January Little d After Dark

Christmas Carnage and friends perform an a capel-la “All the Single Ladies” on Jan. 13 at RubberGloves Rehearsal Studios. Photo by David Minton

OPENING SHOT

2 Little d After Dark February 2012

When Josh Butler first conceived of the Thin Line Film Festival more than seven

years ago while studying film and television at the University of North Texas, he probably never thought he’d find himself rubbing

elbows with Harry Shearer or showcasing Academy Award-nominated documentaries like last year’s breakout film Restrepo. He

certainly didn’t suspect that he’d still be running Texas’ only documentary film festival the better part of a decade later, or that

the festival would be busting at the seams with more than 80 films. Story by Dave Sims

COVER STORY

FEBRUARY 2012VOLUME 1, ISSUE 6

Photo by David Minton

Publisher Bill Patterson

Managing Editor Dawn Cobb

940-566-6879 | [email protected]

Features EditorLucinda Breeding 940-566-6877

[email protected]

Advertising DirectorSandra Hammond 940-566-6820

[email protected]

Advertising ManagerShawn Reneau 940-566-6843

[email protected]

Classified DisplayJulie Hammond 940-566-6819

[email protected]

Contributing Writers Cody

Robinson, Alyssa Jarrell, Dave Sims,

Rachel Watts

Photographer David Minton

Designer Rachel McReynolds

On the cover Josh Butler at the

Campus Theatre. Photo by David

Minton.

The contents of this free publication are copy-

righted by Denton Publishing Co., 2012, a sub-

sidiary of A.H. Belo Corp. (www.ahbelo.com,

NYSE symbol: AHC), with all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use, without permission, of

editorial or graphic content in any manner is

prohibited. Little d After Dark is published

monthly by Denton Publishing Company, 314 E.

Hickory St.

opening shot >> 2

good dates >> 4

editor’s note >> 5

the alchemist A single’s glass. >> 6

try this at home Acoustic guitar made

into a shelves. >> 7

party people >> 9

flavor junkie Wholesome Homebrew’s

Matcha-Cha-Cha tea will get your motor run-

ning. >> 15

sketchy stuff >> 16

the buzz >> 18-19

>> last laugh Denton’s Ryan Thomas Becker is no stranger to admiration. Becker has the same

good will toward unsung Texas musicians who make good music without much fanfare. That good

will drove Last Joke Band (Six Songs Written by Our Friends), the album Becker put together with

one of many of his active bands.

good to be greenhouse Denton is swarming with jazz musicians — some of whom are simply

biding their time until Monday night rolls around. In an understated occasion of more than 10 years

running, Greenhouse Restaurant has been serving up a healthy dose of local jazz along with its

spinach and artichoke dip. >> 17

THE ELEMENTS

FEATURESCourtesy photo/Jenna Banuelos

26 27 28 Disfarmer: A Portrait ofAmerica screening, 7 p.m.Free. UNT.

have your people call our people >> to submit an event for little d’s calendar, e-mail [email protected]

THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

29

National Dump Your Significant Jerk Week: Feb. 5-11

Secondhand Wardrobe Week: Feb. 26-March 3

Black History Month

They Might Be Giants,

Jonathan Coulton, 7 p.m.

$25. Granada Theater. El

Valiente, Peopleodian,

Babar, 9 p.m. $5-$7.Rubber GlovesRehearsal Studios. Split

Lip Rayfield, 9 p.m. $12-$19. Lola’s. Milkdrive, the

Hillbenders, 9 p.m. $13.Dan’s Silverleaf.

County Rexford, 7 p.m.

Free. Abbey Inn Rest-aurant & Pub. Johnny

Winter, Jim Suhler, Damon

Fowler, 7 p.m. $16-$70.Granada Theater. Murder

by Death, 8 p.m. $12-$14.Rubber Gloves Rehear-sal Studios. Craig Finn

(The Hold Steady), Mount

Moriah, 8 p.m. $10-$15.Dada. Split Lip Rayfield,

AM Ramblers, 9 p.m. $12-$15. Dan’s Silverleaf.

Eleven Hundred Springs, 7

p.m. $13-$20. GranadaTheater. The Captive, Least

of These, Companion, Day

Sailor, 8 p.m. $5-$7.Hailey’s Club. Big Fiction,

Shopping for Death,

Magnum Octopus, Deep

Snapper, 9 p.m. $5-$7.Rubber Gloves Rehear-sal Studios. The Ruby

Jane Show, 9 p.m. $10.Dan’s Silverleaf. The Bone

Handle Set, 10 p.m. Banter.

The Allmost Brothers Band,

7 p.m. $8. Dan’sSilverleaf. Kennedy, Burn

Halo, 8 p.m. Cost TBA.Andy’s Bar. Up the Creek,

8 p.m. Banter. Greg Ginn

and the Royal We,

Urbnectro, R!U!O!K!, 9 p.m.

$5-$7. Hailey’s Club.Richard Gilbert, L.E. Taylor,

10 p.m. Banter. Ryan

Thomas Becker and Last

Joke, El Cento, Leatherbag,

10 p.m. $5. The DoubleWide.

Thin Line Film Festival.

Thin Line Film Festival Thin Line Film Festival Lunch Line screening, 7

p.m. Free. UNT. Stephen

Malkmus and the Jicks, 9

p.m. $18. GranadaTheater. The Spittin’

Cobras, 9 p.m. Cost TBA.Dan’s Silverleaf.

Lunch Line screening, noon.

Free. UNT. Earl Bates, 7

p.m. Free. Abbey InnRestaurant & Pub.Voodoo Glow Skulls,

Authority Zero, Queens of

Noise, 9 p.m. $15-$20.Hailey’s Club.

Disfarmer: A Portrait ofAmerica screening, noon.

Free. UNT. County

Rexford, 7 p.m. Free.Abbey Inn Restaurant &Pub.

Theodora performance by

the UNT Baroque Orchestra,

Collegium Singers and the A

Capella Choir, 7:30 p.m.

$12-$20. WinspearPerformance Hall.

Eddie Gomez, Stefan

Karlsson, Ed Soph, 8 p.m.

Cost TBA. Dan’sSilverleaf. Kelbe Schrank

and the Future Eyes, 8 p.m.

$5. Banter. The Demigs,

Darstar, How’s My Driving?,

9 p.m. $3-$5. RubberGloves RehearsalStudios. Scary Cherry and

the Big Bangs, Transistor

Tramps, the Bible Fire, 10

p.m. $8-$12. Lola’s. B.B.

King, 10:30 p.m. $40-$50.Billy Bob’s.


Surrounded by Wavesscreening, 7 p.m. Free.UNT. Estelle, 8 p.m. $25.House of Blues. Laura

Gibson, 9 p.m. $8-$12.Dan’s Silverleaf.

Valentine’s Day


Surrounded by Wavesscreening, noon. Free.UNT. County Rexford, 7

p.m. Free. Abbey InnRestaurant & Pub. UNT

Concert Band, 7:30 p.m. $8-$10. WinspearPerformance Hall. Los

Campesinos!, Parenthetical

Girls, 8 p.m. $14-$18.Dada. Mike Doughty:

music, Q&A and The Bookof Drugs reading, 8 p.m.

$18-$20. House ofBlues.

Equity and Diversity Confer-

ence: headliners Dan Sav-

age, 10 a.m.; John Legend,

7 p.m. Free-$350. UNTUnion and Coliseum.Split Estate screening, 7

p.m. Free. UNT. Adam Ant,

7 p.m. $32. GranadaTheater. Symphonic Band,

7:30 p.m. $8-$10.Winspear PerformanceHall. Mister Joe and

Friends, Le Not So Hot Klub

du Denton, 8 p.m. Banter.DoomTree, 9 p.m. $10-$13.Dan’s Silverleaf.

Split Estate screening,

noon. Free. UNT. Earl

Bates, 7 p.m. Free. AbbeyInn Restaurant & Pub.The County Fringe, 8 p.m.

Basement Bar.

Talk Demonic, Gold Beach, 9

p.m. $7-$10. Dan’sSilverleaf. Fan Halen, 8

p.m. $10-$17. House ofBlues.


Brandon Rhyder, 7 p.m.

$15-$20. GranadaTheater. The Golden Hour,

Western Skies, Warren

Jackson Hearne & Le Leek

Electrique, 9 p.m. SimoneLounge. Mind Spiders, Low

Culture, Occult Detective

Club, Brain Attack, 9 p.m.

$5-$7. Rubber GlovesRehearsal Studios.Eleven Hundred Springs (CD

release), 10 p.m. CostTBA. Dan’s Silverleaf.


Magnum Octopus, Baby

Dick, Save the Humans for

Later, 10 p.m. Cost TBA.Dan’s Silverleaf. The

Hormones, Sealion, the

Vliets, 10 p.m. $8. Dada.Luke Bryan, 10:30 p.m.

$15-$40. Billy Bob’s.Zorch, Female Demand,

Peopleodian, Comanche, 9

p.m. $5-$7. RubberGloves RehearsalStudios. Nicholas Altobelli,

8 p.m. Free. Banter.


Calling Morocco, 7 p.m.

Cost TBA. Andy’s Bar.UNT Wind Symphony with

the Marcus High School

Wind Symphony, 7:30 p.m.

Winspear PerformanceHall. The Gourds, 9 p.m.

$12-$15. Dan’sSilverleaf. Pablo and the

Hemphill 7, Darth Vato, 9:30

p.m. $6-$10. Lola’s.


Brave Combo, Mike Dillon,

the Wee-Beasties, 9 p.m.

$5-$7. Hailey’s Club.Pinkish Black, Transistor

Tramps, Vaults of Zin, 9 p.m.

$5-$7. Rubber GlovesRehearsal Studios. Naked

Lunch: A Steely Dan Tribute,

10 p.m. $10. Dan’sSilverleaf. Telegraph Can-

yon, Air Review, Brenna

Manzare & Proper Hus-

bands, 10 p.m. $10-$17.Lola’s. Robert Steel and Le

Jeder, 10 p.m. Banter.


Over the Rhine, 7 p.m. $16-$29. Granada Theater.The Band Perry, 10:30 p.m.

$15-$30. Billy Bob’s.Bone Doggie, 8 p.m.

Banter.

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

FEBRUARY 2012MUSIC at Denton venues MUSIC at UNT MUSIC elsewhereSTAGE & SCREEN


Kinky Friedman: Words,

Music, Tequila, 9 p.m. $25-$30. Dan’s Silverleaf.

Opening reception for Nick

Cave, 5 p.m. UNT on theSquare. Comedy show: JT

Habersaat, Mike Wiebe, Billy

Milano, Mack Lindsay, 9

p.m. $7-$9. RubberGloves Rehearsal Studios.The Widdler, Afro Monk,

Grand Marquis, DragonMan,

Tangles, Experiment, 9 p.m.

$7. Hailey’s Club.Wheeler Brothers, 10 p.m.

$7. Dan’s Silverleaf.Scrote, Branden Harper, 10

p.m. Banter.


T hin Line Film Fest and itscourageous director, JoshuaButler, have never suffered a

lack of ambition. There’s the organization-al muscle needed to corral submissionsfrom the burgeoning field of documentaryfilmmaking, the dearth of multipurposevenues that can house screenings (venuesthat aren’t already in high demand inDenton, anyway) and a local festival scenethat feels like it’s exploding.

And yet Butler made good on the hopehe announced last year at the only docu-mentary film festival in Texas: to movefrom a five-day festival to a 10-day eventthat already has cachet.

Butler sat down for coffee at DentonSquare Donuts, a festival sponsor, earlierthis month to talk about the growth ofthis scrappy (but always well-run) fest.

“It’s amazing how much more contentwe got this year. This year, our submissionrate increased by 50 percent,” Butler said.“There’s a lot more content, and a lot more

to choose from. Filmmakers know aboutthis event, and they know about Denton.”

Meanwhile, this is Little d After Dark’ssixth issue (where did the time go?), andmusicians want to know how to best gettheir music in front of our writers.

Here’s how to get us your stuff:� Mail it to Little d After Dark at P.O.

Box 369, Denton, TX 76201.� Drop it by our offices, 314 E. Hickory

St. in downtown Denton.� Send a link to a website that includes

samples to [email protected].— Lucinda Breeding

ContributorsDAVE SIMS is a former staff writer at the

Dallas Observer and current freelancemusic writer and musician. He is a seniorsoftware developer for Living Social. Helives and works in Denton, though hetakes occasional jaunts to Washington,D.C., for work.

Cut. Print it.

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February 2012 Little d After Dark 5

remy martin fine champagne cognac >> by rachel mcreynolds and lucinda breeding

The drink snifter of cognac (we recommend Remy Martin FineChampagne Cognac)

Pour into a glass. Enjoy.

If you’re single and a person of coupling age, you mightbe aware of the super important, relationship-definingholiday that falls in February, the second most emotional-ly manipulative month of the year (we’re on to you,December). You might be feeling like the only person notpairing up on Valentine’s Day — but take heart. While thesurrounding couples fret about how best to prove theirlove via their wallet, your money is staying with you — orgoing into your local bar.

Regardless, couple or not, why not get plowed forValentine’s Day? (See what we did there?) In honor offabulous singles everywhere, forgo the mixed drinks. Thissnifter of cognac is like thick velvet, coating your throat ina warm, amber love song all its own.

As for that guy eyeing you from across the room — hecan wait till Feb. 15.

The tunesWhile you’re sipping, listen to these solo artists: Robert

Gomez (sultry vocal delivery over eerily mathematical gui-tar stylings), Sarah Jaffe (open-hearted lyricist who chasesdisappointment down with a lilting guitar and smokycontralto), Caleb Ian Campbell (plaintive but passionate,heady but sincere).



but please don’t sue me >> by cody robinson

Fill the hollow void

S ince my tinkering is wellknown among my musicianfriends, I’m often gifted with

the kind of music gear that has little useaside from what can be made from itsparts.

I often say I acquire broken guitars likea crazy cat lady acquires cats. They justkind of show up, and I don’t have theheart to send them on their way.

I salvage what I can. You never knowwhen little bits and pieces will come inhandy.

One particular acoustic guitar — foundby my dad at a garage sale — had beencollecting dust in a storage closet for afew years now. Its neck was broken andrepaired several times. The repairs werefar from perfect, and I’m pretty sure itcouldn’t be brought back to life — at leastnot to the point of actually being playableagain.

Had I not recently joined the idea-shar-ing website Pinterest, that guitar mighthave languished in the closet for manyyears to come. It was on that site that Ifirst saw a photo of this project, and Idecided to run with that inspiration.

Materials

a broken acoustic guitar (please don’tdestroy a working one)a few feet of 1-by-4-inch scraps

box knife

hand saw

wood glue

sandpaper (120-grit should do it)paint

Speed Square

yardstick

Directions

1. Remove any hardware (tuners, screws,

strap pegs) and the pick guard. Set asideanything you might be able to use later.

2. Place your yardstick across the width

of the guitar, just below where the neckends and the body begins. Make a markalong your yardstick. Cut along this markwith your box knife. Most cheaper

acoustic guitars (seriously, don’t do this toa nice one) are made of thin wood panels,so the best method would be to score thewood with the box knife first, and repeatthis over and over while gradually increas-ing the pressure until you’ve cut all theway through the wood.

3. Trace around the edge of the guitar

(below your last cut) with the box knife tocut the face of the guitar from the binding.It may help to place your hand inside theguitar and gently pull the face away whilecutting. It may also help to just rip it off.

In a project like this there’s a fine line

between helping and hurting. Personally, Iusually find that line — then I find aBand-Aid. (Disclaimer: Don’t injure your-self. There, that should cover safety)

4. Once you’ve removed the face of the

guitar this project gets a little different for

everyone, since each guitar can vary inconstruction. What you should see aresome ribs (or bracing struts) across theback of the guitar, and some either stuckto the face you removed or still attached tothe rest of the body. Cut away the ribs forthe face and set them aside for later.

In the case of the guitar I used, therewere two ribs running across the back inthe perfect position for supporting a shelf,so that’s where I started. You may have toremove those ribs and rearrange them in amore pleasing manner. You really justneed two to span across the width of theguitar to support your shelves.

5. Cut two pieces of the 1-by-4-inch

scraps to match the width of the guitar atthe points where you are installing theshelves. Depending on how the back andthe face are attached to the sides of theguitar, you may have to make notches inthe braces along the sides to allow for theshelves. This is where you’re on your own.You can trim out the bracing to fit theshelf, or in my case I made notches in theshelf to fit around the bracing. I recom-mend carving your notches out with apocket knife or a rotary tool with a sand-ing drum attachment.

6. Use your hand saw to cut pieces of theribs you removed from the front to sup-port each end of the shelves. Glue these tothe sides of the guitar, then glue yourshelves to these and the rib brace alongthe back. If there’s a gap between yourshelf and the guitar, wait for the glue todry and fill the crack with latex caulk.

7. Once the glue is dry, sand everything

down and paint to taste. As soon as every-thing dries, you can hang your new pieceon the wall with a couple of screws or juststand it in the corner with a guitar stand.

CODY ROBINSON is the production director atthe Denton Record-Chronicle as well as a localmusician. He’s never met a power tool hecouldn’t use or a warranty he couldn’t void.His e-mail address is [email protected].

How to make use of an old guitar that can’t even hold a tune

The author’s guitar-turned-bookshelf, no longer good for nothing


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Credits

Benefit show featuring Maricopa County, Terminator 2, Christmas Carnage at Rubber GlovesRehearsal Studios. January 2012. Photo by David Minton.



10 Little d After Dark February 2012 11

by dave sims

W hen Josh Butler first conceived of the Thin Line Film Festival more than seven years ago while studying film and

television at the University of North Texas, he probably never thought he’d find himself rubbing elbows with

Harry Shearer or showcasing Academy Award-nominated documentaries like last year’s breakout film Restrepo.

He certainly didn’t suspect that he’d still be running Texas’ only documentary film festival the better part of a decade later, or that the festival would be busting

at the seams with more than 80 films — far more documentaries than even Austin’s South by Southwest can boast.

The Thin Line Film Festival has quietlybecome a mainstay of Denton culture overthe last few years, and a regional destina-tion for film buffs. But it won’t remainquiet for long if Butler has his way, andpart of his plan to make more noise thanever this year includes a focus on high-quality music documentaries.

This is poised to be a breakout year forThin Line, and it’s only natural, Butlersays, that music documentaries are play-ing a big role.

“We’ve been seeking out music submis-sions for a couple of years now,” Butlersays. “We want to get that group of peopleinvolved in the festival.”

According to Butler, the success of lastyear’s event has raised Thin Line’s visibili-ty, and the result has been a surge in boththe quantity and quality of the films sub-mitted for 2012. This increase has givenhim programming options he’s never hadbefore.

“I was blown away,” he says. “We had a50 percent increase [in submissions], andI wasn’t expecting it. This year it’s all goodstuff. We’re really thrilled to have somuch.”

The musical styles covered in this year’sbatch of music documentaries are diverse— from feminist dance-punk (Who Tookthe Bomp?: Le Tigre on Tour) to classicalcomposition (Shining Light: A Portrait ofComposer Morten Lauridsen). But a com-mon idea emerges among a number of thefilms: the struggle of independent musi-cians to have their voice heard. From thestory of a Texas teen who goes from blue-grass fan to bluegrass performer in threeyears (Fanning the Flame) to the group ofFilipino youths who attempt to mastertheir native culture’s music in an extreme-

ly short amount of time (Rise andDream), it’s a theme that will undoubtedlyresonate in an indie music hub likeDenton.

It’s not hard for independent directorsto sympathize with the struggles of inde-pendent musicians, says filmmakerEdward Payson, whose documentaryUnsigned follows three independent rockbands over the course of one year.

“I just wanted to make a film aboutstarving artists like myself,” he says, “andnever giving up on your dream no matterwhat the cost.”

Payson’s struggles as a filmmaker willprobably sound familiar to any number ofmusic school graduates, indie bands orsongwriters who have been honing theircraft and waiting for that big break.

“When you are in film school you thinkeverything is going to be easy when yougraduate,” Payson says. “A year after grad-uation I found myself in a dead-end cubi-cle job that I hated and asked, ‘What am Idoing with my life?’ That is when I decid-ed to make the film.”

For Shanghai-based filmmaker and his-torian Andrew Field, it’s a story that’s uni-versal in scope. His film Down: Indie Rockin the PRC, which chronicles the burgeon-ing indie and hard rock scenes in China,focuses on the Subs, a Beijing groupwhose flailing guitars and ferociousfemale lead singer Kang Mao recall theStooges’ American punk and the Hives’

garage rock. Fields says one theme that emerges in

Down is “the quest for personal and artis-tic freedom in a country that encouragesconformity and a society in which parentalauthority is very strong.” Considering theauthoritarian backdrop of their homecountry, for the Subs the idea of playing“subversive” music contains an element ofdanger even Iggy Pop probably never con-ceived of. Nevertheless, Fields says, thefight of a fiercely independent band to beheard and succeed on their own terms fol-lows a familiar arc. “When these young

people get off the job treadmill and dedi-cate themselves to music,” he says, “theyaren’t getting back on. So, as a result, onlyyoung people who are very serious aboutmusic will really get into this scene.

“We hope that audience members at theThin Line Film Fest will feel an affinityand sympathy with the trials and tribula-

tions of these Chinese rock bands andtheir supporters. [They] are all engaged ina universal human quest for self-expres-sion.”

Josh Butler sees a similar resonancebetween Thin Line and efforts from thelocal music community like the 35 Dentonmusic festival. For him, it’s all just part ofthe same creative urge. “Artists are artists.Creatives are creatives,” says Butler. “Moreand more we live in a technical world withgear. A person that is utilizing gear isgoing to be making music and makingmovies and taking pictures and doing all

kinds of things. I think there is a conver-gence of media across the board, and filmobviously plays a big role in that, andmusic is a part of every single video! So inmy mind, we are all kind of in the samesituation.”

“When you are in film school you thinkeverything is going to be easy when yougraduate,” Payson says. “A year after graduation I found myself in a dead-endcubicle job that I hated and asked, ‘Whatam I doing with my life?’ That is when Idecided to make the film.”

THIN LINE FILM FESTFeb. 10-20 in downtown Denton.Individual tickets cost $4-$15. Passescost $20-$150. 2012.thinlinefilmfest.com,twitter.com/thinlinedocs, facebook.com/thinlinefilmfest

�

All fun and gamesryan thomas becker and last joke >> by lucinda breeding

Becker says album pays tribute to other songwriters — no joke

D enton’s Ryan ThomasBecker is no stranger toadmiration. The Dallas

press regularly name-checks him as a guyto know if you’re into local indie rock, andhe and drummer Grady Don Sandlin(Boxcar Bandits) get regular love for thesound they pack into their duo, RTB2.

Becker has the same good will towardunsung Texas musicians who make goodmusic without much fanfare. That goodwill drove Last Joke Band (Six SongsWritten by Our Friends), the albumBecker put together with one of many ofhis active bands.

“I think this all got started a few yearsback,” Becker says, arriving right on timefor an interview on the chilly patio atDan’s Silverleaf, explaining that he’s beenfighting a cold. “There was a ‘DentonCovers Denton’ night here at Dan’s, andthat’s where I learned ‘No Time Lover.’ Itmight have been planted earlier than that,but that’s when I remember wanting tocover some songs I’d come to love. And Ithought that would be a really cool ideafor this band’s first release.”

Becker grew up just down the Interstate35E from Denton in Highland Village.After high school, he went to theUniversity of Texas and then to theUniversity of North Texas. Like a lot ofDenton longtimers, Becker found he hada hard time reaching escape velocity fromthe Denton vortex. By day, he works in theBlagg-Huey Library at Texas Woman’sUniversity. After work, Becker is often atDenton, Dallas and Fort Worth wateringholes making music. There have beenrumors of girlfriends, but there have alsobeen rumors that they play second fiddleto his music.

Becker gets a good-natured ribbingfrom Dallas press about the number ofbands he plays in — Eaton Lake Tonics,RTB2, Sunday Drive, the Slow Burners,Satans of Soft Rock, Hares on theMountain — and now, Last Joke. He takesit in stride but says he thinks “it’s reallykinda played out.”

Becker is one of those guitarists who

Track for track: Last Joke Band

NO, WE CAN’T BE FRIENDSTony Ferraro, one of Denton’sunderrated songwriters, spunthis standout song crafted withthe civilized patronizing ofother musicians in mind. “Tonysaid the song was about theway you feel sometimestoward other musicians,”Becker said. “You set upshows with people, play showstogether, but sometimes, youplay with people you’d neverbe friends with.” It’s a ditty thatcould be screamed or it couldeasily become a Texas swingnumber. Becker sings it as astraightforward rock number,with a plodding and politedrum urging the whole thingforward — no muss, no fuss,just honest lyrics.

NO TIME LOVERA sexy, upbeat number by RonScott in which Becker soundsidentical to the late JeffBuckley. “You say I got a lottabad friends/I don’t know ifthat’s true or not/You said I’mnever concerned about theend/I don’t know of that’s trueor not/I like to read a goodnovel with a lotta twists andturns/Little would I know butone thing is true/Ain’t got timeto be your lover.” A bluesy riffrises from the line, whichsounds an awful lot like thenarrator would have the time tobe our lover, if we weren’t sobloody high-maintenance.

TOM PETTY SUMMERLast Joke Band got this songfrom Austin band Leatherbag,a group Becker has shared alot of show bills with, and glad-ly. “It was kind of an instantclassic for me,” Becker said. The song is a tribute to Petty’stalent for singable melodies,and his genius for stirring adogged sadness into justabout everything he writes. “Itwas a Tom Petty summer/wewere living in a van/cruising’cross the country as a rock ’n’roll band,” the song starts,chasing after the bait of star-dom and approving crowds.Last Joke lets the sun breakover a memory that’s as wistfulas it is exhilarating — thanksmostly to Sandlin’s shimmeringcymbals.

Courtesy photo/Andi Harman

>> Continued on 14


has a distinct way of playing — he’s mostcomfortable with rock, but can add abluesy wail to a line when he feels like it.He’s deft enough to get an urgent tensionbut can press a string this way or that toaffect the voicing of the notes. He can playwith intensity without playing loud and hecan, at times, play soprano notes thatsound almost like a cello.

He started learning to play guitar whenhe was 12 or 13, while his fretting arm wasin a cast.

“I might have picked up the guitar backwhen I was playing soccer and broke myarm every year or so,” Becker said. “That’swhat I remember. I had to hold my handa certain way to play with the cast, and, Idon’t know, I guess I’ve held my arm likethat ever since, and I think it could havesomething to do with the sound.”

Part of what’s earned Becker and his

comrades respect is recognizing the storyin a song, and dramatizing it with guitar,percussion and voice.

Becker said he picked the six songs thatwould make up Last Joke Band using alittle favoritism and a little band chem-istry.

“Grady and I had been playing ‘NoTime Lover’ for a while,” he said. The songwas written by friend and Austin soloartist Ron Scott. Scott’s version is folksy,sung through a haze of pot smoke andpost-bender slur. “A lot of people haverecorded that song. It was on [formerDenton folk musician] Johann Wagner’salbum and Burnt Sienna Trio recorded it.We took Johann’s lyric editing and theBurnt Sienna sound and put them togeth-er.”

The sad and simple song “The Train”was written by Dale Jones, the screamingbanshee of Denton’s New Science Projects.

“Most everyone knows him as this crazykid who paints himself and screams, buthe has this amazing growl, this blues-folk

voice, and he writes some of these reallybeautiful songs — sad, sentimental songs.‘The Train’ is one of them,” Becker says.“It’s about the Holocaust. He’s an amazingsongwriter.”

Last Joke recorded the album in a fewdays. Becker said Dave Willingham mas-tered the record in a day or so in Argyle.Justin Collins engineered and mixed therecord at Denton’s Satisfactory RecordingCo. Now that he’s promoting Last JokeBand, Becker says he’s enjoying somethings and second-guessing others.

“You’re still kind of soaking in it at thispoint, noticing the imperfections thatmade it what it is,” he says. “Justin Collinslet me use this amp of his, which I usedfor the first and only record RTB2 hasmade. It has this crackle to it that I like.Things like that.”

The record is just a smidge short ondynamics in spots, with “The Train,” “No,We Can’t Be Friends” and “Death & Taxes”leading off with nearly identical temposand vocal structure. (Though this could bea nit picked after spending so many hourswith these six solid songs. But, hey, Beckerand Co. are seasoned enough to withstandsome micro-scrutiny.)

Becker says he’d like to write some newmusic with Last Joke, and maybe re-release six or seven collections of musicthat “only 10 to 15 people have.”

In the meantime, Last Joke will pro-mote this latest release.

“I have so much fun with this band,”Becker said. “It’s a four piece, and the clos-est thing since Sunday Drive I’ve had toplaying this kind of set-up. Bringing inTony [Ferraro] and Andy [Rogers] wasreally a good thing. I know what Tony iscapable of, and Andy is an amazingbassist, very tasteful. I think there’s a real-ly good chemistry between us, and it’sbeen so much fun.”

LUCINDA BREEDING can be reached at 940-566-6877 or [email protected].

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RYAN THOMAS BECKER AND LASTJOKE ON STAGE

10 p.m. Feb. 4 at the Double Wide, 3510Commerce St. in Dallas. Ages 21 andolder. double-wide.com. lastjoke.tumblr.com, lastjoke.bandcamp.com,facebook.com/ryanthomasbecker

THEY’RE WITH THE BANDRyan Thomas Becker — guitar, leadvocals, percussionGrady Don Sandlin — percussion, vocals Andy Rogers — bass, vocalsTony Ferraro — guitar, vocals

Continued from 13>>

Becker said hepicked the six songsthat would make upLast Joke Bandusing a littlefavoritism and a littleband chemistry.


wholesome homebrew >> by alyssa jarrell

Tea for twoWholesome Homebrew’s intoxicating blends seduce the senses

A sexy night. A romantic hol-iday. A day created by cardcompanies and choco-

latiers. A day when florists are over-whelmed, and restaurants are all bookedup. The only day of the year when grocerystores sell out of both strawberries andchocolate simultaneously.

Why all of the pressure to impress?Keep it simple, friends. Why not make asimple cup of tea? Or even a dessert thattakes almost no effort?

Bonus: It’s not only delicious, but alsohappens to be wholesomely aphrodisiacal.

Andie Sterling of WholesomeHomebrew graciously opened her sweetkitchen to me and we chatted over teaabout tea blends, fermentation, brewing

methods and how she was seduced intothe world of home brewing. Andie isdrawn to the alchemy of the brewingworld — the reverence and patiencerequired for each step, the chemistry ofthe ingredients mixing with one anotherand their inevitable effect on the body.

But really her love of all of these thingsis driven by their innate ability to connectpeople. Sharing a cup of tea can be anintimate time to share your life with afriend. Brewing a batch of beer with agroup and then coming back in a fewmonths to check on the batch can be ulti-mately rewarding as you share the work ofyour hands with one another.

I was already aware of the obvioushealth benefits of tea — but Andie startedto teach me about the benefits of otherbrewed drinks.

Kombucha — something Wholesome is

becoming widely known for in Denton —packs in the health benefits with activeprobiotics, glucosamines, antioxidants anddetoxifying bacterial acids. In fact, after afew minutes of chatting, it started to dawnon me how endless the health benefits arebecause of the brewing and fermentingprocesses.

She has recently been seduced by themagic that peppers create when added torecipes and teas. It is common for peopleto experience pleasure and even euphoriafrom ingesting capsaicin, which can befound in chili peppers and is attributed tothe pain-stimulated release of endor-phins. So she started adding spice to herkombucha infusions, named HoneyJalepeno, Black Cherry Cayenne and RedChili Peach. The combination of sweet,

Sharing a cup of teacan be an intimatetime to share yourlife with a friend.

Andie Sterling of Wholesome Homebrew. Courtesy photos/Chris Newby

>> Continued on 16


InactionComics.tumblr.com

feeds the soul and connects us to oneanother. She aims for WholesomeHomebrew to be a workshop and educa-tion-driven small business. She will beteaching workshops at Cardo’s FarmProject this spring and is planning a fewcommunity brew projects for later thisyear.

While there, Andie introduced me to anamazingly tantalizing tea blend to get thesenses going. Matcha-Cha-Cha is anamazing blend of ceremonial gradematcha (a green tea powder), cinnamon,pure cocoa powder, cayenne pepper andhoney. On top of all that, it happens to bean aphrodisiac. The blend can be com-bined with hot water to become a warm,earthy and spicy drink to share.

My chosen way to enjoy it is even better. Mix a spoonful of the blend into a gen-

erous scoop of your favorite vanilla icecream (I would grab a pint from BethMarie’s Old-Fashioned Ice Cream andSoda Fountain) and drizzle with yourfavorite hot fudge. Enjoy with your specialsomeone for a Valentine’s Day dessert.

Matcha-Cha-Cha can be purchasedfrom Andie by the ounce. She is bestfound through Wholesome Homebrew’sFacebook page, facebook.com/wholesomehomebrew.

ALYSSA JARRELL is an adventurer in the kitchen who enjoys giving her culinary cre-ations to family and friends. Her website ispinkantlercakes.com.

Continued from 15 >>

Courtesy photo/Chris Newby

Andie Sterling smiles with a cup of herWholesome Homebrew.

inactioncomics.tumblr.com


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greenhouse restaurant >> by rachel watts

Tasty riffs

I t probably comes as no surprise thatwhile boasting two major universities— one of which is internationally rec-

ognized for its music program — Dentonis swarming with musical types. Evenmore unsurprisingly, Denton is packedwith jazz musicians — some of whom aresimply biding their time until Mondaynight rolls around.

In an understated occasion of morethan 10 years running, GreenhouseRestaurant has been serving up a healthydose of local jazz along with its spinachand artichoke dip. Although not an obvi-

ous music venue in the vein of Denton’sdowntown bars, the restaurant hosts atwo- to three-hour jazz session everyMonday night featuring local artists andensembles.

The restaurant’s popular jazz night hasoutlasted some of the other similarlythemed contenders around town.

UNT jazz studies alumnus MattHornbeck says it’s important to a lot of

people that this type of musical option isavailable in North Texas bars and restau-rants.

“It’s important,” Hornbeck says, “partic-ularly for the students to have a perform-ance outlet. Playing for an audience is anexperience you cannot simulate in thepractice room.”

Hornbeck, a jazz guitarist in the MattHornbeck Trio, played with his group atGreenhouse several Mondays back andsays he appreciates not having to drive toDallas or Fort Worth to get a gig.

“I love playing at the Greenhouse,” hesays. “I can play practically whateverimprovised music I want, within reason.It’s a rare thing to find.”

Greenhouse general manager NicoleProbst says she’s never had a hard timebooking jazz acts to play on Mondaynights, since word of mouth does the trickaround Denton.

“When we started jazz night long ago,the goal was to sort of find a place forjazz,” Probst said. “We have such fantasticmusic departments here — both UNT andTWU — and they didn’t really have aplace to play, so we wanted to providethem with that.”

Monday jazz sessions begin at 10 p.m.and go until about midnight. Probst saysit’s an all-ages affair so as to not rule outthe college freshmen who can’t drink, butwant to see their older peers perform.

Local musician and Greenhouse serverTony Ferraro agrees that jazz has an im-portant role to play in every community,but Denton in particular. Having jazzaround is just as important as having anyform of art in any part of the world, hesays.

“I appreciate [jazz] the way a personenjoys and admires someone else whocooks them a great meal,” Ferraro says. “Itaste it, ingest it, but have little-to-no ideahow it was made so delicious.”

RACHEL WATTS is a current UNT journalismstudent and co-owns a small, independentrecord label called I Love Math Records. Here-mail address is [email protected].

Greenhouse serves up weekly jazz for local students needing an outlet

“I appreciate [jazz]the way a personenjoys and admiressomeone else whocooks them a greatmeal. I taste it,ingest it, but havelittle-to-no ideahow it was made sodelicious.”

— Tony Ferraro, Greenhouse server


AZ

Around downtown

� � THE ABBEY INN RESTAURANT &PUB 101 W. Hickory St. 940-566-5483.

� � THE ABBEY UNDERGROUND 100

W. Walnut St. 940-565-5478. facebook.com/

theabbeyunderground

� ANDAMAN THAI RESTAURANT 221

E. Hickory St. 940-591-8790. andamanthai

restaurant.com

� � ANDY’S BAR 122 N. Locust St. 940-

565-5400. reverbnation.com/venue/andysbar

� � � BANTER 219 W. Oak St. 940-565-

1638. dentonbanter.com

� BETH MARIE’S OLD-FASHIONEDICE CREAM AND SODA FOUNTAIN 117

W. Hickory St. 940-384-1818. (2nd location at

Unicorn Lake, 2900 Wind River Lane) beth-

maries.com

� BURGUESA BURGER 214 E. Hickory

St. 940-442-6113. burguesa.com

� CASA GALAVIZ 508 S. Elm St. 940-387-

2675.

� CELLAR 22 219 E. Hickory St. 940-435-

0149. thecellar22.com

� � CRAZY HORSE SALOON 508 S. Elm

St. 940-591-0586.

� � THE CHESTNUT TREE 107 W.

Hickory St. 940-591-9475. chestnuttearoom.

com

� � THE CUPBOARD 200 W. Congress

St. 940-387-5386. cupboardnaturalfoods.com

� � DAN’S SILVERLEAF 103 Industrial St.

940-320-2000. danssilverleaf.com

� � � DENTON SQUARE DONUTS 208

W Oak St. 940-220-9447. dentonsquare

donuts.com

� EL CHAPARRAL GRILLE 324 E.

McKinney St., Suite 102. 940-243-1313.

� EL GUAPO’S 419 S. Elm St. 940-566-

5575. elguapos.com

� � � THE GREENHOUSE 600 N. Locust

St. 940-484-1349. greenhouserestaurant

denton.com

� � HAILEY’S CLUB 122 W. Mulberry St.

940-323-1160. haileysclub.com

� HANNAH’S OFF THE SQUARE 111 W.

Mulberry St. 940-566-1110.

� � J&J’S PIZZA 118 W. Oak St. 940-382-

7769. jandjpizzadenton.com

� � JUPITER HOUSE 106 N. Locust St.

940-387-7100. jupiterhousecoffee.net

� KEIICHI SUSHI 500 N. Elm St. 940-382-

7505.

� � THE LABB 218 W. Oak St. 940-293-

4240. thelabbdenton.com

� LA MEXICANA 619 S. Locust St. 940-

483-8019.

� � LOCO CAFE 603 N. Locust St. 940-

387-1413. locodenton.com

� THE LOOPHOLE 119 W. Hickory St.

940-565-0770. loopholepub.com

� � LOVE SHACK 115 E. Hickory St. 940-

442-6834. loveburgershack.com

� MAD WORLD RECORDS 115 W.

Hickory St. 940-591-3001.

� MELLOW MUSHROOM 217 E. Hickory

St. 940-323-1100. mellowmushroom.com

� MI CASITA 110 N. Carroll Blvd. 940-891-

1932. (2nd location at 905 W. University Drive)

� RAMEN REPUBLIC 210 E. Hickory St.

940-387-3757. ramenrepublic.biz

� � RAVELIN BAKERY 416 S. Elm St.

940-382-8561.

� � ROOSTER’S ROADHOUSE 113

Industrial St. 940-382-4227. roosters-

roadhouse.com

� � RUBBER GLOVES REHEARSALSTUDIOS 411 E. Sycamore St. 940-387-

7781. rubberglovesdentontx.com

� � SEVEN MILE CAFE 311 W. Congress

St. 940-808-0200. sevenmilecafe.com

� SIAM OFF THE SQUARE 209 W.

Hickory St., Suite 104. 940-382-5118.

siamoffthesquare.com

� � SIMONE LOUNGE 222 W. Hickory

St., Suite 104. 940-387-7240. facebook.com/

simonelounge

� � SWEETWATER GRILL & TAVERN115 S. Elm St. 940-484-2888.

� VERONICA’S CAFE 803 E. McKinney St.

940-565-9809.

� VIGNE 222 W. Hickory St., Suite 103. 940-

566-1010.

� WEINBERGER’S DELI 311 E. Hickory

St., Suite 110. 940-566-5900. weinbergers

denton.com

� WINE SQUARED 110 W. Oak St. 940-

384-9463. winetimeswine.com

� � YOGURT FUSION 209 W. Hickory St.

940-597-6367. yofusion.com

� � ZERA COFFEE CO. 420 E. McKinney

St., Suite 106. 940-239-8002.

Greater Denton � � � CAFE DU LUXE 3101 Unicorn Lake

Blvd. 940-382-7070. cafeduluxe.com

where to find � music, � caffeine and � food/drink in denton >> for more listings, visit wimgo.com

Staff graphic

Oak

Sycamore

Mulberry

Egan

Carroll B

lvd.

Bell A

ve.B

ell Ave.

Oakland

Austin

Austin

Bolivar

Elm

N

Hickory

Locust

Parkway

McKinney

Congress

Pearl


115 IndustrialDenton, TX

940-380-TACO(8226)

www.fuzzystacoshop.com

Mon - Tues 6:30 am - 10 pm

Wed 6:30 am to 11 pm

Thurs 6:30 am - 12 am

Fri 6:30 am - 2 am

Saturday 7 am - 2 am

Sunday 7 am - 10 pm

LET USCATER

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Come try the

The Abbey Underground 100 W. Walnut St. 940-565-5478.

Andy’s Bar 122 N. Locust St. 940-565-5400.

Art Six Coffee House 424 Bryan St. 940-484-2786.

Banter 219 W. Oak St. 940-565-1638.

Cafe Du Luxe 3101 Unicorn Lake Blvd. 940-382-7070.

Cool Beans 1210 W. Hickory St. 940-382-7025.

Crazy Horse Saloon 508 S. Elm St. 940-591-0586.

Dan’s Silverleaf 103 Industrial St. 940-320-2000.

Frilly’s Seafood Bayou Kitchen 1925 Denison St. 940-243-

2126.

Fry Street Public House 125 Ave. A. 940-323-9800.

Fry Street Tavern 121 Ave. A. 940-383-2337.

The Garage 113 Ave. A. 940-383-0045.

The Greenhouse 600 N. Locust St. 940-484-1349.

Hailey’s Club 122 W. Mulberry St. 940-323-1160.

J&J’s Pizza 118 W. Oak St. 940-382-7769.

The LABB 218 W. Oak St. 940-293-4240.

Love Shack 115 E. Hickory St. 940-442-6834.

Mable Peabody’s Beauty Parlor and Chainsaw Repair 1125

E. University Drive, Suite 107. 940-566-9910.

Mad World Records 115 W. Hickory St. 940-591-3001.

Rockin’ Rodeo 1009 Ave. C. 940-565-6611.

Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios 411 E. Sycamore St. 940-

387-7781.

Simone Lounge 222 W. Hickory St., Suite 104. 940-387-7240.

Sweetwater Grill & Tavern 115 S. Elm St. 940-484-2888.

UNT College of Music music.unt.edu

UNT Dance and Theatre danceandtheatre.unt.edu

UNT on the Square untonthesquare.unt.edu

Winspear Performance Hall, Murchison Performing Arts

Center thempac.com

Texas Woman’s University Theatre twu.edu/drama

Dada, Dallas dadadallas.com

The Double Wide, Dallas facebook.com/doublewidebar

Granada Theater, Dallas granadatheater.com

House of Blues, Dallas houseofblues.com/dallas

Kessler Theater, Dallas thekessler.org

Billy Bob’s Texas, Fort Worth billybobstexas.com

Lola’s, Fort Worth lolasfortworth.com

The Basement Bar, Fort Worth reverbnation.com/venue/

thebasementbar

Music here, there and everywhere else

Staff graphic

N

W. OakW. Oak

W. Hickory

UNIVERSITY OFNORTH TEXAS

Eagle Drive

ScriptureCongress

Carroll B

lvd.

North Texas B

lvd.

Bonnie B

rae

Elm

35E

35W

35

Around UNT

� � � ART SIX COFFEE HOUSE 424

Bryan St. 940-484-2786. facebook.com/art

sixcoffeehouse

� � BIG MIKE’S COFFEE HOUSE 1306

W. Hickory St. 940-383-7478. bigmikescoffee

shop.com

� BULGOGI HOUSE 408 North Texas

Blvd. 940-382-8060.

� CENTRAL GRILL 1005 Ave. C. 940-323-

9464.

� � COOL BEANS 1210 W. Hickory St.

940-382-7025. facebook.com/coolbeans

dentontx

� � CUPS AND CREPES 309 Fry St. 940-

387-1696.

� EL PARIENTE 2532 Louise St. 940-380-

1208.

� FERA’S 1407 W. Oak St. 940-382-9577.

� � FRY STREET PUBLIC HOUSE 125

Ave. A. 940-323-9800. publichousedenton.com

� � FRY STREET TAVERN 121 Ave. A.

940-383-2337.

� � THE GARAGE 113 Ave. A. 940-383-

0045. thedentongarage.com

� HOOYA! 1007 Ave. C. 940-381-0272.

� KATZ’S HAMBURGERS 901-A Ave. C.

940-442-6200.

� LUCKY LOU’S 1207 W. Hickory St. 940-

484-5550. luckylousdenton.com

� MR. CHOPSTICKS 1633 Scripture St.

940-382-5437.

� � NARANJA CAFE 906 Ave. C. Suite

100. 940-483-0800.

� NEW YORK SUB-HUB 906 Ave. C. 940-

383-3213.

� RASOI, THE INDIAN KITCHEN 1002

Ave. C. 940-566-6125. dentonindianfood.com

� RIPROCKS 1211 W. Hickory St. 940-382

3231.

� � ROCKIN’ RODEO 1009 Ave. C. 940-

565-6611. rockinrodeodenton.com

� SUKHOTHAI II RESTAURANT 1502 W.

Hickory St. 940-382-2888.

� SUSHI CAFE 1401 W. Oak St. 940-380-

1030.

� TJ’S PIZZA WINGS & THINGS 420 S.

Carroll Blvd., Suite 102. 940-383-3333.

tjspizzadenton.com

� 299 ORIENTAL EXPRESS 1000 Ave. C.

940-383-2098.

� JIMMY JOHN’S 107 Ave. A. 940-484-

5466.

where to find � music, � caffeine and � food/drink in denton


AZ


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