Why am I doing this?

Real answer: I'm not sure. I must be going thru a "phase", or a mid-life crisis, but right now I can't get enough of listening to live music in the Dallas/Denton area, and I feel compelled to "talk" about it. So here I go:

When I started going to live music shows last year, I really couldn't find a resource to help me decide what show I would like best, given my tastes. Yes, the local music blogs helped somewhat, but they usually only talk about a few acts (and usually not the ones I'm interested in), when there are dozens to choose from in any given week.

I found that the only solution is to scan the listings of upcoming shows on DdCal, weshotjr, and pegasusnews and listen to songs on the bands' myspace pages. I categorize and "grade" all the bands and keep track of them in a spreadsheet (only an engineer, eh?). Also, after each show, I jot down a few notes about each band, so that I remember whether or not I'd want to see them again.

Since last December, I've seen about 150 bands and amassed a decent little database. The following post will be the listing of those shows to date. After that, I'll try and post reviews after each show.

It's important to note - these "reviews" were originally only for my benefit. They reflect my taste only. If you happen to share my taste in music, you might get something out of it. If you're into the music scene in Dallas/Denton, you at least might find it interesting.

What's my taste? My top four: Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Laurie Anderson, and Rufus Wainwright. What would that be - art-rock/pop? with some shoe-gaze thrown in? I don't know, I just know I like it. Favorite "locals"? Pompeii, Red Monroe, Chemistry Set, Calhoun, Quiet Company, New Frontiers, Radiant, Stumptone, Paul Banks... Check out my myspace page for more info: www.myspace.com/steve_mcf

Again, I will admit, I'm not sure what the point of this is, I just know that I seem to be obsessed with listening to live music, and I'd love to connect with those who feel the same way. If this blog helps me do that in some way, then I'll consider it a success. So please, don't hesitate to comment, email, whatever.