As first reported on Blotch, the Oscar-winning Coen brothers (No Country For Old Men; O Brother, Where Art Thou?; Fargo; The Big Lebowski) will be holding open auditions tomorrow (Saturday) at Billy Bob’s (2520 Rodeo Plaza in the Stockyards, 817-624-7117) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. for a white girl between the ages of 12 and 16 for the lead role in the brothers’ forthcoming remake of John Wayne’s 1969 Western True Grit. The plot revolves around Mattie, a tough, hardscrabble girl who hires two U.S. marshals to avenge her father’s death. For the audition, no acting experience is required. Each auditioner is encouraged to bring a current photo and only one family member. Filming will begin in spring 2010. Matt Damon, Josh Brolin, and Jeff Bridges are already onboard.
One of HearSay’s favorite new(-ish) 817 bands, The Noble Chocolatiers, have effected something of a local coup. Though they don’t play much and really don’t ingratiate themselves with the local scene and/or scenesters, ’dem chocolate-manufacturing noblemen will be opening for hot-shit Brooklynites Bishop Allen and brand-Nubian Darwin Deez at Lola’s Saloon-Sixth (2736 W 6th St, in the W 7th St corridor, 817-877-0666) on Saturday. Tix are $10.
Also on Saturday, catch two outré Fort Worth acts at Lola’s Saloon-Stockyards (105 W Exchange Av, 817-386-5008): Stooges tribute act Stoogeaphilia and cowpunks –– and Fort Worth Weekly Music Awards winners for best new act –– The Dangits.
Tonight (Friday) in the Stockyards, at White Elephant Saloon (106 E Exchange Av, 817-624-9712), it’s Fort Worth Texas Music purveyor extraordinaire Stephen Pointer and his band.
On Sunday, one of Fort Worth’s most traditional C&W bands, 100 Damned Guns, opens for Wichita’s Split Lip Rayfield and Dallas’ The O’s at Granada Theater (3524 Greenville Av, Dallas, 214-826-1885).
So Rufus Wainwright is playing Bass Hall (555 Commerce St, Sundance Square, 817-212-4280) on Saturday. When his eponymous debut came out in 1998, I thought, “Holy shit. This is the best, most lush, most awesome orchestral pop music I’ve ever heard,” closely edging out select tracks from Bjork’s Debut. Then all the sudden, Rufus shelved his piano for a guitar and traded in his penchant for epic Broadway-ish melodies for simple, repetitive choruses, and, though I’ve tried, I can’t get back on the Rufus Bus. As of now, he’ll go down in my book as one of the biggest disappointments of the past 20 years. What a shame. Anyway, tix are $21-75.
In Dallas on Saturday, you’ve got another supremely promising outfit, Sweden’s Peter Bjorn and John*, with El Perro del Mar at House of Blues (2200 N Lamar St, 214-373-8000). Tix are $18-40.
*Not only is the PJ&J video below cool as hell and unlike anything you’ve probably ever seen before, the song is awesome –– totally catchy and danceable –– and unlike anything you’ve probably ever heard before. It’s all arty and hip but not pretentious. The sequencing of the footage of the Japanese greasers’ dance moves occasionally matches the song’s tempo, heightening the overall surreality quotient –– not only are Japanese greasers dancing in the street, your brain says to itself, but they’re dancing to a giddily plodding song anchored by a chorus sung by what sounds like a children’s choir. Pretty badass stuff. I wish more artists flipped wigs as effectively and often as PB&J.
“Do this thing, this type of thing / Put a little money in this type of thing / I got nothing to worry about / I got nothing to worry about.”
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