AT NIGHT

There used to be a band in town called Gift. I was all kinds of in love with their song “New Age” because it sound almost exactly like The Cure. Well, that band split and morphed into At Night. Last time I saw them they opened for VHS Or Beta and stole the show. At Night have a few shows coming up as well as some new material (all presented here for ya). I know a lot of industry people read this site so…sign em.

7/13 , 2013​ at The Foundry 2303 Pittman St Dallas, TX 75208

8/30 , 2013 at The Grotto, 517 University Dr Fort Worth, TX 76107

Like them on Facebook here and follow them on Twitter here

Here is their brand new demo (new EP coming in the next few months) - Josh Venable

The Foundry in Oak Cliff is generally a pleasant venue at which to catch a show, though I prefer the place on a sleepy weekend afternoon. It’s comfortable enough that I’ve even taken my mom there, and when the band’s good, you’ll be glad they’re playing the Foundry over a lot of other places in town. When the band’s bad, that backyard has enough tucked-away booths where you can easily hide.

The booking can be a little roots-heavy, and I do understand that I live in Texas, so you’ll see the calendar dotted with songwriters named “Johnny” and “Joe,” or bands with the words “cattlemen,” “blues,” or even … “Texas” in the title. It seems like a place aiming to be a little slice of Austin plopped on an empty lot in Oak Cliff, and it has certainly achieved that goal in many ways. But those occasional random nights make the Foundry what it is too. DJ sets by hardcore and free jazz musician Stefan Gonzalez, or Eyes, Wings and Many Other Things performing their anti-mood music help the Foundry stand out.

This Saturday at the venue is somewhere in-between. Ice Eater and At Night aren’t exactly strange; they’re both utilizing a lot of pop convention in their take on synthesizer-accented rock and new wave-inspired numbers respectively. But they represent influences and a withdrawn aesthetic not always seen on the Foundry stage from week-to-week. Which means it might be a good weekend to make it out here again.

At Night and Ice Eater Perform at The Foundry on Saturday evening. The Weekender:

THURSDAY

“Big Bang” (The Travis): As we said earlier in the week, this well-established weekly is now in the basement of the Travis, the somewhat glossy venue in the Knox district. The basement has always been a hidden gem of a spot in Dallas nightlife within said glossiness, however. How many basements have you ever spent time in as far as Dallas proper goes? Sober will be joined by his collaborator Picnictyme, who makes up the other half of the Booty Fade outfit, which is still quickly on the rise.

Update: After a couple days of being down—due to an issue with Universal Records—Sober’s Back to the Middle Volume 2 mix is now back up, though slightly tweaked.

Toys That Kill/The Distressers/Half Truths/Toy Gun (1919 Hemphill): I don’t know if it’s still the case now that 1919′s leadership has turned over a bit, but I’ve always remembered Toys That Kill as a band that gets this place’s base pleasantly riled. I doubt that’s changed.

“The Turn Up” (Beauty Bar): And again, Beauty Bar is now hosting a brand new weekly, this time by Ynfynyt Scroll, who just showcased an exclusive mix for us yesterday, in order to preview just what “The Turn Up” will involve exactly. As one young and hard-to-impress friend put it to me (via text): “So, I guess I’ll finally be able to hear Young Scooter in a public place on Thursdays now?” Apparently so, though you still can’t italicize through text so I almost wonder about the sentiment there to some extent. Our web intern, Michelle Ofiwe did an excellent job of writing that mix post for us, and please see her expert Beyoncé review from early in the week if you haven’t yet.

“Stereo on Strike” (Zubar): Tonight’s guests are James Kelley and Addison Staples.

Other Thursday Shows—

Matthew and the Arrogant Sea/Nicholas Altobelli/Wirewings (Dan’s Silver Leaf)

What it is (The Gold Standard Bar)

FRIDAY

Corporate Park/Image Boosters/AFTV/Timm Clark (Muddy Waters): Muddy Waters has filled in for at least one show that was originally supposed to be at 406 Arts recently, and I heard that it’s done a great job as an alternate venue. This is a really terrific lineup, and I hope the independent label rumors I have heard about the drum pad-abusive duo, Corporate Park, are true, as they’re one of the most unique and deserving bands in the area. They also don’t play that often, which is always a plus.

Fitz and the Tantrums/Saints of Valory/Ivy Levan (House of Blues): For more information, please see our events calendar.

Alsace Carcione/Trailer Swift/Killtron/Ynfynyt Scroll/Pocket Change/The Outfit, TX/V.A. Tha Gray (Sandaga 813): Between this show (because of Pocket Change, specifically) and Muddy Waters, you can get a heavy dose of some of the best Denton still has going for it, which isn’t exactly a common occurrence outside of the random 940 house show. But there’s a lot to like on this lineup which includes some very good DJs mixed in. And speaking of both, I saw Pocket Change in Denton last week, and they were solid as always, with a little bit more of a yip and bite to their often surreal music.

Ishi/The Tontons/The Danny Church Band (Trees): Will Ishi ever lose the supposed “folk” tag with which they partly marketed themselves with a few years ago? I know it was further bastardized into the word “folktronica,” (—violent gag—) but has anything ever wrung more artistically hollow than that? I’m going to stop taking swipes at this cigar store prop of a local act, and instead just tell you to show up early to see Danny Church, who just might be the most tragically gifted booking agent of our time.

Brain Gang/Drastik IV/Mount Olympus/Band Nerds (The Green Elephant): Tape Mastah Steph will also be appearing this evening.

Shuttle/Carbon Community/Ghost Daddies/Trespass/Left/Right (W.A.A.S Gallery): More information is listed here on our Visual Arts preview, which is back in all of its critically analytical glory.

Other Friday Shows—

Shapes and Faces/Caterpillars/Islands and Tigers (The Crown and Harp)

SATURDAY

At Night/Ice Eater (The Foundry): See intro above.

Other Saturday Shows–

“Glamorama” (Beauty Bar)

“Berberian Sound Studio Horrror Score After-party” (Texas Theatre)

Home by Hovercraft/John Singer Sergeant (The Common Table)



Photo: Pocket Change (Credit: Andi Harman) - Christopher Mosley

I LOVE THIS BAND
Posted on June 27, 2013 by joshvenable

As you may or may not know I love the Dallas band At Night. I also love The Cure and Depeche Mode which makes sense because these dudes sound A LOT like them. Once again, fine by me. They have a new song and have announced some shows so do yourself a favor and get into this band ASAFP. Check out their site here - Josh Venable (Radio Dj on The Edge and Venture Club)

George Quartz', Midnight Movie, At Night
Double Wide
Saturday, December 8

In a last-minute switch-up, The Atomic Tanlines, who were slotted to open the three-act bill at Double Wide Saturday night, were replaced by a local electronic band called At Night. It was a pleasant surprise though, as the well-groomed specialized in heavily '80s-inspired, progressive electro-pop. The small Double Wide crowd took the change in stride, and by mid-set, started to cut loose to the beat tracks and synth of the foursome's laptop, keyboard, guitar, bass and drums.

No one in the audience played dumb. It was evident by the constant rotation of people buzzing from bar to patio and back again that most people were just anticipating the headliner, performing Saturday as George Quartz', errant punctuation included.

But they had to get through Midnight Movie, the rock group sandwiched between two glamazon bands. The quartet's '90s alternative style and multiple ballads drove away many of the boys in eyeliner, as clusters of Neiman-clad women took their place in the crowd, and a young couple slow danced in the middle of the room.

Two shots and a beer later, I was inching my way to the limited front row floor space for George Quartz'. Six small white pillars graced the stage, each topped with a cherub, and each one creepily clutching a different object or musical instrument. Behind the wall of cherubs were two keyboardists, fidgeting with pedals. A dancer wearing a George Quartz' t-shirt and black booty shorts entered into the crowd from the left of the stage, twisting and contorting her body to the slow beat. A second dancer joined her, flaunting the same getup, and then a third.

From the back of the room, local artist and musician Clay Stinnett zig-zagged his way through the crowd, carrying Quartz's lifeless body to the front of the stage, before eventually plopping him onto it. Quartz laid there for several minutes as the beat began to build. Minutes passed as the music gradually breathed life into his body, apparent by his sporadic flailing. Like a newborn giraffe, Quartz finally found his footing and started convulsing as the beats peaked and he began shouting incomprehensible lyrics into the mic.

When he finally "came to," he was an unrelenting force, immediately knocking over his cup of water, and living up to his glamorous-yet-cracked-out George Quartz persona, the same one that headed up his previous Dallas-based ensemble, After Hours with George Quartz. In a light grey suit, smeared red lipstick and sunglasses, George Quartz flailed about the stage, almost knocking over one of the cherubs behind him.

"You guys picked the wrong show to go to tonight," Quartz said just before the next song started and he hopped into the crowd, hanging all over people in the audience. It wasn't long before the singer moved to the side of the stage to grab three white pillows, which he handed to his three dancers in the crowd, who lunged into a slow-motion pillow fight with one another.

George Quartz 039.JPG
Rachel Watts
The dancers start a slow-motion pillow fight
Every now and then, Quartz would return to the stage to adjust his pedals, although he always stayed in character, at one point wrapping himself in a garland boa. After his powerslide into the crowd, the set finally ended with a recording of Quartz's dissonant vocals, looped as the performer walked out of the crowd and the music faded.
- Rachel Elizabeth Watts