Over the years I've been an aspiring comic book artist, musician, novelist, and would-be movie maker. I've also dabbled in computer programming and photography and worked in call centers taking calls from irate consumers. So, about me: A definite night owl. I like to hang out in coffee shops or late-night restaurants having intelligent conversations and listening to those who have something to say. I like going on long drives and road trips when I can. I read and collect antiquarian books and magazines and like a wide variety of musical styles, particularly rock and 1920's-era jazz and pop recordings, but also a bit of swing, big band, disco, classical, pre-rock-and-roll-era vocal recordings, and yes, even a little bit of old-style country. What I've done: I've wasted years in idle pursuits and in slaving/laboring away to make and keep other people rich. I drafted what was to have been the first part of a novel from 2001 - 2002, self-published a photography chapbook in late 2003, was a regular attendee and two-time fill-in host at an open mic held at a local record store, acted briefly in an aborted independent movie production called tOUCHED, and once wore a black jumpsuit and mask and ran out in front of people under a strobe light.
More about me:
Early in 2007, temporarily free after a three-year stint with corporate America, I decided it was time I did something creative for a change, hence this website.
Whom I'd like to meet: People with integrity. People with interesting things to say over late night coffee. If you are one of these people, drop me a line.
Miscellaney:
I oppose infant circumcision and other medically and ethically unjustifiable procedures. I work with totally amateur video capturing and editing as a hobby and would like to work on and put together a shoestring video project down the road.
In 2007, Chris Nite and Renegade Radio named Guardiandam founder Rob their Promoter of the Year. Check out the Guardiandam home page at http://www.myspace.com/guardiandamdallas.
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Some Favorite Places
Tomcats Deep Ellum
The first time I ever went to Tomcats, it was to see Meat Goat and The Razorblade Dolls. I thought the venue was okay, though the sound needed some work as chronic problems with miking and mixing kept cropping up over and over again during each set. These problems were soon worked out, however, and Tomcats rapidly became one of my favorite music venues in Deep Ellum. Unlike some other clubs which are cramped and swelteringly close during the summer, Tomcats in Deep Ellum featured a wide, open area up front by the stage, with ample room to move about, mosh, or just stand and enjoy the music. Over by the bar you could find tables and chairs to sit and enjoy your drink and have conversation (between sets, naturally), and farther back by the entrance were two pool tables. The lighting onstage was also better than average for photographing live shows, particularly on a good night, and the two overhead spotlights made it comparatively easy to get striking silhouettes in black and white that it is just not possible to get at other local venues. Some of my very best shots were in fact taken at Tomcats. It also didn't hurt that one of the general managers was very accommodating to photographers, telling me once that I could set up wherever I wanted. Most of my favorite local bands played Tomcats, and my first introduction to at least one of them was at that location. Unfortunately, the City of Dallas in its infinite wisdom elected to force the Deep Ellum location to close and relocate to Addison by denying it an SUP (specific use permit) to continue operating, citing complaints from residents in the lofts nearby and (grossly overexaggerated) crime statistics. R.I.P., Tomcats of Deep Ellum.
Curtain Club
The Curtain Club. . .what can I say? Curtain has played host to all of my favorite local bands, many of whom (Holy Diver, Mod Effect, Reverent, SiK, Slick Lady Six, and With These Words, among others) I saw for the first time during a Curtain Club visit. The first time I ever photographed a live band performance, it was there. A large number of the photos featured in the Performance Photography area of this site were taken there, and it remains one of my favorite venues at which to shoot or just to hear good music. The sound system and sound guy are absolutely top-notch, and the sets are rarely ever marred by feedback, microphone outages, or instrumentation that's buried in the mix. I have yet to see a show at Curtain experience a series of unresolved technical problems as I have seen at other clubs. And it's relatively easy for a band performing there to obtain a recording of the night's set. When you go to a band's Myspace page and listen to a live recording in the media player, it's nearly always from Curtain, and that says a lot about the place. Curtain supports local music, and the interior is covered with posters and stickers of the bands that have played there. Until July 2007, Curtain was also the home of the "Deep Sundays" series of shows hosted by former 97.1 KEGL radio personality Robert Miguel, which aimed to promote local rock, metal, and alternative bands through Miguel's Scream For Me Dallas Productions. The club features a full roster of mostly local acts every Saturday and Sunday night beginning around 8:00. Cover is typically seven to ten dollars, and credit cards are accepted.
Paperbacks Plus
Dallas's premier used bookstore first opened its doors in 1976 in the Lakewood Shopping Center off Gaston and Abrams in East Dallas, moving to its present location at 6115 LaVista Drive in 1994. The sister store of the original Paperbacks Plus in Mesquite, Texas, it has been owned and run since the beginning by Marquetta Herring and John Tilton. Whether you're a student of literature, an avid poet, a fan of a good mystery or romance novel, or merely a passerby who happens to be in journeying through East Dallas, this is the place to stop and visit. You can find and browse just about any type of book on any subject you can think of, and if you're on a budget (like most of us poor readers, photographers, and artists are), you can take advantage of the generous trading policy to save up to 50% off the price of nearly anything in the store. Many a starving poet and artist have found a haven within the store's hallowed walls. And if you're looking to check out the local literary scene, this is the place to go. While the downstairs houses room after room packed full of books, magazines, movies, and music for sale, the upstairs plays host to various events and readings, literary gatherings, and a weekly poetry salon founded and hosted by local poet Todd Buckley. The headquarters of the Writer's Garrett is located there, and the store itself is situated only a few minutes from Downtown, within easy reach of historic East Dallas and a stone's throw away from Lower Greenville Avenue. Paperbacks Plus has a special place in my heart as it was there that I was given the first job I ever had, and the one I stayed at the longest (1994 - 2003), not to mention having been the place that gave me my entrée into the world of poets and open mic artists. Paperbacks Plus is open every day of the year except Thanksgiving and Christmas. Hours are from 9 - 9 Monday through Friday and from 11 - 7 on Sundays and holidays. The Mesquite location, opened in 1974 and the sister store to the Dallas location, is at 108 E. Davis Street, down the street from the old town square.
Bill's Records & Tapes
A longtime denizen and supporter of the independent music scene, Bill Wisener and Bill's Records & Tapes have been fixtures of the Dallas community for over thirty years. After cutting his teeth working the flea markets and swap meets, Bill opened his first record store in 1973 on Lower Greenville Avenue. In 1981, he moved the store to its former location at Spring Valley and Coit Road in North Dallas, and from there he proceeded to build one of the largest independently owned and operated record stores in the country. Over the years, hundreds of acts played or made personal appearances inside his hallowed walls, including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Radiohead, Suede, Weezer, and Bill's close friend, Ben Harper. Beginning in the summer of 2002, Bill's Records & Tapes also became a popular venue for local poets and spoken word artists, and it was the site of a weekly open mic that ran from 2002 until January 2006. In March 2007, Bill moved the store from its home of 26 years to its present location at 1317 S. Lamar Street, just south of Downtown Dallas. The move was necessitated by the pressures of internet competition and the property management's desire to exploit the changing demographic of the Spring Valley / Coit retail area. Now situated next door to Poor David's Pub and just across the way from the old Sears building (now the South Side Lofts) and the Absinthe Lounge, Bill's Records & Tapes continues to be an integral part of the Dallas arts scene, one of the few remaining places in town where you can get to know the owner and enjoy a mom-and-pop atmosphere. Bill and Bill's Records were forever immortalized in the 2005 Jeff Liles documentary The Last Record Store.
Kalachandji's
If you're looking for a unique vegetarian cuisine served up with a generous helping of atmosphere, or your're just a lover of foreign dining experiences, look no further. Kalachandji's has been a fixture in East Dallas since it opened its doors in 1982, and has been recognized far and wide throughout the Dallas area as a premier vegetarian eatery. Numerous personalities have passed through the doors of the temple, including Todd Rundgren, R.E.M., and B.B. King, among others. These and other celebrities are pictured on the wall by the buffet entrance, but the palace does not exploit the value of these names to draw in visitors. It doesn't need to - rather, it is Kalachandji's itself that draws people to it, to come in and dine, frequent the gift shop, or to attend services at the Hari Krishna temple. A friend introduced me to the restaurant in the late 90's, and I have been a patron ever since. On Sunday evenings, when I'm not going to a show or hanging out with a friend, you can often find me there for the Sunday buffet. Eight dollars gets you into the door, and it's all you can eat from that point. During the rest of the week (except Mondays, when the restaurant is closed), the buffet is $7.95 for lunch and $10.95 for dinner, including a salad bar. The menu rotates and features Indian dishes as well as various other dishes done over Indian style. The restaurant features an enclosed courtyard with a fountain, numerous tables, and booths with heaters fixed overhead for use during the winter months. Kalachandji's is located at 5430 Gurley Ave in Dallas, two blocks from Samuel Blvd. and Hwy 78 (East Grand Avenue).
Cool People and Things
Guardiandam Music
What is Guardiandam Music? No, it's not a record label. Nor is it a promotions company in the usual sense of the term.
In October 2006, Guardiandam founder Rob began to design artwork for the Mesquite, Texas-based band 3/4 Ton. By February of the next year, he was also designing artwork for Dallas-based Stir the Silence, and soon afterward he began offering artwork to all bands in the Dallas area. A show booked at Deep Ellum's Curtain Club soon followed, and the rest, as they say, is history. What began as a one person outfit working with one band has since expanded to a four person operation providing artwork, promotion, booking, and management for several different local acts including With These Words and Fallen South, a successor to the original 3/4 Ton. They have broadened their presence beyond Dallas to include Fort Worth and also New Orleans, with Amy taking care of things in The Big Easy, Munkey working in Fort Worth, and Rob and Steph holding down the fort in Dallas. They work with both local and national acts, and are committed to ensuring that the musicians under their wing are treated fairly and not ripped off or exploited by unscrupulous venues or individuals looking to make a quick buck at an artist's expense. The Guardiandam motto, "Promotion is everything," recognizes the fact that it is impossible to get anywhere in the music business without good people and relentless effort, and reaffirms their commitment to making sure that musicians get a fair deal. "Our goal when we first started," says Steph, was to help bands so they didn't get screwed over. Which is where our name came from - Guardian. The Dam came from 'Designed Art and Management.' Guardian Designed Art and Management was just too long and was shortened to Guardiandam."
(5)A1NT Productions
Looking for a reasonably priced, professional video production and editing service? Give these guys a call. Saint Productions has a selection of commercial and music video packages geared toward helping clients expand their name recognition and increase their exposure while at the same time supporting independent video production and filmmaking. Their services include professional shooting and post-production work, as well as the use of professional quality video equipment and editing software. Previous clients have included Fort Worth-based indie/pop band Flickerstick, local metal/hardcore band RUIN, and more, and the company has made a name for itself through its work in producing Flickerstick's upcoming live DVD and the demo reel for Dallas-based actor Wesley Raitt. Originally founded by Jon Price in 2006 for the purpose of creating a portfolio of his work, Saint Productions was soon incorporated as an independent company by Jon and writer Chris Craft. In late 2006, they released their first independent production, the acclaimed no-budget indy flick Dementia. Written by Jon and adapted for the screen by Chris, both of them fans of the independent and horror film genres, Dementia premiered in October 2006 as part of the "Friday Night Frights" series hosted by the Movie Tavern in Denton, TX. Since then, it has been reviewed and embraced by several horror-oriented organizations including Fatally-Yours.com, Horror-Fanatics.com, BIsForBrains.com, and HorrorSociety.com, which hosts the official Saint Productions website. Early in 2007, Jon and Chris began work on tOUCHED, the intended follow up to Dementia. I have known Chris for almost ten years now and I can vouch for his enthusiasm and dedication to his craft. You can contact the production company through their official Myspace page at http://www.myspace.com/saintprod or visit them at their website at SaintProd.com.
Cherina's Page for Bands/Music Only!
I first ran into this gal one night at Tomcats, while I was attending a Meat Goat/Razorblade Dolls show and taking a few pictures with my camera. After Desecration played its set, she walked up to me and asked if I had taken any pictures of them. "Just a few," I answered. "I'm managing them," she said. "We need some good pictures of the band." I told her that I would certainly let her know when the ones I'd taken were developed. She advised that she booked occasional shows for Tomcats, including the one that night, and gave me her contact information. I ran into her again at the next Desecration show, and have been in contact with her since. Now booking independently, Cherina is looking for new avenues to pursue in the rock/metal/death metal scene. Her résumé includes having managed local metal bands Desecration, Fistration, and Arachnaphelia, and she has booked shows for Scum of the Earth, Six Feet From Nothing, Red Jealousy, Lapse of Sanity, Desecration, Fistration, Sling, Crashsight, SiK, Varekai, and many others. If you're in a band in the D/FW area and are looking for someone to handle booking, promotion, and photography for a small fee, drop her a line at her Myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/cherinasbandsandmusicpage (be patient, as this page may take a while to load).
Alexa Machine
Founded in early 2008 by Jan Schefferlie and Steven Oppenheim, Alexa Machine was originally founded "to help provide bands and underground clothing companies with a screen printing shop that will actually print the kind of design that most established shops won't touch." Since starting business in March, Alexa Machine has begun to offer other services as well, including pre-made graphic designs and promotional materials for both up-and-coming and established bands and other clients. Their services include sixteen color screen printing, embroidery, vinyl signs, flyer and shirt design, oversized printing, specialty inks and special placements, and MySpace layouts. Previous clients have included Inbryo, Jacknife, System Overload, On the Front, Cyndrom, Toxic, Torch Entertainment, Guardiandam Music, Gan Eden Clothing, American Joe Apparel, 6 Degrees of Separation, and the 93.3 The Bone S&M Girls. Alexa Machine works closely with its clients to ensure the end result mathes the original idea as closely as possible. An online store is in the works which will carry merchandise for bands they sponsor and/or endorse, as well as showcase Alexa Machine's own clothing designs and those of other underground clothing labels. So if you're looking to support the local / underground arts and music scene, or if you're in a band and are looking for reliable, quality-conscious people to trust with your merchandise and promotional materials, check out these guys at alexamachine.com.
Crazy Picture Guy
Who is the Crazy Picture Guy, Scotty Mankoff? This guy is the busiest and most prolific photographer I know, with literally tens of thousands of photos to his credit. Chances are, if you've been to any major local event in the past year, he's been there. A freelance photographer available for hire, he is seen just about everywhere anything is happening, and even many places where it isn't - Deep Ellum, Lower Greenville, The Vampire Lounge, The Skillman Street Pub, The Granada Theater, the new Bill's Records, the Town Square Project, the AFI Film Fest, the Kettle Art Gallery, Studio Fling, Absolute Rehearsal, and everywhere in between. His photos and articles have appeared in Harder Beat, Lit Monthly, Envy, Metro ANE Magazine, and on countless MySpace profiles far and wide. Some of his photos have been featured in art shows at the Kettle Art Gallery in Deep Ellum. He is an accomplished musician who has sung and played guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, harmonica, and kazoo in several bands over the last twenty years. Over fifty Scotty Mankoff original compositions are registered with BMI and the Library of Congress. And speaking of music, you can often find him on the radio as a DJ or commentator, as he has been involved with radio since 1987 and has been affiliated with multiple stations. He has conducted video interviews of musicians and artists, some of which can be seen on YouTube, and is a member of Model Mayhem and BMI as a singer/songwriter. And as if all that weren't enough, he is currently at work on a book which will feature the best of his hitherto unpublished photo work. Like I said, this guy is everywhere and has done everything to help promote and support the local arts and music scenes. Check out his site at ScottyMankoff.com and thousands of his photos at CrazyPictureGuy.com. And if you see him at a show or an opening sometime, remember to say hello and to thank him for all he has done for the arts in Dallas.
All material on this page is © 2007-2008 by Peter Orozco except the Saint Productions logo, which is © Saint Productions, the Alexa Machine logo, which is © the Alexa Machine Company, and as otherwise credited. All rights reserved.
For answers to frequently asked questions see the FAQ page.
This page last updated on 11 November 2008 at 10:06 PM.