Night Gallery: EP Release Party

12/04/10: Curtain Club, Dallas w/special guest Meander

The streets of Deep Ellum echoed with rustling leaves and footfalls in the silence. Only when near a club entrance did any sound penetrate the chill air. This would be my second outing to the arts district of Dallas, but I could already tell that it was dying; it was empty of the crowds I had seen a year prior, which, I was informed then, was only a fraction of the night life that once occupied the area.

I listened to the loud click-clack of my heels on the cobbled sidewalk as my fiance and I left a near-deserted parking lot a block away from the club. Tattoo artists sat in glass windows looking forlorn yet hopeful as we passed their empty shops. I shoved my hands deeper into my jacket pockets and hurried my steps. There was something wrong in the quietness of the street and it unnerved me.

We arrived at the Curtain Club to a welcoming crowd of people out on the patio and the warm sounds of music leaking out the door. We were only a little late, missing the opening of One Red Martian. I admit that I was surprised with their music; what I had heard online fell extremely short of their live performance. If I happen to be free and available when they are playing, I will definitely check them out again.

After One Red Martian changed my mind, Thrown took the stage. I was really looking forward to hearing Thrown and they did not disappoint. They brought a crowd of their own and rocked the building so hard, the bar stools were moshing. It was a lively and entertaining show that I would drag anyone to see again.

Then came my reason for attending the club: Night Gallery. The band set up and I was thrilled to see the retro mic on stage, complete with its plush, bound Cookie Monster adornment (there is something so wrong but so right about the blue guy hogtied with electrical tape). As the opening voice track began, the floor in front of the stage was flooded with fans. I was hard pressed to get to the front, so I settled for a spot near the edge of the stage, right in front of the speakers. To me, this opening was new, but it was only my third Night Gallery Show. Voices, speech clips, movie clips, and sound bytes overlaid each other as the curtains pulled back and the lights came to life. Immediately they revved up the audience. People were singing along, filming, and snapping pictures. It was easy to see why this band has a growing fan base; they were full of energy, well rehearsed, and in complete control of the crowd. Hard hitting songs blasted through the speakers, slowing just enough to allow the softer side soothe away heartache. They had their set list perfectly organized to keep the fans mesmerized as Otter's syrupy voice slid through the room.

As Night Gallery ended their set, they thanked everyone for coming out, they thanked One Red Martian and Thrown for their support, and they invited everybody to hang around for Meander. Then, the curtains closed.

After Night Gallery cleared the stage, and while Meander disappeared to set up, I stood in line for a T-shirt and CD. The boys smiled as they autographed my CD case, gushing sincere gratitude. They are just a down to earth group hoping for a break.

I nudged my way through the crowd to admire the Curtain Club's newest addition to their wall: a painting of Night Gallery, an honor earned after multiple shows as headliner with over one hundred guests.

My fiance waited patiently in the corner until I returned. Arm in arm, we headed for the door. We cut out early in search of a late after-midnight dinner, sadly missing Meander's performance. Hand in hand, we left the warmth of the club for the cold empty street, riding the high of a wonderful concert.


Click here for more Night Gallery Posts.