There was a time not so long ago when Denton was the place for up and coming bands to stop through instead of DFW. Any given week if you checked Rubber Gloves or Hailey's websites you would find an often healthy selection of "hip" bands whom were obviously on the rise. I think I saw Of Montreal at Gloves three or four times? But those times seem a distant memory. All of that business has moved to our big sisters to the south, where I don't believe they receive the attention/attendance that the bands need as up and coming acts. Yes, we may not have as much money as Dallas or Fort Worth, but we are much hipper, which is what really gets people out to the shows.
I was speaking last week with Rubber Gloves owner Josh Baish about this topic, which obviously affects him. I am not saying that Gloves still doesn't have great shows on a constant basis because they do. Local bookers do you a good job of getting local acts in and the occasional bigger name touring band. Most of those touring bands tend to be ones that already have a history with the club, which is great, but what about those bands of tomorrow today?
Perfect example of the type of show I would like to see more of is happening this Sunday night at Rubber Gloves. This show was booked by Natalie Dávila whom you may know from her time booking at the now defunct Majestic Dwelling of Doom and more recently one of the forces behind 35 Conferette. The show is a little bit pricier at $10, but well worth it. I am hoping that the tide can start turning back in Denton's favor and away from places I can't walk to. I asked Natalie about the future of her booking and this show inpaticular, here is what she had to say.
FP: Why have you decided to stick with the booking gigs post DOOM?
ND: Well, booking opportunities just kept falling in my lap… Baish opened up Gloves to me and has subsequently taught me a great deal about this business, as far as venue specific booking is considered. I was also approached by the NX35 beast and spent the last 8 months getting my life turned upside down. At the end of the day, it was worth it. I have been fortunate enough to get to view the world of booking from a few different angles… DIY booking, venue booking, and festival booking. All of which are so completely different from each other and all of which have their own unique problems. The business itself is rather fascinating… getting to peek behind the curtain and see how tours come together operationally. Suffice it to say my experience in this business has all been rather serendipitous. I’m just along for the ride.
Is this booking venture official? You have a catchy title yet?
I will probably focus more on making it “official” after summer when I have the time to do so. I don’t have a name yet… Spune was already taken… so I was thinking about Spluge instead…
Most of our readers are probably familiar with Crocodiles, can you tell us a little about the other acts on the bill.
Sleepy Sun is a big ole band from San Fran… with six members or so. I think compared to most psych rock outfits they show more restraint in their performance. Now that isn’t a bad thing… I just think they will prove to be well-crafted stoner rock. White Hills is a loud ass band hailing from New York. My friend Dustin Anderson caught this band live at SXSW and said it was a really powerful show, so I decided to check them out and see about bringing them to Denton. Their label, Thrill Jockey, has quite a few solid acts- stuff like Fiery Furnaces, OOIOO, Future Islands, etc. etc. Their sound is very space-y, atmospheric, definitely psychedelic and heavy. This is the band on the bill I am personally most excited about seeing, except for maybe Tang Lung… haven’t caught them live yet but I know they are going to kick ass. The DFW area lacks bands like Tang Lung… their myspace boasts some really interesting and promising recordings… their sound is reminiscent of Sonic Youth and Slowdive, but ultimately with a really fresh take on dreamy-psych rock. And I can already tell they are going to be really loud live… and that’s always a plus.
How did the show come about?
Well I was too broke to go to Psych Fest so I decided to bring some of Psych Fest to me. I just started hitting up some bands (actually, their agents) that I knew were going to be routed this way for that event and thus this power bill was born! Denton will be the last stop for Crocodiles’ tour.
What kind of acts would you like to see booked more in the area?
I just want to see more range and diversity. This town is in a bit of a slump, but things are looking up. Bands are eager to play Denton; I just don’t think they are being sought out. This town has a good reputation on the national scale… people know there is a strong music community here. The //Tense// show that was at Gloves the other night is a perfect example of a strong, eclectic Denton bill. Brought to you by the tastemakers behind Discipline, that bill was solid gold and Denton needs more of that.
Rubber Gloves Site
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