I've seen the Zac Brown Band play a few times. At an outdoor venue in Austin, in a dirty bar on Lower Greenville, and even on a Carnival cruise ship in the middle of the ocean (don't even think about asking). And every time I've seen the band play, I've been drunk. Not that you need alcohol to enjoy this Georgia group's fun mix of downhome country originals and unpredictable cover tunes (Rage Against the Machine, anyone?). But too much beer (and sometimes Jager) makes the whole experience juuuust right.
That's why we felt the need to have beard-tastic lead singer Zac Brown tell us his five favorite songs to play while sippin' a cold one. If this list (or the above video) inspires ya, catch the band tonight at House of Blues. Tickets are only $10.50. See you there.
Hank Williams' "Jambalaya" - "You have to cool down the Cajun flavor in this song with a cold beer, juking ... and I can taste dem crawdads right when it starts."
Steve Earle's "Rivers of Babylon" - "Spirit of the people moving thru this song and the sway of the background vocals makes me thirsty."
I first saw Tramaine Townsend (left) at the Roxy Cottontail show at Dolce a few weeks ago. He was snapping pictures of all the revelers, wearing a bow-tie and a red V-neck sweater. He looked like a movie usher, but a really cool one, the one all the other movie ushers want to be.
Then he passed me his business card: It had a cartoon man in a suit wearing goggles, and underneath it read: "The Misadventures of Flaco." A photographer named Flaco?! I had to find out more.
Since then I've seen him taking pics at the Erykah Badu/Biz Markie party at Ghostbar, and at Justice a few days ago. He recently took the time to answer a few questions about himself. His answers are after the jump.
If you’ve driven by Purgatory on a Saturday night, you have mostly likely seen a line of cars stretching down Main Street and a line of people waiting to get in the door. A few Saturdays ago, I stopped by and the line was huge: More than 150 people long, stretching around the corner, the girls waiting in the cold in short-shorts and low-cut tops.
One of the men responsible for this is Asim Sheikh. (That's him above, sitting outside Urban Cafe downtown.) He founded and owns Access Dallas, the promotions company behind Thursdays and Saturdays at Purgatory. Both nights regularly draw more than 1,000 people each, with everyone paying between $5 and $15 to get in. Music is Top 40. Beer is cheap for a nightclub -- domestic bottles are around $3.
Asim, who’s 30 and a web designer by day -- he actually designed Purgatory's website -- usually brings in a reality TV star to the club help fuel the fun. Big Black from Rob & Big stopped by recently; other guests include Playboy models, Pete Wentz, some people from The Hills. (Not Lauren.)
I sat down with him recently to ask more about his company. He didn’t originally want his picture taken, because apparently his parents have no idea what he does in the nighttime. Sorry I’m outing you, Asim.
If you’ve been to Cool Out on Mondays, or Hot Flash parties, or The Party, you’ve probably seen one if not both of the Melissas around. They wear vintage clothes and just have a certain…. something about them. They’re also party promoters, having thrown events at ArtClub and The Cavern under the name “The Melissas Deluxe.”
I was intrigued to find out more about them, so I sent them some questions over email. Here’s what they said:
Who are The Melissas, and how many are there?
The original Melissas are Melissa Humphries (the redhead) and Melissa McQueen (the brunette).
How did you come up with the name?
People started calling us The Melissas and it stuck. Now it seems everybody we run into (together or apart) knows us by that epithet. We get, "Hey, you're one of The Melissas!" a lot.
How long have you been putting on events in Dallas? What are they like, for someone who's never been?
We've been throwing Melissas Deluxe parties (with our good friend, Melissa Ray) since late 2005. Our formula is simple: great local music and awesome DJs supplying you with an undeniable urge to get on the dance floor! The Deluxe parties attract all walks of life. We love both meeting new people and seeing old friends. Our goal is to give you a unique experience...it's all about the love!
What are you trying to bring that's different to the scene?
We believe what sets us apart is our charming ability to entertain. Every Melissas Deluxe party has its own concept. Past favorites include: The Ruby Revue's sexy burlesque show, Prom Nightmare at Avenue of Arts and She Dick's unforgettable performance at The Cavern.
Can you tell me a little bit about your background?
We're both originally from Southern California and both relocated to Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas. We lost touch after school, but reconnected again in 2003 (BFF style). Currently, we both reside in Lakewood.
There are very few women promoters in this city. How has that affected the events you're putting on, if at all?
We love that we are among the few women promoters enhancing the Dallas scene. It's such a thrill to take charge in a territory that's predominantly male oriented. We hope to inspire more women to do the same!
What have you got scheduled for the future?
More Melissas Deluxe parties, of course! Check out our Myspace page, www.myspace.com/themelissas for upcoming dates, information and photos from past events.
UPDATE: Here are more details on those parties: Cool Out with The Melissas Deluxe present DJ Sun on Saturday, December 15 at Zubar; and The Melissas Deluxe present It's What We Get with DJ Jeremy Jackson at The Cavern on Friday, December 28.
Melissa with the red hair, I always see you out wearing a vintage outfit. Where do you shop?
Melissa McQueen and I are both mad about Ahab Bowen in Uptown. What's not to love about Vintage?? Classic, tailored and totally unique...like us!
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