And watching sports at some bar in HEB is not an acceptable answer. Worse, Jordan Roberts, guitarist for both Calhoun and TheFebChor, casually mentioned to me earlier in the evening that the same three bands played the night before at Dallas’ Cavern and packed the place. So either everybody in Fort Worth who should have been at the Aardvark went to the Cavern the night before, or, more likely, Dallas simply knows its shit and we don’t. The Aardvark crowd was by no means anemic, but I’ve seen pure crap there and at the Ridglea Theater and Wreck Room that brought out more warm bodies. Onstage, Roberts pulled no punches, especially around 1 in the morning, when, true to misanthropic form, he commanded concertgoers to cram the front row.
Though everyone happily obliged, the move threw into the relief the maddening ups and downs of the local music scene. On one hand, I loved that I could stand inches from Calhoun and frontman Tim Locke and enjoy the performance without interruption. On the other, great things are always better when you can share them with friends. Y’all should’ve been there. … There’s a lot of stuff happening this weekend, being Cinco de Mayo and all, but as a card-carrying member of The Scene, you are ethically bound to attend this year’s Fred’s Fest on Saturday and Sunday. The host, Fred’s Texas Café (915 Currie St.), is recovering from a fire a couple of weeks ago and could use the moral support. The benefactor, the Tarrant Area Food Bank, could also use some love. Among other acts slated to play are Goodwin, Maren Morris, the Electric Mountain Rotten Apple Gang, Sleeplab, Sally Majestic, and the Stephen Pointer Band. For more info, visit www.fredstexascafe.com.
… Popster John Price has returned to his roots-rock, uh, roots on “Who Messed With Texas?,” a song he wrote expressly for NBC 5’s special investigative series of the same name on the state’s deplorable litter problem. A 30-second video for the song has been in constant rotation as a public service announcement/commercial since last Friday. An avid supporter of local environmental causes, Handsome Johnny (oddly enough, the title of a popular ’60s protest song) also looks good on tv. To view the video and read more about the series, visit www.nbci5.com.
… Out in Arlington on Saturday, The Phoenix (né Dreamworld Music Complex, 3102 W. Division St.) welcomes jam-banders Spoonfed Tribe, playing its last local show before embarking on a summer tour. Look for the Tribe’s new record over the next couple-a weeks. Dallas rockers The Feds open. … On a sad note, at some point soon, we’re gonna have to bid adieu to one of Fort Worth’s most talented and beautiful musicians, Daniel Katsuk of transcendental tribal funk-folkies A-Hummin’ Acoustical Acupuncture. For some crazy reason (read: peace of mind), he’s decamping for Boulder, Colo., leaving behind some mighty big flip-flops to fill.
Contact HearSay at hearsay@fwweekly.com.
