. The Hershner family, which also owns the Tin Room and the Drama Room, bought the Hideaway after the bar closed in 2009 after more than 25 years. Lonzie Hershner’s brother, Marty, passed away in 2010.

From Dallas Voice’s offices, we can look to see that construction at the Hideaway — 4144 Buena Vista St. — has really ramped up over the last couple of weeks, and Hershner confirms that the end of the tunnel is in sight.

“We finally got all the permits and all wheels are turning now,” he said. “We’ll be actually open for business in three weeks.”

This was a pleasant shock to hear. As neighbors to the club, construction seemed to slow down toward the end of 2011, but then picked up in January. With both interior and exterior upgrades, the club is finally taking its shape again after being gutted.

“The building had to be broken down to the frame and we had to start from scratch. The majority of the flooring had to be replaced, support beams, extra touches. This was a lot more work than we thought it was gonna be,” Hershner said.

But not all of the Hideaway will be brand new. One important component from the old venue will remain.

“The club will have its original piano. We had a guy come out and tune it up and it sounds like brand new. I’m really excited to have something from the original Hideaway. We’re trying to blend the old with the new and have the best of both worlds,” he said.

While that also means keeping the overall image and intention of the place, he plans to upgrade some of the live music offerings. Hershner plans to work with veteran performers of the club, but he’s also working to bring high-end acts into the mix to up the quality of entertainment in the gay club scene. The back bar will remain as a sort of hangout bar, but the courtyard is still up in the air.

“We’ll still continue to work on that even until after the opening. We’re in the process of deciding among three three different themes and have talked to designers. We want it to be eye-catching and a conversation piece, but right now, we’re not completely decided on that area.” he said.

Hershner also will be adding parking to meet city requirements.

“Dealing with the city has been the hardest part, but we got through it. We needed parking spaces according to them so we worked out a leasing agreement with the dentist office [next door]. Parking is a huge issue with the city, so we had to have trees cut down and paved a section to have that big parking lot.”

Hershner is planning to forego a soft opening. With construction on a roll and deals with performers being finalized, he figures to go big right out of the gate.

“We’re three weeks away to turning on the open sign. We filled out our special permit to have acts that whole weekend and pull off one big grand opening. We’re gonna try to open with a bang,” he said.

Hershner’s pretty confident too about his new club venture. He’s already working on the Hideaway’s one-year anniversary party.

He went on the record to say the club will open Feb. 24. A website is in the works, and more information will follow.
Where crimes happened in Oak Lawn in January

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:16:21 +0000

Nancy Weinberger, leader of the Oak Lawn Stakeholders crime watch group, sent out these handy-dandy maps today (click to enlarge) showing where offenses took place in January 2012. Weinberger said Chief Malik Aziz, who’s over DPD’s Northwest Division, will be the crime watch group’s featured speaker during its regular meeting next week, at noon Wednesday at the Oak Lawn Library Branch.
Travel 02.10.12

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:41:18 +0000
SMU sends 18 to Midwest LGBT conference

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:12:23 +0000

Iowa State University is hosting the 2012 Midwest Bisexual, Lesbian, Gay Transgender Ally College Conference Feb. 10-12. One student from Texas Women’s University, 17 from Southern Methodist University’s LGBT group Spectrum and an SMU professor are attending, according to the Daily Campus. Spectrum Co-President Harvey Luna put the group together after attending last year’s conference, according to the SMU newspaper.

Karen Click at SMU Women’s Center for Gender and Pride Initiatives called it a national conference for student leaders. She said this is the second year SMU has participated.

“They come back inspired to create change on campus,” she said.

Registration for the event is $80 per person and the group chartered a bus from Dallas.

“The SMU Student Senate paid for them to go,” Click said.

The MBLGTACC conference began in 1991 and takes place annually in the upper Midwest. The goal is to learn new strategies to face problems LGBT students face on campus daily.

Two weeks ago, Youth First Texas hosted a conference of North Texas gay-straight alliances.
Gary Lynn Floyd’s “Troubadour, TX” airs Sunday

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:36:41 +0000

Last November, we reported how local singer Gary Lynn Floyd was one of two dozen Texas-based musicians tapped to appear on a new reality series, Troubadour, TX, which follows them on their quest to make music. At the time, Floyd didn’t know if his segment would be one of the last of the fall season, or early in the spring season.

Turns out the latter.

Floyd’s segment of the series, which airs locally in Channel 21, will finally debut this Sunday at 10 p.m. As Floyd says, go ahead and watch the Grammys … just be sure to switch over to KTXA at 10 to see him.

Not a problem.
Kelly Clarkson tonight at Verizon Theatre

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:28:06 +0000

Your life will suck without her

Kelly Clarkson kinda got a raw deal at last week’s Super Bowl. The Burleson native killed the crowd singing the national anthem, but everyone keeps talking about halftime. We can make it up to her as she headlines her night in town. Matt Nathanson opens.

DEETS: Verizon Theatre, 1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie. 7:30 p.m. $25–$50. Ticketmaster.com.
Crossword Puzzle • 02.10.12

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:47:09 +0000

Click to download this week’s PUZZLE
Click to download this week’s SOLUTION
Best Bets • 02.10.12

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:23:16 +0000

Friday 02.10

Your life will suck without her
Kelly Clarkson kinda got a raw deal at last week’s Super Bowl. The Burleson native killed the crowd singing the national anthem, but everyone keeps talking about halftime. We can make it up to her as she headlines her night in town. Matt Nathanson opens.

DEETS:
Verizon Theatre
1001 Performance Place, Grand Prairie
7:30 p.m. $25–$50
Ticketmaster.com.

…………………….

Tuesday 02.14

Your funny Valentine
If chocolates and flowers aren’t your kinda thing, maybe a good laugh is. Spice up Valentine’s Day with comedy. Paul Varghese was named the Funniest Comic in Dallas and headlines this Valentine’s show taking the pressure out of romantic expectations, and going for a laugh. But candy and champagne are included just to seal the deal.

DEETS:
Backdoor Comedy
8250 N. Central Expressway (in the Doubletree Hotel)
7:30 and 9:30 p.m. $28
BackDoorComedy.com.

…………………….

Tuesday 02.14

They’re here, they cheer
From the movie screen to the stage, cheerleading rivals learn there’s more to life then human pyramids and herkies in Bring It On: The Musical. But awesome choreography and high school drama add to the fun.

DEETS:
Music Hall at Fair Park
909 First Ave. 8 p.m. $15–$80.
Ticketmaster.com.

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition February 10, 2012.
Pet of the week • 02.10.12

Posted: Fri, 10 Feb 2012 01:03:50 +0000

Gloria

Gloria

Gloria is a precious 5-month-old black kitten with a most unusual marking — a white band around her middle, which gives her a distinct and unique look. Gloria has other great attributes, too. She’s super-friendly, playful and full of fun. This cutie will make a great addition to any family.

Gloria and many other dogs, puppies, cats and kittens are available for adoption from Dallas Animal Services, 1818 N. Westmoreland at I-30, just minutes west of downtown Dallas. The shelter is open Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. and Sundays 12 noon-5 p.m. The regular adoption cost is $85 for dogs and $55 for cats, but discounts are offered for older animals and those in the shelter longer than 45 days and to senior citizens and those who adopt two animals at the same time. All dogs are negative for heartworms, and cats have been tested for FeLV and FIV. For more information, visit www.DallasAnimalServices.org, or call 214-671-0249

This article appeared in the Dallas Voice print edition February 10, 2012.